ARCHIE COMICS REACHES A MILLENNIUM MILESTONE WITH THE 500TH ISSUE!

60 YEARS OF ARCHIE COMICS

What do the man of steel, the caped crusader and the world's most famous mouse have in common with a red-haired, freckle-faced teenager? 500 issues! In August 2000, perennial favorite Archie Andrews joined the ranks of Superman, Batman and Mickey Mouse. It is yet another milestone for the longest-running teenage humor comic, and a preview of the festivities to come as Archie celebrates his 60th anniversary in 2002.

With 60 years of continuous publication under their belts, Archie and his friends are truly an "evergreen" property. Magazine and book sellers know they can count on this proven winner to consistently generate sales. It's easy to see why: Archie titles have broad appeal. Children are drawn to the colorful art and stories. Their parents fondly remember the wholesome characters they grew up with and pass on this love to their children. They know that Archie comics feature clean, wholesome, nonviolent entertainment that will encourage their children to read. Other adults pick up copies on impulse to relive a piece of their childhood.

The saga of everyone's favorite comic book teen began in December, 1941, with Archie's very first story in PEP COMICS #22. The girl-crazy, clumsy yet good-hearted kid was such a hit with readers that he was awarded his own title a year later. ARCHIE COMICS #1 (Winter, 1942) was the first comic book to headline Archie as the star attraction, and has been published continuously ever since.

In addition to comic books, popular spin-off projects in music, radio, television, movies and licensed merchandise keep Archie and his friends in the public eye, and the company's website, www.archiecomics.com, keeps millions of kids happy month after month.

For more fun with Archie and his friends, be sure to visit http://www.archiecomics.com

For more information contact:
Michael Silberkleit, Chairman
Archie Comic Publications, Inc.
325 Fayette Avenue, Mamaroneck, NY 10543-2318
Phone – 914-381-5155 x 213, Fax – 914-381-2335
mikes@archiecomics.com

READERSHIP DEMOGRAPHICS:

•  Average monthly circulation: 850,000
•  CPM: $11.79
•  6 – 12 year-olds constitute 78% of the Archie Audience.
•  45% of Archie readers are male – 55% female.
•  Archie enjoys 6.57 readers per copy (of these, 5.12 are kids, 1.45 are adults).
•  Average Archie reader picks up and reads each Archie comic book 7.4 times.
•  Each issue of Archie reaches 4.7 million kids, and makes over 44 million reader impressions.
•  #1 in youth magazine sales at supermarket checkouts. Archie is sold at:

Supermarkets: A&P, Kroger, Safeway, Publix, Albertsons, Overwaitea Foods, Food Lion, Vons Grocery, Meijers, Lucky’s

Mass Market: Wal Mart, K-Mart

Drug Stores: Shoppers Drug Mart, Eckerd Drug, Rite Aid, London Drug, Long’s Drug

Convenience: 7-11, Macs/Becke

Book Stores: Waldenbooks, Barnes & Noble

• Most popular participatory sports for Archie readers are: Bicycling (68.4%), running (61.1%), and basketball (52.2%). Baseball was fourth (47.7%).
• 84% listen to recorded music, acquiring almost seven CD’s and cassettes a year.
• 74.3% play electronic video games.
• The average Archie reader goes to 15.6 movies a year.
• 61.75 own prerecorded video cassettes and acquire an average of over five a year.
• On average, Archie kids earn or receive an allowance of almost $20 per week and spend more than $450 million a month.
• Parents reported their kids influenced them to buy specific brands of breakfast cereal (72.8%), candy (59.1%), frozen desserts (54.2%), cookies (51.65), non-carbonated soft drinks (48.9%), carbonated soft drinks (47.4%), crunchy snacks (43%), etc.
• 92% of parents rate Archie “good” to “excellent”.

Source: 2001 Simmons Reader’s Survey

ADVERTISERS:

ARCHIE COMICS ADVERTISING GROUP:

Send all material and/or correspondence to:

ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS, INC.

