News:

Welcome! Please pardon the dust as we work to set the site up again :)

Main Menu
Menu

Show posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.

Show posts Menu

Messages - Vegan Jughead

#61
All About Archie / Re: The Archies Meet The Monkees
October 04, 2017, 09:52:16 AM
Can't WAIT for this!  I recently re-read "The Archies" one shot and liked it a lot better this time. 


I love Alex Segura's writing typically.  This should be great. 
#62
All About Archie / Re: Bart Beaty's TWELVE-CENT ARCHIE
September 10, 2017, 03:51:10 PM
Given that Archie is considered a joke by so many in the comic industry, I doubt we'll ever see the "critical anthology" you're wishing for. 


I'm now scared to reread Twelve Cent Archie because it sounds like I might have the same issues with it you do.


I might just remain "bedazzled by the fact that anyone had taken the time to write a book about Archie that doesn't amount to a company-approved summary of the publisher's history."   
#63
I have that book and i love that book, but even I, as a HUGE Lucey fan, was a bit taken back at his use of "by far".  I think he was just trying to be edgy since Dan DeCarlo is assumed by most casual observers to be THE Archie artist. 


For B&V, in that era I'll take DeCarlo.  If I can go across all eras, I'll take Dan Parent or Bob Montana, although I love Jeff Shultz's DeCarlo tribute style as well.   


I like Dan Parent's B&V, but Montana and DeCarlo drew during what in my opinion was a high point for women's fashion, so I guess I like Parent's Betty and Veronica heads and Montana and DeCarlo from the neck down.  Ha ha.   
#64
All About Archie / Re: Lurid Little Nightmare Makers
September 08, 2017, 06:11:44 AM
Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on September 07, 2017, 11:49:14 PM
Quote from: Vegan Jughead on September 07, 2017, 01:02:23 PM
I just got this in the mail.  I'm at work so I don't have time to read it yet but on first glance it looks really cool!

Dare we hope for a complete review (of the Archie-related contents) in the near future??  ???


I'm not really the reviewing type DCR, but YOU are.  I'm more of a consumer than a collector of comics.  How about this?  When I'm done (it will probably take me a few weeks as I'm reading about 30 things at once, LOL), I'll let you know, then you PM me your address and I'll send it to you and if you want to, you can review it for us to read.   If you don't want to, you still get to read the book.  You can't lose (and if you review it for the forum, we all win). 



#65
All About Archie / Re: Lurid Little Nightmare Makers
September 07, 2017, 01:02:23 PM
I just got this in the mail.  I'm at work so I don't have time to read it yet but on first glance it looks really cool!



#66
I just got this.  I love the size!  GREAT collection.
#67
Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on September 03, 2017, 04:15:01 AM
The next JOSIE collection released was the first to be a digital exclusive (it was later re-released with a altered cover design as PEP DIGITAL No. 69). It contained stories from five complete issues of She's Josie (1963), only one issue of which (She's Josie #1) was later completely reprinted in any of the later Josie collections. Unfortunately, the collection didn't reprint ALL of She's Josie chronologically from the beginning -- after issue #1, it skipped to reprinting the stories from issues #8, 9, 10 and 13. Subsequently, all of the stories from Josie #2 and 3 were included as reprints in Archie's Big Book: Magic, Music, & Mischief (the complete contents of which will be detailed in an upcoming post).

Most of the older pre-Pussycats issues of JOSIE were reprinted in older issues of World of Archie Double Digest (with the exceptions of JOSIE #12, 14, 17, 38, and 42-44), so we know ACP has usable copies of the majority of those stories -- the remaining missing art pages could be reconstructed digitally by scanning pristine copies of the printed comic books and using Photoshop to clean up the scans. Can a Complete JOSIE ARCHIVES hardcover reprint collection be more than a decade away in the future? Time will tell... but in the meantime, this collection is a must-have, even for those of us (like myself) who much prefer print comics over digital.

Try staring intently at the image of Josie and Albert for a minute...
    ... It takes on a psychedelic 3-D effect!!




