Archie (comic book)

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Archie
Archie 1942 issue 1.jpg
Cover to Archie #1 (vol. 1) (Winter 1942)
Publication information
Publisher Archie Comics
ScheduleMonthly
Format Ongoing series
Publication date(vol. 1)
Winter 1942 – June 2015
(vol. 2)
July 2015 – September 2018
(vol. 1 cont.)
October 2018 – September 2020
No. of issues(vol. 1) 666 (#1–666)
(vol. 2) 32 (#1–32)
(vol. 1 cont.) 15 (#699–713)
Main character(s) Archie Andrews
Betty Cooper
Veronica Lodge
Jughead Jones
Creative team
Written by(vol. 1)
Various
(vol. 2)
Mark Waid
(vol. 1 cont.)
Ian Flynn (#699)
Nick Spencer (#700 sneak peek onwards)
Artist(s)(vol. 1)
Various
(vol. 2)
Fiona Staples (#1–3)
Annie Wu (#4)
Veronica Fish (#5–10)
Thomas Pitilli and Ryan Jampole (#11–12)
Joe Eisma (#13–17)
Pete Woods (#18–22)
Audrey Mok and Kelly Fitzpatrick (#23–32)
(vol. 1 cont.)
Fiona Staples, Annie Wu, Veronica Fish,Thomas Pitilli and Ryan Jampole, Joe Eisma, Pete Woods, Audrey Mok and Kelly Fitzpatrick (#699)
Marguerite Sauvage (#700 sneak peek onwards)

Archie (also known as Archie Comics) is an ongoing horror comic book series (published from 1942 through 2020 in two volumes) featuring the Archie Comics character Archie Andrews. The character first appeared in Pep Comics #22 (cover dated December 1941). Archie proved to be popular enough to warrant his own self-titled ongoing comic book series which began publication in the winter of 1942. The last issue of the first series was published in June 2015.

Contents

A second series began publication in July 2015 (briefly replacing the first series), featuring a reboot of the Archie universe with a new character design aesthetic and a more mature story format and scripting, aimed at older, contemporary teenage and young adult readers. It ran until September 2018. Archie Comics resumed volume 1 in October 2018. The title concluded in September 2020.

Publication history

Archie first appeared in Pep Comics #22 in 1941 and soon became the most popular character in the comic. Due to his popularity, he was given his own series which debuted in winter 1942 titled Archie Comics. Starting with issue #114, the title was shortened to simply Archie. The series ended with issue #666 (June 2015) to make way for a new series set in Archie Comics' "New Riverdale".

A new volume of Archie debuted in July 2015 as part of the New Riverdale relaunch. [1] [2] It is written by Mark Waid with art by Fiona Staples. Archie Comics Publisher/CEO Jon Goldwater has said that the new series will harken back to the comic's roots by showcasing more edgy and humorous stories as well as present the origins for the character and his friends as well as how the famous love triangle between Archie, Betty, and Veronica began. [3] Fiona Staples left the series after issue #3 while Annie Wu provided artwork for the fourth issue. [4] [5] Veronica Fish was the guest artist for the fifth and sixth issues before being named the regular artist for the series in February 2016. [6] Fish left the series after issue #10 but continued to provide the regular cover art up to issue #12. Thomas Pitilli and Ryan Jampole provided guest artwork for issues #11 and #12 with Joe Eisma being named the new regular artist starting with issue #13. [7] Pete Woods took over as series artist beginning with issue #18 in March 2017. [8] Woods served as the artist until #22 in July 2017. Audrey Mok & Kelly Fitzpatrick provided artwork from #23 onward in August 2017.

Volume 1 (1942–2015)

Significant issues

Issue #429 started one of Archie Comics most famous story lines, the Love Showdown where Archie gets a love letter in the mail and Betty and Veronica both swear it wasn't from them. The story was continued in Betty #19, Betty and Veronica #82, and concluded with Veronica #39.