325 FAYETTE AVENUE, MAMARONECK, NY 10543-2318

Attn. Victor Gorelick Email: vicg@archiecomics.com

Phone: 914-381-5155 Fax: 914-381-2335

SPECIFICATIONS FOR SUPPLYING COLOR-SEPARATED FILM

SADDLE – STITCHED BOOKS COVER AND INSIDE SPECS

· Cover Bleed Size 7”W X 10 9/16”

· Cover Trim Size 6 5/8”W X 10 3/16”H

· Cover And Inside Page Size 6”W X 9”H (Live Area – No Bleed)

· Cover And Inside Page Size 7”W X 10 9/16”H (Bleed)

· 32 Page Spines Are Saddle Stitched

· Wrap Around Covers And Inside Page Size:

· Bleed Size 14”W X 10 9/16”H

· Trim Size 13 1/4”W X 10 3/16”H

PERFECT BOUND BOOKS

· Cover Bleed Size 5 1/4”W X 6 15/16”H

· Cover Trim Size 4 7/8”W X 6 9/16”H

· Cover And Inside Page Size 4”W X 6”H (Live Area – No Bleed)

· Cover And Inside Page Size 5 ¼”W X 6 15/16”H (Bleed)

· Perfect Bound Spine

· Spine For 96 Page 5/32”

· Spine For 192 Page 9/32”

· Wrap – Around Cover And Inside Page Size:

· Bleed Size 10 1/2’W X 6 15/16”H

· Trim Size 9 3/4”W X 6 9/16”H Plus Spine Width According To Number Of Pages. See Size Above.

FILM SPECS (FOR ALL COVERS AND INSIDE PAGES)

· 120 Line Screen

· Right Reading

· Emulsion Down

· Negative Film

· Maximum 260% Density

· Black Type Should Overprint (No Background Color “Dropouts”)

· Bleed 3/16”

· Maximize Trapping (Text Pages On 30# Newsprint)

· 2, 3 or 4 Color Type Should Not Be Under 6 Point

GENERAL ELECTRONIC PREPRESS GUIDELINES

1. Send us a copy of your files, never send the original.

2. When you send us a transport media, be sure that it is properly labeled with company name, contact name, phone number and job name.

3. Only files to be imaged are on the supplied media.

4. Give the file a unique name (reference Page Number and Job Name). Give a different name for revised files to avoid confusion, (e.g. filename.rev2).

5. All elements used in the creation of the document must be grouped with the document file and placed in a separate folder or directory on the disk.

6. For correction send us only the files that need to be changed.

7. Laser proofs of the latest version must be supplied with your disk. This proof should show all the elements to be printed.

8. The proof indicates the bleed, trim and folds marks.

PRINTING PAGE SPECIFICATION REQUIRED:

(if you do not use our layout)

1. Document printed size

2. Trim size

3. Bleed size (minimum 1/8” = 0.125”)

4. Minimum margin requirement (1/4” = .25”)

5. Placement of cropmarks and fold marks

FONTS:

1. We use the Adobe library.

2. If you are using another font library, please let us know. A test page should be performed to ensure that these fonts will process properly.

3. The fonts needed for imported illustration such as logos, charts and graphics also have to be supplied. We recommend that you outline these texts to eliminate any problem with font used in imported illustrations.

4. Do not use stylized fonts in your document.

COLORS:

1. Color to be printed as “process” must be checked to be sure the process button is ON. If you have used spot color, verify the setting.

2. Unused colors have been deleted from the color palates of both the illustrator files and the page layout file.

3. Custom marks (fold, register, crop) have been assigned a registration color of 100C, 100M, 100Y and 100K

SCANS/IMAGES:

1. Input scan resolution has a final image resolution of 1.5 to 2 times the screen ruling (including output factor.)

2. Scanned images have been cropped and rotated prior to placement within the page layout document.

3. Color images scanned by the customer must be converted from RGB to CMYK prior to placement in the document. We recommend using the EPS JPEG compression from Photoshop.

4. The UCR setting should be at 260.

5. Do not use the screening or picture option with Photoshop and Freehand.

PAGE LAYOUT:

1. Bleed size minimum 1/8” = .125”

2. Safety clearance minimum 1/4” = 0.25”

3. Extraneous page elements placed on the pasteboard have been deleted.

4. QUARKXPRESS should be the software for the page layout.

2003 ADVERTISING RATES

Rate Card #7

Inside Page 4 - Color

1x  $11,840

3x   $11,480

6x   $11,130

12x  $10,780

2ndCover     $14,815

3rdCover     $14,100

4thCover      $17,915

...All rates effective for advertising published on-sale January 1, 2003.

