I posted this sketch on Facebook a couple of weeks ago and it certainly received a fiery reaction!
I drew this one last month at the Niagara Falls Comic Con as a lark. The idea of course was inspired by one of the reported plotlines of the upcoming Archie-based TV pilot “Riverdale,” which will supposedly air on the CW sometime in 2017. Supposedly the plotline has Archie involved in a secret affair with his teacher, Miss Grundy. It’s allegedly not entirely as disturbing as it sounds. This being an upcoming show on the youth-obsessed CW, “Riverdale’s” Miss Grundy is being played by a young, attractive actress. To put it simply, the CW’s Miss Grundy is going to be hot.
This sparked the rather obvious idea to draw this forbidden relationship with the actual classic comic book characters …complete with the white-haired, very mature comic book Miss Grundy… as the participants. A lot of people found the results funny as well as disturbing! Right at the convention, I posted the finished sketch to Facebook as I do with many of the sketches I draw at conventions. Immediately the response was passionate. At first most comments were reactions to the bizarre coupling of the teen-aged Archie with his teacher of mature years, Miss Grundy. Inevitably, the comments started turning to the show that inspired the drawing and then the comments became even more intense. Most of the posts expressed their distaste for the Archie-Grundy relationship as well as for some of the pilot’s other reputed plotlines… like Betty’s drug addiction and Veronica’s father being in jail.
Currently, the thin-skinned image-obsessed Archie Comics is monitoring all of my Internet activities. They are concerned about my honesty and frankness with regards to all things Archie and the company is remarkably sensitive to commentary that is critical even in the slightest! Archie can only tolerate bling gushing over their bad ideas! Inevitably, news of this image and the controversy it aroused was brought to the attention of Archie Comics CEO, Jon Goldwater, who supposedly was not amused.
Hey! The plotline wasn’t MY idea! I just drew the damn thing! Of course since I just drew it for my own pleasure and amusement, there isn’t much Archie can do about it beyond what they usually do… Call in my buddy and Die Kitty die partner, Dan Parent, and yell at him. Poor Dan! He’s listened to a lot of shouting about me lately.
