Salem Saberhagen
Encyclopedia
Salem Saberhagen is a character from the American
comic Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
, who also appeared in all other adaptations of the original, including the 1969 animated version by Filmation
in which Salem is an American Shorthair breed, and has no other name except "Salem". In addition, unlike the sitcom version, this Salem is only a cat, and could only meow. In the comic and other adaptations, Salem is a warlock sentenced to be a talking cat for a predetermined amount of time. (A mini-series titled The Magical Tales Of Young Salem related adventures of Salem before he was transformed.) The rest of this article will deal with the version of the character as seen in the TV sitcom
.
and is often the first character to come up with the one-liner
s or obvious pun
s in a scene. In addition to world domination, his ambitious plotting often includes attempts to make millions, become a famous celebrity, regain his magical powers, and become human again. He sometimes dispenses (bad) advice to Sabrina, often involving using magic to solve a problem, which usually ends up leaving Sabrina with even more problems than she began with. He is motivated mostly by his greed, hunger, and ambition. Salem is very proud of his singing voice, which he has shown off during the series. Some of his favorite pastimes are playing with yarn, lint spotting, surfing the internet, and reading Sabrina's diary. In the early part of the series, Salem is seen feuding with the neighbor's cat, Fluffy. He has a liking for Lizard Flakes, a snack for cats which is said to be fattening and full of cholesterol. In the show's pilot, he made the remark to Sabrina that he misses being able to dance. In some episodes, Salem acts more like a cat than a human, as if he was really one all along.
Despite his mischief, greed, and egocentricity, he is shown in many episodes to really care about, and even love, the Spellmans, especially Sabrina, and also is very fond of Harvey. Harvey learned Salem's true side some time around the end of high school.
, sentenced to spend 100 years as an American Shorthair
cat with no magical powers (although in the comic [depending on the story], he retains limited powers) by the Witch's Council, as punishment for his attempt to take over the world
. However, in the film, he was cursed to spend a century as a cat because he had kissed a mortal (due to the fact he had used his powers to impress them). At the beginning of the television series
, he had already served 25 years. Salem generally serves as some of the show's comic relief
, with his rapid fire jokes and deadpan manner. Despite his megalomania
cal desires for world domination, he is generally portrayed as having a good heart and being a loyal friend to Sabrina. In the series he would generally serve two roles: one as a mentor for Sabrina, as she found it easier to go to him with her messier problems, or the trouble-maker in the episode, such as finding an illicit way to become human again without being punished convincing Sabrina to use magic to solve her problems, both of which generally ended up putting Sabrina in even more trouble than before. He has shown on multiple occasions to deeply care about Sabrina; in the fourth season, when Sabrina left to live with her father in Paris, Salem missed her terribly and went so far as to start a civil war
on Pluto
in order to get her back to Westbridge. Salem supposedly erased the holiday Bobunk, as said in Christmas Amnesia
The leaders of his attempted revolution were also turned into house pets. Newt, the pet of Hilda and Zelda's cousin Monty, was heavily involved with the scheme, for the promised reward of Denmark. Another follower, Duke (played by Dick Van Dyke
), had a reduced sentence and was set free during the series, though Salem tried to use him to take over the world again. A talking guinea pig
named Stonehenge ("Stony" for short) was introduced in the first made-for-television film
, but whether or not he was ever human is unknown. Hilda was also one of Salem's followers; her punishment was to keep Salem free of worms during his period as a feline although she was pardoned at the end of season five. During season one, Salem was visited by his parole officer, to whom he insisted that his reformation is under way, but he accidentally lets it slip that he still yearns for control of the planet.
riding the rails of an Other Realm train. According to Salem, Salem's grandmother claims he (Salem's grandfather) was lost at sea. He also mentioned having an uncle Goliath and Morty. In one episode of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Salem mentions that his father's name was Gummo
, implying that he died.
Salem often uses Yiddish words and mentioned his cousin's Cheryl's Bat Mitzvah in Sabrina in Wonderland [episode 154], so he is probably Jewish.
