Archie Comics Pubwatch: July 2023

Welcome to the Archie Comics Pubwatch for the month of July! I’m Lisa, reporting from a corner booth at Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe, and here’s this month’s news! In July’s Pubwatch, Archie Horror brings back its Month of Mayhem for October, lots of in-depth interviews and previews of this month’s released, preview some new exclusive covers, and more!

Archie Horror’s Month of Mayhem returns with Welcome to Riverdale #1 and Fear the Funhouse: Toybox of Terror #1

Jinx Holliday, a white, blonde, thin teenager sits cross-legged on the ground in blue jeans and a pink short-sleeved teeshirt. She wears whie moonstone necklaces and reads from a boon with a blye cover. Behind her, emerging from a golden circle, is a bear's head with white eyes wearing Jughead's fool's cap. To his right is Salem Saberhagen, Sabrina's familiar, a large grey cat with yellow eyes. Behind them both are Madame SAtam a thin white woman with dark hair with a white streak in it. She wears a black hourglass dress and black opera gloves and seems to be enchanting the viewer with magic. Everyone but Jinx is contained in a golden, moonlike circle. Jinx sits on the royal purple colored ground.

Ginger Snapp, a white, thin, redheaded teenager, drags a pink suitcase on rollers behind her. She loosk at her cellphone in confusion as she walks by Riverdale High. Behind her, shadowed, are various figures - a white man with a grey beard wearing a straw-colored hat and a white buttoned down shirt, his belly rolling slightly over his belt buckle and sporting blue jeans, his hands on his hips. Also behind Ginger is the "Welcome to Riverdale" town marker. To her right is a tan-skinned teenager with black pigtains wearing sunglasses, a black choker, a rainbow-colored tank top, yellow jacket, and a pink-and- black belt with pink jeans. Streaks of pale neon-colors dot the sky.

A pair of white hands hold a red boxed doll which contains a figure which resembles Archie Andrews. White and red-haired, it smiles malevolently at the viewer, wearing a blue-striped white turtleneck and a pair of blue overalls with a red letter on them, half-visible to the viewer. Behind the doll, bats fly through a dark blue night sky.

As always, Halloween is the right time for another trip into the Archie Horror universe. Archie Comics is bringing back their successful promotion from last year. Month of Mayhem features a new Archie Horror-based title dropping every single week from mid-September to mid-October.

The fun begins in late September with the release of Chilling Adventures Present…Madam Satan: Hell On Earth #1 September 20, preceded by Sabrina Annual Spectacular #1 on September 6. Next comes an anthology — Archie Horror Presents: Chilling Adventures: The Anthology Collection will conveniently bind together some popular, sold-out issues in soft cover format. Titles included are Madam Satan #1, Chilling Adventures in Sorcery #1, Jinx: Grim Fairy Tales #1: Weirder Mysteries #1, Chilling Adventures of Salem #1, The Return of Chilling Adventures in Sorcery #1 and Happy Horror Days #1. The collection features new cover art by Robert Hack and will street on September 12.

October will see the release of Chilling Adventures Present: Welcome to Riverdale #1. The title centers itself around Ginger Snapp, the recently-revamped heroine from Zip Comics. In the story, Ginger finally travels to Riverdale after years of dreaming of seeing the quant small town. She’s happy because everyone’s very nice to her — perhaps a little too nice. Might there be something super sinister bubbling underneath the apple-pie exterior of Riverdale?

“Riverdale itself is a character in this book, so we want to be sure readers really feel like they’re being greeted by familiar faces and places. Longtime fans and the newly Archie-curious should all find something to enjoy as we spotlight the absolute best the iconic town has to offer and try to keep its uncanny, dark secrets swept under the rug. I hope people feel a little unsettled, but also charmed by what’s in store here,” said issue author Amy Chase in a press release posted to the Archie Comics website.

“My favorite part so far is a key moment in the opening scene where a *major* character does something very dramatic and slightly expected but still jarring–I love to surprise the reader by establishing what you know of these characters already and then pushing the envelope with them,” said issue artist Liana Kangas in an exclusive preview by Bloody Disgusting.

“So much of what people think of as Riverdale, and even Archie Comics as a whole, is wrapped up in Americana, a nostalgia for a bygone era peered at through rose-tinted glasses,” said Archie Comics Senior Director of Editorial Jamie L. Rotante in the same press release. “This takes people’s preconceived notions of not only the friendliest town on earth but the superficial and oft-misguided view of Archie as a ‘retro’ company and turns it on its ear. There’s so much more beneath the façade, and while this comic unearths a darker side of the truth, our goal as a company is to always invite people to look at what we do beyond your childhood notions of Archie, and appreciate every chance we take with our publishing and our ideas.”

