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AfterEllen.com Huddle: Witches we like

Halloween may be one day out of the year, but witches are witches year-round! Despite the rumors they are unlovable and mean-spirited, there are several we find enticing for one reason or another.

Bloggers, who is your favorite witchy woman?

The Linster: In a Hogwarts witch popularity contest, Hermione Granger probably would rank highest. But my all time favorite witch is a character not nearly as confident or ambitious as Hermione. In a life-or-death battle with evil, however, Luna Lovegood is the witch I’d want in my circle.

Luna seems random and clueless, but she believed Harry when he said Voldemort was alive – even before Ron and Hermione did. As Rowling herself said, Luna is “likely to believe 10 impossible things before breakfast.” Luna is loyal, intuitive and doesn’t care what other people think. That’s my kind of witch. And my kind of person.

Heather Hogan: In all of my life of reading books and all of my life of writing entertainment news, I have never, ever, ever met a character more (deservedly!) beloved than Hermione Granger. Her journey from bossy, bushy-haired know-it-all to savior of the Wizarding World is one of the greatest character arcs ever written. Yes, I said savior of the Wizarding World. Hermione is the real hero of the Harry Potter books. Harry and Ron would have literally died without her. There would have never even been a second book. She’s clever in a worldly way, book smart in every way, and full of so much courage and loyalty and pluck that you can’t help but love her.

“I’ve learned all the course books by heart of course. I just hope it will be enough — I’m Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?”

Ali Davis: Helen Mirren as Morgana in Excalibur. I can still recite that sinister chant she does. She’s ferociously hungry for power, evil, and wow, can she put together an outfit.

Bridget McManus: My pick is Ursula the Sea Witch from Disney’s The Little Mermaid. Ursula is a heavyset purple-skinned octopus-diva with a raspy voice and more cleavage than any Disney character should have. The filmmaker for the 1989 film based Ursula’s character-design on the late drag queen Divine.

Ursula is not only my favorite witch but she’s also my favorite villain, and like most Disney movies she gets what’s coming to her in the end. But in the meantime, she has gets to sing the terrific “Poor Unfortunate Souls” (performed by Pat Carroll) and did I mention Ursula’s cleavage? (p.s. I love the sea witch so much that I have an Ursula T-shirt. I think I’ve shared too much.)

Emily Hartl: like witches a lot and have even been accused of hating them on FormSpring (a falsehood!), but my favorite witch of all time is Fairuza Balk in The Craft. I was totally crushing on her as my eighth grade self watched the movie on repeat via VHS. “These are my gifts! I can feel you in me!” I mean, really.

Trish Bendix: When I was younger, I loved Roald Dahl books and The Witches was the most terrifying. When it was made into a movie, even more vivid images were available to freak me the f–k out. Anjelica Houston was horrifying and amazing as the lead witch who wanted to turn all of the children into mice. I’m still creeped out by her in costume. She’s unrecognizable!

Karman Kregloe: Before there was Sesame Street or The Muppet Show, there was H.R. Pufnstuf, a bizarre kids’ show about Jimmy, a little boy whisked away to a magical land populated by enormous puppets, psychedelic trees, singing and dancing woodland creatures and Witchiepoo, a perverse lady who drove around on her jet-powered broom and inflicted chaos and mayhem on the otherwise happy citizens of Living Island. Pufnstuf was a late ’60s/early ’70s Sid and Marty Krofft joint, which means it contained over-the-top characters spewing goofy dialogue in a world in which everyone seemed to be tripping on acid. Obviously, I was hooked.

Witchiepoo was, for me, the main draw. If Lucille Ball (in I Love Lucy) and Divine (in Female Trouble) had a baby, she would be Billie Hayes as Wilhelmina W. Witchiepoo. Each week, Witchiepoo was foiled by tedious do-gooders in her attempt to steal Freddie, Jimmy’s magical talking flute (don’t ask). She assaulted her bumbling henchmen, drove like a maniac, recklessly cast spells on everyone and cackled at her own jokes. Somewhere on that island, I think she probably fronted her own witch rock band. I wanted to be her when I grew up.

Your turn: Which witch is your favorite witch?

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