...15% discount to recognized agencies. No cash discounts.

...Cancellations are required in writing 30 days before closing dates.

...Cover Ads are non-cancelable.

...Terms are Net 30 days from the last day of the issue on-sale month.

...Rates for Inserts and Custom Comic Book publishing are available *

* contact Michael Silberkleit : 914-381-5155 ext. 213(Phone) / 914-381-2335(Fax)

E-mail - mikes@archiecomics.com

ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS, INC.

FACT SHEET

ORIGIN:

Formed MLJ Magazines in November 1939 (the company adopted the name Archie Comic Publications, Inc. in May 1946)

FOUNDERS:

Louis Silberkleit, John Goldwater and Maurice Coyne

CURRENT OWNERS:

Michael Silberkleit, Chairman and Co-Publisher

Richard Goldwater, President and Co-Publisher

FIRST ARCHIE APPEARANCE:

PEP Comics #22, December 1941

FIRST SOLO ARCHIE TITLE:

Archie Comics #1, Winter 1942

FAMOUS ARCHIE CHARACTERS:

Archie Andrews, Veronica Lodge, Betty Cooper, Jughead (Forsythe Jones), Reggie Mantle, Dilton Doiley, Big Moose, Mr. Weatherbee and Ms. Grundy

CURRENT TITLES:

Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica, Betty, Veronica, etc., special editions and numerous digest and double digest magazines

ARCHIE COMICS ARE SOLD AT:

Supermarkets, drugstore chains, bookstores, terminals, chain stores, mom & pop stores, comic book shops, malls, etc.

CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS:

Archie Comic Publications, Inc.

325 Fayette Avenue

Mamaroneck, NY 10543-2318

Phone:914-381-5155

Fax: 914-381-2335

ARCHIE – THE BRAND

ARCHIE Image:

• ARCHIE is a positive force; wholesome, non-violent entertainment in the role of the clean-cut, “typical American Teenagers” we all wish teenagers were…
• The ARCHIE property is “hot” because of the current resurgence of family values and the desire of parents to find good, wholesome and safe entertainment for their kids…
• ARCHIE and his pals are believable; that’s why they receive thousands of letters per week…
• Major television shows such as Beverly Hills 90210 and Happy Days were modeled on ARCHIE and his pals out of recognition of the success of this property…
• Now in it’s 6th season, the top rated SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH television series anchors the WB Network’s Friday Night line up…
• The Animated SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH launched on ABC’s On Saturday Morning and now appears 6 times a week on UPN…
• As an indication of the widespread awareness of the ARCHIE property, the media recently described without elaboration the latest clothing styles as having been based upon the “look” the ARCHIE character made famous…
• And when SPY Magazine spoke of the “Unwitting Trendsetters, Chapter II – The evolution of the Red-Headed Romeo”, the first such Romeo identified was ARCHIE (followed by Ron Howard, Eric Stoltz and finally David Caruso)…
• BETTY and VERONICA have become such recognized personas that it has become an accepted part of women’s magazines’ vernacular to regularly ask the question; “Are you a Betty or are you a Veronica?”…
• Parenting Magazine contrasted BETTY and Barbie and portrayed BETTY as the positive role model young girls should aspire to emulate…
  

ARCHIE National Cause Related Promotions:

• ARCHIE and his pals have appeared on 1.5 billion milk cartons and trading cards urging children not to take drugs and increasing public awareness about missing children…
• ARCHIE and his pals also regularly convey public service messages, such as the “Fight AIDS through Education” campaign…
• United Cerebral Palsy Foundation (UCP) chose ARCHIE to be their ambassador of goodwill for 1995-1997…

ARCHIE Marketing Promotions:

ARCHIE and his pals continue to be involved in special promotions with high visibility, including crossovers with Club Med, Radio Shack, Burger King, Chase Manhattan Bank, SNET and Camp Fire Boys & Girls…

ORE IDA gladly agreed to join ARCHIE in a joint promotion to benefit UCP; almost 8 million ORE IDA Tater Tots products were shipped nationwide, supported by in-store POP materials and a Sunday supplement newspaper advertisement in newspapers with a total circulation of 41.3 million…

