Posted in: Comics, Recent Updates | Tagged: archie comics, Comics, entertainment, life with archie, matt hawes

Archie To Be Killed Off… Against Archie Comics' Strict Promise Of 2007!

Back in 2007, Matt Hawes of Comics Unlimited posted a video parody about Archie Andrews, the beloved all-American teenager, supposedly being killed off in the comics, as a publicity stunt. The video was meant as a satire on how the comic book industry kills off characters for cheap publicity stunts and he made it in the wake of the "death" of Captain America in 2007.

Archie Comics became aware of his video and had YouTube take it down. He recieved  a "cease-and-desist" letter from the lawyers of the comic book publisher, which said the video didn't serve as a satire because Archie does not kill its characters. Matt argued that it DID serve as a satire of cheap marketing gimmicks that publishers, even Archie Comics, employed from time to time. He did point out that it was the seemingly obvious fact that Archie Comics would likely never kill their character that made the satire funny to begin with.

After arguing his point, the publisher relented and allowed him to put his video up, but wanted him to stress that they would NEVER kill their characters, and all is fine in Riverdale, and demanded the disclaimer at the beginning of his video, which kind of killed the joke (there was always a disclaimer that his  video was a parody at the end of the video). Matt went ahead and agreed to do that disclaimer.

Now, in April of 2014, Archie Comics just announced it plans to kill Archie in the non-continuity Life With Archie, out in July.

Each issue is normally split into two storylines — one telling a tale of Archie married to Veronica another with him ending up with Betty. The final issue, however, will show readers Archie's final fate in both timelines — and they're the same.

CNN: Why kill Archie?

Goldwater: I think it's the natural conclusion to the "Life With Archie" series.

Archie dies as he lived — heroically. He dies saving the life of a friend, and does it in his usual selfless way. Archie has always been a representation of us — the best of us. Our strengths and our faults.

Writer Paul Kupperberg, with input from myself, has crafted an emotional, impactful and classic story that I know will survive the test of time. This isn't a random one-off or "what-if" story that we're doing as a gag. This is the story that we mapped out carefully and with much thought. This is the death of Archie as we see it, and we're treating it with that same level of gravitas and import. It's a once-in-a-lifetime event, and we are being very considerate about it.

This is of course a very different managerial regime. Hence Kevin Keller and Afterlife With Archie. Hell, Roberto Aguirre Sacasa once got a cease and desist for a play he wrote from Archie Comics and now he's CCO. But I do hope Matt gets an apology. Here is the original edit…

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6HMnUFHcQo[/youtube]

Here are a few variant cocers – including an Alex Ross variant for issue 37 – with a very much alive-looking Archie…

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