Betty Thomas
Archie: The First Fifty Years
November 18, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
(This entry is an abridged version of an article featuring Archie. For the expanded article, click here.)
He doesn’t have superpowers resulting from a yellow sun like Superman or a radioactive spider bite like Spiderman.
He’s not a quasi-vigilante hero avenging the death of loved ones like Batman or the Lone Ranger.
And he never saved the universe like Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers.
In fact, his extraordinary characteristics appear to be his uncanny ability to get in trouble and his immense inability to choose between two extremely attractive girls.
Who is this mere mortal?
Archie Andrews, of course. The All-American Teenager and Riverdale’s favorite son.
As the United States entered World War II in December of 1941, Archie debuted in Pep #22 as a supporting feature. This initial Archie story also features Jughead and Betty.
MLJ Comics published Pep, the arena for its contribution to the superhero genre -- The Shield. Three publishing colleagues formed MLJ. They named the company after their initials -- Maurice Coyne, Louis Silberkleit, and John Goldwater complemented each other with their experience as an accountant, publisher, and reporter/editor respectively.
Artist Bob Montana gave the Archie universe its center. He drew upon his own experiences growing up in Haverhill, Massachusetts.
Bob Montana drew. Vic Bloom wrote. Harry Shorten edited.
Truth be told, though, Montana gave the Archie stories their heart, soul, and ultimate appeal.
In the retrospective book Archie: The First 50 Years, Charles Phillips credits Montana.
A rootless child who loved his high school years, Montana gave more than the statue of The Thinker, the hometown soda shop, and a number of his teenage pals to Riverdale. He gave the strip the emotional strength of his own nostalgia to create an idealized picture of teenage life that we all recognize but none of us quite lived.
Montana and the creative team behind Archie added new characters in the adventures of Riverdale’s red-headed Romeo. Waldo Weatherbee -- Riverdale High School’s beloved, bald, benign principal -- first appeared in Jackpot #5 (Spring 1942). The story contains the mainstay Archie elements of slapstick, Weatherbee’s rotund shape, and Archie’s penchant for getting in hot water with “the Bee.”
Jackpot #5 also introduces, albeit briefly, Reggie Mantle.
Pep #26 (April 1942) introduces rich girl Veronica Lodge and compares her to Egypt’s Cleopatra and Hollywood’s Hedy Lamarr. Although Pep #26 showcases Veronica’s first appearance, Archie #1 (Winter 1942) revisits the origin of Veronica in the story Prom Pranks.
Prom Pranks sets the foundation for a well-known Archie hallmark -- the Archie-Veronica-Betty love triangle.
Where familiar themes provide reliability, stability, and continuity, signs of the times reflect an ever-changing society. They continually challenge Archie writers to pace fads, norms, and popular culture.
In the 1950’s, Archie stories frequently paralleled benchmarks of the rock and roll decade -- hula hoops, sock hops, beatniks.
Celebrities, fictional and real, also enjoy depictions in Archie stories -- Elvis Presley, Fonzie, Tom Cruise.
Social conscience features prominently in one story from the 1970’s -- A Matter of Prejudice. The story sends a powerful message about the dangers of prejudging the views of others. When Veronica explains that some of Archie’s friends are not welcome at her party because they simply don’t fit in, Archie immediately thinks the reference points to Chuck Clayton, a black student at Riverdale High.
In fact, Veronica likes Chuck. She declares, He’s welcome at my house any time he pleases to come.
Jughead, on the other hand, needs to change his slovenly ways for the party. Chuck and Archie tell him that Veronica is prejudiced...against slobs!
Expanding into other media was inevitable for the Archieverse. It occurred almost from the beginning. Archie and the gang found success on a radio program in the 1940’s.
In the late 1960’s and throughout the 1970’s, Archie characters found success in Saturday morning animation.
In 1978, two live-action music and comedy specials on ABC featured the characters. Dennis Bowen plays Archie.
Riverdale High’s 15-year reunion served as the basis for the 1990 NBC tv-movie To Riverdale and Back. Archie returned to Riverdale, reunited with friends, and reignited passions for Betty and Veronica. This time, he’s in Riverdale to stay. But the choice between Veronica and Betty remains undecided.
Some things never change.
The best things never do.
(For an expanded article on Archie, click here.)
david@davidkrell.com
(This entry is an abridged version of an article featuring Archie. For the expanded article, click here.)
He doesn’t have superpowers resulting from a yellow sun like Superman or a radioactive spider bite like Spiderman.
