Long-time fans of Archie Comics probably remember Li'l Jinx. She was a trouble-making girl who appeared in one- or two-page gags from the 1940s onward. She later got updated in a pair of graphic novels where she was now a high school freshman and struggling with all sorts of issues, such as surviving her parents' divorce and navigating a sporty tomboy identity at an age where most girls are urged to focus on boys and girly-girly stuff.
CBR: Alex, Joe, let’s talk about the reintroduction here of Li’l Jinx — well, actually just Jinx, as I think she’s older than the Archies. What can you say about the decision to bring the character into this series — and making her, and her supporting cast (Charley Hawse!), part of a Le Tigre-meets-Helium band?
(Writer) Alex Segura: From a logistical standpoint, we knew going in that we weren’t going to have a guest band until #3, so it was a question of, “How do we make this issue meaningful to fans?” I think one of the coolest part of Mark Waid’s Archie run, and the “new” Archie books in general has been how they update and tweak pre-existing characters. We want The Archies to not only be a celebration of the core five and their interactions with real bands, but also a way to showcase the vast library of characters Archie has — like Bingo, Sam and the Bingos, and now, Jinx and the Little Miss Steps. It just seemed like a cool opportunity to reintroduce readers to a character that’s been a big part of Archie’s publishing history in a cool and memorable way.
Going back to Jinx for a second, though, I loved the idea of making her this powerful, energetic and no-BS Kathleen Hanna type — it just clicked in my brain when we were trying to figure out how to bring her into the new Archie world. It’s my favorite part of the issue.
CBR: Joe, what went into redesigning Jinx as a rock and roll frontwoman?
(Artist) Joe Eisma: This is a pretty radical reinterpretation of her, and based on Alex and Matt’s description of her in the script, I saw her in the Shirley Manson and Siouxsie Sioux school of rock and roll frontwomen. She’s confident, she’s tough and she could probably mop the floor with the Archies.This CBR interview also hints that we will be meeting up with other classic Archie Comics/MLJ characters in coming issues. I'm assuming that we'll eventually see the Madhouse Glads. But I'd really be excited to see an updated version of Pat the Brat in the near future? How about you?