Welcome to the Archie Comics Pubwatch for the month of March! I’m Lisa, reporting from a corner booth at Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe, and here’s this month’s news! In March’s Pubwatch, we link to some big interviews, preview some new covers, and more.
Archie & Me Podcast features exclusive Archie staff interviews
Big Ethel Energy Debuts a New Season
The second season is now several episodes old.
Jamie L. Rotante talks Betty: the Final Girl with Daily Dead
Right here.
New Variant Covers from Great Wall of Comics, Mellow Fellow Trading and Stadium Comics
It’s new variant cover time!
Dan Parent’s got an exclusive cover coming out at Great Wall of Comics, and this one covers The Cult of that Wilkins Boy #1. As of press time, it’s limited to 200 issues and comes complete with a COA, and there is a metal variant limited to 30 copies; the former costs $24.99 apiece and the latter costs $69.99. They are both available here!
Next up is a variant for Betty and Veronica: Friends Forever: Rock And Roll #1 by Parent which, as you likely know, we showed off last month. But we finally have some release specs on these beauties. Mellow Fellow Trading auctioned these off on the 16th. Standard covers are $10, Foil covers are $50, and are limited to 50 each, Metal variants were $100 and limited to 10, and 3 variants each exist of the etched metal, wood, and marbled paper variants.
Mellow Fellow trading also offered up these Josie and the Pussycats rock poster variants for Betty and Veronica: Friends Forever: Rock And Roll #1 by Bill and Ben Galvan. Bill Galvan is offering up some of his leftover covers for $30 each plus shipping on his Instagram. There are 150 of each regular version in existence. The Josie cover has a metal tie dye cover limited to 50; 10 star foil variants; 3 each of the red and blue metal variants, 3 of the birchwood cover, and a single etched blue marble cover. The Valerie version sports the same number of regular covers, but has a silver metal variant that had a 30 print run, 10 gold foil copies, 3 apiece of an etched gold metal and etched black metal covers and birchwood covers, and 1 green marble printed cover. The Melody variant also had the same run of standard and variant covers, only with 3 Blue Metal covers. You can see the variants in action here.
Galvan has also produced an alt cover for Betty and Veronica: Friends Forever: Rock And Roll #1 which homages the cover of No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom. Regular covers are going for $10, metal covers are limited to 50 for $50 a pop, ten metal covers are extent and retail for $10 apiece, and metal, marble and wood variants are limited to three each. Click here for more info.
Galvan also has another Mellow Fellow Trading cover for Betty: The Final Girl #1 which is available at Mellow Fellow Trading via WhatNot. It has a limited run of 150 standard variants, 31 metal, 10 silver metal, 3 each gold and black metal, 3 wooden covers and 3 blue marble. You can see more here.
The last Galvan exclusive was also put out through Mellow Fellow Trading cover for Archie: Happy Horror Days #1. Galvan is selling some of these covers for $30 apiece plus shipping if you DM him through his Instagram handle here.
The next stack of variants comes from Stadium Comics. First is Nuno Pereira’s variant cover for The Cult of that Wilkins Boy #1, which in itself is a tribute to the cover for Fantastic Four #48. The limited metal variant, available only in a two-cover pack, was limited to 25 copies, cost $59.99, and has sold out. Pereira’s standard variant is still available. It’s limited to 250 copies apiece and is here.
Stadium also has a variant for Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe of Horrors #1. This Veronica cover is also by Pereira, and is a part of his Pop Art series. It’s also limited to 250 copies, with 50 printed on a metal blood-spattered cover. The metal variant is sold out but the standard variant is available at $14.99 here.
The final Stadium variant covers Archie & Friends: All Action #1. It’s a part of Mariano Sanchez Lorente aka Mariano San’s cereal box variant series, this one featuring Archie Andrews. It’s limited to 250 covers and it, t00, had a metal variant which has sold out in a bundle at 25 copies for $59.99. The regular variant is worth $14.99 and is available here!
Archie Comics Tweets of the Month
Gleep! pic.twitter.com/dijTw7DAXI
— Archie Comics (@ArchieComics) February 21, 2023
Mondays, amirite? pic.twitter.com/feRZFhSbRK
— Archie Comics (@ArchieComics) February 20, 2023
It's just another manic Grundy… #badpunsmakeMondaysworse #badpunsmakeMondaysbetter #rhymingishard pic.twitter.com/AIBv7biWcQ
— Archie Comics (@ArchieComics) February 13, 2023
TEEN DISCO TEK pic.twitter.com/qKMnBMD7uS
— Archie Comics (@ArchieComics) February 19, 2023
Gleep!, Mondays, Mrs. Grundy and teen disco dancers STARING INTO YOUR SOUL.
