Jughead's Time Police (2025 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

The concept of Jughead's Time Police debuted in the October, 1988 of Archie's Giant Series   (issue #590.) Created by Rich Margopoulos, Jughead is visited by Time Police Marshall January McAndrews, of which she calls Archie Andrews an ancestor. January tells Jughead that in the next few minutes, he's about to save the life of a Senator who will one day become President. However, a trio of literal time bandits are determined to change the future by stopping Jughead's rescue attempt. After a trip to the 29th Century, McAndrews and Jones stop the criminals and Jughead manages to save the politician in the nick of time.

The idea of Jughead travelling through time was a hot with readers. January would make a trio of reappearances, promoting Jughead into the Time Police and the 20th century team would eventually find a souped up version of his iconic beanie that would send him anywhere in the timeline as long as he thought about it really, really hard. 

In 1990, Jughead's Time Police would become its own self-titled bi-monthly series. Over the course of 6 issues, Jughead along with his fateful pup, Hot Dog would protect the timeline from villains out to change history, such as rogue Time Police officer, Morgan Le Fey, as well as clean up any messes accidentally left by Jughead. Often instead of saving the day by going back in time and causing a time paradox, Jughead would find a way to allow history to remain unchanged by cheating. For example, when Jughead saves Riverdale from a raging flood, he allows the Time Police of the future to think it still occurred by writing up a fake newspaper story about the aborted tragedy. 

Jughead's Time Police was the victim of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Cancelled after just a half dozen issues, Archie was grouped along with the stars of Harvey Comics and Disney as being 'baby comics.' The early 90s was a time of gritty, violent comic books and the youthful teens of Riverdale didn't fit the popular archetype. This was also the period of 1st issue frenzy among speculators who would drive the comic book industry to near collapse. A Jughead's Time Police #6 couldn't stand up to a Jim Lee illustrated X-Men #1 or the Death of Superman. 

In an editors column from issue #3, editor Scott Fulop bemoans the lack of love the time travelling antics of Jughead was receiving. Fulop mentions that he's yet to receive a single letter praising the new book while the original stories of 'World of Jughead' that appeared in Archie Giant Series had been getting fantastic responses from readers. 

While Jughead's Time Police failed to find an audience, the series did like many failed masterpieces do over time; it became a cult classic! Chip Zdarsky, who grew up reading the short-lived series, revived the concept in the 2nd issue of the 2015 reboot of Jughead; although it's up for interpretation whether Jughead really went forward in time or if he just dreamed of it during a session of detention. In 2019, Jughead's Time Police would officially become a part of Archie's 'New Riverdale' universe; boasting a more modern art style and serious themes for its characters.

Featuring reprinted material from:

• Archie Giant Series #590. #602
• Jughead #14, 18
• Jughead's Time Police #1-6
• Jughead, Volume 2 #2

Completing this review completes Task #15 (An Archie Comic) the 2025 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Archie Comics Presents: Archie's Explorers of the Unknown (Family Comic Friday)

The world of Archie and the unexplained meet in this classic collection of stories. Learn more about Archie's Explorer's of the Unknown in this week's Family Comic Friday.

Archie Comics Presents: Archie's Explorers of the Unknown TPWritten by Rich Margopoulos
Art by Pat Kennedy, Bill Yoshida, Various
Published by Archie Comics
Pages: 176
Retail: $8.99

After a brief week off to welcome a new kitten into the Madman household, Family Comic Friday has returned! This week we take a look at Archie's Explorers of the Unknown. This action fantasy storyline originally debuted in the pages of Archie Giant Comics #587, all the way back in 1987! After another popular story a year later in the same title, Archie Comics produced a 6-issue miniseries that ran from 1990-1991. While that was all Archie fans saw of this band of fearless adventurers, Archie's Explorers of the Unknown has remained a cult classic title that has seen chapters reprinted often in the pages of Archie's Double Digest and other similar publications. But now for the very first time ever, all 8 chapters have finally been collected in one volume!

Archie's Explorers of the Unknown was a parody of Jack Kirby's Challengers of the Unknown title. The premise of the series was that Riverdale's original Archie Andrews was reading from his favorite book series, 'The Explorers of the Unknown'. As he read the book, Archie imagined his friends starring as the characters.

Reggie was a demolitions expert. Jughead was a fearless racecar driver with Betty as his brilliant mechanic. Moose was a stunt man. Veronica knew martial arts and Dalton was the team's genius inventor. When the book became a standalone mini, Chuck Clayton was added to the team as a jack of all trades adventurer who could scuba dive, mountain climb and cliff dive with the best of them. Archie himself rounded out the gang as the team leader 'Red', a soldier of fortune who specialized in cryptozoology.

The Explorers of the Unknown tackled the mysteries of the pyramids, the Bermuda Triangle and other elements of the unexplained while battling a group of buffonish villains such as the master of monster blue crabs, Dr. Crustacean. There were some thrilling aspects of Explorers. But this was early 90s Archie. So there was a heavy dose of silliness. A 13 year old me enjoyed this books. But I was also starting to grow out of Archie. Now in my 40s, I love this nostalgic trip back to Riverdale and beyond.

All of the stories were written by Rich Margopoulos. Margopoulos wasn't known for being an Archie scribe. His expertise was in writing horror stories for comics such as The Haunt of Horror and Eerie. But he managed to capture the Archie Comics spirit very well. Featuring artwork by a number of Archie superstars including Apt Kennedy and Bill Yoshida, Archie's Explorer's of the Unknown is illustrated in the classic 80s Archie style that is so timeless.

This is a collection for the whole family. Parents, guardians and even some grandparents will reminisce at a classic series from their youth. Kids will love seeing their favorite Archie characters interacting in new and thrilling ways. For a 176-page book with a cover price of only $8.99, this is a treasury that will bring together generations of Archie Comics fans!

Archie Comics Presents: Archie's Explorer's of the Unknown TP will debut in print and various digital formats on July 21, 2020.