Quote from: ASS-P on March 30, 2018, 06:24:05 PM
...Let me get this straight - the standard paper version of THE ARCHIES was available do a while - through bricks and mortar shops and thru Amazon - And,  I assume,  other Internet dealers who sell paper stuff? - but was WITHDRAWN FROM SALE for a while ? But now is available again? Ay Yi yi !

I've only heard that on this message board.  I never found that to be the case anywhere else.  To make things more confusing, issue 7 is officially delayed by a couple of weeks until April 11th, but I got 2 copies of issue 7 with my subscription BEFORE the original publishing date of March 28th. I only have one subscription but Archie Comics has sent me 2 copies of the last few issues. 

Quote from: Vegan Jughead on March 30, 2018, 07:01:40 PM

Quote from: ASS-P on March 30, 2018, 06:24:05 PM
...Let me get this straight - the standard paper version of THE ARCHIES was available do a while - through bricks and mortar shops and thru Amazon - And,  I assume,  other Internet dealers who sell paper stuff? - but was WITHDRAWN FROM SALE for a while ? But now is available again? Ay Yi yi !

I've only heard that on this message board.  I never found that to be the case anywhere else.  To make things more confusing, issue 7 is officially delayed by a couple of weeks until April 11th, but I got 2 copies of issue 7 with my subscription BEFORE the original publishing date of March 28th. I only have one subscription but Archie Comics has sent me 2 copies of the last few issues.

I think you must mean issue #6 - the Blondie issue, right?  So you have it? Still waiting on my copy of that issue with the Dan Parent variant cover ordered thru my LCS, but Diamond now lists the shipping date as April 11th. Shipping dates as originally solicited are often revised in later Diamond updates to retailers, a very common practice that affects nearly every publisher at one time or another. Diamond Comics issues shipping updates on a weekly basis.

Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on March 31, 2018, 03:26:30 AM

Quote from: Vegan Jughead on March 30, 2018, 07:01:40 PM

Quote from: ASS-P on March 30, 2018, 06:24:05 PM
...Let me get this straight - the standard paper version of THE ARCHIES was available do a while - through bricks and mortar shops and thru Amazon - And,  I assume,  other Internet dealers who sell paper stuff? - but was WITHDRAWN FROM SALE for a while ? But now is available again? Ay Yi yi !

I've only heard that on this message board.  I never found that to be the case anywhere else.  To make things more confusing, issue 7 is officially delayed by a couple of weeks until April 11th, but I got 2 copies of issue 7 with my subscription BEFORE the original publishing date of March 28th. I only have one subscription but Archie Comics has sent me 2 copies of the last few issues.

I think you must mean issue #6 - the Blondie issue, right?  So you have it? Still waiting on my copy of that issue with the Dan Parent variant cover ordered thru my LCS, but Diamond now lists the shipping date as April 11th. Shipping dates as originally solicited are often revised in later Diamond updates to retailers, a very common practice that affects nearly every publisher at one time or another. Diamond Comics issues shipping updates on a weekly basis.

Yes, DCR, that's what I mean, the Blondie issue.  Sorry, I guess #7 is the next and final issue. 

Quote from: Vegan Jughead on March 31, 2018, 07:29:16 AM

Yes, DCR, that's what I mean, the Blondie issue.  Sorry, I guess #7 is the next and final issue.

You just gotta love it when as a subscriber you wind up getting an issue weeks earlier than retail consumers. Doesn't happen for me with my digest subs all that often, but it DOES happen occasionally.

Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on March 31, 2018, 10:05:24 AM

Quote from: Vegan Jughead on March 31, 2018, 07:29:16 AM

Yes, DCR, that's what I mean, the Blondie issue.  Sorry, I guess #7 is the next and final issue.

You just gotta love it when as a subscriber you wind up getting an issue weeks earlier than retail consumers. Doesn't happen for me with my digest subs all that often, but it DOES happen occasionally.

Yes, usually my subscription copies are almost EXACTLY 2 weeks late, except apparently when they announce the issue will be delayed 2 weeks, then you get it early!  Ha ha. 

Quote from: Vegan Jughead on February 16, 2018, 12:31:14 PM
I can't say I'm surprised, although I've really enjoyed the book.  It's probably weak sales that's ending it (I haven't looked up the sales), but it also could be because after they got The Monkees and Blondie, they weren't able to get any more well known "guest" bands to appear in the book. 

