Archie comics set to get hipster makeover
Last year, Archie Andrews took a bullet for a friend at Pop Tate's in Riverdale. He was 74 years old. That was the end of the red-haired freckled clumsy Archie that we knew. This year at Comic Con in San Diego, the publishers unveiled the first issue of an Archie remake. The aim is to make the characters relatable to today's youth.
Last year, Archie Andrews took a bullet for a friend at Pop Tate's in Riverdale. He was 74 years old. That was the end of the red-haired freckled clumsy Archie that we knew.
This year at Comic Con in San Diego, the publishers unveiled the first issue of an Archie remake. The aim is to make the characters relatable to today's youth.
“ARCHIE #1 is a milestone for this company, in every way,” said Jon Goldwater, Archie Comics Publisher/Co-CEO in a press release on the site archiecomics. com. “We are pulling back the curtain and showing fans the true origin of Archie, the love triangle and so much more, under the watchful eye of two of the absolute best comic book creators on the planet – Mark Waid and Fiona Staples. Not only are they brimming with talent, but they’re huge Archie fans—once again showing how impactful these characters have been and proving that not only will Mark and Fiona create a legendary story, but they will honour the past while building a new, exciting future for Archie and friends.”
(Photo courtesy: Archiecomics.com)
Sidekicks no more
When Archie started off in 1941, Betty and Veronica were portrayed as 'coy' girls vying for Archie's attention. Over the years, both developed their own identities, and even had their own spinoff 'Betty and Veronica'.
In the new series, the makers will be giving them meatier roles as well as spunky identities. The blonde-haired hopeless romantic Betty Cooper will sport a more tom-boyish avatar.
(Photo courtesy: Archiecomics.com)
Veronica Lodge is expected to remain her rich, bratty self.
Archie? Revamp? blasphemous!
The new series announced its arrival on the big stage in style and the comics were sold out at distributor level two days before it launched.
We asked Indian fans how excited they are about their childhood pastime being revamped.
"I have been reading Archies since I was in Class 7 and it will be hard to break that image," says Lakshita Agarwal, 25, a marketing executive. "But I am eager to see how this new series pans out," Lakshita adds.
(Photo courtesy: Archiecomics.com)
"As a kid, I would keep eating all day long. I used to think of myself as Jughead. Now I don't know if they'll retain the essence of the original Jughead. I'll stick to reading my old collection and won't try out the new comics," says Geet Sahini, a 28-year-old resident of Delhi.
"The only way I will pick up a 'new' Archies is if Betty and Veronica have a lesbian relationship and Archie is trying to break it up," says 23-year-old Nikita Abhyankar, a marketing executive from Mumbai.
"It's been over 20 years since I picked up an Archie comic. I still remember how I used to sneak it into the house during my college days as the cover used to feature Betty or Veronica in skimpy outfits. With this new series coming out, it will probably be my son who will do all the sneaking in now," says 48-year-old Beant Bansal, an army-officer.
This new look of Archie may not have set the social media on fire, but it has definitely given the tricity citizens a sense of nostalgia.