   She's JOSIE: Before the Pussycats!       (124 pages)      source of 1st publication      Dec. 2013      writer      penciller      inker      
   A Gym Dandy - Chapter I      8 pages      JOSIE #1      Feb. 1963      Frank Doyle      Dan DeCarlo      Vincent DeCarlo      
   Neat Workers - Chapter II      6 pages      JOSIE #1      Feb. 1963      Frank Doyle      Dan DeCarlo      Vincent DeCarlo      
   Muscle Hustle - Chapter III      5 pages      JOSIE #1      Feb. 1963      Frank Doyle      Dan DeCarlo      Vincent DeCarlo      
   Track Down - Chapter IV      6 pages      JOSIE #1      Feb. 1963      Frank Doyle      Dan DeCarlo      Vincent DeCarlo      
   The Unhappy Hero - Chapter I      8 pages      JOSIE #8      Sept. 1964      Frank Doyle      Dan DeCarlo      Vincent DeCarlo      
   Saved By The Belle - Chapter II      6 pages      JOSIE #8      Sept. 1964      Frank Doyle      Dan DeCarlo      Vincent DeCarlo      
   And Away We Go - Chapter III      5 pages      JOSIE #8      Sept. 1964      Frank Doyle      Dan DeCarlo      Vincent DeCarlo      
   Happy Ending - Chapter IV      5 pages      JOSIE #8      Sept. 1964      Frank Doyle      Dan DeCarlo      Vincent DeCarlo      
   You're The Tops - Chapter I      8 pages      JOSIE #9      Oct. 1964      Frank Doyle      Dan DeCarlo      Vincent DeCarlo      
   A Run For Your Money - Chapter II      6 pages      JOSIE #9      Oct. 1964      Frank Doyle      Dan DeCarlo      Vincent DeCarlo      
   Fair Play - Chapter III      5 pages      JOSIE #9      Oct. 1964      Frank Doyle      Dan DeCarlo      Vincent DeCarlo      
   Cereal Story - Chapter IV      5 pages      JOSIE #9      Oct. 1964      Frank Doyle      Dan DeCarlo      Vincent DeCarlo      
   Team Spirit - Chapter I      8 pages      JOSIE #10      Dec. 1964      Frank Doyle      Dan DeCarlo      Vincent DeCarlo      
   No Help Wanted - Chapter II      6 pages      JOSIE #10      Dec. 1964      Frank Doyle      Dan DeCarlo      Vincent DeCarlo      
   Sideline Stars - Chapter III      5 pages      JOSIE #10      Dec. 1964      Frank Doyle      Dan DeCarlo      Vincent DeCarlo      
   The Last Man - Chapter IV      5 pages      JOSIE #10      Dec. 1964      Frank Doyle      Dan DeCarlo      Vincent DeCarlo      
   The Schemers - Chapter I      8 pages      JOSIE #13      Jun. 1965      Frank Doyle      Dan DeCarlo      Vincent DeCarlo      
   The Dreamers - Chapter II      6 pages      JOSIE #13      Jun. 1965      Frank Doyle      Dan DeCarlo      Vincent DeCarlo      
   Now You See It - Chapter III      5 pages      JOSIE #13      Jun. 1965      Frank Doyle      Dan DeCarlo      Vincent DeCarlo      
   Now You Don't - Chapter IV      5 pages      JOSIE #13      Jun. 1965      Frank Doyle      Dan DeCarlo      Vincent DeCarlo      


Next post -- the BEST OF JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS: GREATEST HITS digital exclusive collection from Dec. 2014.