I can't imagine what the future is for the RIVERDALE comic title because while I've actually been pleasantly surprised by the quality of the stories, Thomas Pitilli's art is horrible in that book in my opinion. 

Vegan Jughead? So he eats vegan burgers?

What titles actually WILL still be running by the end of the year?  Unless my list is wrong, titles that have been cancelled in the last few years are: Jughead and Archie Comic Digest (as well as more digests I'm sure, I kind of lost track), both Sonic series, Betty & Veronica (laughing that they still had "published monthly" in the publishing info even when #3 came out over a year later), Josie & the Pussycats, Black Hood, Hangman, Shield, and Jughead, presumably replaced with Jughead the Hunger.  My predictions of next-to-go: one of the Betty & Veronica digests, Afterlife with Archie (since they haven't published an issue in almost 2 years, but there's still a monthly subscription available! (What a joke), and Betty & Veronica Vixens will probably be done by the end of the year.  I just can't get my head around B&V as bad-ass biker chicks...sorry.


Plus, I think Archie Comics is in real trouble financially, even more so since the fund-raising fiasco.  They simply can't afford to keep cranking out new titles with small sales and even though the TV series may be getting them some money, that won't last forever either - Riverdale is a teen show and what happens when they graduate and then go to college and then I guess Archie has to marry someone, huh?   We are looking at probably 6 seasons tops (anyone remember Dawson's Creek, Saved by the Bell?)


Except for Riverdale and Archie, I can't see any of the other titles lasting that long.  You just run out of story in a horror comic like Vampironica, Afterlife with Archie (obviously since it's been nearly 2 years), and Jughead the Hunger.  They seem to have put Sabrina on hold - and with the new Netflix show coming out, it makes sense, I suppose.   That series should have legs if they could ever get the issues out.  What more horror titles can they do?  Moose as a morose and soulful Frankenstein?  Chuck as a demon?  Josie and the Pussycats as a "Charmed"-like trio of singing witches who cross over with Sabrina?  Reggie as an immortal?  But Betty - Betty has to stay the hero, right?


So...coming out with Betty & Veronica at the Movies makes sense.  Going back to what has worked for the last 75+ years.  It doesn't have to go completely back to that, but look at the sales of "Your Pal Archie" and I think the company is seeing that having a little bit of both will work best.  The art is also, sadly, much to be desired in most of the titles. 


Unfortunately, the "relaunch" of Archie Comics, as a whole, has been a huge disappointment - I think to fans and definitely to the company.  There is no consistency of art and characters among titles, stories veer off and our characters are kind of different, but not enough to go "wow" - what a great, original idea!  Just kind of, "oh, ok, well, I guess it's better than not having any new Archie stories...".  The consistency of releasing of titles is the worst of any major comic brand (which never used to be the case that I can recall) and the policy of "don't confirm or deny" is wearing thin.  If you can't commit to an answer (even if it becomes wrong later), that's a sign of poor leadership - and fear. 


I came back to actively read and support Archie Comics to see what the hype was all about and other than the TV series, and a few small wins (Sabrina is OK, but not consistent and I have hopes for Vampironica - short-term at least), it's been like watching a friend who used to be really funny get up on stage and you want them to do really well and you cheer for them - and their set is different and you laugh loudly to support them - but your old friend unfortunately just isn't funny anymore...

Quote from: tvminded on April 09, 2018, 10:40:57 PM
What titles actually WILL still be running by the end of the year?  Unless my list is wrong, titles that have been cancelled in the last few years are: Jughead and Archie Comic Digest (as well as more digests I'm sure, I kind of lost track), both Sonic series, Betty & Veronica (laughing that they still had "published monthly" in the publishing info even when #3 came out over a year later), Josie & the Pussycats, Black Hood, Hangman, Shield, and Jughead, presumably replaced with Jughead the Hunger.  My predictions of next-to-go: one of the Betty & Veronica digests, Afterlife with Archie (since they haven't published an issue in almost 2 years, but there's still a monthly subscription available! (What a joke), and Betty & Veronica Vixens will probably be done by the end of the year.  I just can't get my head around B&V as bad-ass biker chicks...sorry.

