Welcome to the Archie Comics Pubwatch for the month of April! I’m Lisa, reporting from a corner booth at Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe, and here’s this month’s news! In April’s Pubwatch, Archie goes to summer camp…to die!, Jamie L. Rotante breaks down the Archie Horror world’s use of canon legacy characters, Archie collaborates with Hours, we preview some new covers, and more.
Archie Horror and Chilling Adventures Presents: Camp Pickens #1 in June
Just when you thought it was safe to visit one of Riverdale’s most popular institutions, Chilling Adventures and the Archie Horror imprint do it again. Camp Pickens #1 is set to take the series’ venerable summer camp and turn it into a haven for some bloody hijinks, just in time for the summer.
The issue will be another anthology-based one-shot, drawn and written by two different teams. The frame story is called “Bug Juice,” and features Camp Counselor Jughead leading his campers on a trip into the woods for the ingredients that compose a brew that allegedly wards off evil and bad luck. And it turns out Camp Pickens has a history of wild misfortune, as revealed in “The Curse of Camp Pickens,” a story Jughead tells to his charges as they head into the dark to gather said ingredients; for Jughead it’s an ancestral curse, natch, since the camp was named after one of his predecessors. The story “Down and Out and Death Cursed” is supposed to be a send-up of the slasher genre.
“Stories set at summer camp are synonymous with Archie,” said Archie Comics Senior Director of Editorial Jamie L. Rotante in an official press release. “Many fans will agree that some of their fondest memories were reading Archie digests while at camp. So, naturally, we had to do a camp-based horror one-shot.”
“Bug Juice” will sport writing from Jordan Morris and art by Diana Camero. “The Curse of Camp Pickens” will feature art by Carola Borelli and writing by Blake Howard. “Down and Out and Death Cursed” features writing by Tim Seeley and art by Mike Norton. The whole issue will feature colors by Matt Herms and lettering by Jack Morelli; it sports a standard cover from Matt Talbot and a variant by Francesco Francavilla. Camp Pickens #1 streets on June 21.
Archie Encyclopedia update covers the Super Mecha teens!
Click through to read!
Archie Twitter account releases Script-to-Panel image from World of Betty & Veronica Jumbo Comics #24
This Wednesday sees the release of World of Betty & Veronica Jumbo Comics 24. Let us take you behind the scenes of how comics are made by presenting a sample of Tom DeFalco's script, followed by the final image illustrated by Dan Parent! pic.twitter.com/1ZaLkSj3VT
— Archie Comics (@ArchieComics) April 2, 2023
Archie Comics releases collaboration with Hours Collection
You can buy a variety of jackets, hoodies, teeshirts and hats here. Prices range from $39.99 to $179.99 plus shipping.
Jamie L. Rotante Breaks Down Archie’s use of legacy characters in its Archie Horror Titles
One of my favorite things is utilizing the vast library of @ArchieComics characters in new, interesting (and mostly horrifying) ways. Let's take a look at some maybe-not-so-familiar faces you've encountered in some recent #ARCHIEHORROR titles:
— Jamie Lee Rotante (@Jamitha) March 25, 2023
Click through for full thread.
New Variant Covers from Great Wall of Comics, Mellow Fellow Trading, The Comic Corner Store, My Bargain Comics, Arsenal Comics and Games and Stadium Comics
It’s new variant cover time!
Great Wall of Comics has not one, not two, but three exclusive variant sets on the way. The first – a Veronica homage to Weird Science – was drawn by Sam Payne and covers Archie and Friends: Hot Summer Movies #1. It went on presale on April 16, and it’s a virgin variant limited to 200 copies, set to retail for $24.99 apiece.
The second and third sets cover Betty and Veronica: Friends Forever: Game On #1. The first set, a triptych of three individual covers featuring Betty, Veronica, and Sabrina, were drawn by Sam Payne. Each cover is limited to 200 copies, retails for $24.99 apiece, and comes with a COA. You can also buy this cover in a set of two-packs with a metal cover, the latter of which is limited to 25 issues each. Each pack retails for $69.99.
