A Brief History of Geekiness (Part Two)

(My Geeky History)
My First Comics.... Archies

"That's Right I'm gonna wail on this Tamberine, and you are going to Love it!"

             So growing up as we’ve established that I had a fairly straight-laced family, so it should come as no surprise that I didn’t really read comics as a child.... Except for ARCHIES, and I loved the Archies.

             But I have to say right off that “the Archies” sorta ruined high school for me. I mean I was thinking all that I’d have a gang of friends and we’d spend our afternoons at the Chok’Lit Shoppe (which I thought was pronounced shop E until really recently, like 2 years ago) and plan school dances and have a band, and everyone would be really polite and civil with each other. Which is definitely not what high school was like. I had a gang of friends sure, but we didn’t have a band (some of us were IN band – percussionist is what I was, I know you want to know), none of my friends had a car until grade 12, and we never all headed out to the beach in it once.

            But the Archies did teach me how to read comics and I love comics now, so I am glad I was allowed those. I loved the fact that Archie and gang were such good friends, even when Reggie was an ass or Veronica was a bitch, because ultimately they were all good people who just had a few bad qualities and that was what my family tried to teach me too, which is probably why I get duped with people sometimes. I’m a terrible judge of character because I think everyone is good first and then I’m terribly disappointed in them.

            I also have to say that I love the retro feeling of the Archie’s artwork. I know they have updated the artwork in recent years to reflect the times, but there is something about the pop artesqueness that the classic Archies seem to have. Though the plots very change much, and they all seem to live in a town that time and “real life” problems never touch, so even that the date may be 2012, the morality seems to be Victorian for the most part. It’s all very retro for today’s world, but sometimes it is just great to read something that is incredibly innocent and carefree.

            Since reading Archies I’ve branched more into Xmen, The New Mutants and other comics, which are all thrilling, artistic and way more action packed. But every now again I pull out my Archie, or Betty & Veronica digests and read em again.

What were some of your first comics? Email me at westcoastgeekchic@hotmail.com, or leave a comment below. I'd love to hear your history too!