Archie Comics Pubwatch: August 2021

Pubwatch Comics
Lisa Fernandes
Archie Pubwatch Featured Image

Welcome to the Archie Comics Pubwatch for the month of August! 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, Archie Horror is BACK, baby! Also Sabrina Crossover news, Bite-Sized Archie reaches print, more Archieverse radio dramas, and much more!

Archie Horror Imprint Returns with New Sabrina Stories, Fresh One-Shot

Sabrina Spellman, a white-haired teenager with wavy, shouler-length white hair, is suspended upside-down. She wears a black headband and black clothing, and there appears to be a wound of some sort upon her chest. That wound leaks a bloody miasma, which drops down to halo her hand and into the background behidn her. In a horseshoe-shaped configuration, her friends and relatives stand, backs to sabrina and eyes on the viewer. There are two golden panels with fancy designs to Sabrina's immediate right and left Sabrina Spellman - a white-haired white-skinned teenager with her hair cut short in a bob, sits upon a tombstone, her hands tucked contemplatively beneath her chin, and her knees resting upon her elbows, eyes upon the viewer. She's wearing a white peter-pan collared shirt, a red sweater with a black collar, and grey slacks rolled up at the ankles, with black and white saddle shoes on her feet. The background is rusty brown colored. A white adult woman with white bangs and long nails, black horns sprouting from her head stands before a glowing orange and red crystal ball which shows terrifying images of screaming skulls and werewolves within it. Behind her orange and red flames flare up and in the foreground a satanic brown leather tome sits

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Archie Horror side imprint spent much of 2019 and 2020 in a weird place. While it’s never gone entirely dormant, its best-known series – Afterlife with Archie and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina – hadn’t published new issues since the mid-teens. While we’ve had limited-run series like Blossoms 666, Vampironica, and Jughead: the Hunger we haven’t had any continuously-running Archie Horror series since the last Vampironica sequel finished its run in 2019.

Aside from a very successful Madame Satan one-shot which came out in October 2020 and the cancellation of the live-action adaption The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina at Netflix, there hasn’t been a lot of forward movement on that front — until now. In late July, it was announced that we’ll be getting not one but two Sabrina Archie horror imprint series – one continuing the Netflix series, the other a continuation of the CAoS comic series. There will also be a brand new Archie Horror Multiverse one-shot in November!

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #9 will return to publication on October 13. Writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa And artist Robert Hack will return to the series and pick it up where it left off with the 9th issue and third part of the tale’s second arc, “Witch War.” Click the link above to see some fresh panel art, which is where you can also pre-order the comic.

The Occult World of Sabrina #1 will be headed up by artist Audrey Mok and Aguirre-Sacasa, and will pick up right after the Netflix show’s final episode. The first arc is entitled A Year Without Sabrina. There is currently no listed street date for the story’s first issue. You can also read more about the series’ shift to comics via an interview Aguirre-Sacasa did with the entertainment news website Deadline here.

Finally Chilling Adventures in Sorcery #1 will street on November 3. It’s an anthology comic which features Madame Satan acting as a horror host and tour guide as we peek into Riverdale’s dark underbelly. The issue will include a direct parody of Five Nights at Freddys and feature Jughead battling murderous food.  Eliot Rahal, Amy Chu, and Evan Stanley handle the writing, with interior art by Vincenzo Federici, Derek Charm, Evan Stanley, Pat and Tim Kennedy, and Matt Herms. Here are some preview pages.

Archie’s September Digests to Center Sabrina Spellman Crossovers

sabrina the teenage witch

Everyone’s favorite witch is going to be busy during the months of September and October, as well. Five of Archie’s digests will feature cameos and crossovers from Sabrina Spellman. Those digests include Betty and Veronica Jumbo Comics Digest #297 (Streeting the 22nd), Betty and Veronica Friends Forever: Halloween Spooktacular (Streeting the 8th), World of Archie Jumbo Comics Digest #113 (Streets the 29th), Archie’s Halloween Spectacular #1 (October 6th), and World of Betty and Veronica Jumbo Comics Digest #9 (Comes on out on the 13th of October).

