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Archie & Friends Double Digest #30

Started by fionam427, August 23, 2017, 11:57:12 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

fionam427

Why is it that the comic book stated above features Toni Topaz on the cover, yet has no story inside depicting her. Also if anyone can explain to me why Toni even has any point of reference in the new Riverdale series, when she isn't even an established character?!

DeCarlo Rules

#1
Quote from: fionam427 on August 23, 2017, 11:57:12 AM
Why is it that the comic book stated above features Toni Topaz on the cover, yet has no story inside depicting her.

More often than not, the cover art you see on a digest is not depicting a scene from a story inside. Most of the cover art is newly created, while usually only one (maybe two; or, maybe none) of the stories in the digest is new. The rest are reprinted older stories. Is there a story (that looks like it might be brand-new) in that issue where Archie is playing football with girls? Probably not. So in this case, Toni is what they call in Hollywood an 'extra'. She's in the scene, but has no actual role in the movie. She has just a "walk-on" or cameo part. She's not a featured actress, so she tends to just have either non-speaking roles where she's in the scene but doesn't actually do anything, or she just has a small part. There were only a couple of stories where she had a larger role.

Here we have an exception to all of those things I said above -- Toni's first appearance in the story "The Christmas Challenge!" in JUGHEAD DOUBLE DIGEST #176, where she DID have a main featured part in the story, and where the cover of the digest DID depict a scene from that story:

irishmoxie

They've been doing that bait and switch forever. I remember my first Betty and Veronica digest had Cheryl on the cover despite having no Cheryl story inside. She was staring in her own series at the time.

DeCarlo Rules

#3
Quote from: irishmoxie on August 23, 2017, 06:53:41 PM
They've been doing that bait and switch forever. I remember my first Betty and Veronica digest had Cheryl on the cover despite having no Cheryl story inside. She was staring in her own series at the time.

People who have been reading the digest titles for years have probably already noticed this, but a decade or more ago, the digests contained a significantly larger number of new story pages. Back in that time it was common for the covers to depict a scene from one of the new stories inside, and these stories could be anywhere from 10-20 pages. That was back when Nelson Riberio was the digest editor. ACP still published both regular and Double Digest titles devoted to its most popular characters, there were 8 ongoing digest titles, and the Archie digests were outselling just about every comic book published in the direct market.

Since Ribero left ACP (he went to work for Marvel's reprint collections division) the digests shifted to gag covers, and then to covers featuring mostly generic scenes from which the cover artwork could be re-used in a variety of different formats. The number of new story pages was reduced, and for a couple of years new stories disappeared from the digests altogether, before being restored to a standardized single new 5-page story per digest issue in 2014. Also since that time ACP has ceased to publish the "regular" (96-page) digest format, and the number of titles has dropped from 8, to 6 ongoing titles... and it looks like it's about to become just 4 ongoing titles.

We already knew that JUGHEAD AND ARCHIE was ending (I just got the final issue, #27) and being replaced by ARCHIE AND ME Digest, but the last solicitation for issues of both ARCHIE'S FUNHOUSE (#28) and B & V FRIENDS (#256) appeared in July's PREVIEWS (supposed to ship in September), and there should have been a solicitation for another issue in the September PREVIEWS catalog (for shipping in November), but none materialized. Barring a solicitation in October's catalog for an early December shipping date, it looks like this might be the end for Archie's Funhouse and B & V Friends, or maybe they'll be replaced by new digest titles, hard to say.


Vegan Jughead

Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on August 24, 2017, 03:56:11 AM
Quote from: irishmoxie on August 23, 2017, 06:53:41 PM
They've been doing that bait and switch forever. I remember my first Betty and Veronica digest had Cheryl on the cover despite having no Cheryl story inside. She was staring in her own series at the time.

People who have been reading the digest titles for years have probably already noticed this, but a decade or more ago, the digests contained a significantly larger number of new story pages. Back in that time it was common for the covers to depict a scene from one of the new stories inside, and these stories could be anywhere from 10-20 pages. That was back when Nelson Riberio was the digest editor. ACP still published both regular and Double Digest titles devoted to its most popular characters, there were 8 ongoing digest titles, and the Archie digests were outselling just about every comic book published in the direct market.

Since Ribero left ACP (he went to work for Marvel's reprint collections division) the digests shifted to gag covers, and then to covers featuring mostly generic scenes from which the cover artwork could be re-used in a variety of different formats. The number of new story pages was reduced, and for a couple of years new stories disappeared from the digests altogether, before being restored to a standardized single new 5-page story per digest issue in 2014. Also since that time ACP has ceased to publish the "regular" (96-page) digest format, and the number of titles has dropped from 8, to 6 ongoing titles... and it looks like it's about to become just 4 ongoing titles.

We already knew that JUGHEAD AND ARCHIE was ending (I just got the final issue, #27) and being replaced by ARCHIE AND ME Digest, but the last solicitation for issues of both ARCHIE'S FUNHOUSE (#28) and B & V FRIENDS (#256) appeared in July's PREVIEWS (supposed to ship in September), and there should have been a solicitation for another issue in the September PREVIEWS catalog (for shipping in November), but none materialized. Barring a solicitation in October's catalog for an early December shipping date, it looks like this might be the end for Archie's Funhouse and B & V Friends, or maybe they'll be replaced by new digest titles, hard to say.