Sugar Sugar of the Month
Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe of Horrors #1
Ryan Cady (Writing); Amy Chase (Writing); Francesco Francavilla (Cover); Adam Gorham (Cover); Matt Herms (Colors); Liana Kangas (Art); Jack Morelli (Letters); Jordan Morris (Writing); Chris Panda (Art); Federico Sabbatini (Art)
March 22, 2023
The visceral nastiness is what carries this issue over into being this month’s Sugar Sugar; all of the stories feel much more complete than they do in Betty: the Final Girl. In the wrap-around story, Pops catches a couple of teens trying to dine and dash on him. they are roped into helping him clean up after closing, and soon find out several terrible truths about how his business runs. It’s a very EC comics take on the material, with a heavy sprinkling of cannibalistic gore. Kevin Keller’s story will draw the sympathetic nods of anyone who’s ever had to work in customer service, and Betty’s story is wonderfully triumphant. It’s gory, glorious, gloomy, and mordantly funny in turns.
Hotdogs and Hotshots
Betty and Veronica: Friends Forever: Rock And Roll #1
Holly G! (Art, Cover, Writing); Jack Morelli (Letters); Rosario “Tito” Peña (Cover); Bob Smith (Inks); Glenn Whitmore (Colors)
March 8, 2023
Holly G!’s take on how Betty and Veronica make friends with new character Jola Kitt and become their own female-fronted band is completely delightful; Reggie and Archie learn a big lesson about limiting their bandmates and not talking over people, Veronica develops a new love interest, and Jola is a winning, smart, sly character who’s one of the best recent additions to the Archie fold.
World of Betty and Veronica Jumbo Comics Digest #23
Francis Bonnet (Writing and Cover); Lily Butler (Art); Steven Butler (Art); Tom DeFalco (Writing); Ben Galvan (Art and Cover); Bill Galvan (Art and Cover); Ian Flynn (Writing); Jack Morelli (Letters); Rosario “Tito” Peña (Cover); Glenn Whitmore (Colors)
March 1, 2023
The A story here makes this one of the most important reads from this month’s batch of A-line Archie releases — if only due to its sheer “the heck”-ery. Cheryl and Veronica get into a tussle over the size of their yachts – which causes them to enter into piratical naval warfare (!!). Elsewhere, more Little Betty and Veronica shenanigans take them to a dangerous archeological dig.
Picks From the Timecops
Chilling Adventures Present…The Cult of That Wilkin Boy #1
Cullen Bunn (Writing); Ben Galvan (Inks); Robert Hack (Cover); Matt Herms (Colors); Jack Morelli (Letters); Dan Schoening (Cover and Art)
April 19, 2023
Bingo Wilkin makes his first appearance in the Archie Horror universe, in which he sells his soul to the devil for power. It, presumably, does not go well for him.
Archie and Friends: All Action #1
Ryan Jampole (Art, Cover); Daniel Kibblesmith (Writing); Jack Morelli (Letters); Rosario “Tito” Peña (Cover); Bob Smith (Inks); Glenn Whitmore (Colors)
April 5, 2023
Archie! You’ve gotta pilot the EVA! Or in this case a big, giant mech. And as in all Archievese conflicts, Mr. Andrews’ biggest decision isn’t whether or not he should pilot the thing; it’s who he’s drift compatible with: Betty or Veronica. Let the games begin.
Bite-Sized Archie: Going Viral
Ron Cacace (Writing); Vincent Lovallo (Art, Cover)
April 26, 2023
If you’re fond of Archie’s webcomic, then look no further; this second collection captures even more of the gang’s adventures.
Betty and Veronica Jumbo Comics Digest #313
Jim Amash (Inks); Steven Butler (Art); Ian Flynn (Writing); Ben Galvan (Art); Bill Golliher (Cover); Dan Parent (Art); Jack Morelli (Letters); Rosario “Tito” Peña (Cover); Bob Smith (Inks); Glenn Whitmore (Colors)
April 19, 2023
The Crusaders and the Superteens team up to take out the vicious villain Dr. Zardox! Elsewhere, Veronica cages the help of Wyatt Raymond when someone steals her designer purse.
World of Archie Jumbo Comics Digest #129
Tom DeFalco (Writing); Ian Flynn (Writing); Bill Golliher (Cover); Dan Parent (Art); Rex Lindsey (Inks and Cover); Jack Morelli (Letters); Rosario “Tito” Peña (Cover); Bob Smith (Inks); Glenn Whitmore (Colors)
April 26, 2023
Classic Zip/Susie Comics/Archie heroine Ginger Snapp throws a rager when her chore-loving father gives her permission to take the whole summer off. Will the party go as planned? Elsewhere, Wyatt Raymond sets his sights on unmasking Pureheart the Powerful!
World of Betty and Veronica Jumbo Comics Digest #24
Jim Amash (Inks); Francis Bonnet (Art); Tom DeFalco (Writing); Holly G! (Art); Ian Flynn (Writing); Bill Golliher (Cover); Dan Parent (Art); Rex Lindsey (Inks and Cover); Jack Morelli (Letters); Rosario “Tito” Peña (Cover); Bob Smith (Inks); Glenn Whitmore (Colors)
April 5, 2023
She-Fox faces down a fearsome foe, while Powerteen and Superteen become curious about Pow-Girl’s origin story.