Archie Volume 1 Audio Drama Up For Purchase

For those who enjoyed Graphic Audio’s take on the What If… and Vampironica Archie arcs, they have created an audio drama from the Mark Waid/Annie Wu/Fiona Staples/Veronica Fish 2016 reboot of the Archieverse, which brings the gang into modern times with authority. Click above to listen to a sample and click here to buy the full drama, which retails for $17.99 for audio-only files and $29.95 for a full CD set.

Bite-Sized Archie Collection to Reach Print in 2022

Archie Andrews, a white, redheaded teenager with thick black eyebrows, poses with his arms spread wide open and a big smile on his face. He wears a black sweater vest with a large yellow Rin the center of it, a blue and white polka-dot bowtie, a white shirt and yellow and black checked slacks. He's drawn chibi style, as arehis friends - white redheaded teenager cheryl blossom, holding a lit match and wearing a blue sheath dress; Vampiric Veronica lodge in a purple outfit with a blue headband in her long black hair; Betty Cooper, a white blonde teenager with white, dark-haired jughead jones floating mid-air surrounded by floating fast food chicken nuggets, he wears a blue sweatshirt with a hamburger design and wears a grey fool's cap on his head, and black slacks. They stand upon a globe against a dark purple background

For Archie fans who can’t get enough of the newspaper-comic strip style antics contained in the Bite Sized Archie, you’re in for a treat – Archie will be publishing a collection of the strips. This softcover volume features cover art by, and will street on May 17, 2022.

Everyone Skateboard Co. Releases Archie-Themed Decks

The four different boards sport classic art of Jughead, Betty, Veronica, and Archie in retro pastel shades. They can also be personalized.

More Merch in the Archie Threadless Store

Graphic for the Archie Comics Threadless shop - green background, blue cursive threadless logo. Sprinkled about the graphic are various designs availible at the shop - such as a red white and blue Archie for President logo and a red-back graphic of Archie, Betty and Veronica sharing a soda

New designs have been added to the Archie Comics Threadless shop; there are surfing and Pops-themed shirts now.

Archie Comics Tweet of the Month

I don’t know; seems pretty credible to me?

Sugar Sugar of the Month

Veronica Lodge, a teenage brunette white girl in a golden bikini, waterskis beside her blonde, blue-eyed white best friend Betty Cooper. They're on an ocean with purple mountains in the background

The World of Betty and Veronica Jumbo Comics Digest #7
Bill Golliher (Cover);  Jack Morelli (Letters); Dan Parent (Art and Cover); Ron Robbins (Writing); Bob Smith (Art); Glenn Whitmore (Colors)
August 4, 2021

Oh comic, you had me at ‘what if Betty and Veronica were mad scientists?’ The issue’s take on the notion is funny and refreshing. Of course, their scientific efforts end up centering around a certain redhead, but it’s more about the girls being scientific than anything else. Parent’s bubbly art and Robbins’ bubbly writing make this one my pick of the month. The Betty and Veronica “What If…?” tales continue to be a favorite of mine, and this book is not an exception to the rule.

Hotdogs and Hotshots

Archie Andrews (a redheaded white teenager in a black sweater vest and white shirt), brunette teenager Veronica Lodge and blonde teenager betty cooper emerge from various parts of the number 80 against an orange backdrop

The Best of Archie Comics: 80 Years, 80 Stories (TR)
Harry Lucey (Cover); Various (Art And Writing)
August 25th, 2021

The continuing celebration marking Archie’s 80th anniversary continues with this TR collecting landmark stories from the comic series. If you’ve ever wanted a convenient way to take a look at the oldest Archie stories, this is a good bet.

veronica lodge and betty cooper lounge on the beach and talk amongst themselves. Buried up to his neck in the sand is Archie Andrews, who is upset about them using him as a bookrest

Archie Jumbo Comic Digest #32
Jim Amash (Art); Bill Golliher (Writing and Cover); Pat and Tim Kennedy (Art); Jack Morelli (Letters and Cover); Rosario “Tito” Peña (Cover); Jeff Shultz (Cover); Glenn Whitmore (Colors)
August 11th, 2021

Archie, Veronica, and Betty end up trapped at sea on a giant inflatable air mattress, without a single luxury, which means they all have to learn to get along or else. The end result is a “Gilligan”-like catastrophe.