Uncle Morty is Salem's uncle. He is rude and has no manners.
Gummo is Salem's father. Mentioned.
Annabelle is Salem's daughter.
Punit Mistry is Salem's first son, twice removed.
Uncle Goliath, Salem's uncle. Mentioned.
Grandpa, Salem's grandfather,works the trains as seen on 'Murder on the haloween express'
Cheryl, Salem's cousin. Mentioned
Grandma, Salem's grandmother
, he appeared in the live-action film
, along with the TV series it spawned
, as well as Sabrina, the Animated Series, the movie Sabrina: Friends Forever, and its spin-off show Sabrina's Secret Life
. However, prior to any of these adaptations, Salem appeared in Filmation
's 1969 animated version (which began as a segment on The Archie Comedy Hour
) as previously mentioned in this article. {A running gag
on the Filmation version is Salem in a feud with Jughead's dog "Hot Dog" and "Chili Dog"-a smaller red-haired version of "Hot Dog"}. The sitcom version also made a guest appearance on the shows Boy Meets World
, You Wish, and Teen Angel during the fall of 1997.
In the original comic version of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Salem's full name was Salem Plottsworth. Additionally, he was turned into a cat for standing up Enchantra at the altar, instead of for attempting world domination. A similar tale was told in the live-action film
, where he was imprisoned in the form of a cat for attempting to use his magic to make a mortal love him. The original comic character's background was retconned in the Tania del Rio
manga
-inspired version of the comic to a history that fit more in with Salem's history from the sitcom. His name in the comics was also changed to Salem Saberhagen as well.
rather than one of the 4 actual cats who are used for the non-dialogue scenes.The four trained cats portraying the character were named Elvis, Lucy, Salem and Witch. This part was performed by three puppeteers and two different animatronic puppets. The mechanical Salems were originally made by Animal Makers, but in early 1998 they were fired, and their puppets were replaced with ones made by Chiodo Brothers. The new mechanical Salem(s) were controlled by 3 puppeteers, who could manipulate Salem's body in more than 30 ways via rod, cables, and radio control. Animal Makers posted a video of some of the puppets highlights on its website. In the sitcom and DIC versions, Salem was voiced by actor Nick Bakay (in the Filmation version, Salem's meows were provided by Mel Blanc
). Humorously enough, in one sitcom episode Salem says he needs to make a phone call for Nick Bakay for Sports Section on TV, saying, "I need to call in to Nick Bakay's sports show on ESPN radio. All he ever talks about is the Buffalo Bills, and his voice? LORD, is it annoying!"
In a few instances where his human form is shown in flashbacks, he is portrayed with his face in shadows, but with a body type and militaristic uniform similar to Fidel Castro
(Castro himself is friends with him).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comic Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
Sabrina the Teenage Witch is a comic book series published by Archie Comics about the adventures of a teenage fictional character named Sabrina Spellman. The character was created by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo. The comic's characters have also appeared in various other media...
, who also appeared in all other adaptations of the original, including the 1969 animated version by Filmation
Filmation
Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live action programming for television during the latter half of the 20th century. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1963...
in which Salem is an American Shorthair breed, and has no other name except "Salem". In addition, unlike the sitcom version, this Salem is only a cat, and could only meow. In the comic and other adaptations, Salem is a warlock sentenced to be a talking cat for a predetermined amount of time. (A mini-series titled The Magical Tales Of Young Salem related adventures of Salem before he was transformed.) The rest of this article will deal with the version of the character as seen in the TV sitcom
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (TV series)
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch is an American sitcom based on the Archie comic book series of the same name.The show stars Melissa Joan Hart as Sabrina Spellman, a teenager with magical powers, who lives with her aunts Hilda and Zelda , and their magical talking cat Salem...
.
