Hi, my name is Amanda/Mandy. I am 25 years old and live in Connecticut. I have been a huge Archie Comics fan since I was about 10 years old. Right now I exclusively stick to digest stories because they are easier to get my hands on as there are no Comic Shops in my area and I usually don't purchase stuff on the internet. I find the digests sometime at the local bookstore chain here. Oh and I chose the username Midge Klump because everyone calls me that because they say I resemble her.

Ah welcome, how ironic we have the same name and nickname! Some friends of mine and my sister call me Mandy, others call me Panda.

I hope you enjoy your time here

Quote from: Archiecomicxfan215 on June 22, 2016, 10:39:16 PM
Ah welcome, how ironic we have the same name and nickname! Some friends of mine and my sister call me Mandy, others call me Panda.

I hope you enjoy your time here

I have never been called Panda before. I have been called Mandy Candy before though.

Welcome — hoping your stay is a long and pleasant one 
 
Given your interests I'm curious if you are aware of the relationship that's been established in Afterlife with Archie between Ginger (Lopez) and Nancy?

Quote from: invisifan on June 23, 2016, 09:40:52 PM
Welcome — hoping your stay is a long and pleasant one 

Given your interests I'm curious if you are aware of the relationship that's been established in Afterlife with Archie between Ginger (Lopez) and Nancy?

First thanks for the welcome.

I haven't read the Afterlife series, but I am aware of the relationship that is being worked up between Ginger and Nancy and I think it is fantastic. The struggle that these young girls and boys who are going through these issues of coming out of how they feel inside can only be made a little more comfortable even reading it in a comic book. I know when I was 15 years old and I knew who I was but scared as hell to come out to people I loved reading and seeing stories about celebs going through similar issues. Awareness is always important in my book.

Hello, Amanda Mandy! Welcome!

Quote from: Midge Klump on June 23, 2016, 09:49:39 PM

Quote from: invisifan on June 23, 2016, 09:40:52 PM
Welcome — hoping your stay is a long and pleasant one 

Given your interests I'm curious if you are aware of the relationship that's been established in Afterlife with Archie between Ginger (Lopez) and Nancy?

First thanks for the welcome.

I haven't read the Afterlife series, but I am aware of the relationship that is being worked up between Ginger and Nancy and I think it is fantastic. The struggle that these young girls and boys who are going through these issues of coming out of how they feel inside can only be made a little more comfortable even reading it in a comic book. I know when I was 15 years old and I knew who I was but scared as hell to come out to people I loved reading and seeing stories about celebs going through similar issues. Awareness is always important in my book.

Nothing against gay characters in comics (Kevin's book is great), but I hate the way it's handled in AWA. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa just gives the whole relationship a creepy vibe (but that's true of most of the new angles he's introduced to established characters, and I hate the way he's handling Veronica too).

I mean, yes, it's supposed to be a horror comic, but the way the Ginger/Nancy thing is written, it comes off as distasteful in the same way that he's painted Mr. Lodge as a philanderer and Cheryl and Jason as an incestuous relationship. In the first place, it's not portrayed as a particularly healthy relationship. Their affair is closeted, with Nancy still nominally in a relationship with Chuck, and Nancy's relationship with Ginger is not entirely a balanced one either. Ginger is far more committed, and seems to be pressuring Nancy, who, as far as I can tell, may be what you'd call "bi-curious", and Nancy's lack of committment is causing a seething undercurrent of anger and resentment on Ginger's part. And unfortunately, with everything else going on in the series, it's not something that's been given the space to be dealt with in any depth. It would be a lot easier to accept if RA-S had just made them an openly gay couple -- or if closeted, at least with both of them on the same page as far as how the relationship was working. The fact that Ginger clearly wants this relationship more badly than Nancy does, who may not be entirely comfortable with it or ready for it, and is pressuring her over it and feeling anger and resentment instead of patience and understanding doesn't exactly speak well of her, and there's the lingering feeling that Ginger's anger and resentment over the situation may be foreshadowing... something, I'm not sure exactly what. While that may be an understandable and not unrealistic bit of characterization, it's not as though representation of gays in comics is so common that everyone's going to find it acceptable. To the contrary, it would seem to add fuel to the fire to those who view gays as somewhat predatory... ugh. The jury is definitely still out as far as Nancy's definite sexual orientation (gay, bisexual, or bi-curious), which she may not be entirely sure of yet. Not exactly what I'd hold up as a shining example of LGBT diversity in comics.