Picks From The Timecops

Archie Andrews, a white redheaded teenager wearing his classic white shirt/green bowtie/black letterman vest and yellow checkered pants outfit- stands jauntily atop a white platform against a red background dotted with yellow stars. On the ground to his left is Jughead jones, his dark-haied white tall teenage friend in a purple sweater with a white J on it and a grey fool's cap atop his head, contentedly toasting Archie

Archie  80th Anniversary Jumbo Comics Digest #4
Pat and Tim Kennedy (Cover); Jack Morelli (Letters); Dan Parent (Art and Writing); Rosario “Tito” Peña (Cover); Bob Smith (Art); Glenn Whitmore (Colors); Vincent Lovallo (Cover)
September 1st, 2021

The Archies undergo some growing pains in a brand-new story, in which they explore various genres and musical styles to help bolster the band’s flagging bookings. Sounds groovy!

Archie Andrews - a redheaded white teenager - grins at the audience while wearing a red and white santa hat. His head is all one sees and it rests in a pale green circle against a dark green background

Archie: 80 Years of Christmas (TR)
Bob White (Cover); Various (Art And Writing)
September 29th, 2021

It’s never too early to start celebrating Christmas, and this collection of holiday-centered tales will please the grinchiest Archie fan.

White Brunette and White Blonde teenagers Veronica Lodge and Betty Cooper lie submerged in a pile of orange-yellow leaves. You can only see the teenager's smiling faces and Veronica's small golden earrings

The World of Betty and Veronica Jumbo Comics Digest #8
Jim Amash (Art); Bill Golliher (Writing, Cover);  Jack Morelli (Letters); Rosario “Tito” Peña (Cover); Ron Robbins (Writing); Jeff Schultz (Art); Glenn Whitmore (Colors)
September 8, 2021

Betty and Veronica decide to compete with Jughead and Archie’s leafblowing business by creating their own — this one staffed by all of their fellow Riverdalian ladies. Will they succeed or will their dreams be blown away?

Veronica Lodge - a white, dark-haired teenager wearing a sweeping ankle-length purple witch's robe and hat - gasps in amazement as the broom she and her best friend are riding takes off. Betty Cooper - a thin white blonde teenager- sits before her with a much more enthusiastic expresson on her face, holding on to the broom and wearing a thigh-high black dress, black fishnet stocking s and pumps, a black witch's hat with a blue ribbon on it atop her head. On the ground, white thin teenager sabrina spellman stands in the foreground, a blue headband on her head, and magical flames arising from her hand - she is clearly the one manipulating the broom to fly. Betty and Veronica hover before an orange moon and a blue sky, and Sabrina stands in a green pine forresy. The broom and it occupants are haloed by sparkles

Betty and Veronica Friends Forever Halloween Spooktacular #1
Francis Bonnet (Writing; Jack Morelli (Letters); Dan Parent (Art and Cover); Bob Smith (Art); Glenn Whitmore (Colors)
September 8, 2021

Betty and Veronica find themselves in possession of a magical witch’s hat and must learn to marshal their newfound and awesome powers.  Can a Sabrina Spellman cameo help?

Second Looks

Betty and Veronica Jumbo Comics Digest #297

World of Archie Jumbo Comics Digest #113

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Lisa Fernandes

Lisa Fernandes

missmelbouvier@gmail.com
Lisa Fernandes

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