Tag Archive: Jack Morelli


Endless Summer–Hit the beach (virtually) with Archie & friends this summer

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June 29, 2020

 

If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.  Except for this year with the beaches closed. But you can always sit back and catch up on the pages of Archie Comics via some new books arriving soon at a comic book store near you.  The high point from Archie this summer is this great homage cover to the Beach Boys’ Endless Summer #1 hit album from 1974 that rode the Billboard charts for 155 weeks, my own personal most-listened to album ever (you owe it to yourself to listen to this great compilation album of the band’s hits–check it out here at Amazon).  The homage cover was created by Jeff Shultz and Rosario “Tito” Peña after artist Keith McConnell′s original album cover (designed just after McConnell’s tour as Marine Corps artist in the Vietnam War and a while before he would return to war as an artist in Desert Storm).

Here is the original double vinyl cover:

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The Predator returns for revenge against… Betty & Veronica?

Filed under: Comics & Books, Sci-Fi Café — Leave a comment
July 30, 2019

 

Review by C.J. Bunce

If you’re wondering who is the best current comic book interior artist, you only need to turn to the current issue of Archie Comics/Dark Horse Comics′ mash-up series, Archie vs. Predator II: Revenge Comes to Riverdale.  Consistently Robert Hack is one of the industry’s best producing artists, and with this series he immerses readers into new territory where sci-fi meets small town America.  And he’s a double threat–take a look at his incredible covers for Issues #1-3 above and below with co-creator Kelly Fitzpatrick (along with a nice variant cover from Francesco Francavilla).

Dark Horse Comics and Archie Comics have partnered again, bringing back writer Alex de Campi, who crafted the initial bestselling 2015 story (for both publishers) with artist Fernando Ruiz.  Our preview below takes you right into the story where de Campi last left us.  Something’s not quite right with Archie Andrews, and Betty and Veronica are attempting to track down a “Diagon Alley” of sorts called Memory Lane to get everyone back to where they are supposed to be.  Funny and clever, it’s peppered with pop culture references, and some of Betty and Veronica’s best frenemy banter.  Predator dogs!  The Mars Curiosity rover!

  

Artists Rick Burchett, Derek Charm, Francesco Francavilla, Dan Parent, and Billy Tucci are providing some great cover variants for the series, too.

You won’t want to miss it.  Here is a preview of the first issue of Archie vs. Predator II, plus a look at the variant covers, courtesy of Archie Comics:

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Archie Horror’s Vampironica series gets new trade paperback edition, new crossover with Jughead: The Hunger coming this month

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April 6, 2019

 

Archie with a crossbow.  Betty with an axe.  Jughead with a wooden spike.

No it’s not some strange version of Clue.  It’s all part of Vampironica, the Archie Comics series, now available as a trade paperback from the Archie Horror imprint.  Collecting Issue #1-5 of the series, Vampironica, Book One introduces the Veronica Lodge you always knew, until she is bitten by a centuries-old vampire.  So then what’s a teenage girl to do?  Turn Riverdale upside down in a search for blood, of course.

Siblings Greg Smallwood (Moon Knight) and Meg Smallwood partnered to co-write the story, adding a new realm to the imprint’s great re-imaginings of the 77-year-old Riverdale characters along with Afterlife With Archie, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Chilling Adventures in Sorcery, Blossoms 666, and Jughead: The Hunger.  Interior artwork and covers were created by well-known cover artist Greg Smallwood, and he worked on interior art along with Greg Scott, with colors by Matt Herms, and lettering by Jack Morelli.

The series has a great, lighthearted, pop culture vibe, like Scooby Doo and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and it’s not too much of a stretch to swap the leads in Buffy for the leads in this series, for anyone missing their Buffy fix).  The book includes a section with a few of the variant covers for the series, by Francesco Francavilla, Audrey Mok, Djibril Morisette-Phan, Marguerite Sauvage, Robert Hack, Fiona Staples, Matthew Taylor, and a bonus, Issue #4 of Jughead: The Hunger. 

Later this month Jughead: The Hunger faces off against Veronica in the next iteration of the two series, Jughead: The Hunger vs. Vampironica, Issue #1.

 

The Jughead/Veronica crossover will feature a story by Frank Tieri, interior artwork by Pat and Tim Kennedy, Joe Eisma, Bob Smith, and Ryan Jampole, colors by Matt Herms, and lettering by Jack Morelli, and covers by Pat and Tim Kennedy, Bob Smith, and Matt Herms, Francesco Francavilla, Robert Hack, John McCrea, and Dan Panosian.

