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Do you remember the time?

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We’re well under way with the bumpy toboggan ride leading to the 50th San Diego Comic-Con, and in honor of this landmark, Jackie Estrada has been posting some photos from her memory lane. Many of them can be found in her two collection of her candid “street” photography  at the con over that time, but looking at them has kind of been blowing my mind with nostalgia for those long ago days at the grubby end of San Diego at hotels long torn down. My first con was in 1984 and was set at the Performing Arts Center,  which is still standing, but many social events took place at the now long gone Hotel San Diego., and of course the first con took place at the Hotel Cortez, which is also long gone.  You can see the photos that Jackie has posted thus far here: 1974, 1975 and 1976

What fascinates me the most about these photos is first, the star power: Kirby, Eisner, Clampett, Bradbury, Frank Capra! Charles freaking Schulz! Today’s cons are just a continuation of the spectacular guests line ups that were already coming to the show in the cons earliest years.

The other thing is…wow, what the profession of cartoonists meant to different generations.

The photo above (reprinted with Jackie’s express permission) is a panel from the 1975 con with (L-r) Sergio Aragones, Brad Anderson?, Russell Myers, Dick Moores, ??, and Mell Lazarus. The first thing looking at all these photos of established cartoonists shows you is just how serious they were: all in sport coats and the finest polyester slacks. (Although Jack Kirby’s slacks may be buttoned up to his armpits, the ones in this photo are utterly spectacular,  sailor pants with some kind of off-center buttoned placket. The man had style.)

But by and large these cartoonists were dignified men of the mid-century. They had raised families and bought homes on the money that made making comics. They are suburban and stable. Although there are a surprising number of syndicated cartoonists in the photos (who were millionaires some of them) even the comics folks like Gil Kane are wearing their sportcoats. 

Now here’s a panel from the same year with the younger generation on a panel for Star*Reach, one of the very first creator owned publishers.

That’s unknown, Jim Starlin, Howard Chaykin,  Steve Englehart, Frank Brunner and publisher Mike Friedrich. 

Bear in mind that this was a time of divison in America that mirrors our own. The “generation gap” was a real thing and spoken of constantly in the media. These photos are a slightly later reflection of Laugh-In: a show that was anchored by two middle aged stand-ups but still tried to play to the oncoming generation of “beatniks” with more modern comedy by Artie Johnson and Henry Gibson.

Among the older generation there were many stars as well. Sergio Aragones’ charm and charisma fairly blasts off the screen. Jim Steranko was exactly the same as he is now, in the same costume, only his fair color changed a bit.

The Star*Reach crew is younger and a little funkier but I think, even from these photos, you can see that they expect to have different careers. They expect to put expressing themselves first and foremost, and having security for their families – if they ever have families – second. You see this in photos of The Studio from around the same time.

The profession of cartoonist has changed fractally since these photos were taken, but they’re part of the comics heritage. Although these photos were taken long before I went to San Diego, they remind me so much of the first shows that I went to there, and the cons I attended in NYC. They’re the story of my life, too. IK feel like the critic in Ratatouille, or Proust with his madeleines: suddenly, involintarily swept back to a time and place that no one can ever experience again.

In a separate conversation, Jackie told me that she had studied “street photography” – extremely candid and unposed photos. They may not be slick, but they are truthful.

You can purchase  Jackie’s two books of con photos at these Amazon affiliate links below.

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Happy 2019!

