An Archie franchise series may have predicted online classes, but did anyone predict the publisher itself would go "woke"?
In this NDTV report, they point to the buzz Archie Comics built by posting panels from a Betty Cooper series serving as a precursor to what was seen over this past year in school systems:
But who would've thought Archie would dilute the entertainment value of their products with politically motivated stories in the past decade that only the most "woke" on the left would fine "relatable", assuming they actually read them at all? Their increased reliance on horror themes only made things worse, making one wonder what could be worse - the politics or the mayhem?
And that's why any impression the late 90s strip with Betty set in a future era could've had isn't as great as could've been, because you look back at such eras, when entertainment value still mattered, and realize the products in later years aren't built on the same merit the earlier ones were.
The strip, shared by the official Twitter account of Archie Comics yesterday, was originally published in a February 1997 issue of the now-discontinued Betty series. It shows Betty Cooper's life imagined in "2021 AD".Here's the page in question:
In the comic strip, Betty is seen attending classes using a computer at home. Aside from the futuristic outfits worn by Betty and her parents, the comic strip hits pretty close to home - even featuring a "Video monitor must remain uncovered at all times" sign that many are sure to find totally relatable.
Well in all the Archie history, they did often do these strips set in the past and future as much as the present. And yes, you could easily say such ideas prefaced what came up this past year, which we hopefully won't have to rely upon too much in the coming ones.👀
— Archie Comics (@ArchieComics) March 16, 2021
[Originally published in Betty #46, Feb. 1997] pic.twitter.com/UNwjBa2gFe
But who would've thought Archie would dilute the entertainment value of their products with politically motivated stories in the past decade that only the most "woke" on the left would fine "relatable", assuming they actually read them at all? Their increased reliance on horror themes only made things worse, making one wonder what could be worse - the politics or the mayhem?
And that's why any impression the late 90s strip with Betty set in a future era could've had isn't as great as could've been, because you look back at such eras, when entertainment value still mattered, and realize the products in later years aren't built on the same merit the earlier ones were.
Labels: Archie, history, politics, technology, violence
