After being a fan of Archie Comics fanpage on Facebook from day 1, I've come to notice how the company has changed drastically from how I remember it. They produce low quality stories with poor gags, mostly reprinted stories or new stories that borrow heavily from old gags, and try very hard to incorporate whatever trend is popular with teens today.
Here's where I drew the line: First, the constant barrage of "news" on facebook was annoying, but I put up with it because it was, I believed, to help get the word out about Archie.
Then the randomness of the news was a bit strange, but I ignored it. I mean, snapshots of shoes? Blogs written in character? Who are Archie Comics trying to attract?
The storylines integrating "contemporary themes" were refreshing at first. Creating a interracial relationship BETWEEN EXISTING CHARACTERS was a fresh idea compared with the old, 'let's make a new character for every minority group out there' strategy that they had been implementing. The new gay character I knew would be just as bad as the the Asian character they added a while back in that I knew after the novelty of the character wore off they'd just be an afterthought for writers making the occasional cameo or being drawn over another character in a reprint someday.
THEN the reality show topic came up and I knew this was it. No more supporting new Archies for me. The Jersey Shore show, although it was extremely popular recently, is WAY inappropriate for Archie readers. The way their stories are written it's clear that the comics are targeted at kids, what with all the toy and candy ads in them. Why not parody Hannah Montana or Justin Bieber or the Jonas Brothers? Why even create ANY link between that reality show to Archie at all?
That was the point that all the changes over the years (no 'Big' in front of Moose and Ethel's names? Ethel and Jughead's mom's makeovers?) and all the pent up frustrations with Archie Comics (lower standards for stories and art and way too many titles) just boiled over for me. I will still read and buy Archies. JUST NOT THE NEW STUFF. I will no longer support any of their new endeavors unless major changes are made. They need to emphasize QUALITY over whatever the heck it is they've been working towards. But until then I'll be happy with ebay and Hi De Ho Comics for my Archie fix.
Sorry to rant, but Archie Comics can't just keep doing this

Hi De Ho back issues are expensive. And unless things have changed in a few years, never labeled with a price.

I like how they just look at the comic and then tell you you have to pay the near-mint/mint price no matter what the condition is. 

Thank goodness we have a used book store in town that sells digests for $1, no matter what kind of shape it's in.

Hi De Ho back issues are expensive. And unless things have changed in a few years, never labeled with a price.

I like how they just look at the comic and then tell you you have to pay the near-mint/mint price no matter what the condition is. 

  I presume that your are both in the same general area , near this store .
  Where ?

Betty and Veronica Spectacular did parody the Jonas Brothers last year.  My mom, who hates them, loved the story.

Archie Comics seems to be dithering at the moment, trying to decide whether they're making comics for pre-teens or teeners.  If they're trying to shift to an older audience, they do need to improve their storytelling, art, and their relevance in terms of current events.  "Event" and "shock" stories are unlikely to work for Archie in the long run.  One of the main obstacles to this change is probably their reliance on older reprints in their digests, which is just reinforcing the image they're trying to get away from.

First, the constant barrage of "news" on facebook was annoying, but I put up with it because it was, I believed, to help get the word out about Archie.
Then the randomness of the news was a bit strange, but I ignored it. I mean, snapshots of shoes?

You don't like my shoes?

Digests with lots of reprints in them is hardly new, either. I stopped buying them in the late 90s because five years of non-stop Digest buying had left me recognizing nearly every strip in them . It goes through cycles.

Archie's always been trend-happy as well. Whatever new show or concept is big, it's going to end up with an Archie parody, or an example of the gang watching it. Remember the CB Radio era in the 70s? Or the Hippie or Disco eras? That's just how Archie IS. It's valid to complain about it, I suppose, but it's kind of the thing people who don't LIKE Archie books make fun of them for, not an actual fan. I would think most fans are used to that by now.

Note: i just got an iPad - so my typing may be off a little folks

I'll get used to it.