Everywhere that I go locally that carries the digest NEVER seems to sell any of them.  I don't know how much longer we'll see the digests, period, especially with the upcoming price hikes.  I can't imagine anyone paying that much for these books.  I subscribe to some of them and that's the only way I can afford to get them.  And of course, if we no longer see the digests, that's not good for ACP.  I don't think trade collections are enough to keep them in the black as far as publishing and both my local Barnes & Nobles have reduced their shelf space of Archie trade collections as well.




DeCarlo Rules

Quote from: Vegan Jughead on August 24, 2017, 07:46:54 AM

Everywhere that I go locally that carries the digest NEVER seems to sell any of them.  I don't know how much longer we'll see the digests, period, especially with the upcoming price hikes.  I can't imagine anyone paying that much for these books.  I subscribe to some of them and that's the only way I can afford to get them.  And of course, if we no longer see the digests, that's not good for ACP.  I don't think trade collections are enough to keep them in the black as far as publishing and both my local Barnes & Nobles have reduced their shelf space of Archie trade collections as well.

For a number of years the trade collections seemed to be doing quite well for ACP, judging by the number of them that ACP put out. That changed in the last 3 years, with new trade collections (other than the few New Riverdale collections) virtually stopping, with the exception of the 1000-Page Comics and Giant Comics digests. While the other type of trade collections of classic material slowed down, 1000-Pagers and Giants seemed to cruise on ahead. Perhaps that's because the trade collections were largely popular based on collecting multipart storylines... Archie Marries, The Married Life, Freshman Year, Archie Meets Kiss, etc. (to name a few of the best-sellers), and with no more classic-style floppies, there are no multipart stories to collect in them. As for the 1000-Page and Giant Comics digests, maybe they just competed the digests out of sales. Once people realize it's the same stories as buying 2-3 months' worth of individual digest issues, at what amounts to a bargain price, it makes it easy to quit buying the regular digests.

Ronny G

#6
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??

SAGG

Scary thought: Were the 80's the last great Archie story period?  :-\

Ronny G

Quote from: SAGG on August 27, 2017, 05:38:14 PM
Scary thought: Were the 80's the last great Archie story period?  :-\
I'm not sure. Probably not. For me, yes. I stopped buying new issues of Archie around mid-80s. I moved away to college and they cancelled Josie in '82. I started buying new issues again around late nineties out of nostalgia mostly, but the art was different IMO. I wonder if its a generational thing?


Vegan Jughead

Quote from: SAGG on August 27, 2017, 05:38:14 PM
Scary thought: Were the 80's the last great Archie story period?  :-\


Not for me.  I liked quite a few of the issues in the last couple of years before the reboot.  .


Especially Occupy Riverdale, Reversedale, and Mirrordale, and the one where they go to Riverdale Zoo and everyone turns into animals. I thought they did some great work, but unfortunately it wasn't selling.   

DeCarlo Rules

Quote from: Vegan Jughead on August 27, 2017, 07:56:43 PM
Quote from: SAGG on August 27, 2017, 05:38:14 PM
Scary thought: Were the 80's the last great Archie story period?  :-\


Not for me.  I liked quite a few of the issues in the last couple of years before the reboot.  .


Especially Occupy Riverdale, Reversedale, and Mirrordale, and the one where they go to Riverdale Zoo and everyone turns into animals. I thought they did some great work, but unfortunately it wasn't selling.

Absolutely. There was a huge amount of experimentation and trying new types of stories in the decade preceding the reboot. Although that period coincides with the cancellation of most of the remaining ongoing standard format titles, there's a huge amount of change, perhaps more than in the previous three decades. Not all of the changes were for the good, and they tried and failed with many experiments, but a surprising amount of good material did manage to come out of that, even if it was the result of forced evolution.

Ronny G

Quote from: Vegan Jughead on August 27, 2017, 07:56:43 PM
Not for me.  I liked quite a few of the issues in the last couple of years before the reboot.  .

Especially Occupy Riverdale, Reversedale, and Mirrordale, and the one where they go to Riverdale Zoo and everyone turns into animals. I thought they did some great work, but unfortunately it wasn't selling.


I just read a similar story in one of my digests last night called, "Animal Krackers" where Chuck created characters for his art project by imagining his friends as jungle animals.

Vegan Jughead

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. 

DeCarlo Rules

Quote from: Vegan Jughead on 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.

Well... they had been pretty good at just replacing a title that didn't sell well with a new title, and it looks like that applies to at least Jughead and Archie being replaced by Archie and Me. It doesn't sound like this is the old "Me" (meaning Mr. Weatherbee) in the title, but what I'm concerned about is where am I going to get to read old Jughead stories?

I'm not sure how long that can hold, though. I can hardly count Riverdale Digest as a real digest title, even if they do throw some classic stories in there to bulk it out (and how long can they continue that, anyway?)  Judging by the sale on the newest issues of the floppy comic Riverdale, that won't be around much longer either.

I never could understand how Betty and Veronica could be the best-selling digest, and B & V Friends the worst-selling, at the same time (although I guess Jughead and Archie was really the worst-selling), at least according to what I'd heard. That just makes no logical sense to me whatsoever, if they both feature 80% B&V stories, and are only distinguished by one being the title that regularly reprints Sabrina, and the other being the title that reprints Josie. It's one 15-25 page section, so that couldn't make a difference.

Anyway, hope I turn out to be wrong about that. If they cut back to publishing only one B & V digest, that will really suck. I guess I wouldn't miss Funhouse all that much, as long as it was replaced by something reprinting all classic stories.

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