EXCLUSIVE: The comic book that gave birth to Archie and the gang…
Groovy way to round out the year, kids: The latest volume in the Archie Comics Presents line of trade paperbacks will be a spotlight on the series that started it all: Pep Comics.
Dig the official solicitation info, which will be released by the publisher later this month:
ARCHIE COMICS PRESENTS: PEP (TPB)
It was the series that changed comics forever, with the first showcase of everyone’s favorite redheaded teen! PEP COMICS is the latest cornerstone title to join the Archie Comics Presents line. Originally running from 1940 all the way into the ’80s, this title was the platform for Archie’s first appearance in 1941, and introduced many of the Riverdale citizens that the world still follows over 80 years later. This collection contains the best Archie stories found in the original series, and illustrates how the characters evolved during that run.
Script: Various. Art: Various. Cover: Samm Schwartz, Rosario “Tito” Peña.
Pub date Feb. 1969
“The first Archie comic I ever read was an old issue of Pep where Archie was impersonating Tiny Tim. (It was the ’80s; I had no idea what a Tiny Tim was, lol!),” said Archie Editor-in-Chief Mike Pellerito. “People forget how good the stories in Pep were, and our selections for this new collection feature work by the best of the best in Archie’s history: Frank Doyle, George Gladir, Dan DeCarlo, Harry Lucey, Bob Bolling, Bob White, and more. Even Pep’s covers were fun and creative, with DeCarlo drawing the characters around the logo in different outfits. The art is so good, the stories are fun and silly, and honestly, it’s nice to read something purely indulgent and happy.
“The ‘Archie Comics Presents’ paperback series has been a lot of fun, including the recent Laugh and She’s Josie collections,” Pellerito added. “They’re filled with some amazing stuff that really deserves to be spotlighted. Pep might be my favorite one yet.”
The 224-page softcover lists for $11.99 and is due Dec. 27 — perfect timing to ring in the new year.
And if you want to get into the holiday spirit early, click here for an EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW of a new collection of classic tales, Archie’s Christmas Wonderland, due Sept. 20.
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MORE
— From PEP #22 to RIVERDALE Season 7, Everything Is Possible With ARCHIE COMICS, by MIKE PELLERITO. Click here.
— 13 Great DAN DeCARLO ARCHIE Covers, by MIKE PELLERITO. Click here.
September 15, 2023
It would be nice if it includes some of the non-Archie stories like the Shield.