Similarly, ARCHIE and the Fosters Freeze chain teamed up for a joint promotion surrounding Fosters Freeze 50 years in business (who better to celebrate such a milestone with than ARCHIE) and for the benefit of UCP…

ARCHIE comics’ customized comics have provided major exposure to untold businesses and organizations, Radio Shack, the FBI, General Foods, The Household Hazardous Materials Programs of the Cities of San Diego and Chino and Alcoholics Anonymous just to name a few…

ARCHIE Licensing:

• Hundreds of ARCHIE licensed products have been marketed over the years, from dolls to cereal box and other food promotions (exemplary of the latter category are Post Cereals and Welch Jams)…
  

ARCHIE Entertainment Projects:

• ARCHIE and his pals have achieved tremendous exposure and popularity down through the years as a result not only of their appearance in ARCHIE Comics, but also their appearance in a worldwide syndicated newspaper strip, which reaches millions of people each week, particularly throughout middle America, in a way few comic properties do…
• ARCHIE and his pals’ series of animated television shows, which were constantly among the top ten when they originally aired, are continuously seen in reruns…
• The JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS animated shows, based upon the JOSIE property which also is from the ACP stable, is a popular show on the cartoon network…
• A JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS Live action feature film starring Rachel Lee Cook was released by Universal Pictures in 2001…
• DIC has produced the Archie’s Weird Mysteries animated shows for TV…
• The ARCHIES studio band had two gold records: “Jingle Jangle” and the number one song of 1969, “Sugar, Sugar” and interest has been expressed by several organizations to revive the ARCHIES group…
• Music from the animated ARCHIE shows has been re-released by MCA Records…
• An NBC prime-time live action movie of the week showcased ARCHIE and his pals and the movie has been released on video…
• Regular references are made to ARCHIE and his pals in popular motion pictures (e.g., Mallrats, Then and Now and Shawshank Redemption), in TV sitcoms (e.g., Seinfeld and Third Rock From the Sun) and in TV game shows (e.g., Jeopardy and Trivial Pursuit)…
• There is considerable interest in exploitation opportunities for the 136 animated ARCHIE and SABRINA animated episodes that are 50% owned by ACP, distribution of a number of which is possible by ACP directly…

ARCHIE Demographics:

• ARCHIE and his pals are known and loved by kids, parents and grandparents…
• ARCHIE Comics are parent-approved reading; it is for this reason that ARCHIE Comics are among the top selling comics at retail supermarkets where parents readily buy them for their kids…
• Archie Comics are most kids’ first true reading experience…
• While the sales of super hero titles are currently lackluster and that segment of the comics industry is momentarily stagnant, ACP remains a stable company…
• If success can be measured by longevity, then ACP is quite successful indeed; it is one of only two comic book publishers that has published continuously since inception in 1939…
• ACP comics continue to be the leading teenage humor comics, i.e., for all intents and purposes, “owning” this genre worldwide…
• Compared to other comic publishers whose audiences are primarily male, ARCHIE Comics are read and enjoyed by males and females alike…
• ARCHIE Comics’ young audience spend over an hour a day reading comics and they read each ARCHIE Comic they buy nearly five times…
• ARCHIE Comics have a growing audience of adult readers and collectors in addition to kids…
• WWW.ARCHIECOMICS.COM is driven by families and in particular by families with children between the ages of 6-12, which is precisely the ARCHIE audience and ARCHIE COMICS is a leader of that growth…
• Yahoo has featured ARCHIE and VERONICA on the cover of Yahoo Magazine and on the Yahoo website.

ARCHIE Online:

• ARCHIE’S website www.archiecomics.com receives 15 million hits a month. This is a very active website visited by kids and adults who love and grew up with ARCHIE and his pals. There are games, comics, maps of Riverdale and much more to keep fans coming back day after day.

