By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 8/2/2015
Here’s where I finally release what’s left of our SDCC audio content…as a follow-up to last week’s set of DC and Marvel Television interviews, here are our chats on the animated side of things including discussions with Dan Harmon, Justin Roiland, Bruce Timm, Andrea Romano, Ike Barinholtz, Seth Meyers, and more! Additionally, here are the audio […]
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 7/30/2015
The new version of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, launched under the Archie Horror imprint around last Halloween, isn’t exclusively about how adolescence is horrific, but the latest issue can’t help but circle some of that territory.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 7/24/2015
The first issue of Archie rang triumphant in the comic book space with the creative team of Fiona Staples and Mark Waid delivering something akin to an earnest take on a beloved American icon. Archie Andrews is everything but traditional himself nowadays that he’s clean cut and and an earnest comic book lead. There’s no grit on […]
By: Dianna Dilworth,
on 7/23/2015
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 7/21/2015
After powering down from Comic-Con team Beat needed a nap…or twelve. While we were away, the team continued to see visions of none-other-than Wesley Dodds, the original Sandman creeping through hallways at the Stately Beat Manor in which Team Beat takes residence. We tried to brush it off at first and stick to our legions of reviews, previews and news coming to the site. Our naps were becoming more frequent during the day, and we found certain items missing from the stash including lucrative and expensive key back issues in the collection. After an intense stake out fueled by the ideas we got from watching Ant-Man last weekend, one of our staffers managed to apprehend the vigilante and retrieve important pieces of our collection. We called the authorities, and while they were on the way Mr. Dodds turned to us and offered his staff picks for the week of 7/22/15.
Alex J.’s picks:
Writer: Anthony C. Ferrante Art: Dan Parent
It’s that time of year in Riverdale! The end of the school year. Time for beaches, barbecues, fun in the sun and… sharknados!?! That’s right, get ready as Archie and the gang brave the storm of a tornado full a sharks that riffs off the pop culture phenomenon known as Sharknado! The story unfolds as sharknados are spotted on the ‘Feast’ Coast! Our heroines have to figure out how to get back to Riverdale, where the storm is about to hit next. Soon Archie and the gang go, go, go as they battle the Sharknado-ravaged Riverdale! Who will live? Who will die? Will this take a bite out of the end-of-the-year prom? Uh… probably! The comic book action is also concurrent with the plot of Sharknado 3 and hits stands right before the film’s premiere in July on Syfy. Written by the Sharknado trilogy director Anthony C. Ferrante with Dan Parent.
Sharknado. Archie. The match made in heaven. These two characters were made for each other — or so says Wesley Dodds, as the police were on the way. He pointed that Archie and Sharknado are both sort of niche franchises that continue the reign of awesomeness supported by the publisher’s interesting choice of titles right now. Dan Parent has been an excellent creator to lend talents to Archie and Anthony C. Ferrante, Sharknado director is writing the script for the series. This is one that you shouldn’t miss this week.
Writer: David Walker Art: Ivan Reis
The machine that gives Cyborg his powers is evolving! The only problem is that machine is his body and he has no idea what’s causing these changes!
Wesley wanted to support an old friend getting his own series set in the brand new DC Universe. He knew Cyborg as a Teen Titan and thoroughly supported him through his Justice League years. Now, it’s time for Cyborg to go off and do something different with the art of the fantastically amazing Ivan Reis and written by David Walker. Getting a creative team like for a character like this is something worth supporting at DC right now. Let’s put our money where our mouth is…if only for the stellar art of Reis and supporting his awesome costume design on Cyborg.
Kyle’s Pick:
Writer: Mark Russell Art: Ben Caldwell
With the election in chaos and a Congress mired in corruption, Twitter sensation @corndoggirl becomes the first teenaged President of the United States!
As you might have seen last month, I deeply enjoyed the first issue of the Prez relaunch, so much so that it probably was my favorite first issue of the entire “DC You” June set of releases. While at San Diego Comic Con, Hannah and I took the opportunity to meet Ben Caldwell and pick up a copy of his equally brilliant collaboration with Shannon Wheeler: God Is Disappointed In You. In reading that, I was quite taken by the even-handedness that Russell treated the Bible with. Prez takes a very similar approach with social media culture and American politics, and the result is refreshing and, at least based on one issue, quite hilarious. Don’t let this one slip through your grasp.
Alex L.’s Pick
Writer: Kate Leth Art: Matt Cummings
It has been foretold that four noble warriors of incredible strength would be gifted with cosmic abilities at a moment of planetary alignment…which, yeah, something definitely went wrong here. Amie is a disaffected twenty something with a lot of attitude, Kevin is a washed-up athlete way past his prime, Sandy’s a mother of two teenagers, and Silas…is a goldfish. Just a normal goldfish. Are we sure we read that prophecy right?
Boom! Studios is billing this new title as Sailor Moon meets Scott Pilgrim. As someone whose childhood crossed with both of these titles, Power Up strikes me as a WOA, a winner on arrival. The premise is wacky and completely off-base (one of the leading characters is a magical goldfish), and Cummings’ art style, as seen above, is emotionally evocative while being adorably simple in nature. Finally, the hilarious Kate Leth, of Kate or Die fame, has surely written a script that will have me counting stitches in a hospital bed, lamenting my lack of insurance.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 7/18/2015
By Harper W. Harris
Archie fans certainly had a good time at SDCC this year: not only did the publisher talk about a new series in the Archie Horror line and tease us with the future of the Dark Circle line and the New Riverdale series of titles, but announced that the Riverdale TV series has been picked up by the CW. I had the chance to speak with Alex Segura, SVP of publicity and marketing and editor of the Dark Circle line, as well as Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, CCO and writer of Afterlife with Archie and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina to talk about the slew of exciting news that came from Archie Comics over the course of the weekend.
Harper W. Harris: I wanted to talk with Alex first a bit about Dark Circle Comics. First of all, in general, how do you plan to tell new and exciting superhero stories under the Dark Circle imprint–how do you want them to stand out among all the other superhero books?
Alex Segura: I think the key for us is just to be different and good. I really strongly believe that quality rises to the top. You can put as much dressing on something as you want, but if the story or art isn’t good it doesn’t matter. I talked about this on the Dark Circle panel, but finding voices that maybe are familiar to the tropes of comics, but aren’t beholden to them. They can bring in a different perspective–people like Chuck Wendig, Adam Christopher, and Duane Swierczynski. They know comics but they know other media like TV, novels, and movies. So they come at it from a different perspective. We’re building Dark Circle more as a network. Each book is its own little show, and maybe down the line they’ll interact with each other, but fans don’t have that same kind of company pressure where you have checklists of 20 books you have to get to understand one event. We don’t do events, we do stories.
HH: What can you tell us about the pretty newly announced series, The Web?
The Web Promo, art by Szymon Kudranski
AS: The Web is Jane Raymond, she’s a 14 year old Korean American girl who is super into cosplay, and she’s a teenager. She’s one of these characters that once I read that first script, she feels like a teenager. She’s dealt with tragedy, her mother’s just passed away, and she’s stumbling upon being a superhero, which is insane. It really shows you what happens when a teenager gains enhanced abilities and has to face real problems like street gangs, violence, and teenage life. I mean, I can’t imagine being a teenager now–I remember how stressful it was being a teenager maybe 20 years ago. It’s really Dave White, who is the writer, who’s done a great job of trying to be true to the character and also a nod to the history but not weighing it down with continuity.
HH: The other thing that’s really cool about the Dark Circle line is how incredibly diverse it is. You’ve got action spy thriller to more wacky adventure to super dark crime, and horror–what do you think are the advantages of having such a diverse line while still being within the superhero genre overall?
AS: First of all, thank you for saying that. That’s really a testament to this gentleman [points to Aguirre-Sacasa] with the Archie Horror stuff. That really kicked the door down with Afterlife and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. All I have is my taste and my gut, and talking to Jon [Goldwater] and Roberto and Mike [Pellerito], and Jesse Goldwater. If it’s good, does it take up a new space in the line, and we really want to present fans with a variety and a seal of quality. To me, if you see the Dark Circle logo, it’s a company logo: it tells you that this is good. Whereas I think in other places, it just means you have a lot, or it means something else. I want people not to necessarily feel compelled to buy it because they’re completing a collection, but feel compelled to buy it because they want to read it.
HH: So shifting gears here a bit, I definitely have to talk about the Riverdale TV series that was announced as coming to CW yesterday. Roberto, what can you tell us about the tone or look of the show? I know earlier you’ve talked about it having a surreal tone–has that changed now that it’s on the CW?
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa: I think when we ended up pitching it, the very high concept pitch was that it was a teen version of Twin Peaks. And by that, it was sort of like how in Twin Peaks the whole story is kicked off by the murder of homecoming queen Laura Palmer. So imagine you’re telling that story, but instead of following the grown-ups of Twin Peaks, you’re following all of Laura Palmer’s classmates. That kind of story is kind of used to uncover all the secrets–that makes it sound like a really, really dark show, and though there are undercurrents of that and weirdness, it’s still Archie, there’s still a love triangle. Josie and the Pussycats are in it, there’s a lot of music in it. So it’s kind of a mix of light and dark, serious and funnier stuff–kind of like life. Coming of age is on some level is kind of a loss of innocence, so that’s a big theme. It’s kind of a hodge-podge of all that stuff.
Riverdale TV Series, art by Veronica Fish
HH: What other kind of TV shows and movies did you take inspiration from when writing the pilot?
RA: We talked a lot about it feeling like a John Hughes movie. Also movies like The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Spectacular Now, The Way Way Back; those are movies that are all touchstones in terms of tone. The core will always be the love triangle and the characters, so as long as their essences remain. We’ve also talked about Dawson’s Creek as being an inspiration, which Greg Berlanti, who’s the producer on this, worked on. We talked about Everwood, which is about a family in a small town. So all those different kind of influences just kind of all have been absorbed and trickled down into the show.
HH: I believe it was on the Reddit AMA that you mentioned that you hoped to do a Halloween special every year that is a little bit like Afterlife with Archie–is that still something you’re trying to do?
RA: Yes, absolutely! That’d be great. Every Halloween there’d be a Halloween episode. Kind of like on Roseanne how they did a Halloween episode every year, or Treehouse of Horror.
Afterlife with Archie #10
HH: So let’s talk about Afterlife with Archie a bit. Did you guys always plan on expanding that book to encompass more than just zombies? What other kind of monsters or horror ideas do you see coming up in the future for the book?
RA: You know, I think originally we did think it was just going to be a zombie book, but then as it went on it very quickly started encroaching on other horror genres, and now the sky’s the limit. The one thing we probably won’t do in Afterlife, because we have Sabrina, is witches. Even though Sabrina and her aunts have small parts in Afterlife, that’s the one thing we probably won’t dive into. Otherwise everything else is kind of on the table horror-wise. There’s still a lot characters in the Archie library that we haven’t yet met in Afterlife that we will be meeting.
