When it comes to variant covers, some people love them and others don't like them. For those that do enjoy them, it can become a matter of wanting to collect the different covers. It's a chance to get another great piece of art and often gives a different interpretation by today's great artists.
With variant covers, people might not immediately think about Archie comics but in case you're unaware, there have been many great variant covers released. Archie Comics has given us the exclusive first look at three new ones from Tim Seeley, Jill Thompson and Phil Jimenez along with their thoughts on their approach and interpretation.
ARCHIE #645 by Tim Seeley
Sure I like drawing monsters and superheroes and all that, but one of the greatest honors I've had was drawing the lovely ladies of Archie! Betty & Veronica are two of the most enduring and important female characters in the history of comic books.== TEASER ==
BETTY AND VERONICA #266 by Jill Thompson
It's an honor to be able to draw characters that I have loved since I was a little girl and follow in the footsteps of some of my favorite Archie artists, Harry Lucey, Bob Bolling, Dan DeCarlo....their art shaped my childhood and are some of the main influences on my decision to become a comic book creator!
LIFE WITH ARCHIE #30 by Phil Jimenez
Sure, I may be better known for drawing super-heroes and transforming robots, but when an opportunity to draw the Archie gang -- especially in my own "style" -- presented itself, it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. Talk about cultural icons! And talk about a universe of characters everyone knows, and if they don't, they should -- some of Archie's adventures and cast are more sophisticated and relevant to young people (and old) than half the material being printed by other publishers. I simply couldn't get over how cool Archie and his gang turned out to be, and how much fun they always are to draw!
Here's a list of past variant covers:
Archie Meets KISS 1-4
Archie #627-630
Variant Cover Artist: Francesco Francavilla
Archie #635 – Occupy Riverdale
Variant Cover Artist: Jill Thompson
Betty and Veronica #264 – Rapunzels
Variant Cover Artist: Alitha Martinez
Betty and Veronica #265 – Betty and the Beast
Variant Cover Artist: Renae De Liz
Life with Archie #23 – Afterlife with Archie
Variant Cover Artist: Franceso Francavilla
Life with Archie #24 – Josie and the Pussycats
Variant Cover Artist: Fiona Staples
Life with Archie # 26 – Super Teens
Variant Cover Artist: Jamal Igle
Life with Archie #27 – Grill of Thrones
Variant Cover Artist: Mike Norton
Life with Archie #28 – Americana
Variant Cover Artist: Ramón Pérez
Life with Archie #29
Variant Cover Artist: Jon Gray
Life with Archie #16 - Convention Exclusive Cover
Variant Cover Artist: Phil Jimenez
Here's a gallery of those covers:
Let your comic shop know if you're interested in the variants.
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