That's a whole lotta kindling.
On the final topic of Archie comics, I might as well confess that although I do own a large collection of more mature and less embarrassing graphic novels and comics (some of which I’ll profile in later articles), I do own a sizable collection of Archie comics digests – amassed over years of casual purchasing and inheriting. Most of them are used, and feature crossword puzzles that have already been completed and names of the little girls who once owned them scribbled on the inside cover. In fact, I usually would go out of my way to find used, older Archie digest issues over newer ones as they often featured:
a) More detailed art.
b) More stories and less advertising.
c) Funnier, less PC content.
And
d) Sexism not seen anywhere in today’s issues.
However, never would I have thought that I would have to buy a NEW issue to find racism.
Well… sort of new. The issue in question is the “Special 65th Anniversary Commemorative Issue” of Archie Digest #236 released in late 2007.
Archie meets his doppleganger? - What a hilarious premise!!
It features a reprint of PEP comics #22 – Archie’s first appearance (1941) and the entire Archie #1 comic book from 1942. It’s the latter comic that features the content in question, as Archie has numerous encounters with a black train porter whose extremely exaggerated appearance and vernacular would make Mushmouth from the Cosby Kids blush. I’m kind of shocked that content like this made its way, unedited, into a “Commemorative” issue of a 21st century comic book. This is something the publishers feel pride in commemorating? Really?
It also seems painfully ironic that this issue came out mere weeks after the estate of Hergé, the creator and illustrator of Tintin, came under criticism for its continued publishing of “Tintin in the Congo” – a book that was created over 10 years prior to Archie that features similarly offensive content.
Following a brief Google search, nothing seems to have come from the release of this Archie digest as far as backlash is concerned, but I still find it startling that this comic was sitting right next to the latest issue of Oprah magazine at the grocery store checkout I frequent.
“Yes, Mrs. checkout lady. Just these oranges, this pack of Skittles and some good ol’ fashioned racist propaganda for me today”.
Hey I have that issue! I never caught that until I read your post.
Eh, it was the product of it’s time. I’m surprised though that there is no mention of it in the history or editor’s notebook.
Oh myyyy… that isn’t even a bit subtle. Yikes. Even the way things are written… and how he doesn’t even resemble a human anymore? :S
It may have been a product of its time, but it sure ain’t that time NOW. Usually an editor will adjust this kind of content so as not to offend. (Although nobody seems to have noticed, so no harm done).
True that, but I’m glad it’s printed in it’s original form.
It shows how society has changed over the years.
If you hide the offensive stuff, it just ignores the fact such things existed. You don’t learn from the mistakes.
Ha, that is hilariously offensive. I recently downloaded a bunch of old Disney movies from the early 40′s and 50′s and found a lot of the same. You know the song “Skippidy do da Skippidy Day! My oh my what a wonderful day”. The film that that song is from is uncomfortably racist.