Scans_Daily

Throughout much of the sixties, glitzy spy films and T.V. series (such as The Man from U.N.C.L.E.) were all the rage. Thus was born, in 1966, yet another alternate version of the core Archie characters: The Man from R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E. These stories, which ran through 1967, saw the teen agents of P.O.P. (Protect Our Planet) use their wits and high-tech gadgets to keep the world safe from their rival agency, C.R.U.S.H. (acronym never explained, but it's a play on The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'s THRUSH (no periods, and also never explained)).

( 'I've unreeled exactly 22 feet of super strength nylon thread from my sock!' )

When MLJ Magazines, as Archie Comics was originally known, began publishing in 1939, its focus, like that of nearly every early Golden Age publisher, was superheroes: the Shield, Black Hood and Comet (the latter succeeded by his brother, Hangman). By 1946, however, the combination of Archie's popularity and readers' loss of interest in superheroes after WWII led not only to a company name change but also to the gradual phasing out of its caped characters.

Two decades later, of course, the Silver Age was in full swing and superheroes were back, big time. So in 1965, Archie Comics revived their old hero characters in their Mighty Comics Group line. However, recognizing that their teenage humour characters were the real stars, they also hit upon the idea -- months before the debut of the Batman TV series -- of having said teens moonlight as parodies of the superhero genre. Thus, in the fall of 1965 Archie became Pureheart the Powerful (aka Captain Pureheart), while Betty became Superteen. The coming months saw the debuts of Jughead as Captain Hero and Reggie as the supervillain Evilheart. (Veronica would have to wait until 2001 to become Powerteen.) Neither the serious Mighty Comics titles nor the goofier teen superheroes lasted much longer than a couple of years, but the latter at least are still remembered today, thanks to the Power of Digests! :-)

( 'Why can't you use doors like everyone else?' )

The year 2010 saw two of the most important and innovative developments in Archie Comics in many years. One was the launch of Life with Archie: The Married Life which, despite its initial misguided packaging together with teen celebrity infotainment pieces, was the first title in which the Riverdale cast not only grew to adulthood but, in both timelines, faced more complex life problems and underwent actual character development.

The other was the introduction of the publisher's first gay character. And not as a mere token minority, but as a likeable, non-stereotypical individual with a variety of interests. As a result, he instantly became a fan-favourite character and part of the main cast.

( 'You won't believe these characters! But you know -- I think I'm going to like it here!' )

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.

( 'Hydrants... billboards... carnage...' )

Okay, okay. Archie doesn't face off against Marvel's Natalia Romanov in this one. Instead, while on a scouting mission at a rival school, he faces temptation from someone else by that moniker. Has our hashtag-haired hero met his match?

( Classic 70s story spotlight? Or excuse to post some hot Stan Goldberg girls? You decide )

If you know Archie Comics at all, you must know the Archies. "Sugar, Sugar." "Jingle Jangle." More than one hit animated series. Far out, baby! But dig this: America's #1 bubblegum group (whether fictional or real -- well, real studio musicians) started out in the comics as an affectionate parody of the TV show The Monkees. That's right, complete with nonsensical plots, random costume and scenery changes, cheeky repartee and general carrying on. For example, there was the time the Archies fell victim to a tropical island vacation contest scam.

( Hey, hey, they're the Archies )

SNL Church Lady: "Well. We like ourselves, don't we."


No sooner did rock 'n' roll replace swing as teenagers' favourite music, in the mid to late fifties, than Archie Comics picked up on the phenomenon. In this 1957 story, the gang meets -- some with greater enthusiasm than others -- one Purley Gates, an obvious expy of a certain teen idol from Memphis.

( 'I wouldn't worry about that twitch, Farley!' )

"Chick?"



This year (December, to be precise) marks eighty years since the first appearance of America's Typical Teenager, Archibald "Archie" Andrews. Whether as a star athlete (or hopeless klutz), a ladies' man (or perpetual failure in love), Riverdale High's/the entire town's reliable go-to problem solver (or bane of Hiram Lodge's and Waldo Weatherbee's existence), pure-hearted superhero (or petty mob enforcer... Riverdale Season 2, I'm looking at you)... Archie's been many things over the years, yet still one of the most instantly recognizable characters in American pop culture. Let's celebrate him and his world with some representative posts from across the decades!

( 'He hates Archie, so if you value life and limb, call him Chick.' For all of one story )