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Post by G on Sept 24, 2011 13:26:18 GMT -5
I have to say during the past few years I have purchased a few Archie comics. They have done a decent job of marketing themselves and keeping themselves relevant with eye catching events and headline grabbing while still seeming to stay true to their original selves. I've kinda admired them compared to some of the big heavyweights out there and I'd say if I was still buying new comics I'd probably pick this one up just because it looks a bit more interesting than what I would find with most other new comics these days.  |
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Post by defiant1 on Sept 24, 2011 16:22:01 GMT -5
I have to say during the past few years I have purchased a few Archie comics. They have done a decent job of marketing themselves and keeping themselves relevant with eye catching events and headline grabbing while still seeming to stay true to their original selves. I've kinda admired them compared to some of the big heavyweights out there and I'd say if I was still buying new comics I'd probably pick this one up just because it looks a bit more interesting than what I would find with most other new comics these days. You are probably a fan of Kiss. I'm not. I might like a couple of songs, but the most part it sounds like second rate rock to me. Overall, Archie looks desperate to me. They keep mixing things up to maintain sales and now they've resorted to "shock" tactics. Be honest with yourself. Is this going to appeal to kids? No. It's going to appeal to middle aged men who listened to Kiss in their teens. Essentially, Archie is now fishing in the same barrel for new customers as Marvel & DC. The shock tactics wear thin. I wish these publishers would just go out of business. What comics has become is in poor taste. It's like a fish out of water flopping from side to side on a beach. It's disturbing. df1 |
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Post by G on Sept 24, 2011 17:55:39 GMT -5
I'd say I'm kind of a borderline Kiss fan. When I was growing up, I hated them but as I got older I've learned to appreciate a lot of their better songs. I have a few of their songs on my collected playlists. Not a lot. To put it in perspective, I've seen a shitload of concerts. I've never seen Kiss. But I wouldn't mind seeing them. No, being a Kiss fan really doesn't make me want this comic but I have to admit it did help make it catch my eye and did put the seed in my head that I wouldn't mind having it.
Yeah, Archie does seem to be trying new tactics to get things happening. I did buy the wedding issues just to have them. I also recently purchased the Kevin issue #1 who is Archie's first openly gay character. That was kind of funny. There is a story where a girl had a crush on Kevin and was trying to get him to like her. She gets frustrated and says a certain hottie that walks by is probably more his type than she is and he respond with saying something like "No, Scott is more my type".
Look, I'm not really defending Archie comics any more than the rest of them. I get sick and disgusted with all of them. I'm just saying, when I go down the list of disgust and find myself cancelling out purchasing comics by all the big names, I found myself buying a couple of Archies just to see how they were and compared to the junk I'm seeing from the major comic companies, they actually still seemed like Archie comics, decently done, just trying out new ideas. And yes, a bit more modern. But generally speaking a modern looking Archie comic pretty much still looks like an Archie comic. I find these Kiss comics pretty interesting because I am going to assume that is Archie and Betty on the covers. Not saying I like this version of them but its apparently a different take.
Nevertheless, I would probably not even look at Archie comics if my old favorites were putting out anything worthy of my attention and making me want their stuff. Instead I find their stuff sucking so bad I've looked elsewhere. Yes, Archie's still suck compared to comics I want to buy. I'm just saying they seem to be sucking just a bit less than the other companies. The other companies are just plain pissing me the fuck off.
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Post by defiant1 on Sept 25, 2011 4:20:34 GMT -5
I'd say I'm kind of a borderline Kiss fan. When I was growing up, I hated them but as I got older I've learned to appreciate a lot of their better songs. I have a few of their songs on my collected playlists. Not a lot. To put it in perspective, I've seen a shitload of concerts. I've never seen Kiss. But I wouldn't mind seeing them. No, being a Kiss fan really doesn't make me want this comic but I have to admit it did help make it catch my eye and did put the seed in my head that I wouldn't mind having it. Yeah, Archie does seem to be trying new tactics to get things happening. I did buy the wedding issues just to have them. I also recently purchased the Kevin issue #1 who is Archie's first openly gay character. That was kind of funny. There is a story where a girl had a crush on Kevin and was trying to get him to like her. She gets frustrated and says a certain hottie that walks by is probably more his type than she is and he respond with saying something like "No, Scott is more my type". Look, I'm not really defending Archie comics any more than the rest of them. I get sick and disgusted with all of them. I'm just saying, when I go down the list of disgust and find myself cancelling out purchasing comics by all the big names, I found myself buying a couple of Archies just to see how they were and compared to the junk I'm seeing from the major comic companies, they actually still seemed like Archie comics, decently done, just trying out new ideas. And yes, a bit more modern. But generally speaking a modern looking Archie comic pretty much still looks like an Archie comic. I find these Kiss comics pretty interesting because I am going to assume that is Archie and Betty on the covers. Not saying I like this version of them but its apparently a different take. Nevertheless, I would probably not even look at Archie comics if my old favorites were putting out anything worthy of my attention and making me want their stuff. Instead I find their stuff sucking so bad I've looked elsewhere. Yes, Archie's still suck compared to comics I want to buy. I'm just saying they seem to be sucking just a bit less than the other companies. The other companies are just plain pissing me the fuck off. I'd be more impressed if they did Archie meets Selena Gomez. At least then they'd be targeting 15 year old girls instead of 50 year old men. The last thing I want to read about is homosexuality in an Archie comic. The straight white male is becoming an endangered species. df1 |
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Post by G on Sept 30, 2011 19:26:02 GMT -5
