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Archie Comics: the story on HearLore | HearLore
Archie Comics
Archie Andrews first appeared in Pep Comics #22, cover-dated December 1941, but his creation was a calculated business decision by publisher John L. Goldwater to capture the audience of Andy Hardy films starring Mickey Rooney. Before Archie, the company known as M.L.J. Magazines, Inc. was struggling to find a hit, having launched Blue Ribbon Comics in September 1939 and Pep Comics in November 1939 with the Shield, a patriotic hero created by Harry Shorten and Irv Novick. The Shield was actually America's first patriotic comic book hero, predating Captain America by thirteen months, yet it was the red-haired, freckled teenager with the distinctive bowtie who became the company's headliner. Writer Vic Bloom and artist Bob Montana crafted the initial story, establishing a relatable normal person in an idyllic Midwestern community named Riverdale. The name Riverdale was likely inspired by Goldwater's fond memories of Hiawatha, Kansas, though some historians note a resemblance to Haverhill, Massachusetts, where Montana attended high school. This shift from superhero action to teenage slice-of-life comedy transformed the company's trajectory, leading to the name change from M.L.J. Magazines to Archie Comic Publications in 1946.
The Business Of Blue Ribbon
The foundation of Archie Comics was built on the partnership of three men with vastly different backgrounds: Maurice Coyne, Louis Silberkleit, and John L. Goldwater. Coyne served as the bookkeeper and CFO, while Silberkleit, a licensed pharmacist with a law degree from New York Law School, managed the business, printing, and distribution. Goldwater, the editor-in-chief, was a national commissioner of the Anti-Defamation League and later served as president of the Comics Magazine Association of America for twenty-five years. This trio launched the company in September 1939, initially publishing superhero comics like The Shield and Blue Ribbon Comics. The company's early years were defined by a mix of patriotic fervor and adventure, with the Shield appearing on the cover of Pep Comics until March 1944 when Archie took over. The business was so successful that by the late 1950s, they launched the Archie Adventure Series, introducing new versions of the Shield and characters like the Jaguar and the Fly. The company went public in the early 1970s, but the Silberkleit and Goldwater families eventually bought it back, with Michael Silberkleit and Richard Goldwater taking over as co-publishers. This family dynasty would face internal strife decades later, but for the first thirty years, the company was a stable, family-run operation that prioritized the wholesome image of its characters.
When did Archie Andrews first appear in a comic book?
Archie Andrews first appeared in Pep Comics #22, cover-dated December 1941. The character was created by writer Vic Bloom and artist Bob Montana to capture the audience of Andy Hardy films starring Mickey Rooney.
Who founded Archie Comics and when did the company start?
Maurice Coyne, Louis Silberkleit, and John L. Goldwater launched the company in September 1939. The business originally operated as M.L.J. Magazines, Inc. before changing its name to Archie Comic Publications in 1946.
What happened to the Help! magazine parody of Archie Comics in 1962?
Archie Comics threatened a lawsuit over the Goodman Goes Playboy parody and Jim Warren settled by paying one thousand dollars and running an apology note. The story was reprinted in 1962 with modified artwork but was refused for republication until the copyright expired in September 2004.
When did Archie Comics announce the death of Archie Andrews?
Archie Comics announced the death of Archie Andrews in July 2014 in issue #36 of Life with Archie. Co-CEOs Nancy Silberkleit and Jon Goldwater made the decision to kill off the character to save Senator Kevin Keller from an assassination attempt.
When did the Riverdale live-action series premiere on The CW?
The live-action series Riverdale premiered on The CW in January 2016. The show was developed by Greg Berlanti and written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, featuring characters like Archie, Betty, Veronica, and Jughead.
In February 1962, Harvey Kurtzman's Help! magazine published a parody titled Goodman Goes Playboy, featuring a caricature of the Archie characters. The story was illustrated by Will Elder and was so close to the original copyrighted properties that Archie Comics threatened a lawsuit. Jim Warren, the publisher of Help!, settled out of court by paying Archie Comics one thousand dollars and running an apology note. The story was reprinted in 1962 with modified artwork, but Archie Comics still found the resemblance too close and refused to allow the story to be republished. The copyright eventually expired, and in September 2004, The Comics Journal reprinted the story after Gary Groth discovered the lapse. This incident highlighted the company's aggressive protection of its intellectual property, a stance that would continue for decades. The company also faced legal challenges in 2005 when they sued the music duo The Veronicas for trademark infringement over the band's name, which they alleged was taken from the comic book character. The case was settled with a co-promotion agreement, demonstrating the company's willingness to defend its brand in any arena, from comic books to the music industry.
The Death Of A Teenager
In July 2014, Archie Comics announced that the adult version of Archie Andrews would die in issue #36 of Life with Archie, killing off the character to save Senator Kevin Keller from an assassination attempt. This was a radical departure from the company's history, as Archie had never died before, and the story explored contemporary themes like death, marriage woes, cancer, and gun control. The decision was made by co-CEOs Nancy Silberkleit and Jon Goldwater, who had taken over the company after the deaths of Michael Silberkleit and Richard Goldwater in 2008 and 2007 respectively. The company had been facing internal legal battles, with Silberkleit and Goldwater suing each other over business decisions and staff alienation. The death of Archie was part of a broader strategy to modernize the brand, which included the launch of Afterlife with Archie, a horror series that depicted the gang dealing with a zombie apocalypse. This series, written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and drawn by Francesco Francavilla, was the first Archie title to carry a Teen+ rating and was sold exclusively to comic shops. The success of these darker stories led to the launch of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina in 2014, which took place in the 1960s and followed Sabrina Spellman as she struggled to balance her responsibilities as a witch-in-training.
The Digital And The Dark
Beginning in 2010, Archie Comics partnered with Random House Publisher Services to distribute trade paperbacks and graphic novels, increasing its output from eleven titles to forty by 2013. The company also saw a massive increase in sales, with a 410% rise in book sales and a 1,000% rise in e-book sales. In April 2011, Archie Comics became the first mainstream comic-book publisher to make its entire line available digitally on the same day as the print release. The company also relaunched its superhero imprint, Red Circle Comics, as an all-digital line under a subscription model with back-issue archive access. In 2015, the company rebranded its superhero imprint as Dark Circle Comics, focusing on self-contained stories featuring the Black Hood, the Fox, and the Shield. The company also launched a Kickstarter campaign in May 2015 to fund three additional series, but cancelled it after critical response. Despite the cancellation, the company continued to publish new titles, including Jughead and Betty and Veronica, which debuted in 2016. The company's digital strategy and focus on diverse storylines helped it survive the changing comic book industry, which was shifting towards digital formats and more mature themes.
The Screen And The Stage
Archie Comics has been adapted into numerous films, television programs, cartoons, and video games, with the most notable being the live-action series Riverdale, which premiered on The CW in January 2016. The show, developed by Greg Berlanti and written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, was described as Archie meets Twin Peaks and featured a bold, subversive take on the gang. The series included characters like Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead, Cheryl, Toni, Sweetpea, Fangs, Reggie, Kevin, Josie, and the Pussycats, as well as all of the parents. The show's success led to the development of other spin-offs, including Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, which premiered on Netflix in 2018, and Katy Keene, which aired on The CW in 2020. The company also announced plans to bring Archie to Broadway with an all-new musical, with Adam McKay set to write the book. The company's film and television operations expanded in February 2019 to a division, Archie Comics Studios, with the hire of two executives, Siobhan Bachman and Matthew Lottman. As of August 2025, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were bringing Archie Comics to the big screen with their production company Lord Miller, through their first-look deal with Universal Pictures.