Personality
He has a barbed witWit
Wit is a form of intellectual humour, and a wit is someone skilled in making witty remarks. Forms of wit include the quip and repartee.-Forms of wit:...
and is often the first character to come up with the one-liner
One-liner joke
A one-liner is a joke that is delivered in a single line. A good one-liner is said to be pithy.Comedians and actors use this comedic method as part of their act, e.g...
s or obvious pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
s in a scene. In addition to world domination, his ambitious plotting often includes attempts to make millions, become a famous celebrity, regain his magical powers, and become human again. He sometimes dispenses (bad) advice to Sabrina, often involving using magic to solve a problem, which usually ends up leaving Sabrina with even more problems than she began with. He is motivated mostly by his greed, hunger, and ambition. Salem is very proud of his singing voice, which he has shown off during the series. Some of his favorite pastimes are playing with yarn, lint spotting, surfing the internet, and reading Sabrina's diary. In the early part of the series, Salem is seen feuding with the neighbor's cat, Fluffy. He has a liking for Lizard Flakes, a snack for cats which is said to be fattening and full of cholesterol. In the show's pilot, he made the remark to Sabrina that he misses being able to dance. In some episodes, Salem acts more like a cat than a human, as if he was really one all along.
Despite his mischief, greed, and egocentricity, he is shown in many episodes to really care about, and even love, the Spellmans, especially Sabrina, and also is very fond of Harvey. Harvey learned Salem's true side some time around the end of high school.
History
Salem was a warlockWarlock
The term warlock in origin means "traitor, oathbreaker".In early modern Scots, the word came to be used as the male equivalent of witch ....
, sentenced to spend 100 years as an American Shorthair
American Shorthair
The American Shorthair is a breed of cat believed to be descended from European domestic cats brought to North America by early settlers to protect valuable cargo from mice and rats...
cat with no magical powers (although in the comic [depending on the story], he retains limited powers) by the Witch's Council, as punishment for his attempt to take over the world
Hegemony
Hegemony is an indirect form of imperial dominance in which the hegemon rules sub-ordinate states by the implied means of power rather than direct military force. In Ancient Greece , hegemony denoted the politico–military dominance of a city-state over other city-states...
. However, in the film, he was cursed to spend a century as a cat because he had kissed a mortal (due to the fact he had used his powers to impress them). At the beginning of the television series
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (TV series)
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch is an American sitcom based on the Archie comic book series of the same name.The show stars Melissa Joan Hart as Sabrina Spellman, a teenager with magical powers, who lives with her aunts Hilda and Zelda , and their magical talking cat Salem...
, he had already served 25 years. Salem generally serves as some of the show's comic relief
Comic relief
Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension.-Definition:...
, with his rapid fire jokes and deadpan manner. Despite his megalomania
Megalomania
Megalomania is a psycho-pathological condition characterized by delusional fantasies of power, relevance, or omnipotence. 'Megalomania is characterized by an inflated sense of self-esteem and overestimation by persons of their powers and beliefs'...
cal desires for world domination, he is generally portrayed as having a good heart and being a loyal friend to Sabrina. In the series he would generally serve two roles: one as a mentor for Sabrina, as she found it easier to go to him with her messier problems, or the trouble-maker in the episode, such as finding an illicit way to become human again without being punished convincing Sabrina to use magic to solve her problems, both of which generally ended up putting Sabrina in even more trouble than before. He has shown on multiple occasions to deeply care about Sabrina; in the fourth season, when Sabrina left to live with her father in Paris, Salem missed her terribly and went so far as to start a civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
on Pluto
Pluto
Pluto, formal designation 134340 Pluto, is the second-most-massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the tenth-most-massive body observed directly orbiting the Sun...
in order to get her back to Westbridge. Salem supposedly erased the holiday Bobunk, as said in Christmas Amnesia
The leaders of his attempted revolution were also turned into house pets. Newt, the pet of Hilda and Zelda's cousin Monty, was heavily involved with the scheme, for the promised reward of Denmark. Another follower, Duke (played by Dick Van Dyke
Dick Van Dyke
Richard Wayne "Dick" Van Dyke is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer with a career spanning six decades. He is the older brother of Jerry Van Dyke, and father of Barry Van Dyke...