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Hello to all and congrats on making another trip around the sun – and now we get to do it all again.
In the past I’ve posted one of J.C. Leyerdecker’s famed “New Years Babies” from 100 years past for the New Year’s image, but artist Steve Leialoha has gone and done the photoshopping for me. Leyerdecker was the regular New Year’s cover artist for the Saturday Evening Post, which was the CNN of the day, and he was a zeitgeist capturer second to none.
And in case you’re wondering, this is a contemporaneous image from New Year’s Day 1940. Because we’ve always had fear and darkness. We’ve always had Russia and China. And there are those who fight. And those who give in.
Leialoha had some other candidates:
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Ah the Golden Age of Illustration.
As we start a new year I want to thank you, loyal readers (and new readers) for supporting this site in its new home at syndicated Comics. We do it all for you. Also the Beat’s incredible staff who work tirelessly (really, you should see our DM timestamps) to bring this to you: Alux Lu, without whose hard work you’dbabrely have a site;  ever insightful Kyle Pinion, Hannah Lodge (the secret behind our convenbtion coverage), newsletter poobah A.J. Frost, the daily news crew of Zack Quaintance, Joe Grunenwald and Samantha Puc; our faithful and fashionable intern, Megan Fabbri; and departed but always in our hearts, Todd Allen.  We gained a lot of great writers this year who are making the site better than ever, and “wait until you see what we have planned for 2019” as they like to say in marketing.
We’ll be kicking off our annual Creator Survey tomorrow, culminating in the naming COMICS INDUSTRY PERSON OF THE YEAR! Who do you think it should be? What are you looking forward to in 2019? Who is stronger, Kevin Feige or Pam Lifford? Let us know in the comments, and here’s to the best 2019 ever!
 

Merry Christmas To All

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The Beat is on a holiday break but we’ll be back tomorrow. In the mean time from all of us,  we wish all of you a wonderful holiday.
And if you’re in need of some reading here’s the best stories from the Beat in 2018 as picked by the Beat Staff.
Art by Suzu
 
 

The Beat’s Holiday Gift Guide: For the Indie and Small Press Comics Admirer

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The holiday gifting time is here and the Beat crew stands ready with some suggestions for the comics lover, comics curious or even comics oblivious – there’s something for everyone out there. Let’s take a look at some suggestions for that person in your life who likes alternative and indie comics!


A subscription to Uncivilized books 2019 collection: Uncivilized comics publish some very interesting and often time challenging work. Their upcoming publication features some new work by Mardou and Gabrielle Bell, two incredible artists. The 2019 line-up includes a variety of artists and it’s sure to be a unique gift.
A subscription to The Nib: For those interested in political comics, a subscription to The Nib is a good choice. Though some of their comics don’t always land perfectly, they do publish a variety of cartoonists and explore a lot of different subjects. There’s something for everyone here. Their online subscription comes with a quarterly magazine in digital or printed format depending on your tier of support.
BERLIN by Jason Lutes: The final volume of Jason Lutes decades long series Berlin. This 580 page volume is an outstanding piece of literary comics. Lutes has accomplished an impressive feat, mixing historical details and character study to perfection. Berlin is a look at the fall of the Weimar Republic and the rise of fascism and extremism begins to change German society. Of interest in the book itself is the central role the city plays in all of this, being depicted as a beacon for intellectualism and ideal until its decline and destruction in one of the most well-executed story arc of the decade. A must-read

One of the great comics or graphic novels published by Believed Behavior or Pow Pow Press: These two publishers have been making some exceptional graphic novels and comics over the past few years. For instance, Believed Behavior has published some interesting, challenging and novel work from a variety of cartoonists such as Margot Ferrick, Kevin Budnik and Tommi Parrish. These are usually fantastic work that are well worth your time. Pow Pow Press has also published some very interesting work over the last few years. Sophie Bédard’s young adult series Almost Summer has finally been all published in English. The two books from Zviane (Going Under For as long as it Rains) are absolutely beautiful. It’s hard to find something to dislike in those two publishers.
Support an artist on Patreon or Drip: This one is a bit trickier to execute since you have to know who your loved one would like to support, but is essentially a “gift that keeps on giving”. Many artists have Patreon (or Patreon-like page like Drip) that they maintain, providing subscribers with progress posts, update on their work, giveaways, web comics or downloadable content during the year for a very reasonable monthly fee. Find out who they’d like to see supported, commit to an amount for the year and register them to get the updates. It’s nice to be able to provide ongoing support to an artist and your loved one will get ongoing updates throughout the year.
Commission from an artist: If you know your loved one likes an artist, do reach out to these artists to see if they take personal commission and what their prices are (prices can vary depending on who you contact). Artists typically have prices for those and dates during which they can accommodate such work depending on their current workload. Just make sure you don’t become too pushy if they say no (and it may happen as the holidays are a busy season and everyone has work to do before visiting their family or completing work before the end of the year), try to see if they have a waiting list. Sometimes, they may be able to put you on an order or waiting list for the holidays. People do a range of wonderful work and it makes for a beautiful gift.