The issue will be written by Chase, with art by Kangas. Ellie Wright provides the colors, and Jack Morelli the letters. Chilling Adventures Present: Welcome to Riverdale #1 streets on October 11.

Last up will be Fear the Funhouse: Toybox of Terror #1. In line with last year’s Fear the Funhouse, this issue will provide chills and thrills of a less gory nature to younger Archie fans – and it will be an anthology issue.

If the cover didn’t tip you off, this one will be about evil dolls. The framing story is “Love Evernever,” which centers itself around Evelyn Evernever, a character in the Lil’ Archie universe. Evelyn uses the powers of the evil Toymaker to take out team Archie with the power of his cursed toys.

The issue’s second story focuses on lonely Ethel Muggs, who makes a friend with her CH3RYL doll. Unfortunately, when Ethel starts to make attachments outside of her friendship with CH3RYL, the doll gets angry. Very angry. As for the plot of the third story, its plot hasn’t been revealed.

Timmy Heague wrote “Love Everner,” with an art assist by Ryan Caskey. Danielle Paige wrote the Ethel and CH3RYL story, with art by Tango. And Michael Northrop wrote the last tale, with art by Ryan Jampole. Matt Herms handles the colors, and Jack Morelli, of course, handles the lettering. Fear the Funhouse: Toybox of Terror #1 streets on October 18.

Looper Previews Chilling Adventures Present…Strange Science #1; Butch Mappa interviews on the comic

Click through to Looper News to see some exclusive art and read some exclusive quotes from the issue’s creator.

Meanwhile, Butch Mappa was interviewed at the official Archie website. Mappa and Jamie L. Rotante also did an interview about the series together at ComicCon.com here.

Riverdale officially wraps filming

Production on #Riverdale has officially wrapped! Thank you so much for taking this series into your heart, we can't wait to share these final episodes with you! pic.twitter.com/5Xn66EFlq2

— Archie Comics (@ArchieComics) June 27, 2023

The big event happened on June 27.

Vincent Lovallo and Ron Cacace Bite-Sized Archie: Going Viral interview round-up

Here they are being interviewed by AIPT Comics and speaking with ComicsBeat

Vincent Lovallo shares more Bite Sized Archie icons

On the Archie Comics Website.

Jamie L. Rotante talks Archie with Bitches on Comics

Listen here!

Comic Book Reader Names the 10 Best Archie Series

Here!

New Variant Covers from Great Wall of Comics, Dan Parent, Happy Comics Company, Mellow Fellow Trading and Stadium Comics

In a parody of Omega Man 3, Amber Nightstone - a flame-haired woamn in a yellow costume - drives a light cycle through the air. Strapped to the front is white, white haired teenager Sabrina Spellman, who looks alarmed. Her black and white costume is ripped all over. Behind them the star-dotted spacy sky rips open in shades of pink, yellow and orange.

Sabrina Spellman, a white thin blonde teenager with white hair, stands before a red backdrop with a confident look on her face. She wears a white top and white panty set that is reminescent of Emma Frost's from the X-Men. Over that she wears a black, open robe, thigh-high boots and a black witch's hat. She wears a sapphire necklace around her neck and holds her broom between her legs as if set to take off

Thin Brunette white teenager Veronica Lodge poses before a yellow backdrop while wearing a futuristic grey and purple costume and transparent space helmet. From her purple wrist communicator springs an image of thin white redheaded teenager Archie Andrews, looking besotted.

Thin Brunette White Teenager Veronica Lodge is dressed as Wednesday Adams from the Addams family in a grey and black-striped prep school jacket and a grey miniskirt with a white blouse and black tie. She has black stockings as well, and poses saucily with one hand on her hip, snapping her fingers. Her hair is done up in two braided pigtails.

White thin white-haired teenager Sabrina Spellman is dressed like Felicia "Black Cat" Hardy, in a black castsuit with white fur collar and gloves. She stands before a pain black background and smiles vivaciously with a purple mask on her face. To the right front, her black cat familiar, Salem Saberhagen, sits happily and smugly, glancing back at Sabrina.

Josie and The Pussycats are posed in swimsuits with their instruments on a sandy beach before the ocean and a blue sky. Josie McCoy wears a purple bikini and her cat ears and leans against her green guitar; Melody kneels on the ground in a tiger print bikini, with a yellow tom tom beside her. Valerie Bown wears a blue one piece, and her red and black bass is beside her. Behind the three pussycats is a brunet in a black to with a brown beehive with a white streak in it - Alexandra Cabot, likely. All of the teens except for Valerie are white and thin - Valerie is dark-skinned and thin.