You forgot Mega Man, Reggie and Me, Mighty Crusaders, Cosmo, and Archie's Funhouse Double Digest, also all cancelled within the last 2 years. Although arguably, either Archie's Funhouse or Jughead and Archie digest was immediately replaced by Archie and Me Digest. Still, you can't compare the digests to the floppy comics. Both of the now-cancelled digests ran for three years, from 2014-2017, for 28 and 27 issues, respectively. But it's been established practice that the digests need to be refreshed every few years by replacing old titles with new ones. The only floppy comic to run over 20 issues since Mega Man (55 issues, 2010-2016 -- a healthy run) is the new ARCHIE. The Sonic titles seem to be a special case -- although the sales weren't as good as they once had been, the decision seems to have been Sega's, not ACP's (and a new Sonic title has just begun from another publisher, IDW).

I wouldn't worry about either of the B&V digests being cancelled, either... when both Jughead and Archie, and Archie's Funhouse digests began, B&V Friends digest was only published 6 times a year. In 2017, it actually got an increase in frequency from 6 to 10 times per year. Also, beginning in 2018, Archie digest, World of Archie digest, and the two B&V digest became permanent Jumbo Comics digests, so I guess that proves that they're not only still selling, but that people wanted more pages in them -- and are willing to pay the higher cover price of $6.99 to get those extra stories.

I just read THE ARCHIES #6 and can see why it was cancelled. It's truly an awful book. Dreary and depressing, with bad artwork to boot (but a GREAT Dan Parent variant cover, which is the only reason I bought it). Apparently, we're supposed to be convinced that the following equation actually balances:

[THE ARCHIES] - [humor] + [angst] = [FUN!]

The old Archies stories were fun and funny. The new Archies stories are drab, awful, tedious, and boring. I immediately regretted succumbing to the curiosity of reading the story featuring a guest appearance by Deborah Harry and Blondie, since I'd already bought it and had it in my hand (I should have just bagged & boarded it, and left well enough alone). Ouch! Big mistake. I felt so BAD after reading the story that I immediately had to stare forlornly at Dan Parent's cover for 20 or 30 minutes, drifting off into a daydream of how much better the story could have been if he'd been involved in it. In fact, I wrote my own little story in my head where The Archies meet Blondie, just so I could have something to wash the bad taste of issue #6's actual story out of my mind, and was pretty happy with the story that I came up with. If I can write one in my head, it really can't be THAT hard.

It would take several paragraphs of text to detail the story here, but it took place in the 1980s, and involved the modern-day Archies traveling back in time due to the sudden appearance of Deputy Marshall Forsythe P. Jones of the Time Police, and his supervisor, "Timekeeper January M" (because that's really all Archie Andrews and friends needed to know), who send the Archies back in time to the 1980s on a mission of vital importance to the very fabric of the multiverse, where they not only meet Blondie, but fill in as backup musicians for Debbie Harry when the rest of the band mysteriously disappears. Of course, Deputy Marshall Jones knows all about the 1980s, because that's where he spends most of his time, although the modern-day Archies are a little freaked out that he and January appear to them to be cartoon characters. And let's just say that this particular mission of vital importance to the history of the timestream as the 29th Century Time Police know it (all in a day's work for a Timekeeper), is of even more vitally personal importance to January.

According to the website, I'm on the fence on whether Cosmo was supposed to be limited or not.  On the issue 4 blurb for the pre-order, it calls it a 5 issue limited series, but the first issue listed as a new on-going series, so I'm thinking it was rethought after poor sales.  The B&V books maybe will still run concurrently, but I've seen a big decrease in the number of grocery stores and retail outlets carrying them like they used to, so I can see them limiting titles.


I didn't realize until I looked at the last page in the story that Crusaders had ended. Not surprising since the title never lasts long.  It's just never been popular.  They would have done better bringing back That Wilkins Boy.


Also - what happened to the tease of Little Sabrina and Little Josie at the end of Little Archie One-Shot?  That was last summer and they said "Coming Soon"?


I just can't see a vision in place for the "New Archie", sometimes because I just can't get past the artwork - and yes, the stories are not great...


Did anyone else think that the auction for the complete run of Archie comics full-page ad sometime last year might be the company selling off the vault copies to raise capital?