this is fantastic research, DCR.  Thanks so much!
#68
Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on September 02, 2017, 04:00:23 PM
Continuing our review of various Josie collections (post #2 of 8*), both print and digital, we come to the first TRUE Josie trade paperback collection, from June of 2001. Once again, it took a media tie-in (in the form of a live-action movie) to motivate ACP to reprint a bunch of old Josie stories. Ah... it's ever the way with them. This happens to coincide with Josie & the Pussycats being promoted from a backup feature to taking the lead spot (and cover) of ARCHIE & FRIENDS, beginning with issue #47 (itself a reprint), but with #48-49, they got a 4-chapter, 22-page story by Dan Parent (w) and Rex Lindsey (a), broken into 2 chapters per issue ("Music For the Masses"). In the following issue, Holly Golightly stepped in to contribute the artwork, and she'd soon be writing the stories as well, for this too-short, but much-beloved (by me!) run of A&F. Suddenly Josie and her friends had a brief moment in the spotlight and a higher profile at Archie Comics than they'd had in almost two decades. This trade kicked off the celebration, with Rex Lindsey contributing a very nice cover (presumably Holly G was drafted as an afterthought, to replace Lindsey for some reason, but Rex had almost been drawing more covers for ACP at this point than even the prolific Stan Goldberg, so it's obvious that the editor was pretty happy with his work for the company. Perhaps his utility as a cover artist (not to mention as a Jughead artist) was just too valuable for him to be able to do a regular ongoing Josie strip as well.

*(I couldn't believe there were that many!! AND I'm even leaving out Tania Del Rio's Josie the Manga digital collection, and the recent New Riverdale J&tP trade!)



   BEST OF JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS      100-page TP      source of 1st publication      June 2001      writer      penciller      inker      
   cover            new cover illustration by Rex W. Lindsay                  Rex W. Lindsay            
   Whoever Heard of Girls With Guitars?      2 pages      BEST OF JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS      June 2001      Paul Castiglia                  
   A Gym Dandy      8 pages      JOSIE #1      Feb. 1963      Frank Doyle      Dan DeCarlo      Vincent DeCarlo      
   First Appearance of Alexandra Cabot      1 page (excerpted)      JOSIE #8      Sept. 1964      Frank Doyle      Dan DeCarlo      Rudy Lapick      
   First Appearance of Alan M. Mayberry      1 page (excerpted)      JOSIE #42      Aug. 1969      Frank Doyle      Dan DeCarlo      Rudy Lapick      
   Evolution of Alexandra's Stripe and Sebastian the Cat      1 page (excerpted)      JOSIE #43      Sept. 1969      Frank Doyle      Dan DeCarlo      Rudy Lapick      
   Decisions, Decisions      6 pages      JOSIE #45      Dec. 1969      Dick Malmgren      Dan DeCarlo      Rudy Lapick      
   Pussy Footing      5 pages      JOSIE #45      Dec. 1969      Dick Malmgren      Dan DeCarlo      Rudy Lapick      
   Quiet on the Set      8 pages      JOSIE #50      Sept. 1970      Dick Malmgren      Dan DeCarlo      Rudy Lapick      
   Josie and the Pussycats Come to TV      1 page      (ad originally appeared in multiple comics)      Aug. (?) 1970            Dan DeCarlo            
   Brawn Is Beautiful      5 pages      JOSIE #53      Feb. 1971      Frank Doyle      Dan DeCarlo      Rudy Lapick      
   Ban the Blonde      5 pages      JOSIE #55      June 1971      Frank Doyle      Dan DeCarlo      Rudy Lapick      
   The Early Worm Gets the Bird      5 pages      JOSIE #56      Aug. 1971      Frank Doyle      Dan DeCarlo      Rudy Lapick      
   The Ghost of Dark Valley Manor      16 pages      JOSIE #57      Sept. 1971      Dick Malmgren      Dan DeCarlo      Rudy Lapick      
   Up, Up, and Away!!      12 pages      Josie #58      Oct. 1971      Frank Doyle      Dan DeCarlo      Rudy Lapick      
   The Pussycats Get A New Look!      1 page (excerpted)      ARCHIE GIANT SERIES #540      Aug. 1984      Frank Doyle      Dan DeCarlo      Jim DeCarlo      
   Limo Rock      5 pages      ARCHIE GIANT SERIES #562      Aug. 1986      George Gladir      Dan DeCarlo      Jim DeCarlo      
   Cat at the Crossroads       11 pages      ARCHIE GIANT SERIES #584      Sept. 1988      Kathleen Webb      Stan Goldberg      Rudy Lapick      
   J&tP Skiing (pin-up)      1 page      JOSIE & THE PUSSYCATS (1993) #2      Spring 1994            Dan DeCarlo      Alison Flood      


NOTES: There's good and bad to be said about this collection. In contrast to my previous post, in this instance the listings in RED indicate a story which hasn't yet been included in any of the subsequent collections (print OR digital), and that's a fair number of stories, so this collection is far from obsolete, despite having many collections come afterwards. BUT it does also contain the superior and unusual "Cat at the Crossroads" by Kathleen Webb, where Josie experiences a life crisis about where she's heading with her future career.