ARCHIE Impressions:

• The “Love Showdown” storyline, wherein the eternal ARCHIE Comics love triangle was thrown off course as ARCHIE was forced to choose between BETTY and VERONICA, showed how ARCHIE and his pals can capture the attention of the news media everywhere, as reports on it appeared in newspapers with total circulations of over 100 million and untold mentions of it on radio and TV reached millions more…
• ARCHIE Comics are published in a dozen different foreign languages…
• ACP publishes over 30 different titles per year, over 20 issues per month, based upon the antics of ARCHIE and his pals, not to mention a 7-time pass-along rate…
• In fact, more comics based upon the antics of ARCHIE and his pals are sold each month than any other comic title (including super hero titles)…
• ARCHIE Comics’ digests appear in the same retail check out racks in supermarkets as TV guide and other top selling national magazines, gaining ARCHIE and his pals far superior exposure to that achieved by other comic properties…
• Advertisers (such as Hersheys, Quaker Oats, ABC, NBC and CBS TV Networks, Cartoon Network, Sega, Nintendo, Disney, Lisa Frank and General Mills just to name a few) know that ads in ARCHIE comics will be seen by millions of children from ages 6 through 12; children who influence their family’s food, toy and entertainment purchases…
• ARCHIE and his pals are a multimedia force which continue to receive untold exposure…
• As an indication of the renowned nature of the ARCHIE, JUGHEAD and VERONICA characters, their names were selected for the search engines utilized on the Internet…

ARCHIE Excitement is Building:

• Don’t miss out on your chance to be a part of it!!

ARCHIE AND FRIENDS

Archie Andrews

Archie Andrews, everyone's favorite teenager from Riverdale, is generous, well-mannered, but extremely impulsive. It is this impulsiveness that usually gives him cause for regret as he enters in and out of teenage dilemmas.

One of the most important characteristics of Archie is his susceptibility to the feminine charm. For more than 60 years, he has been caught in the middle of one of America's most famous love triangles between Betty and Veronica. His adventures in trying to choose one of the two have always gotten him into trouble.

Jughead Jones

Jughead Jones is Archie's best friend. His real name is Forsythe; however, Jughead seems to fit his personality better. He, along with his famous dog, Hot Dog, are constantly joining Archie in his misadventures. Jughead is well known for his favorite activities: eating, sleeping and eating again. Whether it be hamburgers, hot dogs or pizza, Jughead won't be found without food nearby. It is then that he is at his happiest! When not eating or helping Archie out of a mess, he has been seen hiding from Ethel, who is constantly seeking his affection.

Betty Cooper

Betty Cooper is your average small-town girl, wholesome, sweet and extremely devoted to Archie. Unfortunately, the beautiful blond teen often has to play second-fiddle to Veronica and her schemes to win Archie's love. But through it all, Betty remains completely unaffected and loyal to Archie. She is very intelligent, hard working and continues to challenge Archie as he must choose which girl he really wants.

Veronica Lodge

Veronica Lodge -- gorgeous, sophisticated, and very RICH -- has no problem with the boys, except maybe Archie. She is forever trying to win over Archie's heart and will stop at almost nothing to prove to him that she's the right choice. The sexy brunette is very conceited, usually fickle and extremely flirtatious; whether using her money or her looks, some day she hopes to obtain the one thing she can't buy, Archie.

Reggie Mantle

Reggie Mantle is the ultimate wiseguy, always looking to pull a fast one over on someone, usually Archie. Reggie is very handsome and an all-around athlete. He believes that he is the best at everything. Reggie is Archie's arch-rival in almost every endeavor, especially where Veronica is concerned. He may outsmart Archie with his tricks, but neither of them ever seem to win in the end!

ARCHIE'S SUPPORTING CAST

Mr. Weatherbee

Mr. Weatherbee is the principal of Riverdale High School. His short-temper leaves very little patience for Archie and Jughead's recurring pranks.

Ms. Grundy

Ms. Grundy is well known as Archie's teacher at Riverdale High. She tends to be strict, but underneath it all she is a good-natured person. 

Big Moose

Big Moose is the muscle-head of the crowd. Moose and his girlfriend, Midge, are very caring people, always ready to help friends in need. His character came to public notice when readers found out he suffered from dyslexia.

Dilton Doiley

Dilton Doiley is Riverdale High's intellectual genius and number-one whiz kid. Most of the time his inventions fail, but they become more elaborate each time.