In May 2009, Archie Comics released plans for what they would call "The Archie Story Of The Century" and announced that Archie Andrews would ask Veronica Lodge to marry him in Archie Comics # 600, [9] the first issue of a six-part story arc detailing their engagement, marriage and life together. The publishers of Archie Comics did not expect the response they received from readers and longtime fans telling them they made a mistake in Archie's choice. The New York Times later revealed that the whole story would be simply a fantasy and that the first half of the story would show Archie's life with Veronica, and the second half would show his life with Betty. [10]

This two-issue arc follows Archie Andrews and Valerie Smith falling in love when their two bands go on tour together. This is Archie Comics' first interracial relationship. [11]

The four issue arc follows a potential future where Archie married Valerie Smith and had a daughter with her named Star. It is similar to the Archie Marries Veronica/Archie Marries Betty arc. Issue #634 details a bunch of potential futures where Archie may have married Cheryl Blossom, Sabrina Spellman or Ethel Muggs. [12] [13]

Archie and his friends cross paths with the cast of Glee thanks to one of Dilton's science experiments gone wrong. [14]

Features the first appearance of Veronica's cousin, Harper, who is physically disabled and needs to use a wheelchair to get around. [15]

Collected editions

Early issues of Archie have been collected into hardcover 'Archive Editions' by Dark Horse Comics, [16] including original games pages and ads. IDW published archival hardback editions titled Archie's Americana which collect key issues from each decade since the 1940s. Similar hardbacks were produced showcasing work by favourite Archie creators.

Some key Archie storylines have also been collected as trade paperbacks.

Dark Horse Archive Editions

TitleISBNRelease DateCollected Material
Archie Archives Volume One 978-1-59582-716-6 May 10, 2011Pep Comics #22–38, Jackpot Comics #4–8, Archie Comics #1–2
Archie Archives Volume Two 978-1-59582-791-3 September 27, 2011Jackpot Comics #9, Pep Comics #39–45, Archie Comics #3–6
Archie Archives Volume Three 978-1-59582-833-0 November 22, 2011Pep Comics #46–50, Archie Comics #7–10
Archie Archives Volume Four 978-1-59582-856-9 February 14, 2012Pep Comics #51–53, Archie Comics #11–14
Archie Archives Volume Five 978-1-59582-857-6 May 1, 2012Pep Comics #54–56, Archie Comics #15–18
Archie Archives Volume Six 978-1-59582-915-3 August 14, 2012Pep Comics #57–58, Archie Comics #19–22
Archie Archives Volume Seven 978-1-59582-977-1 November 13, 2012Pep Comics #59–61, Archie Comics #23–25, Laugh Comics #20–21
Archie Archives Volume Eight 978-1-59582-995-5 March 19. 2013Pep Comics #62–64, Archie Comics #26–28, Laugh Comics #23–24
Archie Archives Volume Nine 978-1-61655-2855 March 19, 2014Pep Comics #65–67, Archie Comics #29–31, Laugh Comics #25–26
Archie Archives Volume Ten 978-1-61655-3975 August 27, 2014Pep Comics #67–69, Archie Comics #32–34, Laugh Comics #27–28
Archie Archives Volume Eleven 978-1-61655-7027 July 1, 2015Pep Comics #70–72, Archie Comics #35–36, Laugh Comics #29–31
Archie Archives Volume Twelve 978-1-61655-7058 February 10, 2016Pep Comics #73–75, Archie Comics #37–39, Laugh Comics #32–34
Archie Archives Volume Thirteen 978-1-5067-0020-5 October 19, 2016Pep Comics #76–78, Archie Comics #40—41 Laugh Comics #35–37

IDW Collections

TitleISBNRelease DateCollected Material
Archie's Americana Volume 1: Best of the 1940s 978-1-60010-931-7 September 6, 2011Pep Comics #22, 25–26, 31, Jackpot Comics #6, Archie Comics #1, 7, 30, Jughead #1, Laugh Comics #23, 25, 27, 28. 36
Archie's Americana Volume 2: Best of the 1950s 978-1-60010-945-4 October 18, 2011
Archie's Americana Volume 3: Best of the 1960s 978-1-61377-079-5 March 27, 2012
Archie's Americana Volume 4: Best of the 1970s 978-1-61377-194-5 July 10, 2012
Archie: The Best of Dan DeCarlo, Volume 1 978-1-60010-654-5 July 6, 2010
Archie: The Best of Dan DeCarlo. Volume 2 978-1-60010-873-0 April 19, 2011
Archie" The Best of Dan DeCarlo, Volume 3 978-1-61377-101-3 January 24, 2012
Archie: The Best of Dan DeCarlo, Volume 4 978-1-61377-481-6 March 19, 2013
Archie: The Best of Harry Lucey, Volume 1 978-1-60010-993-5 October 18, 2011
Archie: The Best of Harry Lucey, Volume 2 978-1-61377-214-0 October 19, 2012
Archie: The Best of Samm Schwartz, Volume 1 978-1-61377-041-2 November 29, 2011
Archie: The Best of Samm Schwartz, Volume 2 978-1-61377-394-9 December 25, 2012

