Welcome to the Archie Comics Pubwatch for the month of October! I’m Lisa, reporting from a corner booth at Pop’s Chock ‘lit Shoppe, and here’s this month’s news! In this month’s Archie Comics Pubwatch, we have New York Comic Con news, a full review of Big Ethel Energy, Riverdale announces some major casting news, and much more!
New Valentine’s Day Anthology Special Hinted at During Archie Comics New York Comic Con Panel
Via ComicsBeat, it appears that fans who like their Archie romantic will soon be treated to a special Valentine’s Day issue. Archie Senior Director of Editorial Jamie L. Rotante said that “People like shipping characters, and I think they’ll enjoy this.” Great news for the die-hard romantics among us!
Read our review of Big Ethel Energy
WWAC staff member Adrienne Resha recently published a review of the first editions of Archie Comics’ brand new series with WebToons, Big Ethel Energy. Click here to read Adrienne’s review and you can read the first strip for free here.
Sabrina Spellman’s Back, and Riverdale’s got Her
It’s been one heck of a year for everyone’s favorite blonde witch, Sabrina Spellman. With Chilling Adventures of Sabrina going back into production this month and The Occult World of Sabrina set to hit print sometime in 2022 through the Archie Horror imprint, there’s been a lot of buzz attached to Miss Spellman.
Season 6 of Riverdale will be similarly blessed as, per a press release on the official Archie Comics website, Kiernan Shipka will reprise her role as Sabrina on the CW show. Fans of the Archie TV franchises expressed confusion about this bit of casting news, as when we last saw Sabrina on her own show, she sacrificed her own life to protect others. Since the timelines between Riverdale, Katy Keene, and CAoS never did line up correctly, it’s possible Sabrina’s Riverdale trip takes place before the CAoS series finale.
You can watch the trailer for Riverdale’s sixth season below.
Dan Parent Kevin Keller Kickstarter Reaches Funding Goal
The Kickstarter ultimately pulled in $72,783, over $30,000 more than its original goal.
Archie Comics to Print New “Throwback” Stories
Not only will the Archie Milestone Digest series be returning in 2022, but they will also begin featuring new stories. The first issue will be set in the 1960s, and contain a story by Tom DeFalco and Jeff Shultz in which the Archies are booked to play Woodstock but get lost along the way.
The first digest will go on sale on January 26. Further issues celebrating the 1990s (April 6), 1970s (June 16), 2000s (August 24) and 1980s (November 2) will be released throughout the year.
Archie Comics Joins TikTok
You can find their profile here!
New Variant covers from Stadium Comics, Tardy’s Collectors Corner, Fan Expo Comics, Sanctum Sanctorum Comics, and VA Comics
We have a plethora of exclusive covers to tackle this month! First up is a Maria Sanapo exclusive cover for Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #9, available only at Tardy’s Collector’s Corner. It’s limited to 250 copies, retails for $12.50 each, and will ship on October 20.
Next up is a Nuno Pereira homage to Venom Lethal Protector available only at Stadium Comics. Featuring Madame Satan, the art covers Chilling Adventures in Sorcery #1 and will have an exclusive run of 250 copies. There will also be 50 covers stamped in ruby foil, 25 covers stamped on gold metal, 20 variants with a black printing error, and 10 white printing error variants. You may also buy the original variant as part of three cover package including the issue’s mainline Robert Hack cover and one by Franco Francavilla.
All are guaranteed to be in VF/NM condition or better. The variant on its own costs $14.99, the three-cover pack $21.99. the ruby foil for $29.99, the gold metal for $49.99, the black printing error for $39.99, and the white printing error for $69.99, and the three-cover pack for $29.99. Only the regular variant and the three-cover packs remain in stock, and you can pre-order them here.
Stadium also offers one more cover for Pereira’s ongoing series of Pop Art Comics. Betty Cooper covers Archie’s Christmas Calamity #1. There was a limited metal-stamped cover offered as part of a two-pack, but it has already sold out.
All are guaranteed to be in VF/NM condition or better. The variant on its own costs $14.99, the three-cover pack $49.99. the two-cover pack is $29.99. Only the regular variant and the two-cover packs remain in stock, and you can pre-order them here.
FanExpo, meanwhile, offers three exclusive variant covers for Archie’s Halloween Spectacular #1. The first has Betty Cooper as the Marvel character Ironheart. the second Cheryl Blossom as DC Comics’ Poison Ivy, and the last features Veronica Lodge cosplaying as DC Comics’ Punchline. The Veronica cover is exclusive to the Detroit Comic-Con, the Cheryl cover to Toronto Comic-Con, and the Betty cover to FanExpo itself. Each cover is limited to 400 copies, and all are currently available as of press time.
Sanctum Sanctorum Comics also offers an exclusive, virgin variant cover for Archie’s Halloween Spectacular #1. It features Archie, Veronica, and Betty in Halloween costumes. Drawn by Elias Chatzoudis, it’s a New York Comic Con exclusive and retails for $24.99 each. A signed variant has already sold out.
Finally, Dan Parent has drawn a variant cover for Chilling Adventures in Sorcery #1 Which features Betty Cooper. The cover is supposed to be a VA Comic-Con Exclusive, but no ordering information for it has been posted yet.
Spooky new Designs Up in The Archie Threadless Shop
New designs include Afterlife with Archie and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina-related shirts. Click here to view and purchase them!
Bite-Sized Archie Holiday Print Now Available for Pre-Order
This Archie Store exclusive print – available signed or unsigned by Bite-Sized Archie creator Vincent Lovallo – is a limited edition of unstated size. The unsigned print is $24.99 and the signed print is $34.99.