Ethel

Ethel's favorite hobby is trying to win the heart of Jughead. She will stop at nothing to win over his heart even though his true love seems to be food.

Jellybean

Jellybean (Forsythia) Jones is Jughead's baby sister. She gained national media attention as she was the first Archie character to be born in 50 years.

Pop Tate

Pop Tate is the owner of Pop's Chok'lit Shoppe, Archie and his friends' favorite hang-out. With a smile on his face, Pops is always there to listen and support the kids through their trials and tribulations.

Chuck Clayton

Chuck Clayton and his girlfriend, Nancy, are two classmates of Archie. Chuck is very creative and aspires to be a world-famous cartoonist.

Mr. Lodge

Mr. Lodge is Veronica's very wealthy father. He does not support his daughter's flirtation with Archie. It seems every time he turns his back, Archie has done something to disrupt his personal and professional life.

ARCHIE COMICS FINDS FORMULA FOR SUCCESS AND STABILITY

"When people think of Archie, it is about families sticking together, school being fun, teachers being goofy and friendships that are important.

It's the way we all would like it to be."

-- Victor Gorelick, editor

MAMARONECK, N.Y. -- Archie Comic Publications, Inc. has published comic books for 60 years, and its formula for success is simple -- change without changing. Michael Silberkleit, chairman and co-publisher, and Richard Goldwater, president and co-publisher, have made the company a stable force in the volatile comic book publishing industry.

According to Silberkleit, much of the company's success is attributed to an ability to keep their comic books up-to-date, without compromising the core values expressed by their characters.

"Archie Comics has been a part of Americana for six decades," said Goldwater. "The future remains in values that were established in the past. We have always built our comic book titles around relationships, family, innocence, honesty, romance and fun.

"This plan has led to a safe and entertaining product that parents can comfortably buy for their kids," Silberkleit added.

Archie Comics is the only family-owned and independent publisher in the industry. Goldwater's and Silberkleit's fathers formed the comic book publishing company, MLJ Magazines, in November 1939. MLJ Magazines was named after its three founders, Maurice Coyne, Louis Silberkleit and John Goldwater. Archie was first introduced in comics in December 1941, and the company adopted the name of its flagship character in 1946. Today, Michael Silberkleit and Richard Goldwater provide millions of loyal fans across the country with more than 25 Archie Comics titles published each month.

According to Goldwater, the first step for the company is to always emphasize that the stories are appropriate for today's youth.

"These characters are not stuck in the fifties. Throughout the decades we have changed with the times -- clothing, cars, computers -- as well as issues, such as drugs, war and violent crimes. All is lost if the kids don't relate to the characters."

Archie and his peers have always remained contemporary to the times in which their stories were published, always sporting the latest fashion, verbalizing with the most current teenage slang, and participating in the trendiest pastimes.

Relating to the character is what first spurred the creation of Archie. Amidst the dawn of superheroes, John Goldwater was determined to develop an everyman, an average person, the reader could identify with.

Archie Comics' blueprint for longevity will always start with the loveable characters of Archie, Jughead, Betty, Veronica, Reggie and friends. In addition, the company has also created and produced Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Josie and the Pussycats. 

In addition to millions of children, Archie Comics has made an impression on mainstream entertainment. The most successful television shows in the `90s revolve around sentiments similar to those Archie Comics established, e.g., Happy Days, Wonder Years, Saved By The Bell and Beverly Hills 90210.

Archie Comics is America's leading teenage humor-comics publishing company and is based in Mamaroneck, New York.

FROM THE GOLDEN AGE TO THE NEXT MILLENNIUM:

A Look at Archie Comics

In The Beginning

It was a time when you could buy a glass bottle of Coca-Cola for a nickel, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was in the White House and the world was at war. Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gable were on the big screen. Comic books, a new form of entertainment, provided a medium for super-heroes to battle the Axis powers. As 1941 drew to a close, comic readers were about to receive a powerful how-do-you-do from a certain freckle-faced, red-headed kid.

Comic books first appeared in the 1930s as reprint compilations of newspaper comic strips. It didn't take long before the early publishers of comic books realized that if reprints of newspaper strips were popular, comic books containing all-new stories and characters would be more popular. During the late `30s and into the `40s, comic books flourished in what was to be known later as the industry's Golden Age.