HH: The storytelling in that book is really phenomenal. What’s the process like scripting and working with Francesco Francavilla?
RA: We talk about every issue in advance and kind of check in to make sure that this is an area that Francesco’s interested in drawing. Then I do full scripts–and they are full scripts. I usually give probably more art direction than Francesco wants, although obviously he’s a genius and if he changes around the layout of a page, then I’ll adjust based on that. It’s pretty traditional in terms of having a full script and Francesco doing his thing, and if something changes, it’s always better.
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #5
HH: Let’s talk about Chilling Adventures of Sabrina for a minute. How did you decide to make that a separate world from Afterlife, and what kind of research went into making that new world that takes place much farther in the past?
RA: You know, I’m not sure exactly what led into that. I know we wanted to do a book that wasn’t super tied to Afterlife, because it felt like if we were doing that story, let’s just put it in Afterlife. And I had wanted to do a period book for a while. So many of the movies and books that are an inspiration for Sabrina like Rosemary’s Baby or The Exorcist or The Omen, they all are all obviously retro now. It felt like this would be a slower burn and be a bit more psychological, so I thought maybe if set it in the ‘60s, maybe people won’t think it’s in the same universe of Afterlife. It’s a little weird that there’s a Sabrina in Afterlife and a different Sabrina who’s in Chilling Adventures.
HH: We’re used to that, we’re in comics, right?
RA: Exactly. Robert Hack, who draws, colors, and inks the book, he loves all the retro stuff. He has a huge library of visual references, much more so than I. I’ll say stuff like, they go to the movies and there are movie posters for movies that would be playing then, and he always fills in that stuff himself. He’s got a really good sense of that.
HH: There was another book announced in the Archie Horror line at the panel yesterday, right?
RA: Who is Vampironica, yes.
HH: What can you tell us about that?
RA: Not much. I can tell you that maybe two years ago maybe Dan Parent did two issues of Betty and Veronica that introduced this concept of Betty the vampire slayer and Vampironica. I was talking to Francesco, and he’s like, “I love vampires, I love pretty girls, I love Veronica.” We just started talking about it, and he got an idea about it. That’s all I can say about it. More news to come!
Who is Vampironica? (art by Francesco Francavilla)
HH: So one of the grand traditions of Archie Comics are the wacky crossovers you’ve done in the past–Archie Meets Punisher, Archie Meets Kiss, Archie vs. Predator, and the recently announced Archie vs. Sharknado. Being that you two guys are running these two separate lines of horror and crime or more mature themes, are there any plans to cross those two universes, or cross books within those universes?
AS: You know, we haven’t had the formal discussion, but like Jon Goldwater always says, everything’s on the table if it’s a good idea. We’re getting Dark Circle off the ground, Archie Horror is rolling…so maybe someday.
RA: A lot of people have pitched a lot of crazy crossover ideas, but no one yet has pitched a Dark Circle/Archie Horror crossover.
AS: And we’re doing our first horror book at Dark Circle with The Hangman, so there’s definitely room to play there.
RA: And, not to tease anything, but don’t we have a big crossover…
Archie Meets the Ramones, art by Gisele Lagace
AS: Yeah, we’re announcing a big crossover tonight–we’re announcing Archie Meets Ramones. I’ll be cowriting that with Matt Rosenberg, with art by Giselle [Lagace], who’s done stuff like Occupy Riverdale and her own cool comics. She’s a huge Ramones fan.
HH: So is that kind of a follow up to Archie Meets KISS?
AS: You know, Jesse Goldwater said, you’re kind of captaining the Archie music sub-universe, so there will be little nods that the fans that have read both will get. But it’ll be a fun standalone Rock’n’Roll High School kind of thing.
HH: Awesome! Last thing: what do you guys love about working for Archie? There’s so much to love–it’s a comic publisher that’s grown massively in the last couple of years.
RA: I love that risk-taking and being creative is rewarded. I don’t just wear this [points to his Jughead sweater] at Comic Con, I wear this everyday. I love people’s passion for the characters. That’s my favorite thing: when I say, oh, I do this for Archie, their eyes immediately light up because they have so many associations with these characters. To be at a place where I can work with them and take risks with them is just great.
AS: For me, I’ve worked on a bunch of major brands, and Archie is right up there with the likes of them, because everyone knows Archie. You know, you tell someone you work at Archie and their eyes light up because everyone has an Archie story. And my first comic was an Betty and Veronica Double Digest with a great Dan DeCarlo cover of them dancing. I remember the first time I read a Cheryl Blossom story. I love the characters, I think Jon is a great boss in terms of taking risks, being creative, and not being afraid. We’ll always try the new thing if it makes sense, and we’ll just keep rolling, I think it’s great.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 7/14/2015
Archie #1 (art by Fiona Staples)
By Harper W. Harris
Among his lauded superhero comics, Mark Waid is also writing the highly publicized Archie #1, which relaunches the flagship title of the publisher, featuring art by the 2015 best penciller Eisner winner Fiona Staples. I had a chance to speak with him in between signings and panels to get his take on everyone’s favorite comics love triangle.
Harper W. Harris: What is your history with Archie? Have you been a fan of the characters for a long time, and how did you get involved?
Mark Waid: I mean, like everybody, I read Archie comics growing up. But I worked on staff for a brief time as an editor in the early ‘90s, and at that point did a deep dive on the character for the first time, went through the library and read all that stuff, and that made me an aficionado for life. Just looking at the the beauty and the variety and the bounce of the artwork in the ‘40s and ‘50s, and watching the character dynamics, and realizing that these characters are much deeper than we give them credit for. There’s much more to them than we tend to see. So when they called me a few months ago and asked me if I wanted to jump in on this, my first instinct was, you know, I’m a 53 year old man, why are you asking me about 16 year old teenagers. But then I thought about it, and you know what, I’m willing to step up to the plate and take a swing at that because I love these characters and I’m very protective of them. Whenever I take on something like Daredevil or Superman or Archie or something, I’m very protective of characters who have existed since before I was born, because I think that there’s clearly something about them that makes them perennial, vital characters, that makes people still want to tell stories about them after all these years. And that fascinates me, like what is it about those characters? Drilling down and then trying to figure out what that nugget is that makes those characters something where, as opposed to like Betty Boop or Woody Woodpecker or Andy Panda, that are nostalgic, nobody’s telling stories about them. So that’s what fascinates me. So with the Archie characters, when they gave me that opportunity, I thought, okay, clearly my high school experience is different from your high school experience is different from my 15 year old stepdaughter’s experience, but there are certain things about being a teenager that, I swear to god, are universal. The idea that you don’t know who you are yet and you’re trying to figure out your identity. Or you remember what it’s like to be flustered and embarrassed in front of the opposite sex. That feeling that everything you do is the end of the world and every bad thing that happens feels like its going to last forever. Those are the things that are universal to every teenager that ever lived, so those are the things you concentrate on. You don’t concentrate on Snapchat and Instagram and Twitter and hashtags and stuff like that, you don’t cram that into the story; that’s window dressing. The stuff that makes it timeless is the emotions.
HH: One of the interesting things about this new Archie book is that you are tackling the “origin” of Archie. You usually think of an origin in comics as when somebody got their superpowers or stopped their first crime or whatever–how did you go figuring out where the starting point should be for the character?
MW: I really started thinking about the Betty/Veronica/Archie dynamic, because the things is, and this is going back to the original DNA of the strip: the whole idea of will Archie choose Betty or Veronica is actually a fairly recent construct, that’s more of an ‘80s or ’90s thing. While it served the comics well at the time and it’s certainly one of the questions that people still ask, you know, will he choose Betty or Veronica, it kind of makes the girls like property to be owned. It makes them feel like they’re competing–it’s weird too that they’re supposed to be best friends and yet they’re dating the same boy all the time. So I stepped back for a minute and I thought, let’s go back to the original DNA of the strip which is that Betty is the tomboy underdog who is attracted to Archie but can’t get his attention because of glamorous Veronica and Archie being a dumbass about that. That just made more sense to me. With that in mind, the other thing that sort of makes it feel like an origin is that I needed it to be a more diverse cast, I desperately needed it to be a more diverse cast. The five main Archie characters–Reggie, Jughead, Archie, Betty, and Veronica–are traditionally white characters, white Cis characters. I needed a little more variety. Luckily, Archie has a very deep bench in the last ten years of very diverse supporting characters in the Archie Universe. So the first instinct was, let’s leave Veronica off the table for a little while, let’s leave Reggie off the table for a little while, let’s make room for Raj and Kevin and some of the other characters who are not your typical whitebread Archie characters. So I think that also sort of helps it feel like an origin in that you’re still sort of introducing some of these characters.
HH: You talked in a panel earlier today that your approach to Betty is that she’s in a sort of awkward stage where she’s not one of the boys anymore. Do you plan on exploring a lot of the characters in that way and giving them a point of view as opposed to the book just being about Archie?
Archie #2 (on sale 8/19)
MW: Oh yeah. Here’s the thing: Archie is the hub of the wheel, he’s the guy that has to be, in a way, the most unremarkable character in the book, because everyone else is sort of “Archie but he’s a foodie,” or “Archie but she’s a tomboy” or “Archie but she’s glamorous.” Everybody is a variation on the typical American teenager, so he has to be at the center. But the problem with that, of course, is that the typical American teenager is not a terribly glamorous or interesting in and of itself, and I’m not sure what that means in the 21st century either. So what I’m doing is using Archie as the lens to look at all those other characters. Issue two deals more with Jughead and why he’s an iconoclast and why he wears a hat and why he is the way he is. Issue three deals a lot more with Veronica–she could just be a stuck up rich bitch, but first of all we hate her that way and secondly that’s not very interesting. Instead, we’re treating her more like it’s Kim Kardashian coming to your high school. She doesn’t think she’s a bad person, and most of the time she’s not a bad person. It’s still that she doesn’t really connect well with the little people. That’s the trick, really drilling down on them and making them interesting and making them all relatable. Nobody invents a time machine, nobody has such a wacky adventure that it could never really happen to a teenager. We push the envelope a little bit, but by and large I want to keep those characters pretty well grounded.
HH: One of the other interesting things about starting this new series is that in the past, Archie stories have had little to no continuity from issue to issue. Is your approach more to tell the stories as arcs, one long story, or in short one-off stories?
Mark Waid at SDCC ’15
MW: It’s sort of in the arc format, but every issue still stands on its own. Every issue has a beginning, middle, and end, and then the soap opera is what brings you back from issue to issue. In terms of continuity, look, if the other artists and writers doing the Archie stuff want to play off what I’m doing, that’s awesome. If Chip Zdarsky instead wants to do Jughead in space, that’s fine too, that’s going to be awesome. The Archie stuff really does adapt itself really well to whether it’s continuity or not continuity. All the stuff in the ‘60s–there’s this great book that just came out called 12 Cent Archie by Bart Beaty. It’s an examination of Archie comics in the 1960s, and how continuity didn’t mean anything and that was its strength. Like in one issue Betty can be a master chef, and in the very next issue Betty can burn everything down in the kitchen. It didn’t matter because it served the plot. Archie can be a football hero in one issue and in the next issue be a scrub, it didn’t matter because it’s funny and that’s the plot. So there’s a part of me that likes doing the arch stuff where there’s a continuity to it, but I have no problem at all if the other guys want to run off in a different direction. I mean, Chip Zdarsky and Adam Hughes, I just want to see them do their thing.
