Archie, redheaded comic Lothario, recently came to New York City. Strangely, both Betty, his scorned lover, and Veronica, his soon-to-be bride, are with him. That’s awkward. Even more strange, they end up at Tavern on the Green and talk about it … a lot. Not only is TotG a strange place for a bunch of 17-year-olds to brunch, but also, why do they broadcast moving panegyrics about the place’s menu for an entire page? Shouldn’t they be getting trashed at Max Fish? Ruth Graham at Public Road investigated.
I called up [Archie artist Hal] Lifson to ask him. “I write about the things I love,” he told me this morning. In addition to writing many of the comics, Lifson does PR for the Archie brand, so he’s been searching for ways to get his comics some press attention. He said he just uses brands he likes (and sometimes has had professional relationships with), and he gets permission to use their names and logos in the comics, instead of masking them in the comic’s usual practice. (“Hey, gang, let’s head to Cavern on the Spleen!”) “Archie has been around since 1941, and it has never really featured brand names much at all,” Lifson explained. “What I’m doing is very, very different. But I’m being selective — I’m not turning Archie into an advertising bonanza.”
Graham notes that Tavern on the Green didn’t pay for the placement, and though the place might not last for much longer, old-timey 9-year-olds are going to be clamoring to get in.
Why Is Archie Andrews Gushing Over Tavern on Green [Public Road]