The other triptych is by Dan Parent. Prices and copy limitations are the same. Thus far only the Veronica double set has sold out, so jump on it if you want some Betty or Sabrina metal variants!
Next up is a variant for Archie And Friends: All Action #1 by Parent. The cover parodies Matt Baker’s Seven Seas issue 4. Mellow Fellow Trading will auction these off on the 26th. Standard covers are limited to 125 copies each and come with a COA. Standard issues should retail at $15 apiece, Mellow Metals and Color shift Mellow Metals are limited to 25 and 12 apiece, respectively. There will be 5 etched gold, 5 birch wood, 2 black gunmetal and 3 etched green marble variants. The covers will be sold on Ebay, WhatNot, and CBE.
Mellow Fellow trading also offered up these EC-comics inspired Betty and Veronica covers for Archie And Friends: All Action #1 by Bill Galvan. The cover’s based on Johnny Craig’s infamous cover for Crime Suspense Stories. The general variant is also limited to 125 copies for $15 each, A vintage metal variant is limited to 22 apiece and will run for $65, A vintage metal variant is limited to 15 and retails for $80, and a color shift metal to 12 for $100. There will be three covers apiece for the gold metal, red metal and black metal variants, and 3 each for the green and red marble variants. There will be a single grey metal variant printed.
Bill Galvan is offering up some of his leftover covers for Fear the Funhouse #1 for $30 each plus shipping on his Instagram, DM him there if you’d like one.
The next stack of variants comes from Stadium Comics. First is Nuno Pereira’s variant cover for Betty and Veronica: Friends Forever: Game On #1, which in itself is a tribute to the cover for The Last of Us. 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 virgin foil variant cover for Dan Parent’s standard cover for Betty and Veronica: Friends Forever: Game On #1. It was limited to 50 copies, retailed for $29.99 in a two-pack, and has sold out.
Betty and Veronica: Friends Forever: Game On #1 also has an exclusive Dan Parent cover from The Comic Corner. A virgin variant retails for $19.99. A Metal cover and regular variant pack goes for $59.99. A foil cover version retailed for the same price and has already sold out. The regular is limited to 150, the metal to 30, the foil to 15. You can buy the metal pack or the regular variant here!
Arsenal Comics and Games is selling an exclusive variant for Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe of Horrors #1, which was drawn by Paul Roman Martinez. Fans can pick between an unsigned variant for $9.99, a variant signed by Amy Chase for $12.99, and a comic signed by Amy Chase, Ryan Cady, Jordan Morris, and Paul Roman Martinez, which goes for $19.99. The variant is limited to 250 copies overall.
Finally, My Bargain Comics has two exclusive Dan Parent variants for Archie & Friends: All Action #1. It’s limited to 250 copies of each cover and retails for $19.99, and is available here! Parent has also released a number of limited covers, including his Abby Road and Mortal Kombat parodies.
Archie Comics Tweets of the Month
Here's a picture of the Archie gang during their grunge phase. You know, as a treat. pic.twitter.com/LOUa5U0OPS
— Archie Comics (@ArchieComics) April 5, 2023
Welp, Archie's dead.
— Archie Comics (@ArchieComics) March 23, 2023
Ms. Grundy and Mr. Weatherbee? We ship it, obvs. pic.twitter.com/7H4OB9WRkt
— Archie Comics (@ArchieComics) April 3, 2023
Getting this image tattooed on my chest, brb. pic.twitter.com/rPiw3uqp7w
— Archie Comics (@ArchieComics) March 19, 2023
A cool tattoo, Mrs. Grundy/Mr. Weatherbee OTP, Archie dying on Riverdale again, some more, and 90’s era grunge goodness.
Sugar Sugar of the Month
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. This one nails top marks because it manages to take a very typical Archie Andrews-style plot (which mech will he pilot – Veronica’s or Betty’s?) and give it a fun twist. The wonderful art and the sense of humor on display here is pretty terrific, too. Designing mechs is hard work, and Ryan Jampole does a great job making everyone’s distinct.