Here is a preview of the new trade edition of Vampironica, Book 1, Issue #1 of Jughead: The Hunger vs. Vampironica, and some future covers from the series, courtesy of Archie Horror:

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Preview–New Archie Comics series takes Archie and friends back to Riverdale of 1941

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August 31, 2018

  

Remember Kresge’s?  Western Auto?  If not, some time travel may be in order.  Or, beginning next month watch Archie Comics take Archie back to the year his character was created in a new five-issue limited series, Archie 1941.  For 77 years Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica have been entertaining the world from their hometown of Riverdale, but never before have we seen the characters take on real-world events as they unfold like this.  World War II is looming.  What will that mean for Archie and his friends?

Archie 1941 is from a story by the writing team of Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn, with interior artwork provided by Peter Krause, Kelly Fitzpatrick, and Jack Morelli.  Five covers will be available, created by Peter Krause, Sanya Anwar, Francesco Francavilla, Dave Johnson, and Aaron Lopresti.

   

Archie Comics created a video trailer for Archie 1941 and they sent us a preview of the first issue.  Check it out:

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SDCC 2018–Classic TV Batman and Robin meet Riverdale’s Archie in new series

Filed under: Comics & Books, Retro Fix, Superheroes — Leave a comment
July 18, 2018

    

Review by C.J. Bunce

If you’ve been looking for your next retro fix, this may be it.  Archie Comics and DC Comics is bringing nostalgia into a new crossover arriving in comic book stores today with Archie Meets Batman ’66.  Two characters first seen in 1939–and never before have they appeared together!  A battle in Gotham City extends its reach into Riverdale—with Mr. Lodge becoming Public Enemy #1 of the dynamic duo.  And it’s up to Veronica to recruit some help and place a call… to the Batcave.  Written by Jeff Parker and Michael Moreci with art by Dan Parent, J. Bone, Kelly Fitzpatrick, and Jack Morelli.

This new story is in the style of the opening title credits of the pop culture favorite 1960s live-action Batman series and the animated series Superfriends.  And it’s an even bigger series than you might think, with its first issue full of not only the Archie gang and Batman and Robin.  You’re going to find several of your favorite characters from the 1966 TV series make appearances.  The artists have all emulated that over-the-top BAM! POW! variety of comic book goodness.  Yes, we’re talking the return of the Batusi.  Check out a preview to Issue #1 below courtesy of Archie Comics.  Keep an eye out for a host of covers for this issue from Michael and Laura Allred, Derek Charm, Francesco Francavilla, Sandy Jarrell and Kelly Fitzpatrick, Dan Parent, J. Bone, and Rosario “Tito” Peña, and Ty Templeton.

    

Archie Comics plans to have a big presence at San Diego Comic-Con this week, focused on the hit CW television series Riverdale.  Fourteen cast members from the series will be pictured on hotel keycards across town.  With more than 40,000 keys created for the week, visitors will find these unique collectibles at nearly 40 San Diego hotels.  Check your keycards for Archie Andrews (K.J. Apa), Jughead Jones (Cole Sprouse), Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart), Veronica Lodge (Camila Mendes), Alice Cooper (Mädchen Amick), Fred Andrews (Luke Perry), Hermione Lodge (Marisol Nichols), Hiram Lodge (Mark Consuelos), Cheryl Blossom (Madelaine Petsch), Josie McCoy (Ashleigh Murray), Kevin Keller (Casey Cott), F.P. Jones (Skeet Ulrich), Reggie Mantle (Charles Melton), and Toni Topaz (Vanessa Morgan).

As promised, here’s your preview of Archie Meets Batman ’66, Issue #1:

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Vampironica–Veronica turns vampire in new Archie Comics monthly horror series

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December 12, 2017

She’s beautiful.  She’s deadly.  She’s Vampironica.

Next year Archie Comics’ Archie Horror imprint is adding a new title to its dark universe of stories that began with Riverdale television series writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s Afterlife with Archie, then continued in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and this year’s Jughead: The Hunger.  The new monthly series Vampironica will focus on Betty’s forever frenemie Veronica when she’s bitten by a vampire and becomes the latest to join the undead of Riverdale.  Her path will be inspired by classic horror films.

“I’d say that our biggest influences are American Werewolf in London and Fright Night.  Both films can be quite horrific but there’s also a lot of strong characterization and humor to them,” said artist and co-writer Greg Smallwood.  “I think horror works best with a small dose of comedy for levity so we’ve used the same formula on Vampironica.”

“Vampironica humanizes Veronica in a way that only horror can,” adds co-writer Megan Smallwood.  “Becoming a vampire is a humbling experience for her and she’s forced to open up and expose a little vulnerability.  “Veronica Lodge is not the kind of girl to join any ranks, let alone vampire ranks.  True to form, Veronica instead relies on her own gut-instincts.  They haven’t let her down in life and they won’t let her down as she navigates the surreal world of the undead.”