White thin teenagers Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge are merpeople. Betty and Veronica wear tops made out of seashells, and all three float peacefully in the water. Archie is sandwiched between the girls, and hearts float about their heads. Betty and Veronica's tails make a heart shape which surrounds Archie's head.

In a parody of the cover of Love and Rockets, Sabrina Spellman, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Josie McCoy and Valerie Brown pose shoulder-to-shoulder in bright light against a yellow and black striped background. The girls' shadows are cast high and long behind them.

Sabrina spellman, a thin, white blonde teenager, sits upon a flaming meteor which careens through the night sky. She wears a smug expression which she gives to the reader, a black jumper, a white blouse, and white and black striped socks with high black sneakers. Her navy-colored scarf blows in the wind and her witches had has come off during the ride

A foil variant for Betty and Veronica: Friends Forever: Beach Party #1.

A foil variant for Chilling Adventures Present... Camp Pickens #1.

It’s new variant cover time!

Great Wall of Comics has a two exclusive variants available or sold out. The first covers Sabrina Annual Spectacular#1, was drawn by Dan Parent, and is based on the cover of Omega Man 3. It’s limited to 200 copies with a COA. Each issue goes for $24.99 here. You can also buy the Great Wall of Comics exclusive purple blank variant cover for the issue here; it’s $14.99 at the same link.

Sam Payne’s homage to Zatanna #16, meanwhile, has already sold out. It, too, covers Sabrina Annual Spectacular #1. It was limited to 200 issues with a COA and retailed for $24.99. You can look at the comic in living color here.

And here are Stadium Comics’ variants for the month. Next up is a variant for Chilling Adventures Present…Strange Science #1 by Nuno Pereira, which sees Veronica in a space-age outfit. The limited metal variant, which features a star-shaped background, is 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, costs $14.99, and is here.

Stadium is also offering this Veronica Lodge/Wednesday Addams Pop Art mashup. It covers Chilling Adventures Present…Madam Satan: Hell on Earth #1 , and is a part of Nuno Pereira’s ongoing Pop art series for both Stadium and Archie Comics. There are two different versions of the cover: the standard version has a solid background and the metal variant has a spiderweb-shaped background. The limited metal variant, available only in a two-cover pack, was limited to 5o copies, cost $59.99, and has sold out. Pereira’s standard variant is still available. It’s limited to 250 copies apiece, costs $19.99, and is here.

The final Stadium Comics cover is also by Pereria and features Sabrina Spellman as Felicia Hardy. It covers Sabrina the Teenage Witch Annual Spectacular #1. The spiderweb patterned metal variant was limited to 50 copies, was part of a two-cover pack, cost $59.99 and has sold out. You can pre-order the general variant, which is limited to 250 copies and costs $14.99, here.

Dan Parent, meanwhile, is offering two variant covers for Betty and Veronica: Friends Forever: Beach Party #1. Both are being sold at SDCC at Parent’s booth this year. He’s offering them up at $20 for one, $35 for both, with an additional charge of $25 for remarqueing, with signatures being added at no further charge. Post-convention, Parent will be selling the leftovers through his Twitter DMs or via email here.

Happy Comics has two issues for sale. There’s this gory Dan Parent variant for Chilling Adventures Present…Strange Science #1 , which is available CGC graded or not. It’s limited to 250 copies apiece, and costs $30 for the non-graded variant and $75 for the graded. You can buy both here.

Happy Comics is also selling this Jim Rugg Love + Rockets inspired variant. You can get it graded, or buy it in two different color variants. The Black and White version is limited to 250 copies, the color to the same. The non-graded variants go for $30 each, the graded for $75, and combo packs of both color variants for $40 here.

Our final issue comes from Mellow Fellow Trading. This Sabrina cover is by Sajad Shah, and it covers Archie and Friends: Hot Summer Movies #1. It’s limited to 150 issues for the regular virgin variant at $15, $30 for the foil variant, limited to 50 copies; $50 for the color shift cover, limited to 15; $60 for the gunmetal variant, limited to 5; $75 for the red marble variant, limited to 5; $100 for the wood variant, limited to 5; and a single etched blue cover, which was sold at live auction. The covers were auctioned on WhatNot, but leftovers may be available at the WhatNot Superhero House at SDCC.

Mellow Fellow has also released some foil variants of previous issues, which are available by DMing their Instagram account.

Archie Comics Tweets of the Month

Checkout this fun unboxing video I did for @ArchieComics! ❤️🥰📸 https://t.co/qcJCMkGZVZ

— Gillian Claire Swearingen (@gillibean001) June 17, 2023

Hats 'R' Hot pic.twitter.com/8Uf1eOSyj8

— Archie Comics (@ArchieComics) July 16, 2023

TFW you realize Monday will soon be upon us again, as time only moves forward, ever forward, towards a fate that we know not.