There have been a large number of stories about the gang’s superhero secret identities being released I’m hoping this part of the universe will be revisited soon.
Hotdogs and Hotshots
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
Chandler Riggs-alike Bingo Wilkin makes his first appearance in the Archie Horror universe, in which he sells his soul to a crossroads demon for musical fame. But Bingo, being the karma houdini he is, manages to turn this soul-selling into a positive thing. Especially when he finds himself being followed around by a group of slavishly-devoted, ravenous fans… The book does a good job of combining Bingo’s core personality traits and twisting them in a truly sinister fashion, making reading the book genuinely harrowing.
Bite-Sized Archie: Going Viral
Ron Cacace (Writing); Vincent Lovallo (Art, Cover)
April 26, 2023
I love everything this webcomic does; it’s funny, self-referential, and easy to dig into. This collection is another vital cornerstone in any Archie fan’s collection.
Picks From the Timecops
Archie Horror Presents: The Cursed Library
Robert Hack (Cover); Unknown (Writer/Art/Letters/Colors/Inks)
May 6, 2023
It’s Archie Comic’s Free Comic Book Day offering! Find out how the Cursed Library started and why Jinx Holliday is its keeper.
Chilling Adventures Presents: Jinxed: A Cursed Life #1
Craig Cermack (Art and Cover); Jack Morelli (Letters); Reiko Murakami (Cover); Magdalene Visaggio (Writing); Ellie Wright (Inks)
May 17, 2023
Jinx Holliday is your average 14-year-old. Your average 14-year-old who’s sold her soul to the devil and now must try to exorcise a demon from Jughead Jones. Can she and her best friend Danni wrestle both her soul and Jughead’s free from Old Scratch?
Betty and Veronica: Friends Forever: Game On #1
Jack Morelli (Letters) Dan Parent (Art and Cover); Ron Robbins (Writing); Bob Smith (Inks); Glenn Whitmore (Colors)
May 3, 2023
In this video game story-centric collection, Betty, Sabrina, and Veronica are zapped into a video game by Amber Nightstone and her impish pals, Trick and Treat! Will they score or will it be game over?
Archie Giant Comics Charm
Dan Parent (Cover); Various (Writing/Letters/colors/Inks/Art)
May 24, 2023
In a month that’s loaded with collections, this one is the thickest, clocking in at 480 pages of Riverdalian adventures!
Archie Modern Classics Mania
Rosario “Tito” Peña (Cover); Jeff Schultz (Cover); Various (Writing/Letters/colors/Inks/Art)
May 3, 2023
If your taste leans more toward Archie’s more modern adventures, this collection has you covered with a whole host of Archie’s most recent outings!
Archie Showcase Digest #13: Archie & Friends: Comic Shop Chaos
Dan Parent (Cover); Rosario “Tito” Peña (Cover); Bob Smith (Cover); Various (Writing/Letters/colors/Inks/Art)
May 3, 2023
A big collection of stories related to and involving comics! Superheroes, actual stories taking place within comic book shops, etc.!
Archie Jumbo Comics Digest #340
Francis Bonnet (Writing); Lily Butler (Inks); Steven Butler (Art); Jack Morelli; Dan Parent (Writing, Art, Cover); Bob Smith (Inks); Glenn Whitmore (Colors)
May 17, 2023
Super sleuth Penny Parker returns to the Archie fold to help Archie find a missing book report! Meanwhile, the Superteens find themselves in a pickle that only the Super Pets can get them out of!
World of Betty and Veronica Jumbo Comics Digest #25
Jim Amash (Inks); Bill Golliher (Art and Writing); Jack Morelli (Letters); Dan Parent (Writing and Cover); Glenn Whitmore (Colors)
May 10, 2023
More Ginger Snapp (who tries to cage some love advice from Betty and Veronica) and Penny Parker (whose athletic skills may figure into Veronica’s plans to get out of attending a debutante ball)!