He’s not a quasi-vigilante hero avenging the death of loved ones like Batman or the Lone Ranger.
And he never saved the universe like Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers.
In fact, his extraordinary characteristics appear to be his uncanny ability to get in trouble and his immense inability to choose between two extremely attractive girls.
Who is this mere mortal?
Archie Andrews, of course. The All-American Teenager and Riverdale’s favorite son.
As the United States entered World War II in December of 1941, Archie debuted in Pep #22 as a supporting feature. This initial Archie story also features Jughead and Betty.
MLJ Comics published Pep, the arena for its contribution to the superhero genre -- The Shield. Three publishing colleagues formed MLJ. They named the company after their initials -- Maurice Coyne, Louis Silberkleit, and John Goldwater complemented each other with their experience as an accountant, publisher, and reporter/editor respectively.
Artist Bob Montana gave the Archie universe its center. He drew upon his own experiences growing up in Haverhill, Massachusetts.
Bob Montana drew. Vic Bloom wrote. Harry Shorten edited.
Truth be told, though, Montana gave the Archie stories their heart, soul, and ultimate appeal.
In the retrospective book Archie: The First 50 Years, Charles Phillips credits Montana.
A rootless child who loved his high school years, Montana gave more than the statue of The Thinker, the hometown soda shop, and a number of his teenage pals to Riverdale. He gave the strip the emotional strength of his own nostalgia to create an idealized picture of teenage life that we all recognize but none of us quite lived.
Montana and the creative team behind Archie added new characters in the adventures of Riverdale’s red-headed Romeo. Waldo Weatherbee -- Riverdale High School’s beloved, bald, benign principal -- first appeared in Jackpot #5 (Spring 1942). The story contains the mainstay Archie elements of slapstick, Weatherbee’s rotund shape, and Archie’s penchant for getting in hot water with “the Bee.”
Jackpot #5 also introduces, albeit briefly, Reggie Mantle.
Pep #26 (April 1942) introduces rich girl Veronica Lodge and compares her to Egypt’s Cleopatra and Hollywood’s Hedy Lamarr. Although Pep #26 showcases Veronica’s first appearance, Archie #1 (Winter 1942) revisits the origin of Veronica in the story Prom Pranks.
Prom Pranks sets the foundation for a well-known Archie hallmark -- the Archie-Veronica-Betty love triangle.
Where familiar themes provide reliability, stability, and continuity, signs of the times reflect an ever-changing society. They continually challenge Archie writers to pace fads, norms, and popular culture.
In the 1950’s, Archie stories frequently paralleled benchmarks of the rock and roll decade -- hula hoops, sock hops, beatniks.
Celebrities, fictional and real, also enjoy depictions in Archie stories -- Elvis Presley, Fonzie, Tom Cruise.
Social conscience features prominently in one story from the 1970’s -- A Matter of Prejudice. The story sends a powerful message about the dangers of prejudging the views of others. When Veronica explains that some of Archie’s friends are not welcome at her party because they simply don’t fit in, Archie immediately thinks the reference points to Chuck Clayton, a black student at Riverdale High.
In fact, Veronica likes Chuck. She declares, He’s welcome at my house any time he pleases to come.
Jughead, on the other hand, needs to change his slovenly ways for the party. Chuck and Archie tell him that Veronica is prejudiced...against slobs!
Expanding into other media was inevitable for the Archieverse. It occurred almost from the beginning. Archie and the gang found success on a radio program in the 1940’s.
In the late 1960’s and throughout the 1970’s, Archie characters found success in Saturday morning animation.
In 1978, two live-action music and comedy specials on ABC featured the characters. Dennis Bowen plays Archie.
Riverdale High’s 15-year reunion served as the basis for the 1990 NBC tv-movie To Riverdale and Back. Archie returned to Riverdale, reunited with friends, and reignited passions for Betty and Veronica. This time, he’s in Riverdale to stay. But the choice between Veronica and Betty remains undecided.
Some things never change.
The best things never do.
(For an expanded article on Archie, click here.)
Private Parts
June 15, 2009
by David Krell
david@davidkrell.com
The 1997 movie Private Parts, based on Howard Stern's autobiography of the same title, has fairly rich television connections.
The shock jock plays himself in Private Parts. His gang of Robin Quivers, Gary Dell'Abate, Fred Norris, and Jackie Martling also play themselves.
