I can’t tell you when, and I can’t tell you how it evolved, but since I was young, I’ve had a love for comics. Now wait, before you start thinking I’m super amazing for having a love of the Marvel and DC universes, my obsession features a well known red head and a famous love triangle. Yes, I am talking about Archie Andrews and his gang of Riverdale chums. I remember picking up a Better and Veronica in the grocery store one day, and was super excited when my mom said she’d buy it. I still have that first one, the one that sent me down the rabbit hold of family friendly comics.
I don’t know what the draw is for me, the stories are simple, the jokes are pretty tame (or lame, depending on your point of view), and there’s nothing super edgy about them. If you want to go deeper into things…the over sexualization of Betty and Veronica, the roles the girls play in feminist culture, the underlying sexual orientation of Jughead, or even all of the complexities of Archie himself, but that’s not what this is about, I’m just here to discuss my love of this colourful comic.
I have loved seeing the characters evolve as the years go on. The fashions, the trends, the mentions of social media in the stories. Even though the stories remain tame and innocent, Archie is able to change with the times and stay relevant. There is even a show featuring the Riverdale crew….called, in fact, “Riverdale”. Yes, I am a fan, I was soooo pumped when I heard this show was starting. I love the dark, edgy story line…not so much a fan of some of the changes they made to a few of the characters. I’m not going to open that can of worms, that’s getting off topic.
I know many people may see these comics as simply for kids, but who cares…I don’t! Sometimes I just want to turn the real world off and spend a few minutes reading something I don’t have to think about. I have been adding to my collection for about 25 or so years now, and although I don’t collect all the special issues, or new stories, I still enjoy seeing what’s new for Archie and his friends and can’t wait to see what the future has in store.