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Fans turn Archie Comics’ Jughead: The Hunger into new ongoing series

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July 14, 2017

   

If you loved CW’s new Riverdale series as much as we did, then you probably have a new appreciation for Archie’s pal Jughead Jones.  The classic Jughead has always had an insatiable appetite, practically living at the Riverdale diner.  Earlier this year Archie Comics’ Archie Horror imprint–the folks that brought us the brilliant otherworld series Afterlife With Archie and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina–took Jughead to a dark place and asked: What if Jughead’s hunger came from a sinister place?  The result was the one-shot comic book issue, Jughead: The Hunger. 

Writer Frank Tieri (Wolverine) and artist Michael Walsh (Secret Avengers) teamed-up and delivered a new Jughead whose ancestry was full of werewolves.  Unknown to most of his friends, Jughead was the “Riverdale Ripper,” murdering townies one by one, including poor Miss Grundy.  But the biggest surprise was Betty Cooper, who hailed from a line of werewolf hunters.  Where we last left Archie and his friends, Jughead had left town.  And Betty was on his trail.

    

Usually one-shots hit the comic book stores, maybe get a reprint.  But this week Archie’s new Madhouse imprint revealed the surprise return of Jughead: The Hunger as a new ongoing series.  “We purposely left the door open with the one-shot, we told you if you made Jughead: The Hunger a hit we’d make more– and since you more than held up your end of the bargain– here we are,” said writer Frank Tieri.  “Fans can expect more of everything they loved about the one shot now as we expand our universe–more werewolf Juggie, more bad ass Betty, more conflicted Archie and more twists and turns than you can shake a severed arm at.”

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Comic book pick of the month–Afterlife With Archie, The Magazine

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October 22, 2014

AfterlifeWithArchieMagazine_01-0

Archie Comics is expanding its reach today as its successful dark zombie mash-up monthly Afterlife with Archie is reproduced in a new magazine format.  Bundled with previews of the newest dark tie-in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and some classic horror comics, its sure to be a hit with readers of horror and those who grew up with Archie and his friends.

And what’s better than laying your mitts on an over-sized edition of Francesco Francavilla’s powerful illustrations from one of this year’s best series?  It’s a great series to start up during the Halloween season for everyone from teens on up.

Contributors to the new Afterlife with Archie Magazine, include writers Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Vicente Alcazar, and artists Francesco Francavilla, Jack Morelli, Robert Hack, Vicente Alcazar, Jim Mooney, and Gray Morrow.

Archie clip

After the break, check out a preview of the new magazine, courtesy of Archie Comics:

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Previews–Archie Comics offers spectrum of Halloween titles today

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October 8, 2014

Sabrina_01-0   BettyAndVeronicaComicsDigest_227-0

Archie Comics is ushering in the Halloween spirit starting today with a range of comic books that will appeal to different demographics.  Fans of classic Archie will enjoy issues from two series, Archie & Friends and Betty and Veronica Comics Digest, while fans of Afterlife with Archie will dig into Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.  We have previews of all three after the break, courtesy of Archie Comics.

Archie & Friends Ghost Stories is available in an exclusive digital format.  It has that Archie Comics storytelling and artwork just like you read as a kid with several fun stories.   Betty and Veronica’s Comics Digest, Issue #227, features kid friendly stories by Angelo DeCesare.  Here’s the teaser for the issue:

Halloween’s not just for kids anymore—now even pets are getting in on all the fun!  When Betty and Veronica notice a sign for a costume contest for pets they find it silly—but everyone knows the girls can’t avoid a friendly competition!  Who will win best in spooky show: will it be Veronica’s pampered pooch or Betty’s feline friend?  Find out in “Costume Drama,” the fun, NEW lead story to this comics digest! 

Sabrina_01-2   ArchieAndFriendsGhostStories-0

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Issue #1, is for a “teen+” audience.  Here’s the publisher’s description of the series:

Terror is born anew in this dark reimagining of Sabrina the Teenage Witch’s origin.  On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, the young sorceress finds herself at a crossroads, having to choose between an unearthly destiny and her mortal boyfriend, Harvey.  But a foe from her family’s past has arrived in Greendale, Madame Satan, and she has her own deadly agenda.  Archie Comic’s latest horror sensation starts here!

The story is by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa with some inspired interior artwork by Robert Hack and Jack Morelli with covers by Hack.

And while you’re at the comic book store, pick up the trade edition of Afterlife with Archie!  It’s a great Halloween read.

Enjoy these three previews, starting with Archie & Friends Ghost Stories:

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