Case Study in Archie (2-4 points)

 

  1. When I was first introduced to Archie as a young child (and probably still to this day) I was attracted to the simple style, fun dynamic, and bright flat colors. At first glance, I would probably say Archie is targeted towards a younger audience yet can still provide some decent entertainment to older readers as well. In my mind I think the children would find the pictures and colors more appealing while the adults/older audience might lean towards the story/writing, however, I guess it is all up to personal preference. In the large world of Archie, some can pick and choose what they would want to read. Personally, I would be more inclined to buy the Sabrina and the Teenage Witch comics rather than the classic Archie ones because of the darker artwork and story that follow.

  2. A big repeating theme I see in the Archieverse is probably the simple theme of friendship. Archie is hardly ever without company, and the large cast of family and friends is always there to keep him busy, which I think really helps move the story and development forward. By seeing Archie interact with a variety of different friends and friend groups we can really understand what kind of person he is, which in turn helps give readers a sense of reality and/or connection to certain characters. This is important to the overall aspect of storytelling as well because by putting such a large cast of funny and relatable characters in we are able to really imagine the world they are in as well. After some time, readers will have the ability to enjoy the small actions and adventures of everyone, even when Archie isn’t even present. 

  3. In the original/earlier comics, I can see the overall tone of everything was meant to be lighthearted and funny. Archie usually finds himself in goofy yet funny situations, and I can see the conclusion will always end up favoring him in some way. However, in the larger Archieverse, we are introduced to other characters like Sabrina and her aunts. It’s almost funny to think that these two people are supposed to exist in the same universe because Sabrina’s stories are always put in a darker tone. Although they are both young kids, Archie’s dilemma’s could be that of a big history test while Sabrina’s can range from foreboding themes like death and necromancy. I would say Archie depicts teenage life in an unusual yet unique way. It definitely ticks the boxes of school, friends, family troubles, and sports, yet manages to put a little twist into each other's little side stories. If Archie were to have a completely “normal” high school experience without all of his problems, it would turn out to be a very boring comic. So in a way Archie is set in a familiar world which we, the readers, can identify with, yet because of the story’s crazy antics and gags we are able to think of it as more than just the life of a boy growing up. The writers of Archie definitely know what parts of growing up are worth focusing on because no one would really want to read a section of him constantly getting scolded by his parents for not cleaning his room or something of the sort. 

  4. In my mind, Archie is a perfect example of perhaps the American dream. It’s a simple enough story of a boy going in and out of life with his friends and family and leaves the reader feeling happy and perhaps maybe nostalgic. I think the endgame for the creators of Archie was simply to make a comic that would appeal to almost everyone by giving funny and relatable characters in an already familiar world. Culturally, I think it is important to look back at phases in media like Archie because it remains a popular classic for a reason. Although it is somewhat of an older story, it still has relevance today and reminds us what kinds of themes were desirable back then. The look and feel of the old Archie comic books are perhaps even more childish than what it was back then (especially compared to how large the comic industry has expanded with its stories) but still manages to hold up with its timeless writing and iconic characters. 

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