Thanks for the kind sentiment. I draw a Scarlet story about once a year.

Hi Everybody!,

Here is on article on the inspiration behind the cover to an upcoming Scarlet story I'll be pencilling...

https://whav.net/2022/06/02/archie-comics-co-ceo-corrects-an-old-error-and-more-closely-connects-haverhill-to-riverdale/?fbclid=IwAR2p47Fx6IflE2rA1_rWIYtwkf4bQRBWMlCPW-N9Wp8kAQC_v8eDAoJDF_Q

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For those not familiar with Scarlet, she is the creation of Nancy Silberkleit, the Co-CEO for Archie Comics. Scarlet is autistic and attends Riverdale High along with Archie, Betty & Veronica, and the rest of the Archie gang. I have illustrated a few Scarlet stories now. They are all available digitally. The upcoming story will deal with autism, pets, and kindness towards animals.

I hope you'll check it out when it becomes available. More details on that to come. Stay tuned!

Fernando

Quote from: Tuxedo Mark on April 19, 2022, 12:26:43 PMWhy was she despised at the office?

Johanna Draper Carlson used to report regularly on Archie Comics' sales figures. I believe her posts appeared regularly on The Beat and I think Publisher's Weekly, but I'm not sure about that one. I'm pretty sure the source of her information were Archie's own Statement of Ownership pages. 

Along with the sales figures, which at this time, were in steady decline, Johanna offered commentary and even predictions which of course based on the bleak data were often not particularly optimistic. At Archie Comics, the most unpardonable sin was to speak about the company in negative light... even if what you are saying is true.

Johanna did make these posts fairly regularly. At the Office, she was often dismissed disdainfully as someone with an axe to grind against the company and her information deliberately incomplete and slanted to paint the company in the worst light possible. I never met her and had no idea if she did have any feelings towards the company one way or the other. I viewed her posts with mixed feelings because while I did believe her info was incomplete, I didn't think she was very far off from the truth either. I did admire her openness and what I regarded as her frank objectivity on the topic. To me, she was telling it as she saw it.

Quote from: Tuxedo Mark on April 15, 2022, 10:54:45 PMOh, and here's a post regarding Archie Comics' sales figures for 2012 (the last year for which this site had made a post for that information, it seems).

Johanna Draper Carlson!! I'd forgotten about her! They despised her up at the Office! Where has she been? Does she still report on Archie's sales?

Quote from: Oldiesmann on April 06, 2022, 12:38:53 AMI wonder what it would take to get the company to bring back the full-size comics with 3-4 new stories. 

The business of the thirty-two page monthly format, what we called "the Thirty-Two's" back in the day, is a tough one these days for any publisher let alone Archie Comics. 

When I first started at Archie in '94, the Thirty-Two's were already having a hard time but at least they were holding their own. At the time, I was told Betty & Veronica was the "big seller" and that Jughead always seemed to struggle as the lowest seller... despite everyone always claiming that Jughead was their favorite character. 

Some time later, the Thirty-Two's stopped making money, but Archie Comics continued publishing them even at a loss. The thinking was that the Thirty-Two's were a platform for new material that would eventually be funneled into the digests. The digests were still formidable sellers (even by Marvel and DC standards!) so the money would be made there. As long as the digests were sufficiently profitable, they were in a sense paying for a continuation of the Thirty-Two's. The company also firmly believed that Archie Comics should ALWAYS publish at least the Archie, Jughead and Betty & Veronica titles no matter what!

Eventually the company's philosophy became that EVERYTHING had to make money on its own. The Thirty-Two's would no longer be published at a loss regardless of what the digests were doing. Over the course of a couple of years, most of the Thirty-Two's were euthanized. The Betty solo book and Archie & Friends went out sadly as reprint books complete with re-colored reprint covers. I believe I may have provided the last original cover on the Betty series if I remember right. 

At the end, I was told that a Thirty-Two had to sell five thousand copies in order to be profitable. I have no idea if this threshold remains today or what the current publishing philosophy is. 

Quote from: Hanna Barbera Montana on November 29, 2021, 01:56:14 AMThe one thing I really miss on here was Fernando Ruiz's posts.

I thought the site died!

Quote from: ASS-P on June 11, 2019, 07:18:28 PM...How many pages it if? And is this her 3d siory? First to give her a surname?

1. Six pages.
2. I believe so.
3. I think so too.

Quote from: PTF on May 29, 2019, 11:35:09 AMAlways great to see your art.

Thanks!

Hi Everybody!

I've drawn another story for Archie Comics featuring Scarlet Saltee, Archie's first autistic character.

This story, entitled "FLOWER FEET," was written by Dan Collins, pencilled by me and beautifully inked by the great Al Milgrom. Like all of my other recent stories for Archie, this one is exclusively available by contacting Archie Comics CEO, Nancy Silberkleit, at nancy.archiecomics@gmail.com. The story is exclusively available as a PDF for 1.99.

You can read more about this story at Fernandoruizeverybody.com:

http://fernandoruizeverybody.com/scarlet-is-back-in-flower-feet/

Please check it out. 

Thanks, Everybody!

Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on April 23, 2019, 05:54:38 AMArchie vs. Predator II? Ugh. The only thing worthwhile about the first one was Fernando's art, so this is kind of like a backhanded slap to him from ACP.

Thanks... and yes. It is. But that's Archie Comics for you.

Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on July 16, 2018, 05:22:30 PM

IMO, if what they were attempting to focus on in this story was what Archie's life was like as a typical high school student in 1941 -- how was it the same for teenagers 25, 50 or 75 years later? and in what ways was it different? -- it would have been a lot more relevant to what ARCHIE, as a comic book character with more than 75 years of history behind him, has really been about -- always reflecting "the high school experience" (whatever that may mean).

That could've been very interesting... but it is what the company has been running from at top speed for the last two years.

The story, Kindness Works, was ten pages. There are a number of previews of it out there if you google "Archie Comics autism, Scarlet" The story has received a good amount of coverage from various circles.


You can also check out my pencils to a few of the pages over on my website:


http://fernandoruizeverybody.com/kindness-works-a-new-archie-story/

Hi, Everybody!


I just wanted to let everyone know that Dan Parent and I are producing a THIRD volume to our popular independent comic book series, DIE KITTY DIE and we have launched a Kickstarter campaign in order to fund it. As we've often said, we couldn't produce this series without the loyal fans who come out to support us during these campaigns. We appreciate everyone who has donated and helped us get this far.


In addition to supporting this project and securing copies of Die Kitty Die Heaven & Hell for yourself, the Kickstarter campaign is the ONLY place to get some cool fun stuff not available anywhere else. We're currently offering ALL NEW sketchbooks featuring our art. These sketchbooks are not available anywhere else!


We're also holding our exclusive art sales where Dan and I trade select one-of-a-king pieces in return for a pledge to the campaign. Currently, I'm offering the entire Veronica half of Life With Archie magazine #31. This was a key issue in which began events leading up to the famous Death Of Archie storyline. All twenty pages are included in this offer.


Dan and I are also offering the opportunity for personal one-of-kind commissions.


Please check out the campaign and all of our offerings:


https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/14732987/die-kitty-die-heaven-and-hell?ref=nav_search&result=project&term=Die%20Kitty%20Die




Thanks, Everybody! Your support is greatly appreciated! Please help us spread the word!


Fernando

Here's a nice review of "Kindness Works:"


http://www.forcesofgeek.com/2018/01/kindness-works-review.html




Please check it out.

Quote from: Mr.Lodge on January 28, 2018, 09:01:48 AM
Got mine on Friday and love it. 

Whew! Glad it worked out!