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Archie Comics continues their modernization efforts with new logos which look…well, different. Via PR:

Archie Comics, the world’s largest English-language publisher of all ages comics, is pleased to unveil a new Archie Comics logo that will appear on all of its comic books, digest/double digests and graphic novels. The new Archie Comics’ logo will make its first appearance on the Archie Comic publications scheduled for the newsstand on-sale starting the week of September 15, 2008, commencing with Veronica #190 and Archie Digest #247.

The new trade dress for all of the Archie Digest Library books include new logos for most of the titles as well as secondary logos for popular characters featured in the digests. Characters such as Little Archie, Cheryl Blossom, Reggie, Josie & the Pussycats, just to name a few are featured in the digests every month, but not necessarily on the cover. We now have a trade dress that allows fans of these characters to know exactly where to find their favorite Archie characters. For more than 67 years, Archie Comics has provided entertainment for all ages. In 2009, Archie Comics is entering a new phase of growth with the launch of two new titles, Archie Comics Presents and Sonic Universe.

The new logos on our comics and digests highlights Archie Comics’ plans for the future and the new trade dress represents our latest step. Whereby we bring many of our popular characters to the forefront of our fans attention as soon as they see our digests and double digests.

Johanna has commentary.

1 COMMENT

  4. My 9 year old daughter LOVES the BETTY AND VERONICA digest — the recent “And the Winner is…” story has her desperately awaiting the outcome.

    I never even noticed that ARCHIE books are everywhere, but Savannah picked them out at the newsstand round the corner from LASER BLAZER when she was five. Those guys really know their market.

    R!

  5. I like the solo BETTY and VERONICA logos with the headshots. Very eye-catching. The digest logos, not so much. And why in the world would they want more than one logo for these iconic characters? (Betty and Veronica each have three.) Repeat exposures and brand recognition is supposed to be what it’s all about.

  7. Some of these titles are digests, so the width is smaller than a regular newsstand comicbook. These logos are too small and leave too much negative space available.

    My suggestions:
    1) Move the CCA seal (wow, that’s small), price, and issue number to the barcode, which is usually placed in the lower left-hand corner. From my retailing experience, magazine prices are not linked to the UPC code, and that’s the first place cashiers look when searching for the price.

    2) Expand the title logos so that they fill the entire width of the cover, leaving space for the Archie “A” in the upper left-hand corner. (The “Betty logo is a good example.)

    3) Highlight special character appearances with a line or two of text below the series logo.

    4) Create secondary logos without character heads to facilitate design solutions.

    5) Standardize logo typefaces by character (Jughead) or group (Betty & Veronica).

    6) Add some go-go checks! (Oops… wrong publisher!)

  8. Anybody remember that 60s superhero comic with Archie–was it Super-Archie or something? I am haunted by a half-memory of an old Archie one of my aunts had which I saw in the 1970s– it was a classic Archie (I think, maybe Jughead?) in some kind of superhero costume, surrounded by a bunch of badguys. Inside there was a story with the ongoing gag of Jughead wanting to eat “breatfruit” which he knocked out of trees and collected by the armful. I found these Archie comics baffling as a kid, I just couldn’t understand them…but that one with the superheroes, someone here might know which one I am talking about…(??)

  11. Holy crap that Captain Hero comic is giving me freaky flashbacks. I remember seeing it.

    Also, I just realized that Jughead looks a lot like Stephen Colbert.

  16. I agree with Marcus and Torsten, essentially that the Betty and Veronica solo logos are attractive, and that the cover elements should be rejigged a bit to allow the new wordmarks to dominate.

    I wonder if they tested these in the market before going ahead in production?

    I am not thrilled with the number of different looks.For example, the font in the words “Double Digest” look quite different from title to title, and different from the font on the single Digests. I would rather see one brand new look that is applied consistently across the brand.

  20. Wow! That’s it, thanks guys…a little mystery cleared up. It’s been bugging me for years, to tell you the truth. I remember Mad did a funny Archie send-up…

  21. Elder drew Mad’s Archie parody in one of comic sized issues. It’s brilliant.

    Marvel did also did a pretty funny Archie take-off in their late 80’s funnybook “What The…?!”. Not as funny as Kurtzman & Elder’s, of course, but I remember chuckling at it.

  22. “Step away from the airbrush tool… “

    Ha! You mean the dodge and burn? :P Though I’ll have to admit these are still somewhat more appealing than the old ones, but I think that has more to do with the fact the character designs and inking styles all look different as well. O_o

  25. We have RAVENOUS Archie fans at the shop. Saturdays are all about Riverdale for several dozen Brooklyn girls.

    It’s fun. I like ol’ Archie.