Congrats to ADDTF for one solid year of reading comics naked.

Also, welcome back ADD and In Sequence.

Did I miss anyone?

 
The Man in Black 1932-2003


posted by Steven at 11:46 PM

 
Riverdale 2001



What, you thought I was joking?

One of the things Archie comics are best known for is their attention to current hot trends. Five to six years after the debut of a particularly popular fad, Archie will be right in there with a topical cover gag. But what isn't as well known is Archie comics' occassional forays into anticipating future events.

In this short five pager, Mr. Weatherbee is pleased to see the technology of the utopian future of 2001 put to good use, until he realizes that some things, like teenage behaviour, never truly change. Archie and Jughead both use the device to realize their goals without having to deal with the obstacles that normally give them pause. Without this conflict in their lives, both Archie and Jughead are stripped down to their base desires, grinning and drooling on themselves contentedly. It's the purest vision of comics' greatest lecher and glutton, respectively.

Also of interest, some may remember Grant Morrison's claims that The Matrix borrowed heavily from The Invisibles. What you weren't told was that the Wachowski brothers, comic fans and creators of the Matrix movies, may have looked further afield in their influences.



Archie and Jughead may have preferred turkey dinners and t n' a being downloaded into their minds over kung-fu, but the parallels are obvious.

Bonus Archie Fact. A few years ago, Archie made it's greatest leap into speculative fiction with Archie 3000, this time setting their sights on an era far beyond our own lifetimes. Whether the stories found within these pages will be as accurate as Riverdale 2001, only our descendants will know.
posted by Steven at 11:56 PM

 
Happiness is a Warm Puppy

Presented without commentary, the biggest comic news of the past few years. Quotes from the Comics Journal message board.

Okay, I just talked to Gary, and I have permission to end speculation now. We'll be making the formal announcement later this week, but -- yeah, we're doing the Complete Peanuts series. You would not believe how long this one has been in negotiations... - Dirk Deppey

Though Schulz's modesty prevented him from being enthusiastic about it, Schulz did give Gary his blessing to pursue this with United Media before he passed, and Jeannie Schulz is behind us 100 percent. It's gonna rock. More details soon, we just need a few days to catch up from SPX and prepare our fall Fall-Winter 2003-2004 catalog for W.W. Norton. I appreciate everyone's patience! - Eric Reynolds

Two years per book, 25 books, 12 1/2 years, hardcover but cheap. - Eric Reynolds

$28.95 per book. Subscriptions at reduced rates and/or with special goodies for subscribers will be offered before the year is out. Sundays will be printed in black and white -- by common consensus color brought very little to the strip, and this way every mark on the paper is Schulz's. All the PEANUTS books I loved as a kid were black and white. Source material is beautiful, clean syndicate proofs (or originals) for all but a very few strips. First release April, 2004. - Kim Thompson

According to Kim Thompson, Seth will be the book designer.

I haven't stopped smiling since I heard.
posted by Steven at 12:21 AM