New JUGHEAD Series Coming in October 2015!

Archie Comics might have called off their Kickstarter campaign earlier this month, but they still plan on publishing their new JUGHEAD series later this fall! CBR posted an interview with writer Chip Zdarksy this week, which confirmed that the title is coming... and it's scheduled to be published in October 2015!

This new comic book will be apart of Archie Comics' reboot. That means that the characters are being redesigned and the stories are going to be grounded a little bit more in the real world. But I really like what Zdarksy has to say about Jughead Jones and his new comic book adventures:

Jughead is a bit of an enigma. He always seems to know more than everyone else, which is a fun trait to play with. The key is to make Jughead go from easygoing bystander to helpful hero and back again. He has moments where he shines and then goes back to being cool and zen. I love Jughead. He's the teen who's comfortable with himself, which is such rare, weird thing. 

Obviously Archie Andrews will have a role in his best friend's solo series but how big will it be, and which other characters from Riverdale will be featured supporting players in "Jughead?" 

Yeah, for sure! All of the action takes place at Riverdale High so we get to see Jughead interact with all the classic and newer characters. I'm kind of focusing on building a friendship between Jughead and Betty, who both kind of share a deserted common ground when Archie and Veronica are a thing. 

Will "Jughead" feature shorter digest-style stories, done-in-one adventures or longer story arcs over multiple issues? 

Well, I have a larger arc planned out but trying to give each issue its own done-in-one feel because I like to have my cake and eat it too in single slices. 

Can you give us a tease of what's planned for this larger arc? 

An insidious infiltration of Riverdale High forces Jughead to rise up and become an uncomfortable leader! And there's another thing that I'm sneaking into the first arc. I'm a huge fan of the alternate Archies like Super Teens and Agents of P.O.P., so I'm incorporating those into the series as daydreams of Jughead! 

With this relaunch, the New Riverdale titles are all set in the same continuity, but how tightly will the events and stories in "Jughead" be tied to what's happening in "Archie" and "Betty and Veronica?" 

Really, I'm just following Mark and Fiona's lead here. "Jughead," as a series, will be a little weirder, but I do like the idea of keeping it within the realm of what the main "Archie" series is doing. Also because it's really, really good.

I haven't blogged at all about it, but I'm a big fan of Zdarksy's HOWARD THE DUCK series. I think he has a good handle on Jughead's character and motivations. But I'm also a huge fan of the artist who has been assigned to this title: Erica Henderson of UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL!

That said, I'm really looking forward to this new series!