Trade paperbacks

TitleISBNRelease DateCollected Material
Archie Marries... 978-0-8109-9620-5 October 1, 2010Archie Comics #600–606
Archie: A Rock N' Roll Romance 978-1-936975-33-4 February 25, 2015Archie Comics #631–634
Archie Meets Glee 978-1-936975-45-7 August 6, 2013Archie Comics #641−644
Archie: Rockin' the World 978-1-61988-907-1 January 13, 2015Archie Comics #650–653

'Best Of' Collections

TitleISBNRelease DateCollected Material
The Best of Archie Comics: 75 Years, 75 Stories 978-1-62738-992-1 October 27, 2015
The Best of Archie Comics Volume One 978-1-61988-955-2 October 25, 2015

Volume 2 (2015–2018)

Cover of Archie #1 (July 2015) Art by Fiona Staples. Archie1 cover 2015.jpg
Cover of Archie #1 (July 2015)
Art by Fiona Staples.

Story

The first issue focuses on Archie's recent split with Betty Cooper due to the "lipstick incident" that everyone is gossiping about trying to find out what it is. It also sets up the eventual formation of The Archies and the arrival of Veronica Lodge. [17] [18]

Reception

IGN gave the first issue a 9.5 out of 10 calling it "a joy in every sense of the word. It's a book that warms you, each turn of the page providing a welcome blast of character and heart." as well as calling it "one of the best new debuts to hit shelves this year." [19] Comic Book Resources said that "the publisher [Archie Comics] has created their best book in years." and that it "is must-read comics for anyone looking for fun, engaging characters and beautifully drawn, on-trend style." [20] Meanwhile, Den of Geek gave it five stars calling Fiona Staples' art "glorious" while saying that Mark Waid "does an impressive job of creating a Riverdale that feels modern and real." [18]

Collected editions

The series has so far been assembled into the following collections:

TitleFormatISBNRelease DateCollected MaterialIssues Published
Archie, Volume OnePaperback 978-1-62738-867-2 March 29, 2016Archie #1–6September 2015 – March 2016
Archie, Volume Two 978-1-62738-798-9 November 30, 2016Archie #7–12April 2016 – September 2016
Archie, Volume Three 978-1-68255-993-2 May 9, 2017Archie #13–17October 2016 – April 2017
Archie, Volume Four: Over the Edge 978-1-68255-970-3 September 19, 2017Archie #18–22May 2017 – July 2017
Archie, Volume Five: The Heart of Riverdale 978-1-68255-970-3 May 14, 2018Archie #23–27August 2017 – May 2018
Archie, Volume Six 978-1-68255-869-0 October 30, 2018Archie #28–32May 2018 – September 2018
Archie: Varsity Edition, Volume OneHardcover 978-1-68255-839-3 March 12, 2019Archie #1–12September 2015 – September 2016
Archie: Varsity Edition, Volume Two 978-1-68255-799-0 November 12, 2019Archie #13–22October 2016 – July 2017
Archie: Varsity Edition, Volume Three 978-1-64576-997-2 TBDArchie #23–32August 2017 – September 2018

Volume 1 cont. (2018–2020)

Collected editions

TitleFormatISBNRelease DateCollected MaterialIssues Published
Archie by Nick Spencer, Volume 1Paperback 978-1-68255-783-9 September 10, 2019Archie #700–704November 2018 – May 2019
Archie by Nick Spencer, Volume 2: Archie and Sabrina 978-1-64576-979-8 April 14, 2020Archie #705–709June 2019 – December 2019
Archie & Katy Keene 978-1-64576-948-4 September 10, 2020Archie #710-713July 2019 – July 2020

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archie Comics</span> American comic book publisher

Archie Comic Publications, Inc. is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the village of Pelham, New York. The company's many titles feature the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle, Sabrina Spellman, Josie and the Pussycats and Katy Keene. The company is also known for its long-running Sonic the Hedgehog comic series, which it published from 1992 until 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Veronica Lodge</span> Archie Comics character