One of IDW’s Artist Edition book: For the past several years, IDW has been publishing a line of artists focus comics. They are an oversize, black & white, raw look at an artist’s page from some of their most famous and admired work. These books are absolutely gorgeous and are absolutely worth the price of entry. There’s some beautiful books, including some by Jack Kirby, Jim Steranko or Walter Simonson.
The Akira 35th Anniversary Box Set: Six hardcover volumes of Katsuhiro Otomo’s masterpiece in a beautifully designed box set. It was on the list last year and I didn’t get it. It’s really pricey, but a man can dream.

Happy Holidays!

Review: A very scary Halloween with The Haunting of Hill House, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and a new modem

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For weeks I’ve been trying to watch The Haunting of Hill House, the newish Netflix series based on the  classic Shirley Jackson novel – but only under optimal conditions. Namely, during the day and with a lot of people around.
The first movie version of Jackson’s novel, called simply The Haunting, is by far the scariest movie I ever saw. As a kid, it was one of the films they were always playing on channel 11, but the first time I saw it, at a very impressionable age, it scared me so much that I threw up, and many parts of it still show up in my dreams…and nightmares. That spiral staircase, the throbbing doors and window, the general sinister appearance of the house, “Whatever walks in Hill House walks alone….” and most of all that last shot where Claire Bloom jumps in front of Julie Harris’s car…I think that’s where I puked from fear. Directot Robert Wise did something very rare: he made a movie about fear itself. There was no need to see monsters; our imaginations did all the terrorizing, and mine certainly did.
I’ve watched it a few times as an adult, and it still has the visceral power to scare me. Thus, when I heard there was a very scary reimagination on Netflix I was curious to see it. But that would be no easy task. I attempted to watch it when I was visiting my family last week, but no one could remember the Netflix password, the phone kept ringing, and people (me) wanted to watch the World Series. We tried to watch the first episode, but literally made it three minutes in. It just couldn’t happen!
Once home, I put on my big girl pants, and decided I could watch it by myself, no problem. Only my brand new modem wouldn’t communicate with my ancient tv/PS3 rig, as I discovered after endless password juggling and the ultimate horror: calling Spectrum tech support to find out what the eff was going on. It turned out it involved an ethernet cable, and I wanted no part of that.
Just an aside here:  when I first tried to connect that PS3 to my wifi, long ago, it was perhaps the most frustrating task of my life. After hours of fruitless, investigative Googling, it turned out you had to have a hexidecimal password for the WEP-16 network and blah blah blah. It took a week of trying and crying to figure it out.
Flash forward to Halloween night 2018: once again, I’m determined to be frightened! Figuring it was time to join the ‘Teens, I went out to get a Roku at Best Buy, a trip which also served as a preview of the early Halloween goings on near the famed Village parade route. I must say, a subdued Halloween this year. Real life horror has people very distracted, I think.
Once I got home and plugged in the Roku…it still wouldn’t work! Another call to Spectrum!!!! It turned out my neighborhood had JUST THAT MOMENT had an internet outage! By this time it was clear that sinister forces were gathering to keep me from watching this show. A case for Zak Bagans! One bowl of chips and salsa later, I gave it another try and…by the Grace of God, it worked!
After ALL THAT BORING PREAMBLE, here I am to review the first episode of The Haunting of Hill House!


THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE (2018)

Okay I made it about 30 minutes in to this and had to turn it off. The part where the water starts dripping on the guy. There were so many callbacks to the novel and movie – the spiral staircase and the general appearance of the house – that I got the heebie jeebies again. Plus everything was shot in slow, something-awful-is-gonna-happen panning shots. Cheap but effective.
The story, as far as I got into it, involves flashbacks to the Crains, a family with FIVE children that moves into Hill House to renovate it, hoping to flip it. In the present day, the five kids have gone on to various troubled adulthoods after the terrors of what befell them at Hill House. One investigates paranormal activity and writes best sellers about it. One is an undertaker. One is a drug addict. One is a sex addict (and wears rubber gloves after trysts – I wasn’t in a hurry to find out why that is) and one is just troubled and still sees ghosts. The dad is also haunted by what happened. The mom? Well she didn’t make it out of Hill House.
As far as I could make out, this show is as much about family trauma as it is about ghosts and so on. But it is also about ghosts. Some people have pooh poohed how scary it is, but I am not a pooh pooher this day.
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Sometime when I am not so overwrought over wifi problems, I may return to this. Maybe when it is daylight. I can’t say whether this new version is that good, or I was just traumatized so much by The Haunting, but it turned out I coudn’t take it.
BUT, determined to have some spooky Halloween streaming, I turned to the new Chilling Adventures of Sabrina also on Netflix. Would this be the win I so desperately needed?


CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA (2018)

I like Riverdale although I never got past the first season, but I’m a firm believer in showrunner Roberto Aguire Sacasa’s ability to take the tropes of Archie Comics’ Riverdale/Greenwood and showcase its lurid underpinings and teenage perversity.
Given that he originated the very spooky updated comics version of Sabrina, all the way back in 2004,  the show seemed to be on good hands, and I was well up for this.
So first off, the credits are awesome, based on Robert Hack’s covers and interiors for the comic. I hope he got some credit for this!


The story was just as lurid yet pretty as I was expecting, and immediately I felt a wave of reassurance that I would be disturbed but not have my pants scared off, as with Hill House.
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Chilling Adventures of Sabrina finds almost 16-year-old Sabrina Spellman about to have her “dark baptism” on her 16th birthday – which is also Halloween and an eclipse. We start on Monday of the week – Halloween is Friday – and see Sabrina goofing with her pals, smooching with her boyfriend Harvey (Ross Lynch, seen as Jeffrey Dahmer in My Friend Dahmer), and sparring with her aunties, (deliciously played by Miranda Otto and Lucy Davis); and her pansexual cousin Ambrose (Chance Perdomo.) Immediately we learn that Greenwood has a dark history with witchcraft, one that is very much in the present as Miss Wardell (Michelle Gomez), Sabrina’s favorite teacher, is overcome by another witch, Madame Satan, who has dark plans for Sabrina.
Most of the episode is taken up with Sabrina (Kiernan Shipka) trying to decide which part of her heritage she’s going to honor. Her father was a high ranking warlock; her mother a human. Her aunties are all about her prepping to pledge her loyalty to the Dark Lord Satan. Sabrina likes her human friends, and gets caught up in starting a female empowerment group to help her non-binary friend Susie with bullying. Decisions decisions! What’s a busy little half witch with a good heart to do?
This is a bit like Harry Potter if Hogwarts were run by Satan. (Real life Satanists are reportedly upset about some of the aspects of the show.) There is a lot of world-building and colorful details about the magical world that give this a real fantasy spin. Sabrina has some mean girl witches from her new school to overcome, and a mean principal in her human one, and a cutr black cat who does not talk this time out, as a familiar.
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I thought Shipka was just right in this role, vulnerable and emotive, but also fierce when she has to be. And her conflicted feelings are real. Although instinctively we don’t want Sabrina to go over to Satan – and even from the first episode it’s obvious that the witches are part of an oppressively patriarchal system – it’s also cool to cast spells and do magic. I have avoided spoilers about the remaining 9 episode, but clearly, Sabrina isn’t going to give up on her human side that easily.
The show has some good contemporary touches – Susie is played by Lachlan Watson, a non-binary actor in real life, and dealing with the gender evolutions of classmates is a very real part of high school life these days – and some fun retro gore. And as noted,  it’s great watching a bunch of veterans like Otto, Davis and Gomez chew scenery while being fabulous. (Shades of American Horror Story: Coven though.) The one weak spot was the occasional CGI which is…TV level.
Still all in all, this was just what I needed on this Halloween night, and wifi willing, I’ll binge the rest of the show at some point.
 

