There's more discussion about the lack of discussion than there is about Archie comics.

Quote from: Archiecomicxfan215 on October 22, 2019, 12:36:40 PMI got 4 Bettys Diary issues from New York Comic Con this year. I didnt go but my husband went and got them for me (when he was just my fiancé lol)

Im trying to collect all 40 issues. I think i have only 10-15 issues more to go

That's a great series. Lots of stories written by Bob Bolling and Kathleen Webb, mostly with art by Doug Crane. Most (maybe all?) of the stories are told from the 1st-person perspective, so you really get a peek into Betty's mind to see how she thinks. I snap these up whenever I come across them (which isn't often, unfortunately, so I have nowhere near a complete run).

Question is, why hasn't there been a trade paperback collection of Betty's Diary in the "Archie Comics Presents" series (or of Veronica or Jughead, for that matter)? ACP drives me nuts sometimes.

Hmm. The snowball effect also works in reverse, I think.

More new topics posted encourage more new replies, while conversely, fewer replies discourage the posting of more new topics.

Then there's Archie Comics Publications itself, which has fractured the definition of what Archie IS into a multiplicity of interpretive versions, mainly just miniseries.

Lots of people have also moved on to other types of social media like Twitter, Facebook, etc.

Quote from: Archiecomicxfan215 on October 01, 2019, 11:35:23 AM17 days until my wedding! I am doing wedding stuff today then I work 5pm until closing

Only a week now! 

Quote from: SAGG on September 24, 2019, 02:59:28 PM

It's pretty amazing what they could get away with in the good ol' days when creativity and laughs were all that mattered, and editors weren't looking at every panel with a microscope to determine whether everything was safe for the Soccer Moms of America. Not entirely sure without a larger image or other panels from the story, but this looks to be the work of either Al Hartley or Dick Malmgren -- most likely from an issue of BETTY AND ME.

recently watched...
Tiger & Bunny (Seasons 1 & 2, plus stand-alone features "The Beginning" and "The Rising")
Venture Bros. (Season 7 - 13 episodes)
One Punch Man (Seasons 1 & 2 - 24 episodes)
Infini-T Force (12 episodes)

now starting...
Bakuman (75 episodes)

after that, I've already made a list of anime to watch, so it should keep me busy for a few months...
  ATOM: The Beginning
  DEATH NOTE
  DEVILMAN CRYBABY
  DOUBLE DECKER
  INFINI-T FORCE The Movie (unreleased so far in North America)
  JoJo's BIZARRE ADVENTURES
  MOB PSYCHO 100
  The Disastrous Life of SAIKI K.
  SSSS.GRIDMAN
  TENTAI SENSHI SUNRED
  URUSEI YATSURA (picking up where I left off with Season 7 [of 9])

Just got this collection today. I'm disappointed. It consists of about 48 pages of KK reprints from 1957-59 issues of the title drawn by Bill Woggon (these stories have shown up occasionally in the digests), another 48 pages of reprints from issues #21-27 of the 1980s revival of the title drawn by John Lucas (for some reason I've NEVER seen these reprinted in the regular digest titles), and then another 125 pages reprinting the one-shot FCBD B&V issue where KK guest-starred, plus the entirety of the previously-published Katy Keene: Model Behavior (which was also the title of the story from the FCBD B&V issue) graphic novel, which collected individual chapters published in ARCHIE & FRIENDS. So the bulk of this trade collection consists of a graphic novel that I've previously purchased from ACP. (*sigh*)

I was REALLY hoping that the bulk of this collection would consist of the John Lucas stories from the 1980s revival of KK, which I've rarely had the opportunity to read.

Quote from: archiecomicscollector on August 25, 2019, 09:04:33 PMI hope to ... find a solution to display my 2000+ comics.

You should subdivide your collection by format (digests, trade paperbacks, hardcovers, regular periodical comics) to get some idea of the current total volume those will take up. If the estimate of 2000 individual comics (regardless of format) is pretty accurate, that's not that excessive so you'll have more options for creating a nice looking display. You'll need bookshelves whose minimum dimensions are at least as large as the biggest format, but for the digests, since those are so much smaller, you may want a dedicated bookshelf just for those, so you don't waste too much shelf space. Fortunately, those are easy -- they make all kinds of prefabricated storage units for DVDs, which coincidentally fit Archie digest comics just as well, presuming you have a lot of them. You can even get one of those nice rotating tower units that will spin and has storage shelves on all 4 sides.

If you want to use comic collector's storage boxes (the short ones hold something like 300 periodical comics, but it would vary depending on whether they're all bagged and boarded), then buy at least one of those first, measure the dimensions of the box, and base the size of the shelves on the dimensions of the box. They also make digest-sized, magazine-sized, and graded & slabbed (CGC'ed) comic-sized boxes. Measure the the box lid from front to back, and you'll know how deep the shelves need to be. If you want to go the cheaper route (but not as nice looking), metal (or wire rack) shelving works well to hold comic storage boxes. Measure the width of the front lip of the storage box cover, and multiply by some number (4, 5 or 6, depending on how big a bookshelf or metal shelf unit the room will accommodate in the space available).

