![]() The decade’s influence can be seen in titles like Archie’s Love Scene, which today sounds racier than it did then. I don’t think many other comics were as open about teens being tempted by drugs or about kids in the hall “peddling pot”, though. I suspect that’s partially due to the times I’ve read other Archie stories from the era where story premises involved the military draft and free speech. This is a refreshing change of pace from Archie comics where the biggest issue tackled is who’s taking whom to the dance. Runaways show up several times, needing to be comforted and reassured that someone cared about them, and pollution is also mentioned as an issue of concern. Getting the kids out of the classroom also allows them to take on bigger questions, as in Archie’s One Way, where the teens hold a festival to explore different ways to build a better world. The settings are certainly diverse, with field trips to animal parks and hiking expeditions and plenty of beach tales, mostly to provide attractive backgrounds and the characters doing more than just talking to each other in school hallways. The characters are expressive, in both face and action, often exaggeratedly so. Given Hartley’s involvement, the cartooning is right in line with the other Archie books of the time. Then again, some might say the same of Archie comics today. I suspect these comics weren’t chosen by the young readers targeted, but by their parents, looking for something safe to give to their kids that reflects their values. ![]() They weren’t created to tell stories or jokes (although they do, along the way), but to express Christian doctrine, with plenty of Bible verses cited. These books aren’t shy about their purpose or intent. And yet, what other well-known comic character would you better believe as a witnessing Christian who cares about the people around her than sweet, wholesome, all-American Betty? Given today’s concern with protecting brands and keeping franchises as widely appealing and non-offensive as possible, it’s really weird to see such well-known characters outright preaching. Other students ask her questions, leading to additional openings for her message. After he and Jughead arrive at school, characters talk about how everyone wants to be popular before Betty starts witnessing about God being the answer. Archie’s Clean Slate begins with Archie having a nightmare about the devil trying to drag him down to hell. Their other major difference is apparent from the opening pages. (As they were reprinted over the years, only the cover price changed, going up to 69 cents or more.) First, they were 35 cents, when the regular books were 20-25 cents. The covers look like the regular Archie books of the time, with predominant logo sections over a single-illustration cover gag, but they differed in two major ways. The line launched in 1973 with three titles: Archie’s One Way, Archie’s Love Scene, and Archie’s Clean Slate. When Archie Comics was asked recently to confirm some of the agreements, their response was a polite demurral because their records had been sealed and placed in storage long ago. Unfortunately, details regarding this deal are now hard to find. He’d been freelancing for Archie since the mid-60s, and after he became born again, he put together a proposal for Spire Christian Comics, published by the Fleming H. It all came about because of artist Al Hartley. While they were published under the “Spire” name, the Archie company did the packaging and printing of the books. These publications were kept separate from the regular titles, and they were sold only in Christian bookstores. During the 1970s, they allowed Spire Christian Comics to use the Archie gang of characters in a series of religious comic books. There have also been more mercenary crossovers for example, Supergirl shilling Radio Shack computers in 1981.Īrchie Comics was the source of perhaps the oddest licensed publications ever. Marvel Comics created a series of Avengers comics for soldiers that were only sold through military exchanges. DC Comics, for example, has done free Superman giveaways for the United Nations, warning children in war areas of the dangers of land mines, and for the Doris Day Animal Foundation, telling kids not to torture pets. Most of the larger American comic publishers are willing to create licensed publications for various organizations that aren’t sold through the usual markets. (This article originally appeared in Hogan’s Alley #16, March 2009.) America’s Teenager Preaches for Spire Comics
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