Golden Age comic books offered many awesome creations to a fantasy-thirsty public. Many of these creations were of the super-hero genre, since America sorely needed larger-than-life champions as freedom-inspiring symbols to help combat Adolf Hitler's Third Reich menace. Comic book titles proudly displayed numerous heroes thoroughly trouncing (much to the applause of the reader) the Axis forces.

The Birth of MLJ Magazines

In 1939, a new comic book publishing company was formed -- a company that would later be the birthplace of a unique comic character that would last for more than 50 years. This new comic book publishing company, founded in November 1939, was called MLJ Magazines (named after its three partners and founders -- Maurice Coyne, Louis Silberkleit and John Goldwater). The company's first title was Blue Ribbon Comics. One month later, a second title, Top-Notch Comics, was introduced.

In January 1940, a third publication, Pep Comics, was introduced, and the company continued to introduce a variety of adventure magazines throughout the rest of that year and beyond. MLJ's comics contained their own colorful battalion of costumed mystery men within adventure-based titles. To this day, Pep Comics #1 still stands out in the minds of most comic book collectors as it introduced the industry's first patriotic super-hero, a super-hero whose costume depicted the colors and design of the American flag. This character was called the Shield. What better American character than a G-man who dons a flag costume to fight the Axis powers?

Archie -- America's New Teen Phenomenon

While MLJ continued to publish adventure comics to compete with the likes of Superman, masked marvels and glorified G-men, its founders soon realized that in order to continue to entertain the younger reader, and in particular the female reader, they needed to pursue a new avenue of expression. What the comic reader was missing was a taste of reality -- a reality that demonstrated the oftentimes funny side of everyday life. If there was a Superman, why not an "Everyman?" An Everyman whom readers young and old could relate to.

John L. Goldwater, co-publisher of MLJ, was inspired by the era's popular Andy Hardy movies that starred a young Mickey Rooney. He was determined to develop an Everyman, an average person whom readers could identify with. MLJ's partners gave Goldwater an overwhelming seal of approval and encouraged him to bring his concept to fruition.

In December 1941, MLJ Magazines, utilizing the talents of writer Vic Bloom and artist Bob Montana, published a small, untitled six-page story. Sandwiched in the middle of the hero-laden pages of Pep Comics #22, this story introduced America's newest boyfriend. Christened "Archibald Andrews" and requesting that you call him "Chick," Archie was born. Joined by his girl-hating, unusually named friend, Jughead, and the girl next door, Betty Cooper, Archie embarked upon a series of adventures that marked the dawn of an American institution.

Following his inception in Pep Comics, Archie was introduced as a regular, supporting feature in MLJ's Jackpot Comics #4. Soon after, new Archie characters were introduced in both Pep and Jackpot, including rich and gorgeous sub-debutante Veronica Lodge, arch-rival Reggie Mantle, and a whole host of characters and locations that provided the backdrop for Archie's antics. The combination of these characters' unique and varied personalities, classic relationships with one another, their teachers and parents, and the locales they frequented lead to the world of Riverdale, USA.

The Growing Popularity of An American Icon

As Archie's visibility grew, so did his popularity. Readers demanded to see more and more of the redheaded youth's exploits, and MLJ was ready to satisfy those demands. The company started by increasing Archie's presence in Pep Comics. Pep Comics #36, 1943, proudly displayed Archie's first Pep cover appearance. Until that issue, Archie's name had never even been mentioned on a cover.

Pep Comics #49, 1944, unveiled the next increase in Archie's status as MLJ decided to give him the lead story position within the magazine. Pep Comics #51, 1944, showed Archie and his friends completely dominating the cover (no super-hero) -- a change that was reflected on every Pep cover thereafter. MLJ and its new wonder boy were moving ahead at top speed.

In May 1946, the company adopted the name of its flagship character, and the letters MLJ gave way to the newly christened Archie Comic Publications, Inc. The new name coincided with a modification of the company's editorial direction, which then concentrated primarily on the adventures of Archie and his friends and less on super-hero tales.

Following suit, in the fall of 1946, Archie Comic Publications Inc. released Laugh Comics, the second title specifically created to feature Archie and other humorous characters. Finally, the publishers released one more Archie-dominated title before the decade was over: Archie's pal, Jughead.

