…also known as the flickerwolf-is-so-bored-she-could-scream-thread.
So, to admit the addiction: Yes, I still read Archie comics. ::calmly bows to all:: Now the fun begins.
I start. Fact #1: Veronica’s father’s name is Hiram.
Watching warily for archie-bashers, armed with her thermos of hot soup
No Archie bashers here, although I haven’t read a new Archie comic in probably 15 years. I still have a ton of old ones, though.
Fact 2: L’il Betty’s cat was named Caramel. So was teen-Betty’s. Either that was one long lived cat, or Betty’s not real imaginative when it comes to pet names.
Fact 3: The one time we were told what the “S” on Jughead’s sweater stood for, we were told it stood for Scared. (Life With Archie circa #30)
Fact 4: Alexandra, from Josie and the Pussycats was a was a Satanic Witch (as opposed to a Pagan, say. Alexandra was Jack Chick’s worst nightmare) when she first appeared. She had a familiar (a cat who’s name escapes me) and when she was holding it and said “by the powers of darkness” or words to that effect she could cast spells (that could be broken when Melody snapped her fingers.) That changed quickly and she soon became a low-grade Veronica rich snob type.
It took Josie a while to find a tone. It started out as a girl’s strip called “Here’s Josie” or “She’s Josie” starring Josie, Melody and the hot (insofar as a comic-book character can be considered “hot”) Laura Petrie-esqe Pepper. Then it became Josie and the Pussycats and Pepper was ditched (sob) for aaargh…the black Pussycat…I can’t remember her name. At the same time, Alexander and Alexandra Cabot (The Lodges and the Cabots…geddit?) were introduced. Then Alexandra lost her powers and became Veronica-lite, which some of the writers played with: Veronica would appear regularly and call Alexandra “poor relations” or offer Alexandra charity (since the Lodges were MUCH richer than the Cabots.) This drove Alexandra nuts and was a lot of fun.
Fact 5: Bob Bolling’s L’il Archie run (L’il Archie #1-34 or so) is the best L’il Archie run, ever. Bolling is a god. Also Neal (Green Lantern/Avengers) Adams did work for Archie Comics. I’ve only seen one of his books (they’re rare) and it looked weird. The charcacters looked right, but were more three-dimensional and the panel layouts were totally odd for Archie.
Fact 6: Fantasy characters that used to be regulars that don’t show up much any more include Ambercrombie and Stitch the Martians, Jingles the Christmas Elf (I miss Jingles) and MAAAAD Dr. Doom (no relation) and his assistant Chester.
Fact 7: All the braincells I’m using to store this knowledge could most likely be put to better use.
Fenris
The one time that they explained why Moose is so dumb, the explanation was that he was dyslexic. By the end of the story, he’d learned new ways of coping, and was doing well in school. This explanation was promptly forgotten, and Moose returned to being a dumb jock. Personally, I’ve always opted for the Hulk explanation: strength substituted for intelligence.
I think the cat from the TV show was called “Sebastian.” Same for the comics?
Otto, you’re thinking of Sabrina, a different character. And the tv show has little in common with the comic other than the characters. Sabrina was a sweet-natured, pretty, blue-eyed blond, who, IIRC, had aunts constantly tempting her to the evil side, which she resisted.
Alexandra was a raven-haired, evil-tempered beauty.
Number 6, Otto’s right. Sebastian was Alexandra’s Satanic Cat’s name (originally the spirit of a reincarnated ancestor or something).
Sabrina’s cat was Salem.
Fenris
Archie’s Jalopy’s name was Ol’ Betsy
Betty and Archie were secret agents in a secret society called R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E.
Riverdale’s rival is Central High
The chemistry teacher’s name: Professor Flutesnoot
The name of Riverdale’s high school newspaper? The Blue and Gold (Archie is the Editor)
There’s a citizen of Riverdale named Jinx Malloy who brings bad luck to everyone. But his girlfriend’s name is Lucky Penny.
I once wrote a 25 page term paper on “Holidays In Archie Comics” which featured Jingles the Elf prominently.
jar
Mr. Wetherbee’s first name is Waldo. Moose’s last name is Mason, and Midge’s last name is something short and ugly, like Klump or Gump. The Lodges’ butler is Smithers. Chuck Clayton is Coach Clayton’s son; in the earlier comics he was a star athlete but lately they’ve made him a more-introspective cartoonist (not that those are mutually exclusive). His girlfriend’s name is Nancy.