HH: Alright, I’ll let you go on an easy one: Team Betty or Team Veronica?
MW: Hmmm…Team Betty, but I’m beginning to soften on Veronica a bit as we get into that very shellacked head of hers.
Archie #1 is on shelves now, with the second issue due out on 8/19!
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 7/12/2015
Archie Meets the Ramones (courtesy of Comics Alliance)
By Harper W. Harris
Today at the Comics and Pop Music: Making New Noise panel at Comic Con, there was one of the most interesting groups of people on stage: Patrick A. Reed of Comics Alliance moderated Matt Rosenberg, Alex Segura, Amy Chu, and Mix Master Mike of the Beastie Boys as they spoke about the fascinating ways that music and comic books cross paths.
In an SDCC exclusive announcement, Segura and Rosenberg talked about a new miniseries from Archie Comics that they are co-writing: Archie Meets the Ramones, with art by Gisele Lagace. The promo art, seen above from Comics Alliance’s post, looks fun as hell. Rosenberg said that Archie comics are what got him into comics, and Ramones are what got him into punk, so it was a “perfect combination.” Segura says the mini-series will be “fun and a little weird.”
Zoldar by Mix Master Mike and Tony Washington
Amy Chu, who will be writing Poison Ivy as was recently announced, spoke briefly about the Run DMC comic she is writing, and the legendary Mix Master Mike talked about his Zoldar project with Tony Washington, which is both a comic character and a multimedia experience. There is an Oculus Rift aspect in which you enter the virtual world of Zoldar and experience the music and story in 7.1 surround sound. The music has already been made, and soon we can expect to learn more about the scratch-wielding superhero.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 7/11/2015
Riverdale TV Series on CW (Illustration by Veronica Fish)
Archie Comics has exploded onto the mainstage of the comics world in the last few years, just as many thought they were a relic of the golden age. Series like Life With Archie and the enormously popular Afterlife with Archie, along with the introduction of the openly gay character Kevin Keller a few years prior, introduced these characters to a new generation in a surprisingly mature and modern way. At Comic Con today in a packed room full of fans, we got a glimpse at what is coming up for the progressive company and it’s growing band of creators.
Perhaps the biggest news to come out of the panel is the announcement that the long talked about Riverdale TV series will not be on Fox, but will premiere on CW. This came out of working through Greg Berlanti, who will be producing the show. This begs the question about the tone of the show, which previously sounded a bit like Twin Peaks in its adult and surreal nature, but now is being compared more to Glee. “It has a lot of music in it,” said Robert Aguirre-Sacasa, Archie’s Chief Creative Officer. They also mentioned that Josie and the Pussycats will play a big role, as well as Kevin Keller. Veronica Fish did some excellent promo art for the show, and will hopefully be working on a high profile comic soon, the publishers teased.
Archie #1 by Mark Waid and Fiona Staples
Four of the main creators involved in the New Riverdale group of books were onstage in Mark Waid (Archie), Chip Zdarsky (Jughead), Dan Parent (Kevin Keller) and Adam Hughes (Betty and Veronica). Waid said of the whole crew, “No one’s setting an iron-clad continuity that we have to fall into, we’re just enjoying what we’re all doing,” and that they are all sort of riffing on each other to create this new Archie universe. The first issue has been getting good reviews all around, and Waid teased that although Veronica shows up a little in issue two, but will be “like a wrecking ball” in issue three. He also noted that he felt like it was important to put Betty in that awkward phase that many girls go through when they transition from being “one of the boys” to being looked at differently by the men in her life–Fiona Staples, who is drawing the book, provided a lot of input on that part of the story.
Jughead #1 by Chip Zdarsky and Erica Henderson
Zdarsky talked about how he got involved with the forthcoming Jughead book that he is writing, saying he asked to do a variant for Archie #1 and then really wanted to get involved with New Riverdale: “Do you need someone to staple the comics?” he jokingly asked. Apparently, he had done an art project in school that involved building a 3D Archie panel around his head, with himself playing the role of Jughead, so his fandom of the character is nothing new. Zdarsky’s take on the iconic burger-eater is that “he’s a bit like me: he’s smarter than everyone in the room, but doesn’t feel like he has to show it.” Jon Goldwater, CEO and Publisher of Archie Comics, said that the book, which comes out on October 8th, is “really, really funny.” The book sounds like it will be the most irreverent of the group, with Jughead using his daydreaming imagination to figure things out, which involves the Superteens and more fantastical elements.
Hughes’ take on Betty and Veronica is the least developed so far, as he has only just begun to work on it. “Betty and Veronica are two characters I never thought I’d be allowed to work on,” Hughes said. The book will aim to be “a laugh riot,” and Hughes says he’s thrilled to be able to write and draw these iconic characters. Dan Parent showed some early pages from the new Life with Kevin Keller series as well, revealing that he will be living on his own and a little older now, which Parent notes means “the sky’s the limit” for the character.
Vampironica Cover by Francesco Francavilla
Aguirre-Sacasa loosely announced a new title in the horror line that Francesco Francavilla will in some way be a part of that “may or may not” be called Vampironica. which included teasing a beautiful cover by Francavilla featuring a Vampirella-looking Veronica in a graveyard within a silhouette of Jughead. As if that wasn’t exciting enough for Archie Horror fans, the audience was treated to a preview of Afterlife with Archie #9, which focuses on Reggie and the guilt he feels for his part in causing the zombie apocalypse. For at least one page of the issue, Francavilla and Aguirre-Sacasa take a Goofus and Galant approach in an Archie and Reggie sequence. There were strong hints that something bad will happen to Reggie when the issue releases in a month or so.
Coming up for the Afterlife with Archie series in #10-12 involve the whole Riverdale gang stumbling onto a farm that seems untouched by the apocalypse. Unfortunately, it may not be the paradise it seems as the gang starts to notice that no one here is over 18–and Betty’s 18th birthday is coming up soon. Said by Aguirre-Sacasa of working with Francavilla: “It’s an auteur book, and the auteur is Francesco.”
Archie vs. Sharknado One-Shot Variant Cover by Francesco Francavilla
In other news for the horror line, Aguirre-Sacasa promises that issue #4 of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is “the creepiest book we’ve ever done.” That issue involves the Riverdale gang arriving in Greendale to assist in the search for Sabrina’s missing boyfriend, Harvey. This first arc ends with issue five, while six will be a one-shot story that explores Salem the cat’s medieval origins, and seven starting the Witch War arc in which the witches of Greendale and Riverdale square off.
In the longstanding tradition of ridiculous crossovers, the publishers talked a bit about the newest to join the ranks in Archie vs. Sharknado, which comes out in time for Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No. Anthony C. Ferrante, director of all three Sharknado movies, wrote the one-shot comic, and talked about how fun it was to put together. “I fell in love with some of the characters, so I couldn’t kill them off!” he noted.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 6/26/2015
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 6/9/2015
The new “verismo” era of Archie kicks off on July 8th with the first issue of Archie #1 by Mark Waid and Fiona Staples. And to mark the occasion, Archie is making sure the numbers are up with 17 retailer exclusive variants. And it’s quite an array of styles from Dave Dorman’s Brad Pitt-esque version to Jae Lee’s typically surreal take.
While I’m eager to read the new #1, the more I see of the “real” Archie the more I wonder how such a abstracted cartoon of a character will adapt to a new treatment? I hope Scott McCloud and Bart Beatty are standing by.
What do y’all think?
ARCHIE #1 Midtown Comics Variant Cover by Cameron Stewart
ARCHIE #1 Acme Comics Variant by Dan dos Santos
ARCHIE #1 Amazing Stories Variant by Tom Grummett (Rosario “Tito” Peña on colors)
ARCHIE #1 Atlantis Fantasyworld Variant by Scott Shaw (Rosario “Tito” Peña on colors)
ARCHIE #1 Aw Yeah Comics! / Downtown Comics Variant by Art Baltazar
ARCHIE #1 Bedrock Comics Variant by Terry Moore (Brian Miller of Hi-Fi on Colors)
ARCHIE #1 Books-A-Million / 2nd & Charles Variant by Kate Leth
ARCHIE #1 Curious Comics Variant by Dan Schoening (Luis Delgado on Colors)
ARCHIE #1 Dynamic Forces Variant by Jae Lee
ARCHIE #1 Dynamic Forces B&W Variant by Jae Lee
ARCHIE #1 Four Color Grails Variant by Jamie Tyndall
ARCHIE #1 Hastings Variant by Brent Peeples
ARCHIE #1 M&M Comic Service #1 Variant by Chris Foreman (Kris Asbeck on colors)
ARCHIE #1 M&M Comic Service #2 Variant by Dave Dorman
ARCHIE #1 Mile High Comics Variant by Rich Koslowski
ARCHIE #1 Newbury Comics Variant by Peter Bagge
ARCHIE #1 Royal Collectibles Variant by Rafael Albuquerque
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 6/3/2015
This week at The Beat our staff members were particularly swamped with new books — between Archie comics ending their titular title and DC in the midst of a huge line-wide reboot, we had our work cut out for us at the Stately Beat Manor. After a hearty week of article writin’, when we heard that Ulu Vakk (A.K.A. Color King) was in town, we actually decided to go seek out his company. Vakk’s color ability is a scream to utilize in public. He’s always turning random things different colors! Unfortunately, he went a bit too far when he toyed with our comics, making us believe that the coloring of the individual issues of some our favorite collections were wrong. However, the act that which actively banished the Color King from the Stately Beat Manor was when he spoiled this week’s Archie #666. Folks, avoid these spoilers and be sure to pick up all of our titles in the upcoming staff picks:
Writer: Tom DeFalco Art: Dan Parent, Fernando Ruiz, Pat and Tim Kennedy
On the eve of the game-changing ARCHIE #1, an all-star cast of Riverdale’s finest creators join forces to celebrate one of the longest-running comic series ever in the much-loved Archie style! Take a look back at Archie’s wonderful life and the many lives he’s lived in a zany, heartfelt and hilarious adventure that will be a must-have for fans old and new—and a can’t-miss, one-of-a-kind collector’s item. A dazzling journey through the world of Archie with plenty of winks and nods to what’s come before, ARCHIE #666 caps off a legendary run of comic excellence while opening the door to the next thrilling chapter—featuring six covers celebrating Archie’s vibrant history.