), had a reduced sentence and was set free during the series, though Salem tried to use him to take over the world again. A talking guinea pig
Guinea pig
The guinea pig , also called the cavy, is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia. Despite their common name, these animals are not in the pig family, nor are they from Guinea...
named Stonehenge ("Stony" for short) was introduced in the first made-for-television film
Sabrina Goes to Rome
Sabrina Goes to Rome is a 1998 television movie produced for ABC. The movie is part of the Sabrina, the Teenage Witch TV series and is the first TV movie made for the series. The movie features only two main characters from the series, the protagonist Sabrina Spellman , and other main character...
, but whether or not he was ever human is unknown. Hilda was also one of Salem's followers; her punishment was to keep Salem free of worms during his period as a feline although she was pardoned at the end of season five. During season one, Salem was visited by his parole officer, to whom he insisted that his reformation is under way, but he accidentally lets it slip that he still yearns for control of the planet.
Family
Members of Salem's blood family include his daughter, Annabelle, whom Salem loves dearly but doesn't interact with much due to his shame about being a cat. Salem managed to make it to her wedding and performed all the duties of father of the bride that he could in his furry state. His mother visited Salem and pampered him to the point Sabrina missed her own mother and went to visit her. It is revealed later in the episode that Salem's mother, ironically, is allergic to cats. Another member is Salem's grandfather, who is a hoboHobo
A hobo is a term which is often applied to a migratory worker or homeless vagabond, often penniless. The term originated in the Western—probably Northwestern—United States during the last decade of the 19th century. Unlike 'tramps', who work only when they are forced to, and 'bums', who do not...
riding the rails of an Other Realm train. According to Salem, Salem's grandmother claims he (Salem's grandfather) was lost at sea. He also mentioned having an uncle Goliath and Morty. In one episode of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Salem mentions that his father's name was Gummo
Gummo Marx
Milton "Gummo" Marx was an American vaudeville performer and theatrical agent. He was the fourth-born of the Marx Brothers. Born in New York City, he worked with his brothers on the vaudeville circuit, but left acting when he was drafted into the U.S...
, implying that he died.
Salem often uses Yiddish words and mentioned his cousin's Cheryl's Bat Mitzvah in Sabrina in Wonderland [episode 154], so he is probably Jewish.
Relatives
Mrs. Saberhagen, Salem's mother. She was strict but well-meaning and didn't know that Salem was a cat until she came to visit him. She pampered him and he loved it. But she found out that she was allergic to cats and had to leave early.Uncle Morty is Salem's uncle. He is rude and has no manners.
Gummo is Salem's father. Mentioned.
Annabelle is Salem's daughter.
Punit Mistry is Salem's first son, twice removed.
Uncle Goliath, Salem's uncle. Mentioned.
Grandpa, Salem's grandfather,works the trains as seen on 'Murder on the haloween express'
Cheryl, Salem's cousin. Mentioned
Grandma, Salem's grandmother
Other versions
Aside from the original comicSabrina, the Teenage Witch
Sabrina the Teenage Witch is a comic book series published by Archie Comics about the adventures of a teenage fictional character named Sabrina Spellman. The character was created by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo. The comic's characters have also appeared in various other media...
, he appeared in the live-action film
Sabrina the Teenage Witch (film)
Sabrina the Teenage Witch is a 1996 American television film adaptation based on a character from Archie Comics. It served as a pilot for the Sabrina The Teenage Witch TV series, and premiered on Showtime on April 7, 1996...
, along with the TV series it spawned
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (TV series)
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch is an American sitcom based on the Archie comic book series of the same name.The show stars Melissa Joan Hart as Sabrina Spellman, a teenager with magical powers, who lives with her aunts Hilda and Zelda , and their magical talking cat Salem...