Veronica Cecilia Lodge is one of the main characters in the Archie Comics franchise, and is the keyboardist and one of the three vocalists of rock band The Archies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betty Cooper</span> Archie Comics character

Elizabeth "Betty" Cooper is one of the main characters appearing in American comic books published by Archie Comics. She is the lead guitarist, percussionist and one of the three singers of The Archies. The character was created by Bob Montana and John L. Goldwater, and first appeared in Pep Comics #22, on the first page of the first Archie story, serving as a love interest to Archie Andrews.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reggie Mantle</span> Fictional character

Reginald "Reggie" Mantle is a fictional teenager in stories published by Archie Comics; he is introduced by writer-artist Bob Montana and John L. Goldwater in Jackpot Comics #5. He also appears in CW's Riverdale. He is the frenemy of Archie Andrews, as well as the bassist of The Archies. The live-action version of Reggie is portrayed by Ross Butler and Charles Melton in Riverdale and Vedang Raina in The Archies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archie Andrews</span> Comic book character

Archibald "Archie" Andrews, created in 1941 by publisher John L. Goldwater and artist Bob Montana in collaboration with writer Vic Bloom, is the main character in the Archie Comics franchise, including the long-running Archie Andrews radio series, a syndicated comic strip, The Archie Show, Archie's Weird Mysteries, and Riverdale. With the creation of Archie Andrews, publisher John Goldwater hoped to appeal to fans of the Andy Hardy films starring Mickey Rooney. Archie Andrews is the rhythm guitarist and one of the three singers of the fictional band The Archies. He is portrayed by KJ Apa on Riverdale and Agastya Nanda in The Archies. For his physical appearance, he has red hair, freckles on his cheeks, and light-colored skin. In Archie's Weird Mysteries, he appears to be of Scottish-American descent, as shown in the episode "The Day the Earth Moved", when his father wanted to keep with their family tradition and wear a kilt while ringing the bell of Riverdale.

<i>Betty and Veronica</i> Characters in the Archie Comics universe

Betty and Veronica is an ongoing comic book series published by Archie Comics focusing on "best frenemies" Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge. Betty first appeared in Pep Comics #22 while Veronica made her debut a few months later, in Pep Comics #26, as an immediate rival to Betty for Archie's affections. Together the pair form the female part of the classic love triangle which has become a staple of the comic series since 1942.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chuck Clayton</span> Fictional character

Charles "Chuck" Clayton is a teenage fictional character published by Archie Comics. Chuck lives in the fictional town of Riverdale, and is the friend of Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Jughead Jones, and other students at Riverdale High School. Chuck first appeared in Life With Archie #110 in 1971.

Cheryl Marjorie Blossom is a fictional character of the Archie Comics universe. She is a wealthy and powerful teenage girl, the privileged daughter of a businessman. She is portrayed by Madelaine Petsch in Riverdale and Diya Gupta in The Archies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Showdown</span>

"Love Showdown" is a four-part comic book story arc, first published in 1994, featuring the characters from Archie Comics. Publicized as a possible resolution to the decades-long love triangle between Archie Andrews and his longtime sweethearts Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge, Love Showdown received more publicity than any other event in Archie Comics history. The story, written by Bill Golliher and Dan Parent, was originally published in Archie #429, Betty #19, Betty and Veronica #82, and Veronica #39.

This is a list of various alternate universes featuring characters from Archie Comics. Most Archie stories take place within a setting that is gradually updated over the years, and events in one stories are not commonly referenced in others, but those stories remain largely in continuity with each other. However, there have been several series of stories that take place outside of this continuity, featuring alternate versions of the characters in different settings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stan Goldberg</span> American comics artist (1932–2014)

Stan Goldberg was an American comic book artist, best known for his work with Archie Comics and as a Marvel Comics colorist who in the 1960s helped design the original color schemes of Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four and other major characters. He was inducted into the National Cartoonists Society Hall of Fame in 2011.

Kevin Keller is a fictional character in the Archie Comics universe. He premiered in Veronica #202, published in September 2010. Created by writer/artist Dan Parent, Kevin is the first gay character in Archie Comics history. He is portrayed by Casey Cott on Riverdale.

<i>Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again</i> American Live Action Comedy Film

Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again is a 1990 American live-action made-for-television comedy film based on comic book characters published by Archie Comics. It was produced by DIC Entertainment and premiered on NBC Sunday Night at the Movies on May 6, 1990. It was shown in Britain as Weekend Reunion.