Even if this issue was spoiled by the Color King, this comic is worthy of critical reception for a number of reasons — the first being that the title is the last entry into the Archie franchise after the titular character took a bullet for Kevin Keller. The second including that it’s now time to reflect on the history of the character before the massive relaunch happens with Mark Waid and Fiona Staples.
Writer: Jonathan Hickman Penciller: Esad Ribic
ALL THE DEVILS DANCE!
I hate to be a Marvel zombie, but even the Color King can’t get enough of Secret Wars by Jonathan Hickman. The series has been breaking some new ground in the Marvel Universe, really taking advantage of how to bend mythology that is already established into incredible new directions. Let’s see if this newest issue of the event can live up to the praise.
Writer: James Robinson Artist: Greg Hinkle
When acclaimed comics author JAMES ROBINSON (Starman, Fantastic Four) is hired to write a reboot of the 1940s action hero Airboy, he’s reluctant to do yet another Golden Age reboot. Just what the hell has happened to his career–?! His marriage?! His life?! Hey, it’s nothing that a drink can’t fix.
Having read the first installment of Airboy, I can say for all intensive purposes that this comic is not for children. It is however, for fans of James Robinson, who has had a very interesting career from coming back to comics after his legendary Starman run in the 90’s. The story is all about him breaking the landscape of comics in a really interesting way. I guarantee that this first issue will include at least a few aspects of the creator that you didn’t see coming.
Public Service Announcement: DO NOT LET YOUR CHILDREN NEAR THIS COMIC BOOK!
Writer: Jim Zub Art: Andy Suriano
FINAL ISSUE! A scribe named Mako has heard many strange stories of the great hero known only as ‘Jack.’ Mako’s journey to record the truth of the samurai reveals a fascinating look at his legacy and possible future: Jack the King. Jack the General. Jack the Legend.
Because I had an interview with artist Andy Suriano this week and have one with writer Jim Zub next week, I was privileged enough to receive an advance copy of the last issue of the newest iteration of Samurai Jack. It does not disappoint, great for fans of the comic, but also perfectly suitable for fans of the animated series, even if they skipped the previous nineteen issues. It impressively offers closure without necessarily being a final chapter. Highly recommended.
Writer: Dan Jurgens Art: Bernard Chang
At last, Batman Beyond gets his own ongoing series in THE definitive future of the DCU! But this isn’t the Beyond you think you know! With the Justice League missing and without Bruce to guide him, this new Batman will need to explore this bizarre world on his own while fighting to raise humanity from an opponent that’s already won.
The heroes Batman knew have failed, the world he knew has been turned on its head, and every step he takes will lead him either toward finding home – or further down the road of disaster!
Admittedly, I stayed away from all the DC weeklies. After 52 everything seemed gimmicky. From my understanding, future Tim Drake has taken over because DC can’t stand to have an Irish Batman. However this week I’m also not looking to do a ton of scrutinizing reading, so the more familiar the better. Jurgens and Chang fit the bill. From the preview this will be some of Bernard Chang’s sharpest work since Deadman. The world of Batman Beyond has been one of those things that feels fresh while at the same time being easy to connect to a world you already know and I can’t wait to see how this creative team ventures through it.
—
—
[Are these actual heroes from the Golden Age? So they might be in the public domain?!]
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 5/29/2015
While an attempt to crowdfund its new line didn’t work, Archie Comics is moving full speed ahead with their reboot, and the planned Jughead title by Chip Zdarsky and Erica Henderson is coming out this fall. Henderson had been drawing Unbeatable Squirrel Girl for Marvel, so you can kind of draw a line there. The new book will be set in the same “realistic” universe as the Mark Waid/Fiona Staples Archie title. The series debuts on October 7.
Featuring the adventures of Archie’s hamburger-loving best friend, the new series will debut with an all new #1 issue from two of the comic book industry’s brightest stars. Zdarsky, known for his work on the hit Image series Sex Criminals, will bring his unique brand of comedy to comics’ biggest jokester.
“Jughead is the one character that I totally attempted to emulate when I was younger,” said Zdarsky. “Cool without being cool, voracious appetite, a slacker who doesn’t always live up to his potential.”

On getting inside of Jughead’s head, Zdarsky said, “He has moments where he shines and then goes back to being cool and zen. I love Jughead. He’s the teen who’s comfortable with himself, which is such rare, weird thing.”
This sounds like a fun book, and I’m
gad it’s coming out.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 5/26/2015
I would prefer not to name names, but a certain member of the Beat Staff has ingested one too many Steve Gerber comics and fell into the celebration of oddities. For those not in the know, we’ve been getting a lot of stray visitors at the mansion lately — the castaways of comics long ago who find themselves wandering the hallways of The Stately Beat Manor after hours. This week Ruby Thursday happened to pay us a visit. No…not ringing any bells? Thursday is a member of the Headmen, a group of B-list Defenders rogues sent to wreak havoc upon the work schedules of everyone here at The Beat. Or so we thought…as the aforementioned Beat Staffer blamed above and Ruby Thursday seemed to be getting along quite well. When Thursday heard that we took down Howard the Duck villain Bessie (Hellcow) with the power of love (and literature) she grew a newfound respect for us. We introduced her to some of the signatures we’ve acquired from past guests of the Comics Pull(s) including the Matter-Eater Lad (who she is also quite fond of.) She decided to help us continue The Beat tradition. Ms. Rubinstein suggested the following comics for this week revealing herself as quite the Archie fan.
Writer: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa Artist: Robert Hack
It’s the night before Halloween, the night before Sabrina’s sixteenth birthday, the night of the blood-moon and the lunar eclipse, and Sabrina has made her decision: She will go into the woods of Greendale as a half-witch and emerge…on the other side of a frightful ritual…as a fully baptized member of the Church of Night. But there will be a cost, and his name is Harvey. And unbeknownst to Sabrina and her aunts, there is a serpent in the garden, their great enemy Madam Satan, who is conspiring against them…
With a taste for the dark arts and 90’s sitcoms, Ruby couldn’t help but single out this week’s installment of Sabrina. While she did voice displeasure at the comic’s amount of delays — the villain can’t get enough of this reimagining of the titular witch. She expressed that the story has all the morally ambiguity she looks for in media, and the comic has just started to bring out more of the creepie crawlies…whatever that means.
Writer: Duane Swierczynski Artist: Michael Gaydos
NEW ONGOING SERIES FROM DARK CIRCLE! “Bullet’s Kiss, Part 4″ The Connection’s lieutenants have discovered the identity of the new Black Hood. And now Greg Hettinger has only 24 hours to unmask their boss-the man who set Greg up! As the badly-injured Black Hood struggles to piece together the puzzle, he’s forced to put his faith in a woman who could end up saving him… or sending him straight to the slammer!
Black Hood is also gearing up for a fourth issue that Ruby specifically wanted to single out. This is another installment within Archie’s own Dark Circle line of comics. With another series that’s filled with moral ambiguity and gritty realism, this is just the comic for Ruby. Before she left, Ms. Rubinstein wanted to mention that she will have revenge on the X-Men, Bruce Banner, Heroes for Hire, Bullseye, She-Hulk, Cloak, Silver Samurai, Skaar, and more. She’s also running in 2016 — so look for that — did we mention that Ruby Thursday previously ran for president?
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis Artist: Andrea Sorrentino
Enter the Wastelands: a realm where all heroes have been murdered by their arch-enemies, villains who now rule over the land with an iron fist. In the midst of this dystopian chaos, one man may make a difference?a reluctant warrior who was once the greatest mutant of all? A man known as OLD MAN LOGAN.
The original Old Man Logan (illustrated by Steve McNiven), was exactly what you’d expect from a Mark Millar comic: bold, brash, broad and full of interesting concepts largely left unexplored. That’s why it’s so exciting to see Brian Michael Bendis pick up on those old threads, adding his depth of character and focus on the more intimate details to the mix. The fact that the X-Men annuals he did with Old Man Logan artist Andrea Sorrentino were the best Bendis I’d read in years only gives me more confidence that this series has the potential to be something special.
Dave’s Pick:
Writer: Brian Buccellato Artist: Toni Infante
Last year, Brian Buccellato asked everyone for help making this project. On Wednesday, Sons of the Devil is officially an Image Comics reality. The premise poses the question; what would you do if you found out your father was evil like a Jim Jones or David Koresh? SOTD looks to bring supernatural horror to a human level.
Kyle’s Picks:
Writer: Ales Kot Artist: Will Tempest
A man comes home from Guantanamo Bay, irrevocably changed.
An actress receives an offer that can revive her career.
A boy survives a riot and becomes embedded within a revolutionary movement.
A philosopher is contacted by a being that dismantles his beliefs.Look around you. Everything is material.
I love pretty much everything Ales Kot does, from Secret Avengers to Zero (easily one of my top books of the 2010’s thus far), so this will surely prove no different. Material looks to return to the wide-ranging ensemble cast style of his critically acclaimed earlier work like Change, but as with everything written by Kot, it’s impossible to pin down any of his titles into one particular box and that’s why I find him to be such a refreshing read every time out. I already know what will be on top of my modest pile tomorrow. It should be on top of yours as well.
Writer: Neil Gaiman Artist: J.H. Williams
The fate of the entire universe hangs in the balance when Dream finally gets his mother’s full attention. Magic, joy, war and heartbreak are brought to life on the pages with epic luminosity in the penultimate issue of THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE.
The biggest problem with Overture is that it’s been so long since the last chapter, I don’t remember what happened in the previous issue, much less anything before that. But, to its benefit, Williams’ work is so gorgeous that its hard to argue with re-reading the four issues that came before in order to catch up. It’s Neil Gaiman’s second to last issue of Sandman, if I was a betting man, I’d say you’re probably going to read it.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 5/15/2015
I’d been hearing word on the street that the controversial Archie Kickstarter campaign would be cancelled, and now about $30 K in andCBR has the official word. The planned titles—Jughead by Chip Zdarsky, Betty & Veronica by Adam Hughes and Kevin Keller by Dan Parent—will be published, as promised, but the rollout will be slower with Jughead launching in the fall.
According to Archie publisher Jon Goldwater, the negative attention was detracting too much from the actual projects:
“Very broadly, Jughead will come first, sooner than you’d think,” Archie Comics Publisher and CEO Jon Goldwater told CBR News. “Probably October. Then we’ll take a pause, figure out the rollout of the other two and how to best position them in the market. It’s going to take longer than we’d hoped, obviously, but these titles are top priority for us, and we want to make sure our fans get the best books possible.”
The decision to pull the Kickstarter, Goldwater said, came after the conversation no longer became about the books themselves — “Jughead,” to be written by Chip Zdarsky and illustrated by an artist to be named; “Betty and Veronica,” written and drawn by Adam Hughes; and “Life with Kevin,” written and penciled by Kevin Keller creator and Archie veteran Dan Parent and inked by J. Bone — but about the Kickstarter itself.
The Beat’s retail columnist Brandon Schatz had a detailed post on what he saw as the problems with the crowd funding effort last night.
