MIKE PELLERITO, was recently named the new Managing Editor of Archie Comics. In addition to looking over the Archie universe he also editÃs some of Archie Comics most popular titles,
This column came about after having very few avenues to promote and find out about All Ages and Younger Reader Comics and Graphic Novels. Most knowledge seems to be passed along by word of mouth, so this is in the sprit the column is written. Now, sit back and join in the conversation!
To learn more about any of the above-mentioned projects please visit Archie Comics.com
Love Is In The Air
Ever been surprised by how many people really love comics??
Although the work week here at Archie Comics has run the gamut of exhilarating to exhausting it was nice to hit the weekend (when these columns usually get written). Fridays are usually the busiest and toughest of the week. Every other week we have to have our invoices entered and added up so the freelance staff can get paid. It is nice have a schedule for freelancers to get paid every other week. Archie is glad to have such a great staff putting together the comics every month and the freelance staff is happy to have a nice orderly reliable pay schedule. On top of invoices, packages have to go out to Sega for approvals on Sonic The Hedgehog and Sonic X. All the artists and writers have to get there schedules set up for the week and now that we are full steam into February (can you believe it’s February already?) we are polishing off the new covers that have to get sent out for solicitations, and hopefully people will want to read our comics. Plus this week we are working out meetings at the American International Toy Fair and scheduling what will be happening at our booth and panels at the NY Comic Con this February 23rd-25th. Please come out and say hello to your favorite Archie Comics creators and enjoy all the comic book fun. Last year was a huge success; so making this year even better is the goal. As you can guess by Saturday morning the getting up early and waiting for the cable man to fix the cable was not too anticipated. Who knew it would be a highlight of the week?
The upstairs office is as much a junk room as it is a workspace. Some framed posters, and comic book art hang on the walls and lie on the floor. This is where the cable guy has to go to check out the cable modem. A nice new piece of art from Katy Keene (Read Archie & Friends to read about Katy Keene, Shameless Plug) is laying on the drawing table and several pieces of Sonic artwork. Also there are mountains of comic books from Archie, boxes of comics to read, All Ages comics for this column, books, movies, boxes and computer junk everywhere. The mess of it all is slightly embarrassing.
The cable guy walks in and says, “ My sixteen-year-old son would love this room.” Actually it does look a sixteen-year-old would live here. “He loves Sonic,” and pointed to a pile of Sonic X comics.
How cool is that?
So the cable guy took good care of us and has a nice pile of comics for his son to read, plus some odds and ends the public never gets to see. He was absolutely thrilled and was on his cell phone to his son before he got to his truck. We get tons of fan mail at Archie Comics and reading the mail is so great. However meetings people the comic actually touches is beyond words.
It is one of those perks that come with working on All Ages comics that other comic pros might not get to experience. The world is still full of endless imagination during our younger years, and All Ages comic books have an integral part of all that wonder and creativity. It is why this column exists, to get the word out about the importance of comics for kids of all ages.
This week is a bit of a love fest about comics, but the timing’s right since we are coming up on Valentine’s Day and the two comics getting on the Recommending Reading list are full of adventure and romance.
TEEN TITANS GO! #39
Teen Titans Go!, From the DC Johnny line is one of the better All Ages adventure titles on the market. It captures the feel and energy of the show well and seems to be super hero-ie enough to have some cross over appeal to non All Agers. A great cover by Todd Nauck and Kanilla Tripp sets the tone for this silly adventure perfectly. What do you do with a comic book about teenaged super heroes? Have the magical mischievous Larry show up and play cupid! Just about every Titan makes an appearance and is well introduced is this funny story. The only person to feel no love is this issues villain. Written by J. Torres, penciled by Todd Nauck, inked by Lary Stucker Colored by Heroic Age, Lettered by John J. Hill and edited by Tom Palmer Jr. this is a fun issue for new readers or long time lovers of this series.
TEEN TITANS GO! #39
Price: $2.25
Format: 32 pages w/ Ads, Full Color, Ongoing Series
Diamond Item Code: NOV060250
Age Group: All Ages/Grade School and up
SONIC X #16
Sonic for years has been hounded by the infatuated Amy Rose, she has a super crush on the blue blur and a massive mallet to destroy anything that gets in her way. Sonic loses a bet to Knuckles and has to go out on a date with Amy Rose. Of course Sonic needs a little advice on how to pull off a perfect date. Not that he actually wants to go on a date mind you. Of course Sonic’s arch nemesis is in the background trying to destroy our favorite hedgehogs. The great Spaz has done it again with an eye-popping cover. This issue’s romantic tangles are put together by Sonic X’s other Sonic title’s writer Sonic The Hedgehog’ own Ian Flynn who flexes his comedy muscles. Ian has a real gift for writing funny as well as adventure stories. Something that is not easy to do. The rest of the team do a fine job as well with Todd Wahnish penciling, the amazing inks of Terry Austin, John Workman Lettering, Josh Ray coloring and Mike Pellerito Editing, Victor Gorelick managing editor, Richard Goldwater Editor in Chief and the fine folks at Sega Robert Leffler and Dyna Lopez all help out to make this a memorable Valentine’s Day for Sonic.
SONIC X #16
Price: $2.25
Format: 32 pages w/ Ads, Full Color, Ongoing Series
Diamond Item Code: NOV063306
Age Group: All Ages/Grade School and up
That is it for this week. But before we finish up this week, two projects that are coming out this week that should be paid particular attention too. The first, SHAZAM THE MONSTER SOCIETY OF EVIL, is about one of the best super heroes ever, Capt. Marvel. It happens to be written and drawn by Jeff Smith who you might know thanks to his incredible and successful comic book Series BONE. If you haven’t read BONE yet, you are really missing out. Also be on the look out for MIGHTY SKULLBOY ARMY has robot monkeys and lots of fun quirky humor. Looking forward to both. See you next Tuesday for some more love and comics and maybe a review on these two new reads!
Send your thoughts and projects you’d like to see reviewed to: mikep@silverbulletcomicbooks.com
Check out some new All Ages reads on sale this week:
OCT060030 MIGHTY SKULLBOY ARMY VOL 1 TP $9.95
OCT060023 PERHAPANAUTS SECOND CHANCES #3 (OF 4) $2.99
DEC060253 JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED #30 $2.25
DEC060258 LOONEY TUNES #147 $2.25
DEC060247 SHAZAM THE MONSTER SOCIETY OF EVIL #1 (OF 4) $5.99
DEC062326 MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #24 $2.99
DEC062298 SPIDER-MAN AND POWER PACK #4 (OF 4) $2.99
NOV063294 ARCHIE DIGEST #232 $2.49
NOV063297 BETTY & VERONICA #224 $2.25
NOV063300 JUGHEAD #179 $2.25
NOV063306 SONIC X #16 $2.25