Archie Comics

Archie Comics is an American comic book publisher known for its many series featuring the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Forsythe "Jughead" Jones.

History

Archie Comics started out in 1939 as MLJ Comics, named after the first initials of its three founders Morris Coyne, Louis Silberkleit and John L. Goldwater.

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Early MLJ titles featured generic superheroes, remembered in the lore of comic collector's trivia. The Shield was the first flag-themed superhero, a year before Captain America. The Comet was the first superhero killed in the line of duty. The Hangman (the Comet's younger brother) might be the most brutal superhero of the '40s. Roy the Superboy preceded Superboy by a decade, and Steel Sterling was dubbed "the Man of Steel" before Superman. None remained popular.

Related Topics:
The Shield - Captain America - The Comet - Hangman - Superboy - Steel Sterling - Superman

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Archie began as a back-up feature replacing Madam Satan, and within a year was a hit. So much so that by 1946, MLJ changed its name to Archie Comics. In 60 years Archie still hasn't graduated from high school.

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Over the years Archie Comics has published innumerable Archie spin-offs and variant series. Some of the odder series feature Archie and his friends cast as superhero versions of themselves or playing spies in a parody of The Man from U.N.C.L.E.. In addition, some series such as Life With Archie and Archie at Riverdale High which featured straight adventure and/or mystery stories.

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In addition in the 1970s and 1980s, the Archie characters were authorized for use in a series of Christian comic books written and drawn by Al Hartley for Spire Christian Comics. The comics were noted that for while they preached the Gospel, they accepted that the characters were teenagers with typical interests and appetites and refused to flatly condemn them like similar comics did.

Related Topics:
1970s - 1980s - Christian - Al Hartley - Spire Christian Comics - Gospel

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Several attempts have been made to revive MLJ's original superhero line, without success. Today Archie Comics would rather forget its superheroes, but occasionally some appear in their comics, if only for the sake of maintaining a trademark.

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