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Watched both of these recently and found them interesting. A history of Archie and an explanation of Jughead's hat:
+ YouTube Video
+ YouTube Video 
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Between The CW’s Riverdale and Archie Comics’ own comic book output, audiences are very familiar with what a contemporary Archie Andrews, Veronica Lodge, Betty Cooper and Jughead Jones look like. But a new comic book series is about to turn back the clock and introduce versions of the characters from the dawn of World War II.
Archie 1941 is a five-issue miniseries that imagines how life in a United States on the verge of wartime would impact Archie’s pals and gals. The series was co-written by Mark Waid — writer on the regular Archie series, which goes on hiatus with July’s No. 32 — and Brian Augustyn, with art by Peter Krause.
(The choice of 1941 as a setting isn’t entirely random; it also happens to be the year the characters debuted, in Pep Comics No. 22.)
"A few years ago, Archie Comics called to ask me to relaunch the main book in a contemporary setting, which has been a blast. This time, they called to ask about a whole different setting,” Waid told Heat Vision. “Deep-diving into the characters and their parents from a whole new perspective, Brian Augustyn and I have been able to find a new, rich vein of stories to be told as America edges into World War II and what it'll mean to the kids. It's been an exciting project made only more thrilling by the chance to be able to work alongside my longtime co-conspirator on Irredeemable and Insufferable, Peter Krause."
Krause also expressed his excitement.
"Archie Comics has caught the fancy of fans and comic creators alike with new twists on their classic characters. So when they approached me about drawing Archie 1941 and giving me a chance to work with writers Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn, I said, 'Sign me up!'" Krause said. "How would Archie and the gang look in 1941? That is my responsibility, and my honor. I’ve had great fun going through reprints of Sears catalogs and diving into online photo troves. Along with great colors by Kelly Fitzpatrick and wonderful lettering by Jack Morelli, we’ve done our darnedest to make it all look good."
The project is a reteaming of Augustyn and Waid, who worked together on DC's The Flash.
"Working with this team is proving to be enormously exciting,” said Augustyn. “Mark and I go way back as good friends, and have collaborated many times. He's a comics genius and it's a joy to pick up the reins with him once again. Pete Krause is a fantastic artist, and is doing his best work ever on our project — I couldn't be happier with how he makes our story 20 times better. Kelly Fitzpatrick's wonderful coloring adds tremendously to the realism and historical feel that Pete delineates so well. I also want to thank Victor Gorelick, Mike Pellerito and the entire Archie crew for this opportunity — they're a genuine pleasure to work with.”
The series debuts in September, and follows how the Second World War impacts the lives of Archie, Jughead and the rest of the Riverdale gang as the specter of enlistment hovers above them.
"Through the gauzy shades of decades gone by, it’s easy to imagine that all Americans were on board with the battle against the Axis but it was not so — at least not until the attack on Pearl Harbor,” Krause explained. “Mark and Brian have spun a tale that details the ambivalence, the consequences and ultimately the sacrifices that led us to label those patriots, 'The Greatest Generation.'"
Augustyn said the series is a chance to see the "lovable characters through the lens of time."
“This narrative is a bit more serious and occasionally somber, but I hope we've leavened that with humor and warmth," he said.
Archie 1941 No. 1 will be released digitally and in comic book stores Sept. 12, but Heat Vision has an exclusive preview below.Archie Andrews, the seemingly eternal redhead from Riverdale, and his friends will be getting new creative teams later this year that will take some cues from the CW’s “Riverdale” television series and explore new terrain for the characters.
First up is the comic book Archie No. 700, slated for November, from a new team: the writer Nick Spencer and the artist Marguerite Sauvage.
“Archie Comics has a long, proud history,” Mr. Spencer said. “I don’t want to blow things up or do anything that would upset the long-term audience. It’s more like finding some conflicts that have some stakes, upping the drama level a little bit.” He added that he would play into the soap opera aspect of the characters and “depict that in a way that the ‘Riverdale’ audience can appreciate and enjoy.”
But fans of the comic need not worry about the book straying too far, like perhaps mirroring some of the more out-there relationships from the TV show (whether that be a student-teacher dalliance or the creepy vibe of the too-close Blossom siblings).
“There is no mature reader’s label on this book,” Mr. Spencer said. “I have a pretty decent sense of what I can get away with.”
It takes a little bit of comic book math to get to No. 700. The first Archie series ended with No. 666, published in June 2015. The next month, the gang got a makeover by Mark Waid and Fiona Staples, which began with a new No. 1. That series will end this month, with No. 32. No. 699, a catch-up issue, will be released in October — and will be sold for $1.
Publishers often promote “historical numbering” as something done to please fans, but Jon Goldwater, the publisher and co-chief executive of Archie Comic Publications, was refreshingly candid. “It’s a way to bring attention to the book again and have a good time,” he said.
Archie’s friends will have even more new adventures: Issue No. 1 of a new Betty & Veronica series is on tap for December. Jamie L. Rotante — who has some familiarity with the characters thanks to her work on Betty & Veronica: Vixens, in which the duo began a biker gang — will be writing. (An artist is yet to be named, though Ms. Sauvage has drawn the cover for its debut.)
“These characters were icons to me growing up and I want to make sure that continues for many, many generations of readers to come,” Ms. Rotante wrote in an email.
The series will be exploring a new chapter for the young women: senior year of high school, which will include a lot of the stress of college applications, internships and final exams. “We stack a lot onto the backs of teens and often dismiss their concerns as juvenile,” Ms. Rotante wrote. “I think now, more than ever, it’s apparent that teens matter and that their voices should be heard.”
Mr. Goldwater thinks that the varied interpretations of the world of Archie work for one reason. “If you keep the DNA of the characters intact, you can take them anywhere: TV, publishing, whatever the medium,” he said.
And, he added, everything is “one big circle.” Archie published a horror series, Afterlife With Archie, which helped pave the way for the “Riverdale” show, which is now influencing the regular Archie comic. Other iterations of the characters are under development for network broadcast or streaming: a horror-tinged animated series starring Josie (of the Pussycats); an animated series with a humorous vibe featuring Archie and his pals; and a live-action show centered around a private detective named Sam Hill.
There is no escaping the Archie gang.Last edited by Hypo; 07-12-2018, 12:18 AM.Comment
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^Yeah, I don't really watch new shows, but that one interests me. Maybe when the first season is done I'll Netlix it.
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