It opens with a 2-page introduction by Paul Castiglia, "Whoever Heard of Girls With Guitars? ". Unfortunately, the editor here chose to include a number of "highlight" moments from stories, in the form of 1-page excerpts, as opposed to just printing the whole story. I could certainly have skipped the excerpt of Alan M's first appearance, plus the excerpt of the Pussycats as punk rockers, for just ONE of those stories complete (or even a single chapter of a 4-part longer story). The sorest point would be JOSIE #43 (as was standard practice, a booklength storyline comprised of four individual Chapters, or Acts) -- the one that explains how Alexandra discovers her ancestor, Sebastian Cabot (whose name was stolen from a notable television actor, who played "Mr. French" on Family Affair), was in fact suspected of "consorting with witches", and she realizes that his spirit may have been reincarnated in her pet cat Sebastian, who shares the same name -- thus, whenever Alexandra is in contact with her cat, she can perform black magic, and believing absolutely that it is so, she finds a book of sorcerous spells to study (self-fulfilling prophecy?). Thereafter, she will attempt to bedevil Josie with her newfound mystic skills, until someone (usually Melody) unwittingly snaps their fingers and breaks her spell. If this sounds familiar, it's because much later on, Sabrina's pet (familiar) cat Salem will also turn out to be a human trapped in a feline body. It hasn't happened yet, but I really want to see that entire issue (JOSIE #43) reprinted. It seems the Cabots have a family history of malicious, restless spirits who remain bound to the mortal plane and who have the ability to possess the bodies of the living (as both Alex and Alexandra will discover in JOSIE #70's "Vengeance From the Crypt").

Bottom line is, there are still quite a few stories here that are in no other collections, so buy it if you can find it at cover price or less. The 2-page pullout Dan DeCarlo pin-up poster of Josie and Valerie skiing (and Melody wiping out) from JOSIE & THE PUSSYCATS (1993) #2 is reduced here to a single page image.

Next post --  the SHE'S JOSIE: BEFORE THE PUSSYCATS Digital Exclusive collection.


I love this book.  I got it a few years ago when Archie was blowing out their graphic novels.  They practically gave it away, like 2 bucks or something.  I know it will never happen but I would love to see a complete pre-Pussycats Josie done in a nice hardback. 
#69
All About Archie / Re: Your Pal Archie #2
September 02, 2017, 05:19:01 PM
Quote from: Tuxedo Mark on September 02, 2017, 03:20:56 PM
Quote from: Vegan Jughead on September 01, 2017, 10:30:21 PM
I subscribed so it's only like 2.50 a copy but I'd pay 3.99 otherwise.

I've stopped trusting Archie subscriptions. I subscribed to "Betty" and got one issue (the final one); my subscription was not transferred to "Betty & Veronica" (as was supposedly going to happen). I recently renewed my P.O. Box pretty much solely so I can receive the remaining issues in my AWA and CHAoS subscriptions. It's more of a hassle now than anything.


Oh that sucks Mark.  I haven't really had any problems.  A couple of missed issues in the last few years but they always replaced them quickly.
#70
Sort of off topic but I picked up Archie's Big Book Magic Music and Mischief yesterday.  I remember you saying you had gotten it, DCR.  I was surprised after the title billed Josie & the Pussycats to find so many pre-Pussycats Josie stories in it.  Not disappointed AT ALL.  I love the size of this book too; almost as big as the original comics. 
#71
All About Archie / Re: Your Pal Archie #2
September 01, 2017, 10:30:21 PM
Quote from: Tuxedo Mark on September 01, 2017, 07:00:46 PM
Still debating whether to drop $3.99 on this.


