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Eug Wanker · Dec 23, 2006, 09:51 AM

Extreme Makeover: Comics Edition

Wiskedjak · Dec 23, 2006, 09:57 AM

Wow. That's horrible.

BlueSky · Dec 23, 2006, 11:54 AM

Mediocrity rises to the top again.

centerchannel68 · Dec 23, 2006, 12:35 PM

Is it bad if I have no idea what they used to look like?

Ghoser777 · Dec 23, 2006, 12:40 PM

They're the two hotties from the Archies.

zro · Dec 23, 2006, 12:57 PM

Veronica > Betty.

Still.

centerchannel68 · Dec 23, 2006, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by Ghoser777

They're the two hotties from the Archies.

The what?

Chuckit · Dec 23, 2006, 01:13 PM

Archie comics. They're really famous.

ghporter · Dec 23, 2006, 01:20 PM

That's horrible. They may as well render them in the "Bratz" style! Yuck!

I always thought Veronica was too stuck up but Betty was just right! go figure.

Oh, and the four kids from the Archie comics WERE an actual recording act WAY back when I was a kid, and in particular, they charted (at #1!) in 1969 with Sugar, Sugar, a cool little bubble gum song.

Y3a · Dec 23, 2006, 01:28 PM

nothing can be good or have value anymore.

Class is dead too.

Kevin · Dec 23, 2006, 01:30 PM

Originally Posted by Y3a

nothing can be good or have value anymore.

Class is dead too.

This is class

centerchannel68 · Dec 23, 2006, 01:37 PM

Originally Posted by Chuckit

Archie comics. They're really famous.

Does anybody actually read those? They're so freakin' lame.

BlueSky · Dec 23, 2006, 01:44 PM

Well, good news, boys and girls of all ages...it's obviously a PR stunt

Don't thank me, it's my job.

besson3c · Dec 23, 2006, 02:45 PM

I used to become sexually aroused looking at Betty and Veronica.

Nebagakid · Dec 23, 2006, 03:44 PM

I am sexually aroused looking at Betty and Veronica

turtle777 · Dec 23, 2006, 06:01 PM

I farted.

Oh, wait, nevermind, wrong thread.

-t

Mastrap · Dec 23, 2006, 06:45 PM

The truth, as per usual, is far less dramatic.

Betty and Veronica will stay exactly as they always have been, with the exception of one six page story.

BlueSky · Dec 23, 2006, 06:52 PM

Originally Posted by Mastrap

The truth, as per usual, is far less dramatic.

Betty and Veronica will stay exactly as they always have been, with the exception of one six page story.

Will Betty still be the one who puts out?

Eug Wanker · Dec 23, 2006, 07:24 PM

Originally Posted by Mastrap

The truth, as per usual, is far less dramatic.

Betty and Veronica will stay exactly as they always have been, with the exception of one six page story.

Not correct:

Four issues of Betty & Veronica Double Digest, starting with issue No. 151 due on newsstands May 14, will each feature a serialized story of 26 pages or so drawn in the new style.

...

If it proves popular, the new look may continue in some limited form.

centerchannel68 · Dec 23, 2006, 08:05 PM

Who reads this drivel? Is it for little girls? Or little boys? Of the 5-10% of the population of little boys who read comics, aren't most of them into superhereos or something cool? Who really gives a crap about some characters who never do anything and never save anybody or do anything exciting or sexual? I don't get the point of that comic book series at all.

turtle777 · Dec 23, 2006, 09:16 PM

Originally Posted by centerchannel68

Who reads this drivel? Is it for little girls? Or little boys? Of the 5-10% of the population of little boys who read comics, aren't most of them into superhereos or something cool? Who really gives a crap about some characters who never do anything and never save anybody or do anything exciting or sexual? I don't get the point of that comic book series at all.

Grandmas.

That's why the change was necessary. Today's girls will be grandmas in, uhm, about 50 years. So yeah, they did the change just in time.

-t

Atomic Rooster · Dec 23, 2006, 10:31 PM

I'd hit both of them....if I were a cartoon!

ghporter · Dec 24, 2006, 12:07 PM

I used to read Archie when I was a pre-teen. And of course since they had a Saturday morning cartoon show and were on the radio a lot, (see above mention of chart topping song) they were ubiquitous.

But Archie and the gang in Riverdale are supposed to be as close to our ideal of "home town America" as you can get-a link to a fictional, but attractive past. My parents were teens in the 1940s and 50s and they said that NOTHING was like in the movies or TV-or comics. But it is heartwarming when Dad comes home having left his work troubles at the office, Mom can do hosework or volunteer (or even work, but that wasn't shown in "Father Knows Best"), and the biggest problem a kid has is how to handle a bully (who is relatively mild compared to my experience in the late '60s and early '70s), or how to ask that special girl out to the dance. So why "update" them to a different art style anyway?

