Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities What have they done to Archie!?

I\'m stunned.

So, good? Bad? Irrelevent?

kinda creepy..... and they are soooo skinny.
personaly I like the old look better. why mess with a classic?

Just saw that earlier today. Kind of ticks me off. The double digests are the only ones I still buy but I'm not going to continue if they go to just four stories each. That's just stupid. I hope they meant that the regular size digests will be the four stories at 25 pages each. I love the mixture of old, classic stories and one-shots with the newer stories that the double digests have.

As for the art, maybe for one or two stories each issue would be okay. But not as a full-blown replacement. Archie and the gang have changed quite a bit over the years if you look closely while still keeping the "cartoony" look. I can usually tell you (dialog not withstanding) what era the story is from just based on the art. So I'm for the change as long as it isn't a full replacement. It'll give me something to get when they get around to the 2000 collection to go with my ones of the 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's.

I like it !!

So Do I! Archie and the gang get a new look at least once a decade. Im glad they decided not to go with the Manga look frankly.

That being said the Art does look a little "Fan-comic'-ey. not that that's a bad thing.

You and I both Joe-Boy. That would have been one thing to make to stop buying Archie altogether. And if you guys think the new Betty looks too skinny I suggest you look at the manga version of Sabrina. I've seen pipe-cleaners that were fatter.

Veronica looks all right, I guess, but I don't care for the way Betty looks at all. Betty's the girl next door. She should be pretty, innocent and intelligent. Oh, well. The only time I read Archie Comics is when I'm visiting my mom (who collects the digests) in Florida, so it won't affect my regular comics-reading.

Rockhopper, just don't tell me your mother is my age and we'll be just fine.

You're only three years older than I, LL.

Thank the Goddess! I had enough old man quotes today when I had to pick up my first pair of bifocals. That would have been crushing. But it is cool that your Mom reads Archie. My Mom used to read the digests too.

Well, OK.

This isn't the first time they've experimented with a new style and it won't be the last. Archie comics sell well enough that they can afford to do this from time to time.

"I had enough old man quotes today when I had to pick up my first pair of bifocals."

My optometrist said to me a few years ago, "Welcome to the fuzzy forties". We tried out "progressive" lenses (3 different distances, no "line", but you could ONLY see in the middle, which meant turning your head to look left or right-- F*** that!!). I'm now using 3 different sets of glasses. At least each set works for each distance, switching pairs is less a hassle than narrowing my view.


I DON'T like the "new look" ARCHIE. It does remind me, though, of what Marvel did in the 60's when they had Stan Goldberg (and others) start drawing MILLIE THE MODEL more "realistically". 5 years later, they went back to the "Dan DeCarlo" style, before cancelling the entire line.

When DeCarlo became popular, the Archie editors told all their artists to draw like him, And they've been doing it for decades since. I think with some characters, you establish a "look" and it's in everyone's best interests to KEEP that look. Otherwise you run the risk of losing your audience.

It'll be interesting to see what the reaction is when the book actually comes out. I have to admit I'm surious enough to check it out, and I don't think I've bought an Archie comic since I was a teenager. I'm a little leary about how skinny Betty and Veronica seem, though. Hopefully that's the exception not the rule.

It doesn't look bad, actually. If it doesn't work, they can always go back.

If old-style Archie had been selling like hotcakes, I doubt there would have been momentum for change... so you can't begrudge them an effort to appeal to a new generation.

Hm…’new look Betty’ intrigues me in a way that only Veronica once did!

Perhaps I might pick up an Archie book too for the first time in a long while.

It's a one-title brief experiment... http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=95140

Experiment, yes. But not limited to one title. At least two of the digests will carry the new art.

Interesting. I'm looking forward to checking it out.

Maybe it's just me, but they look like Buffy and Cordelia. Hope the principal doesn't get eaten...

I grew up reading these and every once in a while I get one. My daugter started liking them around age 8 but it didn't last. She probably asks me to get one once a year (trust me I offer them to her all the time).

I wonder if she will dig this new look. hmmm? I'm with LL but at the same time I think it may help bring in new kids.

I kind-of like it! This has prompted me to buy the new digest when it comes out-- something I haven't done for many years!

I like the look, but I bet the stories won't change. The ones you read from the 50s could be published today, with new art and a few contemporary references added. It's an interesting timelessness, but the art certainly seems to benefit from regular updating.

A few preview pages at Comics Worth Reading .

Doesn't look great to me, but she points out that it's "early" artwork.

Thank goodness!

For a second, I thought someone was going to say that they turned Archie and crew into some Legionaires.