Archie's 80th anniversary: "Moose!"

[alicemacher]

Let's say you're writing a story about one of Archie Comics' most one-note and stereotypical characters: the stupid, foul-tempered jock Moose Mason. What do you do? If you're Mark Waid in 2018, you reinvent him as a shy, simple but very sweet jock who--

Oh, but we're still on the 1990s era in this series of posts, aren't we. Well then, if you're Mark Waid in 1991, you lean into the stereotype with all you've got, take the angry brutishness way over the top, and play it for screwball comedy.


From "Moose!" (yes that's the title), Archie's Pals 'n' Gals (May 1991). Art by Chris Allan.


Betty tears into the Chock'lit Shoppe in a panic, looking for Dilton (who, Archie says, is in Texas helping NASA). It seems Midge has dumped Moose. Now he's gone on a mad rampage through Riverdale and, Betty says, only his brainy best friend can talk him down. Archie tries to calm everyone, only to spot something flying their way. "It looks almost... human!"





Archie, thinking quickly, borrows Pop's jacket and bowtie, and a mop.








Meanwhile, Betty and Veronica locate Midge just as she's about to let Reggie steal a kiss. With impeccable timing, they stuff her into a sack and carry her away from the confused, close-eyed Reg. When they see Moose coming, they unbag Midge and implore her to make up with her boyfriend, but she says no.





"Oh, Moose, you big lug," says Midge at last. "You'd rend an innocent man limb from limb just for me?" She draws him into a passionate hug and kiss.

Comments

[thanekos]

Waid's talked about the lessons in brevity he learned writing Archie stories in the 90s: " I kept each premise increasingly simpler, started each scene as late as I could [and] ended it as quickly as possible. Dialogue was trimmed to the bone without losing the funny. And that training served me better than any other I’ve ever gotten. It’s easy to write long; it’s a bitch to write short. "

You can really see that in some of these panels.

[icon_uk]

More than a few British writers (including Alan Moore) have said that the four or five page one-off stories that they did for 2000AD were the toughest self-editing training they ever had, since you need to world build, set up the characters, the problem and resolve it in a handful of pages.

[reveen]

Wait what the hell? I thought Moose was always a big dumb but nice guy? That's some Berenstain bears shit.

[jlbarnett]

he's had a temper, but generally only with regards to other guys flirting with Midge. This is a terrible moose

[agharta75]

Moose smash!

[lbd_nytetrayn]

Chris Allan? Badass Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures artist Chris Allan?!

I knew he did that and some Sonic stuff for the company, but I didn't know he'd ever done actual Riverdale gang Archie comics.

I like what I see. Keeps to the style, but with a unique flair and flavor. Did he do any more?

[alicemacher]

He did, and also co-authored a couple or so Archie stories with Waid around that time.

[zachbeacon]

I remember enjoying the Big Moose one-shot and loved what they did with him in Married Life / Life With Archie.

Outside of that he mostly seemed to be a weapon that got pointed at Reggie.

[zenfrodo]

Jaw. Dropped.

"screwball comedy" has got to be industry code for "how could she ever want to leave a violent abusive asshole? She's just pulling an attention-getting snit-fit."

[bradygirl_12]

I see this as a parody of the usual Moose story. It's so over-the-top, no one can take it seriously! :)

[alicemacher]

Exactly. Thank you.

[kamino_neko]

GRAPE Jelly? What kind of Danganronpa innards are they sporting in Riverdale?