My crowning Archievement!

Comic books were a big deal to me growing up. I am dyslexic and struggled with reading. I was held back a year and spent time in special ed. There was a lot of shame—some self-imposed and some not—and as a result, a lot of secrecy. Reading was not only frustrating for me, it was isolating. Comics were the first thing I read on my own for fun, and the first thing I read socially. They were the first thing I could read (almost) as fast as my classmates and friends, and the first thing I felt confident talking (even arguing!) about with them. And the first comics I read were Archie comics.

So it is a really incredible, almost surreal moment to have my first Archie story coming out in December and to see my name on the cover of Archie’s Holiday Magic Special—Archie is practically stepping on it! Saying I’ve come full circle is like saying Jughead likes burgers: a major understatement!

There are three linked stories in this one-shot holiday special. It’s a sort of ghost of Christmas past, present, and future for our redheaded hero. My humble contribution, “Return to Riverdale,” might also seem strangely familiar. Let’s just say it’s a hallmark of holiday storytelling 😉 Archie left town to give life in the big city a try. It didn’t work out, and now he has retreated to Riverdale to start over. On a head-clearing walk downtown, he bumps into—could it be?—it’s Betty! She stayed in town. There was a guy. Didn’t work out. The two tentatively reconnect at Betty’s bakery…

Will sparks fly once again between Archie and America’s most iconic girl next door? Or will ol’ Archiekins fall back into old habits? Let’s just say the guy’s got a lot on his mind…

Archie’s Holiday Magic Special hits shelves December 8, 2021, and you can preorder it straight from Archie Comics here. I will definitely head down to my local comic shop to just, like, gaze at it in wonder on the shelves until the employees turn off the lights and start sweeping up around me. Is that too long to stare? I don’t know, it’s a sight I’ve been waiting my whole life to see.