Archie’s Madhouse #22 is CGC’s Featured Comic of the Month for October

Archie's Madhouse #22 featured the introduction of Sabrina the Teenage Witch.

Name of comic: Archie's Madhouse #22

Comic publisher: Archie Publications

Date: October 1962

Variants: 15 Cent Price Variant

What makes it special? This features the full appearance of Sabrina the Teenage Witch. MLJ Magazines (later renamed Archie Comic Publications) had been relating the escapades of famous Riverdale residents Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica since the early 1940s; the Archie’s Madhouse title, which debuted in 1959, was meant to showcase absurd storylines.

Why is it interesting now? Sabrina appeared repeatedly in Archie’s Madhouse before getting her own title, starting in 1971. She had an animated series in the early 1970s and a live-action series from 1996 to 2003. Now, she is getting her own show once again, this time on Netflix (Oct. 26 release date), called “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina,” which looks to be a darker take on the life of the character.

Did you know? Sabrina, the witch attending an ordinary high school, actually predated the successful TV series “Bewitched” (1964-1972) and “I Dream of Jeannie” (1965-1970), which also capitalized on the humor of supernatural antics in modern life.

Total graded by CGC: The CGC Census shows 102 copies graded with the typical 12-cent cover price, and another 3 of the 15-cent variant. None have Signature Series labels.

CGC median grade: The median grade for these books is Very Good+ 4.5.

CGC highest graded: CGC has graded 1 copy as Near Mint- 9.2.

Sales highlights: A copy graded CGC 5.0 sold through Heritage Auctions in April 2018 for $717, while a copy graded CGC 4.0 sold for $286 in August 2015.

CGC Comics Registry Champion: A set named “Sabrina’s Freckles” by exitmusicblue won Best in Set Type in 2018 for the Archie’s Madhouse category, though competition is slim. A copy of Archie’s Madhouse #22 graded CGC 4.5 was enough for the set to finish first. Explore this and other collections in the CGC Comics Registry.

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