If you can give up an entire wall to storage, you can get shelving custom-built by a carpenter -- or do it yourself if you or someone you know is handy with carpentry tools. Pretty much anything you'd need would be available at a Home Depot or somewhere like that. That solution has the advantage of not wasting ANY of your available space. Sometimes baseboards, ventilation/heating ducts, or electrical outlets make using a whole wall for storage a bit problem, though. If you want something a little different, you can actually buy one of those retro-style comic book spinner racks. They're a little pricey at $350 a pop, though. If that sounds like an interesting idea to you, then check out this site: https://spinnerrack.com/

In any case, make sure you think ahead to accommodate for room for your comic collection to grow.

QuoteDo you you have a comic or toy room?

 [...] My whole house? I'm pretty sure this is that thing that people refer to as "hoarding".

As far as inserting images in your posts, I don't know how you're posting your comments, but if it's on a PC (or Mac) then when you get into the reply box, look to the right of the text formatting icons (above the emoticons), and you'll see icons for inserting YouTube video, images, URL links, and email directly to the right of the formatting tool icons.

Quote from: Terry1 on August 15, 2019, 02:43:42 PMIt's true.  They're a smaller company.  They don't have the clout or the long term judgment to demand quality licensees.  That's part of why I love them.  They're the runt of the comics industry.  And occasionally some great stuff came out, like those tin figures, or the Dark Horse archives, which are beautifully done.

I googled those Mighty Crusader figures.  Yikes.

I'm kind of bummed out about the Dark Horse Archives series because they only reprinted the public domain stuff (I would be interested in knowing the exact story behind what went on there between DH and ACP), which is also available for free on various websites as digital scans. TBH, I'm not really much of a fan of the 1940s Archie comic book stories. I kind of got a little excited when they started doing the Jughead Archives, but they only did 2 volumes (again, just what was in public domain) and then quit.

Bob Montana's newspaper strip from 1946 (published in hardcover by IDW/Library of American Comics) is a whole different story... why oh why didn't they continue on from the first volume instead of skipping to the so-called Swingin' 1960s (by which time it was no longer a continuity strip, just a gag-a-day strip)? There's absolutely nothing Swingin' about those early sixties strips, either (unlike the comic books of the time, and later), so doubly disappointing, except from the historical perspective (Montana's art is still good, though). SO frustrating.

Quote from: archiecomicscollector on August 15, 2019, 07:18:30 PMI do love The Archies by Marx Toys, c. 1975 though. I have a complete set - carrying case, dolls, jalopy and outfits. I wish they would have made additional characters, especially Josie and the Pussycats and Sabrina.

Having a line of toy figures that represents a fairly broad cross-section of the classic Archie Comics characters is the unattainable dream (so it would seem, at least for now). Up to this point, it seems like the most you can hope for is 4 or 5 figures. As of now, you could go with the Dark Horse 'sirocco' statuettes, or the JM Croce/BendEm bendy figures. I'm hoping they add some additional characters to the bendy line-up.

Even with all the action figure lines (both mainstream and toy-collector focused) today, we're more likely to see an extended line of RIVERDALE figures (if someone hasn't already done one) than anything from classic Archie. I don't even count the Funko Pop stuff, because it's... "non-representational" I guess is the best word. Or maybe "interpretive", in the design-y sense. I feel like the "designer vinyl" type figures are okay as a way of extending the range of collectibles available to fans of characters from Marvel, DC, and the many movie/TV franchises whose iconic characters have already been done to death many times over as "standard-type" action figures, but I want figures that are representational, source-accurate, and look as much like the characters on the comic page translated into 3 dimensions as possible, so making Pop vinyl figures of those characters when there still has never been a toy line with a decent range of Archie Comics characters seems almost criminal. Articulation or poseability isn't even a main concern, since Archie characters aren't "action heroes" -- a line of faithfully-sculpted PVC figurines would do just fine.

Hey, here's a decent-looking line of busts (though still not as faithful as I'd like them to be) that I stumbled across on an image search. Produced in 2006-2007 by Diamond Select LLC, these were limited to 1,000 pieces and originally retailed for $45. Anybody got any of these?

Quote from: Terry1 on August 15, 2019, 08:57:53 AM

Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on August 15, 2019, 04:07:36 AM

Quote from: Terry1 on August 12, 2019, 03:38:27 AMMy personal favorite is this vintage Jughead statue in a tin box from Dark Horse.

Or as I like to call him, "SCARY Jughead". This early prototype version of Juggie was definitely in need of some serious tweaking before he could become a beloved character. As a kid, if you saw this guy walking down the sidewalk towards you, you'd cross the street or turn the corner hoping to avoid losing your lunch money. Pretty shady-looking.