, as well as Sabrina, the Animated Series, the movie Sabrina: Friends Forever, and its spin-off show Sabrina's Secret Life
Sabrina's Secret Life
Sabrina's Secret Life is an American animated television series based on the Archie Comics character Sabrina, the Teenage Witch produced by DiC Entertainment in partnership with Sony Pictures Television. It originally aired in syndication in 2003 as a spin-off of Sabrina: Friends Forever, Sabrina,...
. However, prior to any of these adaptations, Salem appeared in Filmation
Filmation
Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live action programming for television during the latter half of the 20th century. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1963...
's 1969 animated version (which began as a segment on The Archie Comedy Hour
The Archie Show
The Archie Show is a Saturday morning cartoon animated series produced by Filmation. Based on the Archie comic books, created by Bob Montana in 1941, The Archie Show debuted on CBS in September 1968 and lasted for one season. A total of 17 half-hour shows, each containing two 11 minute segments,...
) as previously mentioned in this article. {A running gag
Running gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
on the Filmation version is Salem in a feud with Jughead's dog "Hot Dog" and "Chili Dog"-a smaller red-haired version of "Hot Dog"}. The sitcom version also made a guest appearance on the shows Boy Meets World
Boy Meets World
Boy Meets World is an American comedy-drama series that chronicles the events and everyday life lessons of Cory Matthews, played by Ben Savage, a kid from suburban Philadelphia who grows up from a young boy to a married man. The show aired for seven seasons from 1993 to 2000 on ABC, part of the...
, You Wish, and Teen Angel during the fall of 1997.
In the original comic version of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Salem's full name was Salem Plottsworth. Additionally, he was turned into a cat for standing up Enchantra at the altar, instead of for attempting world domination. A similar tale was told in the live-action film
Sabrina the Teenage Witch (film)
Sabrina the Teenage Witch is a 1996 American television film adaptation based on a character from Archie Comics. It served as a pilot for the Sabrina The Teenage Witch TV series, and premiered on Showtime on April 7, 1996...
, where he was imprisoned in the form of a cat for attempting to use his magic to make a mortal love him. The original comic character's background was retconned in the Tania del Rio
Tania del Rio
Tania del Rio is an American cartoonist working mainly in comic books. She is a graduate of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design with a BFA in animation....
manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
-inspired version of the comic to a history that fit more in with Salem's history from the sitcom. His name in the comics was also changed to Salem Saberhagen as well.
Awards and Nominations
| Year | Association | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Animal Star | |
| 1999 | |||
| 2000 | |||
The sitcom model
The sitcom's creators were very sensitive to the treatment of animals, so Salem was often played by an animatronic puppetPuppet
A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....
rather than one of the 4 actual cats who are used for the non-dialogue scenes.The four trained cats portraying the character were named Elvis, Lucy, Salem and Witch. This part was performed by three puppeteers and two different animatronic puppets. The mechanical Salems were originally made by Animal Makers, but in early 1998 they were fired, and their puppets were replaced with ones made by Chiodo Brothers. The new mechanical Salem(s) were controlled by 3 puppeteers, who could manipulate Salem's body in more than 30 ways via rod, cables, and radio control. Animal Makers posted a video of some of the puppets highlights on its website. In the sitcom and DIC versions, Salem was voiced by actor Nick Bakay (in the Filmation version, Salem's meows were provided by Mel Blanc
Mel Blanc
Melvin Jerome "Mel" Blanc was an American voice actor and comedian. Although he began his nearly six-decade-long career performing in radio commercials, Blanc is best remembered for his work with Warner Bros...
). Humorously enough, in one sitcom episode Salem says he needs to make a phone call for Nick Bakay for Sports Section on TV, saying, "I need to call in to Nick Bakay's sports show on ESPN radio. All he ever talks about is the Buffalo Bills, and his voice? LORD, is it annoying!"
In a few instances where his human form is shown in flashbacks, he is portrayed with his face in shadows, but with a body type and militaristic uniform similar to Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
(Castro himself is friends with him).