The World of Archie Comics Archive offers access to the backfiles of 100+ publications from Archie Comics, spanning the early 1940s to 2020. As well as Archie, this collection includes other major titles such as Sabrina: The Teenage Witch, Josie and the Pussycats, Betty & Veronica, and Jughead.
Archie Andrews will soon turn 100. So what is the continuing fascination readers have with he and his pals in Riverdale? Archie represents the quintessential American teenage life since its inception in the 1940s. The gang experience lives that are recognizable to many but which have changed over the decades, just as the nation has. Beyond the eternal triangle of Archie, Betty and Veronica, an African American girlfriend was introduced along with other characters of color. Then gay characters appeared. All of this demonstrates how closely the writers and artists listen to the world around them which makes digital Archie a critical source for scholarship in the humanities whether in literature, history or American Studies.
James P. Danky co-author, “Wisconsin Funnies: 50 Years of Comics," Future of Print Project, School of Journalism & Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison
I especially liked the WWII-era comics (not at all the light-hearted version I grew up with in the 1960s!) and have recommended them to a colleague who teaches a WWII literature course. I think there are also good options for comparing eras, which I do in many of my own courses.
Karla Stouse Senior Lecturer, Indiana University - Kokomo