31 Days of Halloween: black-ish Goes Full Wakanda Tonight

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Anyone familiar with ABC’s black-ish is well aware that every Halloween episode features the Johnson family dressed in a theme costume. Previous years include the Jackson 5, the Incredibles, and Stars Wars, the latter two examples great corporate synergy for the House of Mouse.
This year is no different and features yet another bit of corporate crossover that is still works pitch perfectly for the show—Black Panther! It’s a true testament to the lasting power of Black Panther that almost a year later people are still showing their Wakandan pride. If convention cosplay is any indication, you can expect quite a few Panther trick or treaters showing up at your doorstep tomorrow.


I’m actually a bit surprised Disney is only now doing a Black Panther/black-ish tie-in instead back in February like it had for Speechless and The Last Jedi. But hey, better late than never. If Marvel Studios wants to cast Tracee Ellis Ross as a Dora Milaje in the sequel, she has my vote.
As entertaining as both the show and episode will likely be, Black Panther being continuously embraced by mainstream America is a tremendous milestone. It wasn’t too long ago when toy companies refused to make Static Shock action figures due to the false misconception that minority characters aren’t able to have wide appeal. As sad as the world has become lately, moments like this make me hopeful for the future and wish the late/great Dwayne McDuffie was alive to see change in pop culture landscape he helped create.

“Scarred for Life” – The twins opt out of the family Halloween costume for fear it will hurt their social status in middle school. Dre and Bow take it upon themselves to protect them from bullies by putting together the best haunted house and invite the whole seventh grade. Meanwhile, Junior starts spending time with a girl from Ruby’s choir and Ruby doesn’t know how to feel about it, on “black-ish,” TUESDAY, OCT. 30 (9:00–9:30 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network, streaming and on demand.
ABC’s “black-ish” stars Anthony Anderson as Andre “Dre” Johnson, Tracee Ellis Ross as Rainbow Johnson, Laurence Fishburne as Pops, Yara Shahidi as Zoey Johnson, Marcus Scribner as Andre Johnson Jr., Miles Brown as Jack Johnson, Marsai Martin as Diane Johnson, Jenifer Lewis as Ruby, Peter Mackenzie as Mr. Stevens and Deon Cole as Charlie Telphy.
Guest starring is Jeff Meacham as Josh and August & Berlin Gross as Devante.
“Scarred for Life” was written by Yamara Taylor and directed by Linda Mendoza.
The series was created by Kenya Barris and is executive produced by Barris, Jonathan Groff, Kenny Smith, Gail Lerner, Courtney Lilly, Lindsey Shockley, Anthony Anderson, Laurence Fishburne, Helen Sugland and E. Brian Dobbins. The series is produced by ABC Studios.


 

31 Days of Halloween: Funko's CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA Figure

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Chilling Adventures of Sabrina debuted yesterday on Netflix. I’ll probably check it out as soon as I’m finished with everything else I’m on my TV binge watch like Haunting of Hill House and Making a Murderer Season 2 just to see for myself.
In the meantime, Funko has announced a Pop! Figure for Sabrina as played by Kiernan Shipka and her familiar Salem. I’m hoping Funko extends the toys to include not just the Sabrina show but the Archie Horror comics line if only to see a Jughead werewolf figure or Vampironica.

Pop! Television: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
Celebrate the live action dark coming-of-age television series with this Pop! vinyl figure. Sabrina Spellman has her work cut out for her fighting the forces of evil while attempting to pass as an ordinary mortal teenager. Does she have what it takes?
 

Cowabunga! Ninja Turtles Invade Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!