See, what I love about this is that it's old, original, Bob Montana Jughead!  Unapologetically ugly.  I think the same toy designers kind of chickened out when they did Archie: the box design is OG Bob Montana Archie, but the actual figure is closer to the contemporary Archie.  I feel like this was a blunder on their part:  it was supposed to be CLASSIC Archie, and to me, that means Bob Montana.

The original Jughead design definitely reflects that "Dead End Kid from the wrong side of the tracks" influence. I think the initial idea there was to make him quirky or have 'strange talents' as a counterpoint to that street urchin, lower-class look, and initially he's not too bright. Kind of a Popeye approach. When you think about it, Popeye pretty much broke every rule there was for a series protagonist. An older not-at-all-handsome guy with a huge jaw and tattoos, missing an eye, and smoking (something in) a corncob pipe. Eventually things went in kind of a totally different direction for Jughead's character, though they certainly kept the quirky/strange talents part.

Those pinback buttons are miles apart from the tin box art, too.

I don't have much to speak of for Archie merch, just a couple of recent things, because I sort of got a late start on Archie Comics (basically fleeing from Marvel and DC in the past 5-6 years). It certainly seems like the prime period to focus on is the decade from 1968-1978, when there was a much greater variety of Archie collectibles to choose from. My personal favorites are the (again, pretty recent) Mattel Betty and Veronica dolls. Light years better than the Marx or Praying Mantis versions of B&V. BUT it has to be admitted that a big percentage of Archie licensed merch is pretty crappy. They just took the money, and didn't care if the licensee was putting out a quality product. Ever see those ugly-as-sin Remco action figures of the Mighty Crusaders from the 1980s? This was shortly after the time Kenner was putting out the DC Super Powers figures, and Mattel was putting out the Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars figures. Still crude by comparison to today's action figures, but at the time, those were top quality. But those Remco Crusaders figures... ugh!

Quote from: Terry1 on August 12, 2019, 03:38:27 AMMy personal favorite is this vintage Jughead statue in a tin box from Dark Horse.

Or as I like to call him, "SCARY Jughead". This early prototype version of Juggie was definitely in need of some serious tweaking before he could become a beloved character. As a kid, if you saw this guy walking down the sidewalk towards you, you'd cross the street or turn the corner hoping to avoid losing your lunch money. Pretty shady-looking.

April 7, 2020 is a long way away. Let's hope this one doesn't go through the same cycle of solicitation-cancellation-solicitation again that the first volume did. Presumably the Netflix SABRINA series has made her a little more viable as a franchise now, so... fingers crossed.

Quote from: SAGG on July 18, 2019, 11:35:06 PMI wish they'd get off the storybook stories. 🙄 Once in awhile, sure, but more contemporary stories are what I'd prefer. Yeah, we get them in the digests, and I'm not complaining, but I'd want to see the one shots in contemporary style... 😏

The storybook tales don't appear THAT often. The B&V floppy comic one-shots are just following the new digest shorts in sequential order of their appearance, so that most recent #1, "Return to Storybook Land" will be the last you get of those type of stories for a while; meanwhile the ongoing new digest 5-pagers are continuing to be created with a theme in mind to fill each floppy one-shot, so they'll be moving on to different themes. Since the floppies are all one-shots anyway, you can miss it if they're that disagreeable to you, and still not have a hole in the run -- since they're all "issue #1".

The storybook tales actually seem to be quite popular with readers, and they're probably easy to write because it's fun to tweak the old fairy tales (which are familiar to most readers) with new variations highlighting the girls' personalities. Then again, everything at ACP is planned with an eye towards future reprint possibilities in mind, and those B&V storybook trade collections probably sold well -- so they're eventually trying to accumulate enough pages for another trade collection.

One oddity that doesn't fit any theme appears in the latest B & V FRIENDS JUMBO DIGEST #272 -- an it's an extra new 5-page story in addition to the regular 5-page lead story that fits the current theme. The story features the team of BLACKJACK & POWERTEEN, in which the old MLJ superhero, together with Veronica's superheroic alter ego, investigate the mystery of Mr. Lodge's safe being pilfered. (I won't spoil it by giving away further details of the plot.) Strangely enough, this is the first appearance of PowerTeen in a story in which Dan Parent had no involvement -- the story's written by Ian Flynn (who has previously written Crusaders stories for ACP), and drawn by Jeff Shultz. Presumably the editor liked the script, but because the story doesn't include either Betty or Archie, it wasn't really suitable for the lead story in either the B&V digests, or any of the ARCHIE digests. And since it doesn't fit with the current B&V theme, it's doubtful that it will be included in a future floppy B&V one-shot.

Quote from: ASS-P on July 12, 2019, 07:04:17 PM...Well, I think of " girly " as like Bettie Page. old-school pin-ups ma...girly shows ". " Girlie ", contrastly, makes me think more of " girl-LIKE/more aimed at ' girls ".

Exactly reversed for me.