The big problem Archie Comics is running into involves warring ideas. As a self-sufficient publishing company, they have certain contracts and financial details that they need to keep confidential. However, they are taking a step out of the “self-sufficient” bounds by asking for money – which demands that the math be shown. It might be a popsicle stick solution to a unique problem, but they are doing a poor job in convincing me that it can support the weight.
Don’t get me wrong: Archie as a company isn’t saying anything wrong. They are building a compelling narrative around this Kickstarter that I can get behind. They aren’t Marvel and DC. They don’t have parent companies, and so while they might be big, they’re still relatively small. This affords them the opportunity to move and change with greater ease, but such freedom also comes with a lack of safety net, so to speak. Opportunities arose, and tied up some funds. It happens. What’s losing me are the actions that have surrounded this launch, as well as the product currently being offered with the Kickstarter.
Other publisher Kickstarters—from Fantagraphics and Last Gasp—have been successful, but the grassroots effort seemed more appropriately placed than this one. Although the projects being funded—contrary to what everyone seems to think—were NOT going to be sold in Wal-Mart and Target, just putting the names of those chains in the same paragraph as “crowdfunding” raised an incongruous picture. Although this was a bump in the road for Archie they’ve definitely done the right thing by pulling the plug.
Archie released a statement to CBR on the effort:
We will be ending the Archie Kickstarter today.
We launched the “New Riverdale” Kickstarter as a unique and innovative way to celebrate the company’s upcoming 75th anniversary and to bring attention to some new titles that we are extremely excited about — “Jughead” by Chip Zdarsky, “Betty and Veronica” by Adam Hughes and “Life with Kevin” by Dan Parent and J. Bone. We decided to dive into crowdfunding as an energetic, interactive and different method to raise money to help expedite the launch of these titles. The chance to engage with our fans directly was really appealing to us, and we’re extremely grateful and honored by the support and pledges we’ve received.
While the response to these new titles has been amazing, the reaction to an established brand like Archie crowdfunding has not been. Though we saw this as an innovative, progressive and “outside-the-box” way to fund the accelerated schedule we wanted to produce these books, it became another conversation, leading us further away from the purpose of this whole campaign: to get these amazing books in the hands of fans faster than we could on our own. While we fully expected our goal to be funded, it was no longer about the books and how amazing they will be. We don’t want that. This is why we’re shutting the Kickstarter down today.
We don’t regret trying something new. It’s what Archie’s been about for the last six years. We will continue to be a fearless, risk-taking and vibrant brand that will do its best to embrace new platforms, technology and ways to interact with fans. As a company, we have always prided ourselves on pushing boundaries and challenging expectations and perceptions.
The wonderful New Riverdale titles we wanted to launch will still come out — albeit not as quickly as we would have hoped had we attained the funding via Kickstarter. We believe in these books and know they’ll find an audience in comic shops, fueled by great stories and amazing creators.
We’d like to thank the great team at Kickstarter for their guidance and feedback and the entire staff at Archie Comics for their endless hours of hard work and dedication to this very special initiative.
And, most importantly, to our fans that pledged money to this Kickstarter — we thank you. Your dedication, love of Archie and his friends and endless positivity are examples to all. We will be in contact shortly via Kickstarter to get a special thank-you gift in your hands as soon as possible. Your support means the world to us.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 5/14/2015
So I launched a comic store on Free Comic Book Day. It was quite the trick, trying to get things ready for the day with things exploding all around. We had ordered a point of sale system from Diamond, but when we phoned to ask them where it was a week after the supposed delivery date, we were told it had yet to ship. Before that moment, we were assured that it was on its way numerous times. We buckled down, bought the disperate parts of a computer, and assembled the damn thing ourselves with installed software. All in all, by the time we opened our doors to a line of already waiting customers, we were equal parts ready and not ready at all, but prepared enough to make the day work perfectly.
While I’m still new at owning a shop, it appears as though the feeling of prepared chaos is at the heart of running a small business. Measured doses of fear mix with confidence and produce a sheen of outward competence. That’s what I’ve taken from this experience and the numerous books and articles I read about making a go of things.
It will always be a tough go when you’re a relatively small force working against the never-ending tendrils of life and circumstance, but with enough diligence, passion and luck, things can always work out. The trick, it seems, is being able to find creative solutions to problems when they arise, using popsicle sticks and glue with enough ingenuity to hold the weight until you can afford a sturdier foundation. The other trick, is convincing people that what they’re standing on, is concrete.
Earlier this week, Archie Comics announced a Kickstarter that would see the launch of their #NewRiverdale initiative. Born out of the excitement surrounding the company’s upcoming Archie #1 with Mark Waid and Fiona Staples, the company was (and still is) asking for $350,000 to fund the production and marketing for the first six issues of three companion books in the line – a Jughead title with Chip Zdarsky and an unnamed artist, a Betty and Veronica book with Adam Hughes providing script and art, and a Life with Kevin series, written and drawn by the character’s creator Dan Parent, with inks from artist J. Bone. Needless to say, the internet had questions and opinions about this. Why would a company like Archie need to do a Kickstarter? Were they cash strapped? In trouble? What happens if the Kickstarter isn’t funded? And if it is, where does the money go specifically?
To the company’s credit, they came back and answered most of the questions brought up with swiftness and as much transparency as they could muster. They met the base question of “why seek funding” with vague details about distribution and retail real estate deals with Wal-Mart and Target, and the nebulous costs thereof. If the Kickstarter isn’t funded, they said they would still be moving forward with those titles, but the timelines and formatting might have to change. The biggest question about this Kickstarter that currently remains unanswered is in regards to the breakdown of where the money will go. That’s perfectly understandable, as there’s not a smart business in the world that would willingly divulge the details of various contracts and cost specifics to the general public. That said, there is a disconnect that remains – and it all comes back to the structure that Archie is building for this new line, with this Kickstarter.
I’ve spent a few days reading up on the specifics of this Kickstarter, and I’ve spent a few years ordering comics from this company, so what follows is the appearance of this popsicle structure from this specific vantage point. Please keep in mind, I do not have any inside information on the company, their financials, or the specifics of this Kickstarter beyond what they have willingly offered the public using various platforms and forums. That said, so much of this business is built on perception, that I feel the need to detail exactly what Archie’s structure looks like to a person in my position: the retailer who will be supporting this initiative in store with orders, and the new business man, who just went through the process of procuring funding for his own (smaller scale) project.
Let’s start with the Kickstarter. I’m a big fan of Kickstarter, and its ability to sell a product directly to customers who need it. If I’m being perfectly honest, going to Kickstarter was an option that we (my business partners and I) were thinking of when we were looking to fund our store. Eventually we decided against it because of the various responsibilities and connotations that Kickstarter brings with it. As with all requests for funding, you have to put forth a solid business plan and superior product in order to receive what you need to go forth. Opting for the relatively easier process of heading to various banking institutions with our hats in hands afforded us the opportunity to detail our plans, services and structure in relative secret. Going with Kickstarter means you have to provide the public with sufficient reasoning to fund your project, as well as the math to back that up.
The big problem Archie Comics is running into involves warring ideas. As a self-sufficient publishing company, they have certain contracts and financial details that they need to keep confidential. However, they are taking a step out of the “self-sufficient” bounds by asking for money – which demands that the math be shown. It might be a popsicle stick solution to a unique problem, but they are doing a poor job in convincing me that it can support the weight.
Don’t get me wrong: Archie as a company isn’t saying anything wrong. They are building a compelling narrative around this Kickstarter that I can get behind. They aren’t Marvel and DC. They don’t have parent companies, and so while they might be big, they’re still relatively small. This affords them the opportunity to move and change with greater ease, but such freedom also comes with a lack of safety net, so to speak. Opportunities arose, and tied up some funds. It happens. What’s losing me are the actions that have surrounded this launch, as well as the product currently being offered with the Kickstarter.
Over the past four years, the company stopped publishing their digest line, and now only produce double digests, and “jumbo” digests. They had a line of seven single issue comics including Archie, Archie and Friends, Betty & Veronica, B&V Spectacular, Betty, Veronica, and Jughead, which – before the announcement of any #NewRiverdale titles, had dwindled down to an almost monthly Archie title, and a bi-monthly Betty & Veronica. Books like Kevin Keller started up and heralded in a wave of change including which brought about titles like Life with Archie, Afterlife with Archie and the new Sabrina series. The first two concluded their runs long ago, while the latter titles have slipped on the publishing schedule hard. Afterlife with Archie #5 shipped a year ago today, and issue #8 just shambled it’s way onto the stands, with #9 still waiting to be resolicited and put back on the schedule. The first issue of Sabrina came out in October, and the second one didn’t ship until April, giving me the opportunity to quit my job and open a small business in between with room to spare. #3 is supposed to come out this May, and issue #4 has yet to be resolicited. At this point, I don’t expect #3 to come out anytime soon, and the subsequent issues of both titles probably won’t be seen until August at the soonest.
Now additionally, Archie has their Dark Circle line up and running. Conceived as decidedly un-Archie takes on characters in their superhero catalogue, it is the third launch of the line in almost as many years. The first happened in late 2012 when the company launched New Crusaders alongside an ambitious digital program that would later inform Marvel’s own Unlimited app. This came to an abrupt stop a few months later, with plans for the second arc being scrapped after three issues were solicited, never to be published. The line popped up again in late 2013 with the first arc of Dean Haspiel and Mark Waid’s version of The Fox. It too ran five issues before disappearing from the schedule until now. Right now, the Dark Circle line appears to be doing okay. Issues continue to ship, but the new Shield title that is to be part of the line was already bumped back a couple months, and had to be resolicited.
The publisher also promised a Lena Dunham written run on Archie in the first half of this year, that has yet to appear on the schedule. Now, there are almost definitely reasons for all of these things. From my understanding, the superhero line took a couple of tries to stick, and this time it just might – especially given the caliber of work being produced. The horror line had delays owing to writer Roberto Aguire-Sacassa’s involvement in writing a treatment for a pilot based off of the Archie characters that was being considered at Fox, and Francesco Francavilla getting dinged by a car. The Lena Dunham thing? Honestly, she’s probably busy and comics don’t really pay a lot. Learning a new language in comic scripting could have pushed things back, or maybe they’re holding onto it to follow up Mark Waid and Fiona Staples on the main Archie title. It’s hard to say, and I doubt they would tell me the specifics of a project in development like that. Regardless, the company has had a less than stellar track record in terms of content production over the past few years, and the through line seems to be excitement outweighing timing. This Kickstarter seems to be a continuation of this trend, as the company wants to get the full slate of companion titles on the table as swiftly as possible to capitalize on the groundswell of interest that Archie #1 is getting them.