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TMNT first appeared at Macy’s Annual Thanksgiving in 1990 solidifying the franchise among other hits like Garfield or Spider-Man. Though the Green Machine has appeared frequently as part of the parade since, the Ninja Turtles are taking it to another level with a unique and original float replicating their sewer lair from the current Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Check out the details below and be sure to catch it on your television November 22nd!

Nickelodeon’Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a reimagined take on the iconic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, will roll into the 92nd Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® on a brand-new float inspired by the bold and dramatic aesthetic of the 2D-animated series. The multi-tiered float will give fans a look at the world famous fighting foursome’s underground lair and will bring the series’ New York City streets to life for more than 3.5 million spectators lining the route and more than 50 million viewers nationwide.

From their underground lair to the streets of New York City, Nickelodeon’s Heroes in a Half-Shell will take fans on a wild ride down 34th street on a one-of-a-kind float, featuring an insider’s look at the Turtles in their natural habitat, punctuated by an array of lighting and fog special effects.

“Adding incredible excitement to the Macy’s Parade since 2012, we are thrilled to once again partner with Nickelodeon for an all-new, totally reimagined Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Float,” said Jordan Dabby, vice-president partnership marketing for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. “Helping to keep the Parade and New York safe from the evil Foot Clan, the Turtles are sure to captivate millions of spectators live on the street and on television as they ride through Manhattan on board this exciting stage.”

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the highly-anticipated next chapter in the iconic Turtles anthology, has resonated with fans both old and new,” said Charlotte Castillo, Senior Vice President, Global Franchise Planning, Nickelodeon Group. “As families gather for the annual tradition of watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, this spectacular float will take viewers on an epic joy ride and immerse them in the action-packed adventure of the brand-new series.”

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will also feature three fan-favorite returning Nickelodeon elements: SpongeBob SquarePants square-shaped giant balloon will bring a burst of holiday-themed optimism to fans across the country; PAW Patrol’s Chase character balloon will show the citizens of New York City that “no job is too big, no pup is too small;” and the Shimmer and Shine float will transport spectators to the whimsical world of Zahramay Falls with twin genies-in-training Shimmer and Shine.

The 92nd Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade airs nationwide on NBC-TV, on Thursday, Nov. 22, 2018 from 9:00 AM – Noon; in all time zones.

Nickelodeon’s reimagined, 2D-animated series Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles premiered last month and ranked as the number-one show with kids in its time period during its first two weeks on the air.  The new series follows the Turtles on all-new adventures as they master new powers, encounter absurd mutants and battle bizarre villains, each with their own motivations. Ranging from mystics, mutants and madmen, new creatures and villains emerge to take on Raph, Leo, Donnie and Mikey in battles across New York City.  From the tallest skyscraper to the dankest sewer drain, the brothers learn to work together and navigate the perils of New York City and the hidden realms below in order to fulfill their destiny to become a team of heroes.

Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles airs regularly on Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. ET/PT on Nickelodeon.

31 Days of Halloween: Check out Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Main Title Sequence

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Tomorrow Chilling Adventures of Sabrina hits Netflix just in time for fans to binge watch the series for Halloween.
To whet your appetites take a look at the show’s opening title sequence featuring spooktacular artwork by Robert Hack who drew the original comic series from Archie written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa. For those few people who didn’t get the memo, the opening should make it clear to everyone that this series is a stark departure from the original Melissa Joan Hart sitcom.
Given the popularity of the Chilling Adventures comic and the run away success of Riverdale by Greg Berlanti and Aguirre-Sacasa on the CW, the signs seem to be pointing to another hit.
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Her name is Sabrina Spellman. Half witch. Half mortal. On her 16th birthday, Sabrina (Kiernan Shipka) has to make a choice between the witch world of her family and the human world of her friends. With her aunties (Miranda Otto, Lucy Davis), her cat Salem, and her boyfriend Harvey Kinkle (Ross Lynch), Sabrina will face horrors and new adventures in the mysterious town of Greendale. From the executive producers of Riverdale comes a haunting new tale. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina premieres October 26. Only on Netflix.