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Mar 3, 2022

The 40 Years of Comics Project - Day 2418: Archie Giant Series Magazine #175, September 1970

For information on stopping the spread of COVID-19, and on the importance of being vaccinated, have a look at the World Health Organization site.


I'm in a minority, I think, when I profess my love for the Archie Giant Series Magazine series. Granted, it stopped being quite so giant by the end of its run, and common understanding is that it was a bit of a dumping ground for stories not deemed quite good enough for the main titles.

But it also gives, at least in this early anthology iteration of the title, a nice, median-range overview of what Archie, as a company and as a character, was attempting during a time of pretty intense civil unrest. This era of Archie tends to skirt the really troubling issues, but every now and again we'll get a glimpse of one of the writers or artists offering a subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) critique of current events. If I'm to be honest, it's very often a critique with a bit of a sneer, but, as with Marvel in the 60s, you've got a bunch of guys who are rapidly approaching middle age trying to write as if they're the heppest, coolest cats on the block, Daddio. As someone well past that approach, I recognize that I do not, and cannot, speak like the young people of today. And this is a good thing 😏

What we can never fault any Archie comic for is the quality of its art, however. Archie Comics are the creme de la creme when it comes to cultivating a house style. That's not to say that there aren't differences between the various extremely-talented artists who've graced Archie's pages, but when you're establishing a brand with a highly visual component, visual recognition is key. You need to be able to identify Archie Andrews in any media, by any artist, and immediately associate him with the brand.

That's given me an idea for a rare non-40 Years post. I'll try not to forget.

Onward.

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