To celebrate the upcoming 75th anniversary of Archie Comics, the company will partner with IDW to produce eight variant tribute covers. Illustrated by fan-favorite Archie artists, the designs will pair Archie and his friends with some of IDW’s most iconic and popular properties.These alternate covers will happen in December and will happen during the following issues: BACK TO THE FUTURE #3 (drawn by Fernando Ruiz); EMPIRE: UPRISING #7 (drawn by Barry Kitson); JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS #10 (drawn by Tania del Rio); JUDGE DREDD: MEGA-CITY ZERO #1 (drawn by Francesco Francavilla); STAR TREK #52 (drawn by Dan Parent); TRANSFORMERS #48 (drawn by Andrew Pepoy); THE X-FILES: SEASON 11 #5 (drawn by Robert Hack); and ANGRY BIRDS: SUPER ANGRY BIRDS #4 (drawn by Dan Parent).
“We have a long-standing and wonderful partnership with the great people at IDW,” Archie Comics Publisher and CEO Jon Goldwater said in a press release. “It makes perfect sense to team with them to celebrate this epic anniversary and invite so many beloved, timeless properties to the party.”
“Archie Comics’ contribution to the world of pop culture is staggering,” added IDW President Greg Goldstein. “They publish one of the most important and iconic brands in history and they do it in a way that makes EVERYONE smile. IDW is pleased and proud to celebrate this milestone with these classic characters with covers that pay tribute to Archie’s special history.”
I'm excited about these covers, -- particularly the JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS cover(!!) -- but wish that Gisele had a cover!