Quote from: tvminded on April 10, 2018, 12:59:45 AM
According to the website, I'm on the fence on whether Cosmo was supposed to be limited or not.  On the issue 4 blurb for the pre-order, it calls it a 5 issue limited series, but the first issue listed as a new on-going series, so I'm thinking it was rethought after poor sales.  The B&V books maybe will still run concurrently, but I've seen a big decrease in the number of grocery stores and retail outlets carrying them like they used to, so I can see them limiting titles.


I didn't realize until I looked at the last page in the story that Crusaders had ended. Not surprising since the title never lasts long.  It's just never been popular.  They would have done better bringing back That Wilkins Boy.


Also - what happened to the tease of Little Sabrina and Little Josie at the end of Little Archie One-Shot?  That was last summer and they said "Coming Soon"?


I just can't see a vision in place for the "New Archie", sometimes because I just can't get past the artwork - and yes, the stories are not great...


Did anyone else think that the auction for the complete run of Archie comics full-page ad sometime last year might be the company selling off the vault copies to raise capital?

Nope. Not them. They haven't scanned all those stories digitally yet, and they can't do that until they complete that task, unless they really ARE planning to sell off ALL the assets and bail out of the publishing business even sooner than many people think -- which means they would be giving up on digital as well.

Yes. "rethought due to poor sales" is just a more circumspect way of saying CANCELLED, which was the case for Reggie and Me, Cosmo, and Mighty Crusaders, all of which had first issue solicitations announcing them as "ongoing series".  And when a proposed comic is "cancelled" before it is ever even published, after being "rethought due to poor PRE-orders from retailers", you get things like the REGGIE 80-Page Giant #1, JOSIE 80-Page Giant #1, and LITTLE JOSIE #1 and LITTLE SABRINA #1. (There was also a non-"Little" SABRINA #1 one-shot which was solicited, and then cancelled.)

Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on April 10, 2018, 01:15:08 AM

Quote from: tvminded on April 10, 2018, 12:59:45 AM
According to the website, I'm on the fence on whether Cosmo was supposed to be limited or not.  On the issue 4 blurb for the pre-order, it calls it a 5 issue limited series, but the first issue listed as a new on-going series, so I'm thinking it was rethought after poor sales.  The B&V books maybe will still run concurrently, but I've seen a big decrease in the number of grocery stores and retail outlets carrying them like they used to, so I can see them limiting titles.


I didn't realize until I looked at the last page in the story that Crusaders had ended. Not surprising since the title never lasts long.  It's just never been popular.  They would have done better bringing back That Wilkins Boy.


Also - what happened to the tease of Little Sabrina and Little Josie at the end of Little Archie One-Shot?  That was last summer and they said "Coming Soon"?


I just can't see a vision in place for the "New Archie", sometimes because I just can't get past the artwork - and yes, the stories are not great...


Did anyone else think that the auction for the complete run of Archie comics full-page ad sometime last year might be the company selling off the vault copies to raise capital?

Nope. Not them. They haven't scanned all those stories digitally yet, and they can't do that until they complete that task, unless they really ARE planning to sell off ALL the assets and bail out of the publishing business even sooner than many people think -- which means they would be giving up on digital as well.



Most companies keep multiple vault copies, so I thought maybe they were thinning down by one to keep things going until they hit a "sweet spot." 

Quote from: tvminded on April 10, 2018, 09:58:41 PM
Most companies keep multiple vault copies, so I thought maybe they were thinning down by one to keep things going until they hit a "sweet spot." 

If ACP ever vaulted multiple copies of those Golden Age MLJ comics, those must have been "thinned" ages ago. I'm not even entirely convinced that they have a single copy of every comic book they ever published. If they did, those comics would probably be bound in volumes as hardcovers, originally intended for editorial reference only, which might make them unsuitable for scanning (unless the hardcovers were taken apart beforehand). At any rate, I don't think ACP has the time and personnel to get all that scanning done (not to mention post-scanning color removal and clean-up of the black-and-white line artwork). Up to this point, I think they've only done it bit by bit, as different projects demand it. I've seen reprints of some stories where no post-scanning cleanup of the artwork was done at all.

The Golden Age MLJ comics (and some from the 1950s and early 1960s) are the only ones that could bring in the serious money, anyway. Even mint copies of the bulk of what they've published are barely worth breaking up a complete collection for what they'd bring in. They'd be better off selling the collection complete to a large retailer.