So you might as well read some comics while you can, right? pic.twitter.com/7wT07ce8KK

— Archie Comics (@ArchieComics) June 26, 2023

It's safe to say that we have summer on our minds right about now. pic.twitter.com/H8nVQcAMiU

— Archie Comics (@ArchieComics) July 2, 2023

Jughead invented bed rotting. pic.twitter.com/Utw6R3ueQT

— Archie Comics (@ArchieComics) July 13, 2023

Scripts from Ian Flynn are more fun they they deserve to be. This one has Archie and Jughead hanging out at a new location. Should be very cool for fans of the super hero’s too pic.twitter.com/kxtilaYoGW

— Mike Pellerito (@pellertweeto) June 29, 2023

Mike Pellerito lets us in on the creation process, bed rotting, word puzzles, the horrors of Monday, hats, and some unboxing.

Sugar Sugar of the Month

Betty and Veronica Friends Forever: Beach Party #1
Jim Amash (Inks); Holly G! (Art); Jack Morelli (Letters); Jamie L. Rotante (Script); Glenn Whitmore (Colors)
July 5, 2023

I’ll be darned if I didn’t have a whole lot of fun with this one. The Barbie parody is fun, the way each of the girls react to it is even more delightful, and the introduction of Casey is handled with spot-on suspense – and he’s another likable character and a welcome addition to the comic’s roster. Additionally, the extra stories are used perfectly to get the reader enthused about the summer months.

We exclusively previewed it for you, and now you can take it home! During Veronica’s Babie-themed party at the Lodge Beach House, the mysterious Casey arrives and puts the teens in a tizzy. Who is he? Why is he here? Read and find out!

Hotdogs and Hotshots

Archie Jumbo Comics Digest #342
Francis Bonnet (Writing); Rex Lindsey (Inks); Jack Morelli (Letters); Dan Parent (Art, Cover and Writing); Bob Smith (Inks); Glenn Whitmore (Colors)
July 21, 2023

You’ve gotta love a Knives Out parody, and Archie Comics have been delivering a whole heaping handful of them over the past couple of months. Amazingly-named director Steven Squealberg is using the Lodge Mansion as a location for his new movie. The gang are all hanging out working on the film as extras. Unfortunately someone on the crew lifts something important and then Fu Chang is called in to help out.

Over in the Archie Superhero-verse, Mad Dr. Doom fights the Boy Buddies when he messes with everyone’s phones; but Little Archie might intervene at the worst possible moment.

Picks From the Timecops

Chilling Adventures Present…Strange Science #1
Butch Mapa (Art and Cover); Jack Morelli (Letters); Skylar Patridge (Variant Cover); Magdalene Visaggio (Writing); Ellie Wright (Cover and Colors)
August 16, 2023

If you’ve become as enamored of Dani Malloy and her friend, Jinx Holiday, thanks to their Archie Horror resurgence, then this issue looks like it’s going to be right up your alley. Dani was once a science maven, but multiple things have changed that. But when her former rival Dilton Doiley calls on her for help, Dani realizes that the call of science cannot and will not wait for her.

The Best of Archie: Musical Madness
Dan DeCarlo (Cover); Rosario “Tito” Peña (Cover); Various (Writing/Art/Inks/Letters/Colors)
August 30, 2023

Tons of the best of Archie’s best music-related stories including (unsurprisingly) stories about The Archies!

Archie 1000 Page Comics Prestige
Pat and Tim Kennedy (Cover Art); Rosario “Tito” Peña (Cover Colors); Bob Smith (Cover Inks); Various (Writing/Art/Inks/Letters/Colors)
August 30, 2023

A whole lotta Archie for your buck!

Archie Milestones Jumbo Comics Digest #31: Jughead: Time Police And Other Tales
Rex Lindsey (Cover); Various (Writing/Art/Inks/Letters/Colors)
August 16, 2023

Jughead’s spaciest and most food-driven adventures, all in one convenient digest!

Archie Jumbo Comics Digest #343
Jim Amash (Inks); Ian Flynn (Writing); Pat Kennedy (Art); Jack Morelli (Letters); Dan Parent (Writing and Art and Cover); Bob Smith (Inks); Glenn Whitmore (Colors)
August 30, 2023

If it’s Nevada Jones, I’m going to recommend it! In this issue, Archie learns about self-reliance thanks to Smith. Plus, more adventures with The Fox!

Leftover Fries

World of Betty and Veronica Jumbo Comics Digest #28
World of Archie Jumbo Comics Digest #132
Betty and Veronica Jumbo Comics Digest #316

Archie Comics Pubwatch: July 2023

Archie Horror’s Month of Mayhem returns with Welcome to Riverdale #1 and Fear the Funhouse: Toybox of Terror #1