But Private Parts does more than merely take Howard Stern's storybook rise to fame from the page to the silver screen.
The movie features future stars of the small screen.
Mary McCormack plays Alison Stern, the wife of the self-proclaimed King of All Media. She steadfastly supports her husband as he finds his unique broadcasting voice.
In the final years of The West Wing, McCormack played Deputy National Security Advisor Kate Harper.
Currently, she stars in the USA drama In Plain Sight where she plays Deputy US Marshal Mary Shannon. Shannon is responsible for shepherding federal witnesses through the Witness Protection Program in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Allison Janney also shares a West Wing - Private Parts connection.
In Private Parts, she plays Dee Dee, a radio executive.
In The West Wing, she plays Press Secretary extraordinaire C.J. Cregg who later gets promoted to President Bartlet's Chief of Staff.
Kelly Bishop plays Howard Stern's mother in Private Parts.
We also know her as the matriarch on the poignant, successful, and thoughtful mother-daughter drama Gilmore Girls. Bishop played Emily Gilmore -- mother of Lorelai, grandmother of Rory, and wife of Richard.
Film is a director's medium. Private Parts benefits from a television veteran who draws on her experience to create a definite realism in her productions.
Betty Thomas got her big break as Officer (later Sergeant) Lucy Bates on Hill Street Blues, the highly acclaimed 1980's television drama. Thomas directed the HBO tv-movie The Late Shift based on the book of the same title by Bill Carter. The Late Shift recounts the controversy concerning who would ultimately succeed Johnny Carson as host of The Tonight Show. Thomas has also directed other movies with roots in television -- I Spy, The Brady Bunch Movie.
And lastly, Paul Giamatti.
This fine character actor has starred in American Splendor, Sideways, and Cinderella Man.
In March - April 2008, Giamatti starred in the title role of the HBO miniseries John Adams based on the book of the same title by David McCullough. Giamatti won an Emmy for his portrayal of the unsung founding father.
In Private Parts, Giamatti plays Pig Vomit, Howard Stern's corporate nemesis during his days at WNBC-AM radio in New York City. Stern supplied the moniker.
david@davidkrell.com
The 1997 movie Private Parts, based on Howard Stern's autobiography of the same title, has fairly rich television connections.
The shock jock plays himself in Private Parts. His gang of Robin Quivers, Gary Dell'Abate, Fred Norris, and Jackie Martling also play themselves.
But Private Parts does more than merely take Howard Stern's storybook rise to fame from the page to the silver screen.
The movie features future stars of the small screen.
Mary McCormack plays Alison Stern, the wife of the self-proclaimed King of All Media. She steadfastly supports her husband as he finds his unique broadcasting voice.
In the final years of The West Wing, McCormack played Deputy National Security Advisor Kate Harper.
Currently, she stars in the USA drama In Plain Sight where she plays Deputy US Marshal Mary Shannon. Shannon is responsible for shepherding federal witnesses through the Witness Protection Program in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Allison Janney also shares a West Wing - Private Parts connection.
In Private Parts, she plays Dee Dee, a radio executive.
In The West Wing, she plays Press Secretary extraordinaire C.J. Cregg who later gets promoted to President Bartlet's Chief of Staff.
Kelly Bishop plays Howard Stern's mother in Private Parts.
We also know her as the matriarch on the poignant, successful, and thoughtful mother-daughter drama Gilmore Girls. Bishop played Emily Gilmore -- mother of Lorelai, grandmother of Rory, and wife of Richard.
Film is a director's medium. Private Parts benefits from a television veteran who draws on her experience to create a definite realism in her productions.
Betty Thomas got her big break as Officer (later Sergeant) Lucy Bates on Hill Street Blues, the highly acclaimed 1980's television drama. Thomas directed the HBO tv-movie The Late Shift based on the book of the same title by Bill Carter. The Late Shift recounts the controversy concerning who would ultimately succeed Johnny Carson as host of The Tonight Show. Thomas has also directed other movies with roots in television -- I Spy, The Brady Bunch Movie.
And lastly, Paul Giamatti.
This fine character actor has starred in American Splendor, Sideways, and Cinderella Man.
In March - April 2008, Giamatti starred in the title role of the HBO miniseries John Adams based on the book of the same title by David McCullough. Giamatti won an Emmy for his portrayal of the unsung founding father.
In Private Parts, Giamatti plays Pig Vomit, Howard Stern's corporate nemesis during his days at WNBC-AM radio in New York City. Stern supplied the moniker.