Archie Comics, having already successfully made the leap to television with The CW’s Riverdale, is now branching out into the podcast format. The publisher announced today a new partnership with Spotify to create scripted podcasts based on the stable of Archie Comics characters. The deal will allow Spotify “to adapt the publisher’s critically acclaimed and bestselling characters and stories into multiple podcasts on the streaming platform.”
Along with the announcement, Archie released a piece of teaser art for the podcast partnership, featuring the Riverdale gang as drawn by artist Dan Parent:
Archie is the latest publisher to bring their characters and stories to the world of audio storytelling. Last month DC Comics announced a similar deal with Spotify to create scripted podcasts, while Marvel Comics has had a deal in place with Stitcher for a few years that has yielded a pair of Wolverine series and an adaptation of Kurt Busiek & Alex Ross‘s Marvels. Aside from Marvel and DC, Archie is arguably the publisher with the largest ‘shared universe’ media presence outside of comics, between The CW’s Riverdale and (the recently-ended) Katy Keene, and Netflix’s (soon-to-be-ended) Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Given the name recognition for the Archie stable of characters, podcasts based on their adventures could do quite well.
Archie Comics also has plenty of stories across multiple genres that could be fairly easily adapted for podcast listeners, from more grounded stories like “Archie Marries Betty/Veronica” or adaptations of the 2015 Archie reboot, to sci-fi tales like Jughead’s Time Police, to a horror series based on Afterlife with Archie. I’d also love to hear an in-universe true crime podcast hosted by Betty & Veronica in the style of My Favorite Murder, but that’s just me.
You can read the full announcement of the Spotify deal from Archie Comics below.
July 9, 2020 – Archie Comics and Spotify have signed an exclusive first-look deal to adapt the publisher’s critically acclaimed and bestselling characters and stories into multiple podcasts on the streaming platform. The anticipated slate of series will span the entire Archieverse of characters, including mainstays Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead, Sabrina, Josie & The Pussycats and many more and is the next part of Archie’s continued effort to expand to new audiences and story-telling mediums with its wide array of world famous characters.
“The podcast and audio space is so vibrant, and Spotify is, hands down, the industry leader there,” said Archie Comics CEO/Publisher Jon Goldwater. “Bringing the iconic Archie library of characters to Spotify is a perfect match, and we’re so excited to partner with them to explore new, compelling stories featuring our characters. It’s an amazing frontier and we can’t wait to unveil what we’ve been working on.”
The creative team at Archie Comics will collaborate with Spotify Studios on the development of multiple series, with potential for all-ages content as well as content aimed at older audiences. Archie Comics continues to expand its multimedia offerings as the brand’s digital and print partnerships include deals with Scholastic, Comixology and Little Bee Books. It’s television deals include partnerships with Warner Brothers Television which has produced worldwide hits including as The CW’s Riverdale, Katy Keene, and Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
Wish Dan Parent had drawn Chuck or Valerie Brown in that picture. :/
I get that it’s a podcast and not on the radio but it is kinda funny to me that the term “scripted podcast” is being touted like this is some new hip thing when it’s essentially a radio drama, and we had radio dramas (including Archie ones!!) in the 1940s. Radio shows featuring the Marvel characters were being produced in the 70s, including one with Bill Murray as the Human Torch!
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