Keeping Up With The Times

In the winter of 1949, Archie Comics #1 was released and was the first MLJ title primarily dedicated to the adventures of America's typical teenager. As the `40s yielded to the `50s, Archie and his pals continued to appeal to young audiences. Archie Andrews and his friends flourished into America's, and indeed the world's, most popular teenage humor comic book characters. In part, Archie's popularity and uniqueness stemmed from the fact that although the times changed, Archie changed with them.

Archie and his peers have always remained contemporary to the times in which their stories were published. They sport the latest fashions, verbalize with the most current teenage slang, and participate in the trendiest pastimes. And, although Archie did indeed change, his hilarious misadventures always contained the essence of the original concept -- the situations and problems he and his pals faced were those that the reader could identify with, those adversities of adolescence which had to be met and conquered. Those eternal high school juniors were, and still are, America's typical teenagers.

That's Entertainment

Archie grew outside of the print world and entered homes via a radio show from the `40s through the `50s. He also appeared in numerous live-action and highly-rated animated television productions from the `60s to the present, a studio band with two gold records (is there anyone out there who doesn't remember "Sugar, Sugar" and "Jingle, Jangle"?), and a nationally syndicated newspaper strip that has run continuously for the past 40 years. These entertainment activities are just some reasons why Archie remains a household name.

Archie In The `90s

Michael Silberkleit and Richard Goldwater, the sons of the original publishers, Louis Silberkleit and John Goldwater, are the owners of Archie Comic Publications, Inc. They continue to move forward with this American institution. Archie Comic Publications Inc. publishes more than 25 different titles each year, and that translates into sales of over 16 million copies annually. Archie Comics are distributed worldwide in the English language and are also printed in eight other languages, in eight different countries. Archie merchandise, everything from dolls to watches to T-shirts to games, graces the shelves of stores everywhere.

Educational and Charity Relationships

Although the current Archie Comics plots are ever-contemporary, featuring activities such as rollerblading, computer programming and dreams about the popular television shows, the company's owners pride themselves on keeping Archie plots non-violent and safe for children.

In the early `90s Archie Comics became the first comic book publisher to use soy ink and print its comics with 100 percent recycled paper. The company received national recognition and went on to create custom environmental comic books for the cities of San Diego and Chino. The company also produces a wide variety of custom comics for many other businesses and agencies. Among them are Radio Shack, Alcoholics Anonymous, the FBI, SNET and New York State. In 1995, Archie Andrews was selected to be the official ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy Associations (UCPA). As UCPA's spokesperson, Archie has made public appearances and donated comic books to those with cerebral palsy and other disabilities. Archie Comics created a series of public service announcements that have run in their comics and have been provided at no charge to other publications.

The company also participated in a spring 1996 promotion with Ore-Ida Foods in an effort to raise more than $100,000 for UCPA. For every two-pound and five-pound package of Tater Tots and Onion Tater Tots purchased in March 1996, Ore-Ida donated two cents to UCPA. The package featured Archie and his friends and a subscription offer for Archie titles. For every subscription received, Archie Comics donated 25 cents.

For 60 years, the perennial love triangle between Archie, Veronica, and Betty still exists, the meaning of the "S" on Jughead's shirt still remains a mystery, and Archie is still running afoul into different adventures, much to the heart-warming delight of a new generation of grateful readers, their parents, and their parents' parents.

ARCHIE COMICS TRIVIA

Questions:

1) Where do Archie and his friends live?

2) What year did Archie make his debut? Bonus question: in which issue?

3) Who is Archie's number-one rival?

4) Which wealthy and sexy brunette is the object of Archie's affections?

5) Which girl next door has a crush on Archie?

6) What is Archie and his pals' favorite hangout?

7) Who is the principal at Riverdale High?

8) What is Jughead's real first name?

9) What is the name of Jughead's little sister?

10) What is the name of Jughead's dog?

11) A highlight of the early Archie animated cartoons was the Archies rock band performing several hit songs. What song actually became a #1 hit -- the highest-selling single of 1969?

12) What are the last names for a) Archie b) Jughead c) Betty d) Veronica e) Reggie?

13) Which Archie character has dyslexia?

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