There’s also a problem with the product that is being offered as part of the Kickstarter – which features a bevy of options ranging from print comics to digital downloads. The main thrust seems to be built around physical copies of the books to come, with print comics being offered at the $10 tier. There’s a couple of reasons why this doesn’t quite work. The first is simple: despite whatever digital accoutrement that comes with the physical product, the company is still asking funders to spend $10 on something that will be worth $3.99 on the stands. Beyond that, they are offering the very same product that will be on the stands in comic shops, albeit with a different cover, at some levels. Beyond asking $10 minimum for this privilege, they are ensuring that copies of the self same book will be in the hands of readers who will then not have to go into shops.
Now, I am completely fine with content taking the most direct approach to the consumer. In a perfect world, that’s the best delivery system for getting product to readers, and even as a retailer, I don’t mind being cut out of that equation. The problem – or at least the problem as I see it – is the fact that with Archie #1 already in hand, there would be a handful of people who won’t come in store to grab a copy from retailers. This in turn could communicate a lack of interest in the product to retailers in some way, shape or form. Even if the book still goes over like gangbusters, who will be returning for the second issues? In addition to figuring out regular reader retention, retailers will have to guess at potential interest from parties who already have first issues.
Walk your digital fingers around this site for a little bit and take a look at the nearest sales chart. Retailers by default are a cautious bunch – and who can really blame them when the product they’re being provided is non-returnable? As a result, they will account for a potential loss sooner than they’ll account for a potential sale more often than not – and that would go doubly for something that they can’t even come close to measuring, like the amount of Kickstarter product Archie will have sent out to their region. Those non-existent customers on day one will be counted as such, and the numbers going forward will reflect that, which is not a good look for this line.
Beyond that, there are things that Archie could do to turn this around. Unfortunately, at this point, they can’t change their recent publication track record – at least not in terms of recent launches. They can put emphasis on their Action line of Sonic and Mega Man comics, which has delivered consistently through out the years. That’s proof positive that they can deliver, and that should clearly be noted. As for the problems with product delivery, if I’m seeking funding from someone (and I was, just recently), they’re going to want to know the specifics of why these delays happened, and what is being done to prevent that from happening going forward.
As it stands, there’s very little out there that fills me with confidence in terms of how this product will be delivered in a timely manner. Fiona Staples does the art for Saga, and that book comes out on a modified schedule to make sure it comes out on time, as promised. It’s a great system that has allowed the book to soar in terms of creative energy, and physical sales. Is there a sufficient amount of time allotted for Staples to produce the artwork Archie needs in a timely manner while Saga continues? If not, is there a plan in place for the books’ shipping schedule? I know there have been reports that Fiona’s only contracted for three issues, which seems likely given her schedule, and Saga has been promised to continue at its current pace. Would Archie feature rotating artists or creative teams coming in to work on the book as needed? Will there be scheduled breaks occurring in between arcs? Both?
And what of the new books announced? As it stands, Jughead doesn’t have an artist attached, Adam Hughes is a notoriously slow artist, and the company still hasn’t decided what the print component of their Kevin Keller title will be. There seems to be a lot of pieces that have yet to slide in place, and these need to be addressed sooner rather than later. At the very least, something more should be said than Archie Comics CEO and Publisher Jon Goldwater saying, “In an ideal world these books would be monthly, yes. We would strive to have them out as regularly as possible.” Promising to try real hard is quite different than making sure there is a structure in place to ensure the product is delivered in a timely manner conducive to piquing and retaining reader interest and the money of retailers. This absolutely needs to be addressed first and foremost.
The other thing I would do is offer a Kickstarter exclusive product that will attract attention. Offering a product that will soon be available at a reduced price, even with all the digital support, is not enough for consumers, and is counter-productive for the titles’ ongoing sales. If you’re asking for $10 for a $3.99 product, you should make it something that will not be available otherwise. Toss in a digital copy of Archie #1 with a 24 page physical comic. Make eight or twelve of those pages an exclusive story that won’t be available individually otherwise. Fill the rest of the comic with concept art, preview images, or bits of pitch documents. Something like that is worth at least $10, and would go a long way to offering something unique to Kickstarter backers. Essentially: give your investors reason to invest, instead of asking for $10 while handing them a $4 product.
I want Archie to succeed. I want to see these books on the stands, and I want to sell these books to people, because I’m pretty sure they’re going to enjoy them. While I appreciate the unique circumstances the company finds themselves in, they have a lot of work to do in order to convince me that this is the right solution for this point in time – that this popsicle structure will hold the weight of what they’re building on top of it without collapsing. As a retailer, I need to see this before I can place orders with more confidence, and as a consumer and potential investor in this endeavour, I need a little bit more to free the funds to help make this happen. After all, while things might not be ideal, you still need to convince people there’s concrete at the foot of this. That, as it turns out, is what business is all about.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 5/11/2015
UPDATE: Archie president Jon Goldwater has released a statement on the Kickstarter. See below.
Well, here is one company you didn’t expect to be crowd funding things: Archie Comics has launched a Kickstarter for $350,000 to continue their updated, realistic version of the Riverdale Universe. For this amount, they will follow up the Mark Waid/Fiona Staples Archie book (due later this year) with a Jughead series by Chip Zdarsky and a Betty and Veronica Title by Adam Hughes, as well as Life with Kevin featuring Kevin Keller by regular writer Dan Parent and inked by J. Bone.
The Kickstarter has already garnered about $8000 and some social media scrutiny to say the least. Archie is certainly the oldest comics company to turn to crowdfunding, and some may be surprised that they need to raise capital to refurbish their line. While the Waid/Staples take on Archie was seen as the latest move in the line’s general freshening, it was also abandoning a formula that has worked for 75 years. Just the other day I spoke with Bart Beaty about his new book Twelve Cent Archie, and the incredible timeless durability of these stories. Launching a new, more contemporary, less iconic look is part of the general update that Archie has been busy with for the last five years or so.
Also, Adam Hughes on Betty and Veronica seems like a “male gaze” take on the characters that s bit out of step with the current popularity of girl-centric comics. But it does speak to a wealthy, older niche audience that might be into supporting this effort.
Developing.
Archie Comics, the acclaimed and bestselling comic book publisher that is home to some of the best-known pop culture creations in the world, including Archie, Jughead, Betty & Veronica, Josie & The Pussycats, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and the hit AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE series, announced today that it would launch a historic crowdfunding campaign via the popular Kickstarter platform.
The Kickstarter campaign’s call to action is a simple one: Help Archie Comics build a New Riverdale. Specifically, the Kickstarter will ask fans to help fund a slate of titles that build off the surefire success of ARCHIE #1 — the debut issue of a new, ongoing ARCHIE series from writer Mark Waid (Daredevil, Kingdom Come) and artist Fiona Staples (Saga). The series will be crafted by some of the biggest names in the comic book industry and feature the most beloved characters in comic book history.
The three new titles, launching over the next 18 months, include:

JUGHEAD — Featuring the adventures of Archie’s hamburger-loving best friend, from acclaimed writer Chip Zdarsky (Sex Criminals, Howard the Duck) and an artist TBA. An off-the-wall series full of laughs, unexpected twists and a modern sense of humor.

BETTY AND VERONICA — Girl-next-door Betty Cooper and wealthy socialite Veronica Lodge are best friends and fiercely competitive. While they both have a history with that guy Archie, the series puts the focus squarely on them — their friendship, their high school lives and adventures beyond Riverdale. Written and drawn by comic book legend Adam Hughes (Wonder Woman, Before Watchmen: Doctor Manhattan).

LIFE WITH KEVIN — Kevin Keller, the hugely-popular and historic character that broke new ground in Riverdale by being the first gay character in the company’s publishing history returns in a new ongoing series. Writer/artist Dan Parent (Kevin Keller) and inker J. Bone (The Spirit) tell a tale of an older, more experienced Kevin as he navigates a new city, new romance and leaving home.
“Our fans are part of our family — they’re an integral part of everything we do,” said Archie Comics Publisher/Co-CEO Jon Goldwater. “We’re not flush with corporate cash like Marvel or DC. But we’re also not afraid to take calculated risks. With this Kickstarter, fans have the chance to get in on the ground floor of an exciting and forward-thinking initiative. Fans can help build a New Riverdale, brick-by-brick. We’ve put together a stellar lineup of titles — featuring the best and the brightest creators working on our top characters. With your help, we can make this New Riverdale a reality. The best part? This is only the beginning.”

The crowdfunding initiative marks the latest part of the company’s 75th anniversary celebration — while also marking the beginning of a new era for the long-running publisher. With the launch of ARCHIE #1 on July 8, the company will be poised to reimagine its core characters while retaining the humorous and edgy elements that made them instant sensations when they first appeared.“When I first stepped into the Archie offices, the brand was frozen in time. The stories felt stiff and dated. That’s no longer the case,” Goldwater said. “This is a new Archie. A new Jughead. A new Betty and Veronica and a new Kevin. We’re holding onto the things that made them great — the humor, the love triangle, the friendship and youthful exuberance — but presenting them in a way that can appeal to everyone, from classic comic fans to new readers who might not know every nook and cranny of our history. Each part of this is a brick that will help build a New Riverdale. But we can only do it with your help.”
We live in a time of unheralded growth and awareness for comics. The Avengers are in theaters. The Flash is running around on TV and, defying odds; comic book print sales are staying strong while digital continues to grow. If comics didn’t already have an era dubbed the Golden Age, we could make a strong argument that this is it.
By now, you’ve probably heard the news: Archie Comics has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to help launch three new titles. These books will expand on the foundation being created in the pages of July’s ARCHIE #1 by the hugely talented team of writer Mark Waid and artist Fiona Staples. These books cannot exist without the support of our fans, the most important people in the world to us. The people that have supported Archie since day one, 75 years ago.
It’s also a good opportunity to talk a bit about story. About quality. About the relationships between the producers of comics – the publishers – and you, the fans.
I’m sure the first question you have about this is “Well, why does Archie need our money?” That’s a good and fair question. We understand and value every purchase our fans make. We’ve chosen to be fully transparent when launching this Kickstarter, as we have been in the past with all our initiatives. Let’s face it: we are not Marvel or DC Comics. We don’t have their bottomless bank accounts. We don’t have their corporate infrastructure.
We can’t launch 20 titles a month. We can’t flood the market with double-shipped books.
We are a privately owned company that has built a track record for being innovative, forward thinking, progressive, relevant and agile. Over the last six years, while I’ve overseen Archie Comics, we’ve acted more like a new publisher than one that’s been around for decades. We are the oldest start-up in history.
So, let me take it a step further. Not only are we not Marvel or DC – we don’t want to be.
We don’t want to tell convoluted stories that require fans to buy a dozen comics to understand one. We don’t want to reboot our titles every six months. We don’t want to alter characters to make headlines and then move on as if nothing happened.
We are not cloaked in secrecy. We’re here – we’re connected and we’re available. Our fans are as much a part of the company as our employees. We are all in this together.