Quote from: SAGG on June 24, 2016, 12:07:24 AM
Hello, Amanda Mandy! Welcome!

Thank You SAGG.

Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on June 24, 2016, 02:32:19 AM

Quote from: Midge Klump on June 23, 2016, 09:49:39 PM

Quote from: invisifan on June 23, 2016, 09:40:52 PM
Welcome — hoping your stay is a long and pleasant one 

Given your interests I'm curious if you are aware of the relationship that's been established in Afterlife with Archie between Ginger (Lopez) and Nancy?

First thanks for the welcome.

I haven't read the Afterlife series, but I am aware of the relationship that is being worked up between Ginger and Nancy and I think it is fantastic. The struggle that these young girls and boys who are going through these issues of coming out of how they feel inside can only be made a little more comfortable even reading it in a comic book. I know when I was 15 years old and I knew who I was but scared as hell to come out to people I loved reading and seeing stories about celebs going through similar issues. Awareness is always important in my book.

Nothing against gay characters in comics (Kevin's book is great), but I hate the way it's handled in AWA. Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa just gives the whole relationship a creepy vibe (but that's true of most of the new angles he's introduced to established characters, and I hate the way he's handling Veronica too).

I mean, yes, it's supposed to be a horror comic, but the way the Ginger/Nancy thing is written, it comes off as distasteful in the same way that he's painted Mr. Lodge as a philanderer and Cheryl and Jason as an incestuous relationship. In the first place, it's not portrayed as a particularly healthy relationship. Their affair is closeted, with Nancy still nominally in a relationship with Chuck, and Nancy's relationship with Ginger is not entirely a balanced one either. Ginger is far more committed, and seems to be pressuring Nancy, who, as far as I can tell, may be what you'd call "bi-curious", and Nancy's lack of committment is causing a seething undercurrent of anger and resentment on Ginger's part. And unfortunately, with everything else going on in the series, it's not something that's been given the space to be dealt with in any depth. It would be a lot easier to accept if RA-S had just made them an openly gay couple -- or if closeted, at least with both of them on the same page as far as how the relationship was working. The fact that Ginger clearly wants this relationship more badly than Nancy does, who may not be entirely comfortable with it or ready for it, and is pressuring her over it and feeling anger and resentment instead of patience and understanding doesn't exactly speak well of her, and there's the lingering feeling that Ginger's anger and resentment over the situation may be foreshadowing... something, I'm not sure exactly what. While that may be an understandable and not unrealistic bit of characterization, it's not as though representation of gays in comics is so common that everyone's going to find it acceptable. To the contrary, it would seem to add fuel to the fire to those who view gays as somewhat predatory... ugh. The jury is definitely still out as far as Nancy's definite sexual orientation (gay, bisexual, or bi-curious), which she may not be entirely sure of yet. Not exactly what I'd hold up as a shining example of LGBT diversity in comics.

As I haven't read Afterlife I am really not up on the real ins and out of the entire series. I did become aware of the possible relationship that was being explored between Ginger and Nancy though. Since you explained it more deeply and so well may I add in you above post I will give my two cents on it. First I do not like what you said how Roberto is using Ginger to pressure Nancy in anyway into a relationship. There should be no pressuring in relationships be it a gay relationship or straight relationship. As a Lesbian I knew deep down inside before I came out at 15 that my inner feelings for the female sex was very strong. I just decided not to act on it at a very young age. Some would say then it is a choice I am making to be Gay or Straight. In that case yes it is a choice, but that doesn't change the fact of what my mind and emotions are telling me. You can go against or with your feelings or thoughts at anytime that is your choice, but your true inner feelings and emotions will never leave you. So to get back on the topic Ginger should not be pressuring Nancy at all as to me if she is not totally ready or even if she if just curious about the whole thing that will just push her away. I also hope Roberto is not representing Gays as some sort of predators. This goes against everything we stand for. I hear it practically everyday that Gays are trying to push there agenda or even themselves on Hetrosexuals. All we are trying to do as a community of people is to make awareness so others who know they are Gay, but are struggling with coming out to a love one do to fear of being abandon or whatever will know they can be accepted for who they are. We are loving people NOT predators.