Archie Comics Tweet(s) of the Month
Facebook and Instagram are both down. Time to replay the hits. https://t.co/rrk3dolHzb
— Archie Comics (@ArchieComics) October 4, 2021
Thank you for opening the email. https://t.co/liHL7KGhqa
— Archie Comics (@ArchieComics) October 4, 2021
— Archie Comics (@ArchieComics) October 18, 2021
A group of greatest hits tweets and the Archie Comics mailing list being on fire.
Sugar Sugar of the Month
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #9
Robert Hack (Cover and Art); Jack Morelli (Letters); Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Writing)
October 13th, 2021
All eyes are deservedly on the belle of the ball this month as the infamous Archie Horror title Chilling Adventures of Sabrina reenters print. The series’ ninth issue continues to ramp up the gore factor (what happens to Harvey’s mother shouldn’t happen to a clump of dirt on the floor) and the moral dodginess (Sabrina’s father has a sexual encounter that goes from phantasmagorical to horrifying in short order), so it’s fully in step with the series’ previous offerings. It’s some heady, dark stuff and always captivating to read and Hack’s art is gorgeous as always. The end result is a must-buy issue.
Archie’s Halloween Spectacular #1
Jim Amash (Art); Bill Galvan (Art); Bill Golliher (Writing); Jack Morelli (Letters); Dan Parent (Art and Cover); Glenn Whitmore (Colors)
October 6th, 2021
Look, I can’t lie to y’all – I knew I had to recommend this one the second I read the blurb. In the main story, Archie upsets Sabrina’s friend and wakes to find his head has been transformed into a jack o’lantern. Everyone just thinks he’s being a jerk who won’t remove his mask and only Sabrina realizes he’s really been made half-pumpkin. She’s forced to go confront her friend and talk her into turning Archie back into his regular self.
The epic combination of body horror weirdness, sassy Sabrina, and Archie being totally flummoxed wins the day here.
Hotdogs and Hotshots
Archie Jumbo Comics Digest #324
Jim Amash (Art); Francis Bonnet (Writing and Cover); Pat and Tim Kennedy (Cover); Jack Morelli (Letters); Rosario “Tito” Peña (Cover); Jeff Shultz (Art); Glenn Whitmore (Colors)
October 10th, 2021
In a tale that’s just as wacky as the whole Pumpkinhead adventure, Archie passes out apple seeds to his neighbors, and years later there’s a bumper crop of apples infesting Riverdale. What’s a town to do with too many apples? Pie for everyone!
Picks From The Timecops
Chilling Adventures in Sorcery #1
Derek Charm (Art), Amy Chu (Writing), Vincenzo Federici (Art), Francesco Francavilla (Cover)Matt Herms (Art), Pat and Tim Kennedy (Art), Jack Morelli (Letters), Julius Ohta (Cover); Eliot Rahal (Writing), Evan Stanley (Art and Writing)
November 3rd, 2021
Madame Satan returns in this Archie Horror anthology one-shot in which some scary things happen to our favorite Riverdale characters, all done up in different art and writing styles.
Archie 80th Anniversary Jumbo Comic Digest #5
Jim Amash (Art); Francis Bonnet (Writing and Cover); Bill Golliher (Cover), Pat and Tim Kennedy (Art); Vincent Lovallo (Cover); Jack Morelli (Letters); Rosario “Tito” Peña (Cover); Glenn Whitmore (Colors)
November 10th, 2021
Archie manages to cause a rift in the space-time continuum due to his own clumsiness when he accidentally interrupts his 1940s self’s first appearance in print back in the ’40. The 2020s and the 1940s collide and melt together and Archie must put it all right. Sounds fun!
Archie Jumbo Comics Digest #325
Jim Amash (Art); Francis Bonnet (Cover); Ben Galvan (Cover); Bill Galvan (Cover); Bill Golliher (Writing); Jack Morelli (Letters); Rosario “Tito” Peña (Cover); Jeff Shultz (Art); Glenn Whitmore (Colors)
November 24th, 2021
This sounds as if it’s likely to be the most charming of the many Christmas-centered issues Archie Comics is coming out with in November. Archie and Betty camp out together on the roof of Betty’s house in the hope of seeing Santa Claus in the flesh (Hey, it’s not as far-fetched as you’d think – Betty and Veronica are friends with his daughter in several different versions of the Archieverse continuity. See below). Will they stay awake for long enough to see the jolliest fat man?
World of Archie Jumbo Comics #114
Francis Bonnet (Cover); Pat and Tim Kennedy (Cover); Jack Morelli (Letters); Dan Parent (Script and Art) Rosario “Tito” Peña (Cover); Bob Smith (Art); Glenn Whitmore (Colors)
November 3rd, 2021
The theme of this month’s set of Archie Comics releases seems to be “Archie messes up big time and is forced to save the day.” So it goes in this digest’s lead story, in which he has to find an emergency replacement pine after he forgets to water the family Christmas tree repeatedly while his folks are out of town. Bonus: a new Midville story.
World of Betty and Veronica Jumbo Comics Digest #10
Bill Galvan (art); Jack Morelli (Letters); Dan Parent (Art and Writing and Cover); Jamie L. Rotante (Writing); Bob Smith (Art); Glenn Whitmore (Colors)
November 17th, 2021
Santa Claus’ daughter, Noelle, returns and she’s got an eye on Reggie – who happens to scope Santa’s naughty list when Noelle leaves her laptop open. Will Reggie resort to nefarious matters to get a bribe from Noelle to protect this info? Will Betty and Veronica find out if they’re naughty or nice?
Second Looks
Archie And Friends: Christmas Calamity #1