I subscribed so it's only like 2.50 a copy but I'd pay 3.99 otherwise.   But then, I love Dan Parent.  I wasn't familiar with Ty Templeton but I like his writing on this, especially the new issue. 
#72
All About Archie / Your Pal Archie #2
September 01, 2017, 05:45:59 PM
I just got my subscription copy of Your Pal Archie #2 in the mail.


It's great!  The first issue was just getting us warmed up.  If you haven't read YPA, do it! 


Archie wins the lottery in this one and of course it's a mess. 


The back up story (which is to be continued next issue) is about Reggie getting what looks like a concussion playing football and it changes his behavior some would say for the better.


Ty Templeton's dialogue is funny and Dan's art, as always, is top notch. 


I'm hoping this thing gets extended beyond 5 issues or at least they use a similar idea on different characters. 



#73
Reviews / Re: Archie & Friends Double Digest #30
September 01, 2017, 09:31:52 AM
Quote from: Ronny G on August 27, 2017, 04:36:46 PM
Sorry to hear about some of the digests ending. I noticed my supermarket recently has downsized its rack of Archie digests it carries at the checkout lane at Ralph's supermarket on the West Coast. Used to have at least 2 or 3 different titles to choose from--now lucky if I see one! I've subscribed to 3 different digest titles in recent years. I love the classic stories from the 50s-70s--not too crazy about the recent material from the 90s and up, but it seems the digests are 60% newer stories. The digests started piling up in my house so I stopped renewing, but I recently got an email asking me to renew my subscriptions again for 6 issues for $9.99. I really don't need more digests piling up in the house, but it really is a good deal because one jumbo digest cost like $6.99 retail so I renewed my subscription to Betty and Veronica. Also, they have been kind enough to send me some "grace" issues after my subscriptions expired so I felt a sense of loyalty, cause I don't want to see the digests end. I also ordered the upcoming Best of Josie 400 page book from them so I should get that in the mail soon. They also want me to renew B&V friends, but it doesn't sound like it will be around. What would happen if I renewed i and they ended the title? Would they send me something else in it's place??


Ronny, I just saw your question.  If you subscribe to a title and it ends, Archie Comics will send you an email offering to switch your remaining subscription to another title.  Because of how many books have been cancelled over the last few years and new title being introduced, this has happened to me several times and it always works out fine. 
#74
All About Archie / Re: Lurid Little Nightmare Makers
August 31, 2017, 09:06:28 AM
Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on August 31, 2017, 07:12:44 AM
I did a search for this to see what turned up. Lurid Little Nightmares has a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/llnmfanzine/.

The book itself is a 206-page, 8.5"x11" trade paperback. It can be ordered here: http://www.leylander.org/boardman/#!/Lurid-Little-Nightmare-Makers-Volume-Seven/p/76110440/category=14445202. It's a little pricey at $28, but if you're only interested in the contents of the articles, you can get a black & white edition of the book for $14 (regular edition is full-color). I'm thinking about it. There are a couple of neat old 1950s Dan DeCarlo reprints in here, "Wendy the WAF" from G.I. JOE #8, and "Ship Ahoy!" from THE BRAIN #1. I'll have to double-check to see whether those were the same ones reprinted in Fantagraphics' THE ART OF DAN DECARLO.

Here is the contents page, followed by the editor's Introduction page:





If you decide to get it DCR, you can buy it on Ebay from the same guy, but it's 4 dollars cheaper because it's $24 + $4 shipping.  On the website you shared, it's $28 + 3.95 shipping.  Both say brand new so I assume you're getting the exact same thing. 


Here's the Ebay link:  http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lurid-Little-Nightmare-Makers-7-December-2016-Archie-at-75-Ogden-Whitney-/302424605121?epid=2135879873&hash=item4669e941c1:g:JBEAAOSwjDZYfDNY
#75
All About Archie / Re: Lurid Little Nightmare Makers
August 31, 2017, 09:03:34 AM
thanks for bringing this to my attention, y'all!  I'm getting this!