What matters most to Archie Comics? For us, for me – it’s all about the story and art. It’s about making sure the level of quality is beyond sky-high. It’s about the characters. It’s about doing the best job we can to create the best comics possible with the best talent available. That’s why you have names like Waid, Staples, Zdarsky, Hughes, Parent, Aguirre-Sacasa, Francavilla, Hack, Swierczynski, Gaydos and more on our titles. The best and brightest doing career-defining work on characters recognized around the world. And this is only the beginning.
As we enter our 75th year, its obvious Archie is here to stay. This isn’t a plea to keep us in business. This is a call to action. We want to partner with our fans to build on something we already know is going to be a huge success – ARCHIE #1. But not through gimmicks, hype or smoke and mirrors. But through the thing that has gotten us to this point: great storytelling. Help us build a New Riverdale and vote with the one ballot that will get the attention of the Marvels and DCs of the world: your dollar.
Be a part of something new and vibrant. Support the little guy fighting to make some noise and show the slow-moving goliaths of the comic book industry how it’s done: through hard work, great storytelling and tactical and calculated risk-taking.
Help us build a New Riverdale for everyone.
– Jon Goldwater
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 4/17/2015
The Archie gang has teamed with Predator, Kiss, Glee, the Punisher and many other things over the years, so why not Sharknado? The Syfy movie about a tornado full of sharks has quietly taken over the imaginations of people coast to coast so it is only natural that the ‘Nado would touch down in Riverdale! For those more worried about the fuure of this nation, relax, it is only a one-shot, written by the director of the Shaknado trilogy Anthony C. Ferrante with art by Archie’s Dan Parent, who often writes these milestone issues but he’s multi-talented.
The issue also ties in with the third movie in the Sharknado trilogy, SHARKNADO 3: OH HELL NO!, fans which runs on SyFy this July.
“Having a chance to crossover the Archie comics with our Sharknado universe has been a dream come true,” Ferrante said. “Riverdale will never be the same and I know fans are going to get a thrill out of seeing Archie, Betty, Veronica and the rest of the gang unleash their inner Fin Shepards.”
“I can’t tell you the thrill of working on Sharknado. I might be the biggest Sharknado fan, watching multiple airings of the movies, going to theatrical screenings. attending the Riff Trax versions and then buying the DVDs,” Parent said. “So to be able to bring Sharknado into the world of Archie is a dream come true. And to be working on it with Sharknado director Anthony C. Ferrante is the icing on the cake! I promise to put my all into this project to make all the Sharknado – and Archie – fans proud!!!”“Sharknado has become a worldwide merchandise and cultural phenomenon that has thrilled young and old alike,” said David Garber, who negotiated this deal on behalf of The Asylum with Archie Comics. “Archie’s comics and his adventures have always been fun and exciting. The fusion of these two properties is part of the social media and fan explosion that continues to grow. We are pleased to combine these historic IP’s in one consumer experience.”
“The Sharknado franchise has soared in popularity due partly to the variety of great celebrities, who bravely encounter this unnatural menace,” said Jeff Li, Vice President, Syfy Ventures. “Sharknado survivors come in all forms. It’s only natural that Archie and the gang will get a chance to save their town from flying sharks.”
Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! stars Ian Ziering as Fin, Tara Reid as April and Cassie Scerbo as Nova. Joining them will be David Hasselhoff as Fin’s father, Gil; Bo Derek will play April’s mother, May; Ryan Newman will play April and Fin’s daughter, Claudia Shepard, and Jack Griffo will portray Claudia’s friend, Billy.
Additional cameo roles include Mark Cuban as the President of the United States; Ann Coulter as the Vice President; Michele Bachmann as herself; Jerry Springer as Mr. White, a manic tourist; Washington Redskins tackle Tom Compton as a reporter; *NSYNC singer Chris Kirkpatrick as a pool lifeguard, and Chris Jericho, who will portray Bruce the roller coaster ride operator.
A production of The Asylum, Sharknado 3 is directed by Anthony C. Ferrante from an original screenplay by Thunder Levin.
ARCHIE VS. SHARKNADO #1 (ONE SHOT)
It’s that time of year in Riverdale! The end of the school year. Time for beaches, barbecues, fun in the sun and… SHARKNADOS!?! That’s right, get ready as Archie and the gang brave the storm of a tornado full a sharks that riffs off the pop culture phenomenon known as Sharknado! The story unfolds as sharknados are spotted on the “Feast” Coast! Our heroines have to figure out how to get back to Riverdale, where the storm is about to hit next. Soon Archie and the gang go, go, go as they battle the Sharknado-ravaged Riverdale! Who will live? Who will die? Will this take a BITE out of the end-of-the-year prom? Uh….probably! The comic book action is also concurrent with the plot of SHARKNADO 3 and hits stands right before the film’s premiere in July on Syfy. Written by the SHARKNADO trilogy director Anthony C. Ferrante with Dan Parent.Script: Anthony C. Ferrante with Dan Parent
Art: Dan Parent, Rich Koslowski
Archie vs. Sharknado #1 CVR A Reg: Dan Parent
Archie vs. Sharknado #1 CVR B Variant: Francesco Francavilla
Archie vs. Sharknado #1 CVR C Variant: Robert Hack
On Sale Date: 7/22
48-page, full color comic
$4.99 U.S.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 3/16/2015
Cover by Dean Haspiel
The Fox #1
Story, Line Art: Dean Haspiel
Script: Mark Waid
Color Art: Allen Passalaqua
Letters: John Workman
Cover Art: Dean Haspiel, Chris Samnee, Matt Wilson, David Mack, Ulises Farinas, Ryan Hill, Thomas Pitilli
Publisher: Archie/Dark Circle Comics
By Matthew Jent
“You don’t have to be a hero anymore.”
The Fox, with story & line art by Dean Haspiel, script by Mark Waid, and colors by Allen Passalaqua, opens in media res with our titular hero tied up, lamenting his bad luck, and wishing for an ibuprofin. It’s a Spider-Man-like How did I get into this mess? inner monologue that introduces a delightfully self-deprecating superhero who’s already in over his head. Right away the art by Haspiel and Passalaqua looks expansive, bright, and weird. The Fox has a black eye, he’s already unmasked and beaten on page one, his legs are kicked out away from the beam, like he’s falling even though he’s tied up.
Which, it turns out, he is. This is the story of the Fox falling into a mystery, into an adventure, and into trouble, in spite of his intentions to just do right by his family.
With a story by Dean Haspiel (indie comics mainstay, a collaborator of Harvey Pekar, and an Emmy winner for title design on HBO’s Bored to Death) and a script by Mark Waid (superhero guru, author of the most-fun Daredevil run in years, and co-founder of digital comics site Thrillbent), The Fox is a first issue that presents a lived-in, authentic world. A superhero universe we’re peering into for the first time even though it’s existed for a long time. Which is kind of true — The Fox is part of Archie’s new Dark Circle imprint, a shared-universe reboot of heroes who used to be Impact characters, who also used to be Red Circle characters, some of whom used to be Blue Ribbon, Archie Adventure, and Mighty Comics characters.
These heroes have been around. The Fox dates back to 1940, two years after Superman’s first appearance. But Haspiel & Waid allow the Fox to grow up a little. This Fox — the one tied up on page one — is Paul Patton, Jr., a photojournalist who became a superhero to attract danger and further his career. A brief, two-panel memory implies that the previous Fox may have been Paul’s own father, something he didn’t realize as a kid. Now Paul has his own grown-up son, and he wants to put his superhero days behind him — but he hasn’t quite stopped wearing his costume under his street clothes, yet.
Haspiel’s interpretation of the Fox’s costume is a cross between Batman and Spidey. He’s dressed all in black, but his fox ears can go a little floppy and the mask’s white eyes go wide with surprise. When we get a glimpse of the supervillains the Fox — or a Fox — might run against in later issues, the cast starts to look a little like something from the Venture Bros. But while Venture is a parody of super-science-action-heroics, The Fox manages a nostalgic throwback art style without feeling dated or ironic. The emotional reactions are real (though I hope — and I trust Haspiel & Waid will provide — more from Paul’s wife Mae than the blandly supportive wife/mother role she plays in this issue) even in the face of unreal, high stakes, super-villainy.
John Workman, a solid, solid pro whose work you can read more about in this CBR piece from 2007, glues this issue together with lettering that guides the eye and reinforces the rhythm of Waid’s language. Shrinking dialogue as Paul zones out of his son’s monologue about changing technology, bolded words that emphasize cadence without being distracting, and slightly out-of-sync letters when Paul’s son Shinji is taken by surprise — small but artful touches that showcase the subtle craftsman Workman has been for decades.
The Fox makes you wonder what a Spider-Man book would have looked like if Peter Parker had been allowed to grow up, stay married, and have kids. The Fox is a chance to prove wrong the folks who say the superhero status quo has to stay frozen for decades, that it’s better to poison the well than to move forward. The Fox is aware of the past 75+ years of superhero comics, superhero gimmicks, and superhero clichés. But it’s not trying recreate them or preserve them in amber. The Fox puts the mask on one more time and and strives to make some new memories.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 3/13/2015
Archie’s The Fox: Freak Magnet mini-series is being reborn as an ongoing comic moving the book from the previous Red Circle line into the Dark Circle. Previous collaborators Dean Haspiel and Mark Waid are back to chronicle the adventures of Paul Patton Jr. as The Fox in the Fox Hunt storyline. CBR posted the first preview and solicit for the brand new series. We showed off cover artwork and a few other Dark Circle previews here, but with the first issue only a few weeks away this preview is our gift to you.
The Fox follows Patton Jr.’s continuing as a golden age hero. In fact, it’s a little bit strange to even refer to the character as a hero, his character draws out stories to snap them up as a photojournalist for his day job. If the previous storyline is to believed, The Fox is a magnet for sheer weirdness, spawning diamond powered handguns. The back-and-forth introduced into the opening dialogue from Patton introduces the humanity missing in the last storyline by humanizing the Patton Jr. as someone who needs pills on a crappy day. Waid and Haspiel seem to have something special on their hands with this new window into the freak magnet.
Story: Dean Haspiel and Mark Waid
Art: Dean Haspiel
Colors: Allen Passalaqua
Cover: Dean Haspiel
Letters: John Workman
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.
NEW ONGOING SERIES FROM DARK CIRCLE!
THE FOX is BACK! Emmy Award winning writer/artist Dean Haspiel (Billy Dogma, HBO’s Bored to Death) is once again united with Eisner award-winning writer Mark Waid (Daredevil, Thrillbent) for FOX HUNT: Part One “The Situation”: When a billionaire philanthropist prepares Paul Patton Jr’s home town for demolition, our hero is sent on assignment to photograph the event. But what strange force lurks in the shadows, and why will it take Paul’s alter-ego, THE FOX, to stop it? The answer is the beginning of a deadly FOX HUNT and you won’t believe what happens next! Don’t miss the debut issue from the critically-acclaimed team that brought you THE FOX: FREAK MAGNET, featuring FOUR all-new variant covers! With art from Dean Haspiel, David Mack, Thomas Pitilli, Ulises Farinas and Chris Samnee!