Finally, they do not look like their personalities. Betty is a rather practical girl with a head for practical stuff, while Veronica is all about Veronica. Aside from Veronica's "V" necklace, the new version is just WRONG. And "Betty" doesn't look like herself at all. Further, the artwork in Archie has always shown the girls as GIRLS. The new versions are "young women" and that's just not something that fits with the comic's style either.

centerchannel68 · Dec 24, 2006, 01:03 PM

So am I correct in assuming the only people who read this comic are GUYS, specifically above the age of 30?

turtle777 · Dec 24, 2006, 01:09 PM

Originally Posted by centerchannel68

So am I correct in assuming the only people who read this comic are GUYS, specifically above the age of 30?

Don't worry, you'll get there. It will grow on you.

-t

ghporter · Dec 24, 2006, 01:28 PM

Originally Posted by centerchannel68

So am I correct in assuming the only people who read this comic are GUYS, specifically above the age of 30?

Not really. But I object to having someone mess with something that was part of my childhood, particularly in this way. I don't read ANY comics anymore-no time!

lavar78 · Dec 24, 2006, 05:29 PM

How unfortunate. I've always loved Archie and the gang—the comics, the TV shows, the songs ("Bang-Shang-A-Lang" is my favorite), and everything else. I've even seen that made-for-TV movie more than once. FWIW, I'm under 30.

The other day, I told one of my students she reminded me of Betty when she came in with a ponytail. She had no idea who Betty was. Sad.

Cadaver · Dec 26, 2006, 10:26 PM

Nice knockers on both.

Kevin · 09:44 AM

Originally Posted by ghporter

Mom can do hosework or volunteer (or even work, but that wasn't shown in "Father Knows Best"),

You aint kiddin. Standards and practices would have NEVER allowed that back then!

Dakar² · Dec 27, 2006, 09:33 AM

Originally Posted by lavar78

The other day, I told one of my students she reminded me of Betty when she came in with a ponytail. She had no idea who Betty was. Sad.

I don't know if I'd call it sad. They comics weren't that popular or exciting.

Dakar² · Dec 27, 2006, 09:39 AM

That said, I remember this awful thing

lavar78 · Dec 27, 2006, 10:16 AM

Originally Posted by Dakar²

I don't know if I'd call it sad. They comics weren't that popular or exciting.

Weren't that popular?!? You're kidding, right? Archie is as old as Captain America and Wonder Woman and the characters have been successful in almost every form of media. With the Sabrina shows, the characters have continued to find success in this century.

AFAIC, the fact that there are people who don't know Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead, Reggie, and the gang is sad.

Dakar² · Dec 27, 2006, 10:17 AM

Not for the past 20 years they haven't.

SirCastor · Dec 27, 2006, 10:48 AM

I wouldn't say that they've lost their popularity, esp. considering that you still find Betty and Veronica Serials in checkout lines. I've never read the comics, but I used to watch the show as a kid (I imagine that it was a new version of a much older show).

No interest in it now, but for the sake of not ruining something, I would vote for keeping the old look.

lavar78 · Dec 27, 2006, 11:38 AM

Originally Posted by Dakar²

Not for the past 20 years they haven't.

Sure they have. In the past 20 years, we've had two Archie cartoons ("The New Archies" and "Archie's Weird Mysteries"); the aforementioned Riverdale movie, a "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" movie, live-action show, and cartoon; the "Josie & The Pussycats" movie; and the critically-acclaimed comic-book crossover of Archie and The Punisher. The comics currently sell almost 3/4 of a million each month in America, which is excellent in today's market, and they are the biggest-selling comics in India. While they aren't as popular as they have been, I'd say they're still popular.

Dakar² · Dec 27, 2006, 11:42 AM

Originally Posted by lavar78

Sure they have. In the past 20 years, we've had two Archie cartoons ("The New Archies" and "Archie's Weird Mysteries"); the aforementioned Riverdale movie, a "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" movie, live-action show, and cartoon; the "Josie & The Pussycats" movie; and the critically-acclaimed comic-book crossover of Archie and The Punisher. The comics currently sell almost 3/4 of a million each month in America, which is excellent in today's market, and they are the biggest-selling comics in India. While they aren't as popular as they have been, I'd say they're still popular.

I didn't realize Sabrina and Josie count as 'Archie'
In fact, I bet very few people (not into Aarchie) know.

That's more stuff than I expected, but I only knew of one other person growing up that knew or cared about Archie. Perhaps its a secret pleasure?

lavar78 · Dec 27, 2006, 04:01 PM

Originally Posted by Dakar²

I didn't realize Sabrina and Josie count as 'Archie'
In fact, I bet very few people (not into Aarchie) know.

That's more stuff than I expected, but I only knew of one other person growing up that knew or cared about Archie. Perhaps its a secret pleasure?

They're spinoffs. Anyway, I don't think it's a secret pleasure (although it may be nowadays). I think I read somewhere a little while back that Archie was recognizable to something like 97 or 98% of adults and teens.