Archie Comics Fan Forum

http://www.cbr.com/jughead-drove-samm-schwartz-away/

Quote from: Bluto on August 15, 2017, 09:35:01 AM
http://www.cbr.com/jughead-drove-samm-schwartz-away/ (http://www.cbr.com/jughead-drove-samm-schwartz-away/)

This is fantastic!  Thanks for sharing!

I knew all of that stuff, and of course I'd seen the story before as well. I don't know about the article's headline though. It seems to try to imply that Schwartz moved to Miami because of some rift with ACP, or reduced work, but that isn't the case. In fact the article correctly states that he moved there in 1979, long before his regular Jughead work was reduced with the launching of the all new JUGHEAD #1 in 1987. Also, Samm was well-known for working references to his name (and others) into his stories, even though more often than not that turned out to be a very background in-joke kind of thing. In this particular story it's part of the central plot (but he can be forgiven because he didn't move to Florida more than once).

I just want to make it clear that Jughead (or ACP) didn't drive his main artist/writer out of town. Not that time, anyway. Back in 1968 when the powers that be discovered he was moonlighting editing and creating stories for Tower Comics' TIPPY TEEN, he got fired outright. That's why when Tower folded only a year later he didn't come back begging for work, but went to DC instead. DC still had a few humor comics at the time (SCOOTER and BINKY), but A Date With DEBBI (later DEBBI's Dates) was created by Samm, as an updated version of the old DC title A Date With JUDY. Apart from Bob Oskner's Angel & The Ape (which was a little different since it co-starred a talking gorilla cartoonist/detective), it was the only DC humor title to feature a female protagonist. DC paid much higher page rates than ACP anyway, and Samm stayed there as long as the humor work still held out, but it was only a couple of years longer. When the DC humor work dried up he finally returned to JUGHEAD. I don't know what kind of reception he received upon his return, but obviously they were being pragmatic in realizing his talents were still needed at the company, so if there were still any grudges held against him, I guess they were overruled.