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 2/28/2015
This may well spoil things for people trying to flip variants on eBay, but it looks like Books A Million will let you order (and pre-order) variant covers off their website. And it looks like they’re expanding how many different publishers they’re getting variants from:
And that Princess Leia link is for the sketch variant. Yes, BAM now has variants and sketch variants for some of the Star Wars titles. A Marvel variant will set you back $7.99, but a sketch variant is $9.99 Start saving your pennies, kids.
There are a lot more variants available than just those, with Marvel leading the way in terms of volume. On the BAM site, the publisher of the comics is always listed as “Diamond Comic” or “Diamond Comic Magazine,” amusingly reminding use where these are coming from. I’d take as a good sign for how BAM’s doing with non-returnable fare that they’re adding all these variants and from all sorts of publishers.
And then there’s DC. BAM lists a few DC titles online. Here’s Convergence #1. It’s not listed as being an exclusive cover, but it’s got “Diamond Comic Magazine” as the publisher and an ISBN number:
Here’s the link for Convergence: Suicide Squad #1, which BAM has listed as a hardcover (almost certainly an error).
DC did not get back to me about why some of their titles are showing up on BAM’s site as Diamond titles, but since they’re not listed as variants, it’s entirely possible they weren’t aware those listings existed.
In the meantime, if variants are your thing, you don’t have to pay a jacked up price for the BAM variants on eBay if the title in question is still available on their website.
Have you read Todd’s book Economics of Digital Comics? You can also ignore him on Twitter at@Real_Todd_Allen
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 2/28/2015
Archie previously revealed that the Worlds Unite crossover is going to feature two huge video game characters (Mega Man and Sonic) teaming up together. The publisher confirmed several more beloved franchises from Sega and Capcom that are coming out to play in the storyline. A brand new teaser from the crossover shows some wish fulfillment that you wouldn’t believe. Everything from Golden Axe to the obscure Alex Kidd franchises are contained in the full scope of this crossover. Here’s a quick lowdown on some of the different franchises teased in the image released today from the publisher.
Let’s kick things off with Sega:
Alex Kidd
Billy Hatcher
Golden Axe
NiGHTS
Skies of Arcadia
Panzer Dragoon
Onto the Capcom games:
Breath of Fire
Ghosts N’ Goblins
Monster Hunter
Street Fighter
Okami
Viewtiful Joe
A full prologue is launching along with Free Comic Book Day on May 2nd from Archie, after that this comic is directly spinning off into an epic 12-part crossover. Thanks to Comics Alliance for the cover. The tale is broken up into a flipbook featuring separate Mega Man and Sonic versions. Ian Flynn is writing the story. The Sonic comic includes art from Adam Bryce Thomas, with the Mega Man portion complete with art contributions from Patrick Spaziante, Jonathan Hill, Powree, Ryan Jampole and Jamal Peppers.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 2/2/2015
Writer: Duane Swierczynski
Artist: Michael Gaydos
Colorist: Kelly Fitzpatrick
If your point of reference for Dark Circle Comics is The Fox: Freak Magnet which Dean Haspiel did with Mark Waid, J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Cavallaro, The Black Hood is liable to shock you. There were warnings made that this is a dark comic and you should heed them. This is NOT a children’s comic.
The nice folks at Archie slid us an advance review copy of The Black Hood #1 and it’s an impressive piece of work. While the Black Hood character is traditionally associated with superheroes, this take, at least in the first chapter, is the vigilante through the lens of a crime novel. Which only makes sense, as there’s a crime novelist writing it (Swierczynski) and a crime novelist editing it (Alex Segura).
The story concerns a policeman shot in the line of duty and his descent into a pit of madness that he sees coming, but can’t pull out of. The city of Philadelphia is character in this comic and its seedy side is the one shown, complete with an essay on the history of police corruption in Philly in the back of the comic. This take on Philly colors the lens of the reader and shades our protagonist’s less than rosy outlook as he acts as our narrator. The initial pages show a theme of redemption just out of reach, and redemption will probably be focus of the greater work.
It’s unusual when you want to take time to point out the atmosphere and world building in a crime comic. That’s usually something discussed more in science fiction and horror. The Black Hood has a sense of place and a slightly claustrophobic atmosphere to it. That the place exists in the real world is perhaps secondary, but it reminds me a bit of how big a part of The Wire Baltimore was.
If you were to ask me to give a point of reference for this comic, it wouldn’t be another comic. It would be The Wire. The Wire, without the sense of humor and creative swearing, with vigilantism as the arc. The Wire, while the greater story was more often of heartbreak and tragedy, was frequently hilarious. The Black Hood plays it grim.
This is a good creative pairing all the way around. Gaydos brings a bit of grit to the art, well suited to the urban blight of the setting. Fitzpatrick adds a muted color palate, which fits the gloomy mood and outlook. The look of this is almost the polar opposite of a bright and shiny comic about a hero in a bright suit, like The Fox. That also might be the point.
Highly recommended for fans of crime comics and darker subject matter. Think 100 Bullets, Criminal or Stray Bullets with a vigilante in the mix and you’re going to be in the general ballpark.
I must admit, if the Dark Circle imprint is going to run the gamut from The Fox to The Black Hood, I’m awfully curious to get a look at The Shield and how these titles might fit together.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 1/21/2015
By Bruce Lidl
Following immediately on the conclusion of the second Image Comics Humble Bundle, Archie Comics has joined the Humble Bundle comics movement with its first release. Humble Bundles are curated collections of digital comics available under a “pay what you want” revenue model. Customers can choose their payment amount for the basic pack, or spend extra money for additional content. Customers can also choose what percentage of their payment goes to the publisher, to the Humble Bundle company and to a charity picked for the bundle, in this case either the Hero Initiative or the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. Also, all Humble Bundle comic collections are sold in variety of formats, with absolutely no DRM restrictions embedded in them.
Past digital comics Humble Bundles have proven very popular and generated considerable revenue for publishers and charities. The first Image Humble Bundle in April 2014 received almost $400,000 in payments, while the just completed Image bundle got over $450,000, and appears to have been the highest grossing comics bundle so far.
Today’s Archie bundle contains Afterlife With Archie Magazine #1, The Fox: Freak Magnet, Sonic/Mega Man: Worlds Collide Vol. 1, and The Best of Archie Book One. Customers that pay more than the going average price also get The Death of Archie, Archie Meets KISS, The Best of Archie Book Two, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #1, and Sonic/Mega Man: Worlds Collide Vol. 2., while those who pay $15 or more will receive all of the above plus Afterlife With Archie Vol. 1: Escape From Riverdale, Archie Comics Spectacular: Party Time, Archie: The Married Life Vol. 1, and Sonic/Mega Man: Worlds Collide Vol. 3. Other incentive titles will likely get added over the course of the bundle’s two week run.
At this point, the sole remaining publisher holdouts from Humble Bundle appear to be Marvel and DC. While initially designed for independent video gaming publishers, even rather large gaming companies have used Humble Bundle since its inception in 2010, including EA and THQ. Interestingly, Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment participated in a gaming Humble Bundle in November 2013 that included comics themed games Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City, distributed through the Steam gaming platform. Whether that might indicate a broader Warner Brothers/DC openness to the Humble Bundle philosophy remains to be seen.
By: Heidi MacDonald,
on 1/16/2015
Archie Comics is going bleak with the Dark Circle Comics line. The new titles are following up on the recent successes for the comics company via Afterlife with Archie and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina series.
The publisher has revealed titles shipping from the upcoming Dark Circle Comics line in April to CBR. The new issues include the debut of The Shield, a brand new female incarnation of the 1940’s character. In addition, The Black Hood reaches issue #3. Waid and Haspiel’s The Fox is following up it’s debut issue as well. The talent on the books is a diverse cast of writers and artists including: Chuck Wendig, David Williams, Michael Gaydos, and more.
THE SHIELD #1
NEW ONGOING SERIES FROM DARK CIRCLE!
“Daughter of the Revolution, Part 1” Since the dawn of the republic, whenever her country faces its blackest days, she returns: a spirit of the revolution sent to fight for what is right. But when she reappears for the first time in a generation with no memories—not even of her own identity—and encounters an evil force expecting her arrival, all the Shield can do is… run!
Script: Adam Christopher and Chuck Wendig
Art: David Williams, Gary Martin, Rachel Deering, Kelly Fitzpatrick
Cover: David Williams
Variant Cover: Wilfredo Torres
Variant Cover: Andrew Robinson
Variant Cover: Rafael Albuquerque
Dark Circle Movie Throwback Variant Cover: Robert Hack
On Sale Date: 4/15
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.
THE BLACK HOOD #3
NEW ONGOING SERIES FROM DARK CIRCLE!
“The Bullet’s Kiss, Part 3” The Black Hood is supposed to be dead. Shot, de-masked, autopsied, buried. So who’s running around town in a ratty black hood, declaring war on the underworld? The City of Philadelphia is electrified by the fleeting glimpses they see on social media—but both the cops and the drug gangs want him stopped at all costs. However, the new Black Hood may not have to be stopped. He’s coming unglued all on his own…
Script: Duane Swierczynski
Art: Michael Gaydos, Rachel Deering, Kelly Fitzpatrick
Cover: Francesco Francavilla
Variant Cover: David Mack
Variant Cover: Howard Chaykin
Dark Circle Movie Throwback Variant Cover: Robert Hack
On Sale Date: 4/22
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.
THE FOX #2
NEW ONGOING SERIES FROM DARK CIRCLE!
“Fox Hunt, Part 2 – The Other Shoe”: The fox-hunt has begun, and Impact City’s most dangerous criminals are out for BLOOD. When Paul Patton Jr. decides to take his son, Shinji, on a trip to the Museum of the Moving Image, he’s hoping to make an effort to finally be a present father and not the superhero freak magnet known as The Fox. But when a violent bank robbery derails their plans, and Paul is unwilling to don his superhero suit and save the day, a new kind of superhero will need to step in and save the day. So why is this new hero The Fox’s WORST NIGHTMARE? Emmy award-winning artist Dean Haspiel and Eisner Award-winning writer Mark Waid bring you the next chapter in Dark Circle’s most twisted tale yet! Featuring variant cover art from Howard Chaykin and Robert Hack!
Plot: Dean Haspiel
Art: Dean Haspiel, John Workman and Jose Villarubia
Script: Mark Waid
Cover: Dean Haspiel
Father and Son Variant Cover: Howard Chaykin
Dark Circle Movie Throwback Variant Cover: Robert Hack
On Sale Date: 5/6
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.
Sorry, I tried the first issue preview, but it left me running away. I can’t deal with the art, coloring or lettering. Too ‘untrained’ looking for me, too used to Gene Colan and Tom Palmer’s Dracula, Mike Ploog, and many many other artists who could draw the spooky stuff with flair.