Comics Review: Archie Jumbo Comic Magazine #1

I’d seen this magazine offered on the Archie website and was interested in ordering it, but held off. Because of the format, I assumed I’d be able to find it on the newsstand at Barnes & Noble. It never showed up there. I read it online on an “archive” website. Though it was kind of neat, I didn’t want to go to the trouble of ordering it, especially since you only get free shipping on preorders of new comics. Finally, I found it at Wal-Mart. This happened when I found the magazine rack, which they had moved and virtually hidden in the store. I was lucky to get this.

The magazine is 100+ pages on white, kind of pulpy paper, but decent quality. Priced at $15, it’s all reprints spread out from different decades of Archie. The short stories are interspersed with little articles written in the first person by Archie himself. There are, I think, reprinted Archie encyclopedia entries for the main characters. It is meant to be a commemorative celebration for Archie’s 85-th anniversary.

40’s Archie comics are not often reprinted in modern Archie comics. They look a bit primitive, but are funny.

However, we do have this Sunday page from Bob Montana from the Archie comic strip, which I own (and never reviewed, but its great).  This is absolute peak Archie.

One thing that got my interest was a few stories from the 50’s. The comics had more of a cartoony style. Again, these aren’t heavily reprinted today. I like them, but haven’t seen much of them.

Here’s a pin-up with Veronica from her short hair era in the 60’s. She looks so cute.

Here’s a modern Veronica from the 70’s. She’s not having a good time at the concert with Jughead.

This genuinely surprised me: it’s Archie and friends playing Dungeons & Dragons from the 80’s. This must have come out before the “controversy.” It is somewhat accurate with the polyhedral dice and the boys playing for hours, however, who’s the DM? Also reprinted from the 80’s in this magazine, Archie and Jughead encounter E.T. From the 90’s, Betty experiments with the “grunge” style and her parents think she’s dressed to help them paint the house.

I think this is from maybe the early 2000’s. Veronica gets in an online fight with a teen advice columnist, Jessica Love Hubert. The name sounds like “Jennifer Love Hewitt,” but it doesn’t look like her and I don’t remember her doing a teen advice column. It’s a mystery, but fun. Dan did a nice job designing “Jessica.”

This was a recent new digest story with the Kennedy Brothers’ art showcasing all of the variations of Archie over the years. I’d seen this before, but appreciated seeing the artwork in a larger format.

This is what Archie Comics should be doing instead of their current sort-of digest, which replaced their digest line. That one digest looks lonely on the rack given that there used to be four there at any given time. Using the magazine format would fit in better with the rest of the rack, but it needs to be $10. Maybe they could reduce the page count and print it on cheaper paper. One of the reasons I bought this was to support this format. Hopefully, they’ll consider it.

Magazine Review: Back Issue Part 6

Modern Masters #14: Frank Cho

Lots of great artwork here from Frank Cho featuring sketches, pinups, comics, and covers.  There’s a few color pics at the end, but it’s mostly in black and white.  Liberty Meadows gets most of the attention, which I am a huge fan of.  Cho’s Shanna and superhero work are also highlighted.  There’s a long interview with Cho that doesn’t really tell you anything.  This felt unnecessary, especially since I already have several Frank Cho books.  (Though I don’t have any of that Shanna stuff, which looks awesome.)

 

Frank's work on Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters

 

Greyshirt the pirate comic (I don't know anything about this)

 

Shanna (I need to find this one)

 

Frank on the Avengers with Spider-Woman (I have this one)

 

Tarzan

 

University Squared, which preceded Liberty Meadows 

Magazine Review: Back Issue Part 5

#107 Archie

This was the issue that got left behind in the cart four years before.  This has a great article on Archie Comics over the 70’s and 80’s.  Unfortunately, that era pretty much covers the decline and fall of the company.  There are interviews with a couple of Archie artists.  

 

 

Some inspirations for Sabrina 

 

Sabrina as a horror comic host

 

There are two overviews of Sabrina.  There’s an article on the various Archie clones in the 70’s.  I think they go over about a dozen.  Let me assure you, that’s by no means a complete list if you expanded that list back to the 40’s.  A follow-up article covers That Wilkin Boy and Wilbur.  Those were Archie’s in-house knockoff versions of Archie.

 

 

Cheryl Blossom's infamous first apperance

 

There’s a long article on the various Archie cartoons.  I’ve used this article as a reference.  There are articles on Archie’s horror titles from the 70’s (which look rather not family friendly), as well as their 80’s revival of the Crusaders superheroes.  Finally, there’s an article on Cheryl Blossom.  I’m an admitted homer for Archie Comics, but this issue was my favorite of the bunch. 

 

 

The Archies' albums

 

This might not be the Archie Gang's best fashion moment

 

Archie's Christian comics are mentioned in an article

 

Some Archie clones

 

Some more Archie clones

 

Archie's superheroes 

 

 

I love this cover

 

The Archies meet their real life producer, Don Kirshner

 

Archie's horror Madhouse issues.  Naughty and scary

 

Hate to end on a bummer, but here's how Archie's sales have done over the decades

 

Magazine Review: Back Issue Part 4

#65 Defenders

This issue featured “B-team” superhero teams, such as the Defenders, the Champions, the Guardians of the Galaxy (this was pre movie release), the Doom Patrol, Titians West, the Inhumans, X-Factor, and the Legion of Substitute Heroes. 

 

The Defenders article was very comprehensive about the 80’s comic.  I’d read a few of those.  This will make you want to read more.  The Champions were bad enough that they fought Godzilla for some publicity.  (This was back when Marvel had that license.  Some of those Godzilla comics were great.)  The Guardians article covered the original 70’s version, the 90’s reboot, and then the 2000’s version that the movies would be loosely based on.  (That 90’s version looked really over-the-top.  I’d like to see some of those.)  

 

 

The different versions of the Doom Patrol are covered over several articles.  One of the creators did comment on the similarities between his group and the X-Men at Marvel.  Both came out within a couple of months of each.  He thought it was possible that Marvel “borrowed” the idea, but nobody has admitted to it.  The other “loser” groups are covered in less detail.  The Inhumans may have been the worst.  Their more recent series have been only used for social commentary.  I did have the Legion of Substitute Heroes Special from the 80’s.  It was hysterical. 

 

The Champions' guest shots, including with Godzilla

 

Guardians covers.  Only Starhawk was worthwhile, the rest of the team were losers.

 

Great George Perez splash page.  Lousy super-team, though.

 

#99 Batman the Animated Series

This was pretty informative about the creation of Batman the Animated Series.  Wow did they come close to completely screwing this show up.  Just to be brutally honest, a couple of women on the staff might have made this show worse than the Superfriends.  They left and admitted the boys did a better job without them.  (One went on to work on Captain Planet, if that gives you any enlightenment.)  Disaster averted.  One different path was taken in production.  Tim Curry was the original voice of the Joker.  Mark Hamill, working on a smaller part for the show, was auditioned when Tim didn’t work out.

 

Character model sheets

 

Various Batman comics that inspired episodes

 

More model sheets

There was also an interesting origin for Harley Quinn, a character who is today, mostly not interesting, just over-marketed.  Writer Paul Dini was home sick and saw his college friend, Arleen Sorkin, dressed as a harlequin on a soap opera.  There was your costume and your voice actor right there.  Along with a long article on Harley Quinn, there’s an episode guide of the series and articles on the comics based on the show.

 

Jimmy Oslen and Harley?  Watch out, Jim!