<i>Life with Archie</i> Comic book series published from 1958 to 1991

Life with Archie is a comic book published by Archie comics from 1958 to 1991. It featured Archie Andrews in adventure stories that were more dramatic than the standard Archie tales. In 2010, it was revived as a magazine-sized comic devoted to stories that grew out of Archie Marries Veronica/Archie Marries Betty. Archie's character was killed in the second to last issue, Life with Archie #36.

The following is a list of members of the families of Archie's Gang appearing in Archie Comics. Primarily featured are the parents of Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge and Jughead Jones.

Veronica Fish is an American comic book artist and painter best known for her work with Marvel Comics and Archie Comics.

New Riverdale is the title used to refer to the relaunch of the core Archie Comics titles that began in July 2015.

<i>Jughead: The Hunger</i>

Jughead: The Hunger is an ongoing comic book series published by Archie Horror and Archie's Madhouse, imprints of Archie Comics, beginning in 2017. The story, which takes place outside of the main Archie Comics continuity, focuses on Jughead Jones and his family's dark legacy to explain the sinister origin of his hunger. The one-shot "pilot" was created by writer Frank Tieri and artist Michael Walsh.

<i>Vampironica</i>

Vampironica is an American comic book miniseries published by Archie Horror, an imprint of Archie Comics, beginning in 2018. The story, which takes place outside of the main Archie Comics continuity, focuses on Veronica Lodge as she navigates life after becoming a vampiress. It is written by Greg and Meg Smallwood, with the former also serving as an artist.

<i>Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica</i> 2017–18 US comic book miniseries

Harley & Ivy Meet Betty & Veronica is a six-issue American comic book miniseries co-written by Marc Andreyko and Paul Dini, illustrated by Laura Braga. The intercompany crossover was published by DC Comics and Archie Comics from October 2017 to March 2018. A hardcover edition collecting the series was released on August 29, 2018.

References

  1. ↑ McNally, Victoria (March 11, 2015). "Revel in Archie's Newfound Hotness With These Exclusive Comic Covers". MTV News. Archived from the original on March 13, 2015. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  2. ↑ C., Ron (March 18, 2015). "Check Out the Full Line-up of Archie Comics Solicitations for June 2015!". Archie Comics. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  3. ↑ C., Ron (December 15, 2014). "Archie Comics Relaunches Flagship Series With New 'Archie #1,' Announces Expansive 75th Anniversary Plans". Archie Comics. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  4. ↑ Burlingame, Russ (August 18, 2012). "Everything's Archie: Mike Pellerito Reveals Who Will Follow Fiona Staples, Talks Afterlife Delays and Much More". ComicBook.com. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  5. ↑ Elfring, Mat (December 15, 2015). "Archie Comics March 2016 Covers and Solicitations". Comic Vine. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  6. ↑ White, Brett (February 8, 2016). ""Archie" Names Veronica Fish New Regular Series Artist". CBR.com. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  7. ↑ Burlingame, Russ (August 23, 2016). "Everything's Archie: Joe Eisma Joins "Archie," Tons of Exclusive Art, And More!". ComicBook.com. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  8. ↑ Couto, Anthony (December 15, 2016). "EXCLUSIVE: Pete Woods Joins Archie As New Series Artist". cbr.com. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Comic suspense: Archie Andrews pops question". CNN.com. May 28, 2009. Archived from the original on April 8, 2010. Retrieved December 27, 2010.
  10. ↑ "This time, Archie plans to marry Betty". .canada.com. October 7, 2009. Retrieved December 27, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Archie ##608". Comic Vine. September 7, 2014. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Archie #631". Comic Vine. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Archie #634". Comic Vine. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Archie #642". Comic Vine. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Archie #656". Comic Vine. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  16. ↑ "Archie Archives Volume 1 :: Profile :: Dark Horse Comics".
  17. ↑ Diaz, Eric (July 7, 2015). "Review: Archie #1 Brings Riverdale to the 21st Century". Nerdist. Archived from the original on September 16, 2018. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  18. 1 2 Cummins, Chris (July 8, 2015). "Archie #1 (Archie Comics) Review". Den of Geek!. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  19. ↑ Lake, Jeff (July 8, 2015). "Archie #1 Review". IGN. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  20. ↑ Little, Matt (July 7, 2015). "Archie #1". CBR.com. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
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