Jughead’s full name is Forsythe P. Jones.
And, in the '40s he had a nephew named “Souphead”
Before Big Ethel, the scary-looking girl that chased Jughead (and to a lesser degree, the rest of the gang) had the utterly wonderful name of:
Ophelia Glutenschnabble
When Spire Comics (a Christian group) did a bunch of preachy, religous Archie Comics in the mid-70s, they changed or modified the personalities of the characters as follows:
Veronica became EVIL (not just bitchy. Sawing through break-lines on cars trying to maim people evil). You kept expecting her to dump a bucket of pig’s blood on someone.
Archie became retarded. His IQ was portrayed slightly higher than Charlie’s in Flowers for Algernon
Betty became a practical, level-headed Christian. A little Ned Flanders-ish though. And she didn’t chase Archie.
Jughead and Reggie stayed the same but their negative qualities were emphasised.
Ethel became a saint. Her heart was pure, she was played as kind hearted, loving, forgiving, etc. She had to put up with incredible abuse (on a level that wouldn’t have been tolerated in a regular Archie Comic) and kept forgiving her tormentors.
These Spire Comics were the opposite of Jack Chick tracts (and, I believe were a response to them). The emphasis was on Christ’s love, not on why you’re going to burn. While I applaud their attempt, they weren’t very good.
Fenris
In the history of Archie Comics, no dialouge bubble has ever ended in a period. (Isn’t it always an exclamation point, question mark, dash, or ellipsis?)
I have a bunch of Spire comics. They kill me. KILL ME! I love 'em. And they spawned one of my favorite Archie comics lines of all time.
Veronica: Betty’s such a cornball!
But in the standard Archie comics (Pep to be exact), my favorite line is from the late fifties (When they had the best writing AND art)
Veronica, upon discovering that Betty has a whole BASKET of frat pins: Betty! You surprise me!
Betty: No! You surprise me first!
My favorites:
ARCHIE (bounding into the Lodge mansion): Yoo hoo, poospie-poo!
MR. LODGE: Smithers, it appears Archie has lost his pet! Help him find it!
ARCHIE: No no; that’s what I call Veronica – poopsie-poo!
MR. LODGE: Smithers, throw him out!
– Followed by the classic graphic of Archie being tossed out.
Heh. Poopsie-poo.
I’ve admitted it before and I’ll admit it again: I’m 32 years old and I occasionally still buy Betty & Veronica Double Digest. It’s like a shot of childhood and safe Americana – clean lines and bright colors and kids going to the Chocklit Shop or to the sock-hop. I love the work of Dan Decarlo, who I think is hands-down the best artist they ever had. I like the early '80s and prior stuff – which you can still see because they recycle the work. I don’t like the new stuff because the artwork seems to me to be much less well done and much too busy. I really hate Archie 3000. Give me the old Man from R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E.
Jodi! Come on over to my house. We’ll get some beer and read my 150 Double Digest issues, voting on our favorites!
jar
One of the great weird ass comic loops of the time happened when they did “Archie Meets the Punisher”…yea thats right…the Punisher. Its very tounge in cheek and made on for a laugh. Made by John Buscema & Stan Goldberg Art and billed as “The Crossover you have been dreading!”
My bad. I thought when he said “the tv show” he meant Sabrina. I didn’t realize there was a Josie and the Pussycats tv show. Was it live action or animated? I’m surprised there wasn’t some kind of revival to tie in with the movie.
I’d argue that he’s tied for second with Stan G (the Jughead artist who’s really angular) and I’ll stand by my stance that Bob Bolling is #1
Number 6: There were legal hassles with Dan DeCarlo who created Josie. Archie Comics behaved abomidably (they refused to credit him with creating the characters, etc) and may not have revived the cartoon from the as a result. (You don’t remember the Josie and the Pussycats cartoon? I feel OLD 
)
Fenris
It’s a date, JAR. We can get smashed and then take the jalopy to the sock-hop. 
FENRIS, I’m going to have to surf the Net a bit to compare the various styles, since Bolling rings no bells with me.
You know what I want for Christmas? Some Betty and Veronica original art. I wonder if they ever sell the proofs?
For some obscure and inexplicable reason, my brain is trying to convince me that I saw publicity for a Josie and the Pussycats live-action movie within the last year! Whatever happened to this project? Or am I hallucinating a memory?
jayjay