I'd be more impressed if they did Archie meets Selena Gomez. At least then they'd be targeting 15 year old girls instead of 50 year old men. The last thing I want to read about is homosexuality in an Archie comic. The straight white male is becoming an endangered species. I personally had no interest in reading about a gay Archie character either. The only reason I bought it was for collectible reasons. I thought it would be neat to have as something down the line as "Archie's 1st gay character". I only seen it in a collectible sense. Sorta like "Let's make Spider-man black". Isn't it really the same kind of shock value collectible?  But wanting to read it, no. Actually about a year earlier I bought an Archie Magazine called something like "Married life with Archie" and on the cover and the interior it sport Justin Beiber. Which I would say would qualify as going after the 15 year old girl market. I'm not saying Archie comics are great by any stretch of the imagination. Hell, when I'm buying Archies, I must be damn desperate to buy a comic. And compared with the shit I was buying from mainstream comics, I was feeling desperate. All I'm saying is Archie has felt like it has done a """decent""" job of modernizing itself and bringing itself into the current times and still have a feeling of being true to Archie. The same 8 or 9 characters that have been walking around for 60 years are still walking around and they still (in most cases) look and act the same. I'm just saying Archie comics is at least doing a decent job of making the transition. Better in my opinion than a lot of other mainstream comics. Still when it comes down to it, its an Archie comic and cripes, how bad must you be hard up to try something different. I'm just saying when I did try them, they at least still felt like the familiar crew I always knew and remembered. |
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Post by defiant1 on Sept 30, 2011 19:46:00 GMT -5
I'd be more impressed if they did Archie meets Selena Gomez. At least then they'd be targeting 15 year old girls instead of 50 year old men. The last thing I want to read about is homosexuality in an Archie comic. The straight white male is becoming an endangered species. I personally had no interest in reading about a gay Archie character either. The only reason I bought it was for collectible reasons. I thought it would be neat to have as something down the line as "Archie's 1st gay character". I only seen it in a collectible sense. Sorta like "Let's make Spider-man black". Isn't it really the same kind of shock value collectible? But wanting to read it, no. Actually about a year earlier I bought an Archie Magazine called something like "Married life with Archie" and on the cover and the interior it sport Justin Beiber. Which I would say would qualify as going after the 15 year old girl market. I'm not saying Archie comics are great by any stretch of the imagination. Hell, when I'm buying Archies, I must be damn desperate to buy a comic. And compared with the shit I was buying from mainstream comics, I was feeling desperate. All I'm saying is Archie has felt like it has done a """decent""" job of modernizing itself and bringing itself into the current times and still have a feeling of being true to Archie. The same 8 or 9 characters that have been walking around for 60 years are still walking around and they still (in most cases) look and act the same. I'm just saying Archie comics is at least doing a decent job of making the transition. Better in my opinion than a lot of other mainstream comics. Still when it comes down to it, its an Archie comic and cripes, how bad must you be hard up to try something different. I'm just saying when I did try them, they at least still felt like the familiar crew I always knew and remembered. You sound defensive  Archie has always held their own and never had any problem competing for readers outside the comic shops. The grocery stores still sell Archie digests right by the cash register. My point was that even Archie Comics appear "desperate" to resort to shock stories like they've been doing. I'm pretty sure Archie is employing some ex-Marvel employees. I think it's been more consistent because it's been run the old fashioned way that we like. I'm not so sure that's the case anymore. df1 |
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Post by G on Sept 30, 2011 19:57:11 GMT -5
The entire comic market is down and I'm sure Archie is feeling it like every other comic publisher. It's sort of like this economy. A lot of us may still have jobs but almost everyone is being affected in some way. I'm sure Archie has had to brainstorm to get readers to buy just like others. I also agree with they continue to be visible at the checkouts in grocery stores and on Magazine Racks. I feel like they still succeed, albeit small, in areas that other comics fail. When speaking in terms of their relative competition, I think they've pound for pound held their own if not done better than a lot of their competition. It sucks it's resorting to this because I remember the days when an Archie cover just had a joke on the cover and every issue inside was just like the thousands of others you had seen. That consistent sameness was almost comforting. Now its slightly different and they've resorted to tactics to attract readers. I just feel like they've managed at times relatively speaking to have done a better job than most.
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Post by defiant1 on Oct 1, 2011 12:21:45 GMT -5
The entire comic market is down and I'm sure Archie is feeling it like every other comic publisher. It's sort of like this economy. A lot of us may still have jobs but almost everyone is being affected in some way. I'm sure Archie has had to brainstorm to get readers to buy just like others. I also agree with they continue to be visible at the checkouts in grocery stores and on Magazine Racks. I feel like they still succeed, albeit small, in areas that other comics fail. When speaking in terms of their relative competition, I think they've pound for pound held their own if not done better than a lot of their competition. It sucks it's resorting to this because I remember the days when an Archie cover just had a joke on the cover and every issue inside was just like the thousands of others you had seen. That consistent sameness was almost comforting. Now its slightly different and they've resorted to tactics to attract readers. I just feel like they've managed at times relatively speaking to have done a better job than most. Yes, they have done better. I think that's because they are produced by more mature industry veterans as opposed to image creators that just want to rotate out ideas in hopes of getting a movie deal. df1 |
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But wanting to read it, no.
