R.I.P ARCHIE

Archie Andrews is headed for that big comic book convention in the sky — sort of.

“Life With Archie” #36 hits shops on July 16, and tells how Archie — a plucky teenage comic book hero since 1941 — sacrifices his own life to save a pal.

The “Life With Archie” series has spelled out possible future scenarios for the lovable Archie for several years, and #37 will close out the series.

And Archie — much to the relief of Jughead, Betty and Veronica — remains alive in comics set in the present.


Archie Comics CEO Jon Goldwater, the son of Archie creator John Goldwater, explained the idea behind the upcoming issues.

“’Life With Archie’ is Archie’s future — it gives readers a look into what his life would be like after high school and college, which has never really been explored,” he told CNN.

“Most fans are familiar with Archie as a high schooler, hanging out at Pop’s Chocklit Shop with his friends. ‘Life With Archie’ shows what happens when Archie becomes an adult and starts dealing with grownup issues.”And, he said, killing off the Archie character was a “natural conclusion” to the series.
“Archie dies as he lived — heroically. He dies saving the life of a friend, and does it in his usual selfless way. Archie has always been a representation of us — the best of us. Our strengths and our faults,” Goldwater said.

Writer Paul Kupperberg, he added, “has crafted an emotional, impactful and classic story that I know will survive the test of time. This isn’t a random one-off or ‘what-if’ story that we’re doing as a gag. This is the story that we mapped out carefully and with much thought.”

“This is the death of Archie as we see it, and we’re treating it with that same level of gravitas and import. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event, and we are being very considerate about it.”

*Article courtesy of Bob Fredericks for the NYPOST