New York Times
Archie Andrews, the perpetual teenager from Riverdale, is taking another step into the future. Beginning in April, Archie Comics will offer digital versions of its comics on the same day that the print editions arrive on newsstands. The company will be starting with six monthly titles: Archie, Archie & Friends, Betty, Veronica, Betty and Veronica, and Jughead.
“We have a very exciting little business here,” said Jon Goldwater, the co-chief executive of Archie Comics. “We have to keep figuring out ways of pushing it forward.”
DC and Marvel Comics have experimented with “day-and-date” releases, in which the digital version of a comic book is available at the same time as the print version, but they have largely been one-offs.
DC and Marvel Comics have experimented with “day-and-date” releases, in which the digital version of a comic book is available at the same time as the print version, but they have largely been one-offs.
Last week, DC Comics announced that it would offer “Batman Beyond,” a new ongoing series, as a day-and-date release and that both the print and the digital version would be the same price ($2.99). Digital copies of Archie comics will be $1.99, a dollar less than their print counterparts. According to the company, the Archie comics app was downloaded more than 1.7 million times last year. That is good news, especially given the uncertainty over the effect digital sales would have on traditional retail.
“The more I thought about it, and the more I saw the sales, I realized these formats aren’t competitive, they are supportive,” Mr. Goldwater said. Sadly, Geraldine Grundy, one of Archie’s longtime high school teachers, did not live to see this day.
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