December 04, 2007, 02:18:42 PM

Archie Comics is pleased to announce author Alex Simmons' first ARCHIE & FRIENDS  story. Alex's work has been seen throughout many comics, such as Blackjack, Batman, Tarzan, Superman, Race Against Time, all the way to Scooby Doo. He has enjoyed a diverse romp through the world of comics.

Over the past 11 years, he's written fascinating stories that have spanned the genres of high adventure, sci-fi, and mystery. Now he's taking a walk down the streets of Riverdale as he pens his first Archie story in an adventurous tale that is so big, it spans 4 issues.

"This is a real kick for me," Simmons says. "In my career I have been fortunate enough to write stories for several of the fictional characters I grew up with, including a modern play and two books involving Sherlock Holmes. Writing for Archie just raised the enjoyment bar another level."

Simmons continues, "Rex Lindsey is the man!!! His artwork on "Double-A Seven" is fantastic! I especially love the view from the London Eye observation wheel. What a shot. Rex's art will definitely pull our readers into the exotic settings of our story, and that's a big part of this wild ride."

Simmons' "ARCHIE WORLD TOUR" will begin its globetrotting tale in ARCHIE & FRIENDS #117 on sale March 13, 2007 and continue through ARCHIE & FRIENDS #120. "ARCHIE & FRIENDS #117 will be available at the March 29th KIDS' COMIC CON, where I will be happy to sign free copies for the first 300 fans at the Archie booth," Simmons says.













ARCHIE & FRIENDS #117"Archie World Tour Part 1 of 4: Double-A Seven" When Archie and friends embark on a whirlwind world tour, their first stop is London, where they soon find themselves embroiled in an international spy mystery! This is the first Archie Comics story by acclaimed writer and children's art advocate Alex Simmons. In a distinguished career spanning 20 years, Alex has written juvenile mystery novels, stage plays, documentaries, biographies and more. In addition to writing, he travels across the country as a guest speaker and a teaching artist conducting creative writing workshops, and is also the Educational Outreach Director for New York City's Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art. In the midst of all this, he somehow finds the time to be a voice-over artist for commercials and podcasts, AND runs a family-friendly kids comic convention each year!
SCRIPT: Alex Simmons. ART: Rex Lindsey.
Shipping Date: March 5th, 2008
On Sale at Comic Specialty Shops: March 12th, 2008
On Sale on Newsstands: March 25th, 2008
32-page, full color comic
$2.25 US