Archie Comics Names Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa Chief Creative Officer
March 3, 2014 - New York - Archie Comics, the acclaimed and bestselling comic book publisher that is home to some of the best-known pop culture creations in the world, including Archie, Jughead, Betty & Veronica, Josie & The Pussycats, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and the hit AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE series, announced that Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa will join the company in an executive capacity as Chief Creative Officer.
Aguirre-Sacasa builds on his current role at Archie Comics as the bestselling writer of Archie's high profile ongoing series AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE, which pairs him with superstar artist Francesco Francavilla. In addition to continuing to bring the zombie apocalypse to Riverdale in the hit series, he will spearhead the company’s expansion into other media, including film, television, animation and more, while providing invaluable input into the company’s publishing initiatives, which include the main Archie Comics line and the rebranding of the Red Circle Comics superhero imprint.
“Roberto epitomizes what Archie is about. He’s so tapped into pop culture and entertainment, and he loves these characters and knows exactly the steps we need to take to bring them to a wider audience,” said Archie Comics Publisher/Co-CEO Jon Goldwater. “Bringing him into the fold officially pushes the company one step closer to what I envisioned when I came aboard. His energy, intelligence, insight and vision are going to help elevate Archie and all our properties to new levels.”
Aguirre-Sacasa’s first move as CCO was a big one – bringing in the creator and star of HBO’s Girls, Lena Dunham, to Riverdale to pen a four-part story slated to hit next year. But it’s just the first of many to come.
“I am thrilled and honored to be joining Archie in this role. I can’t quite put into words what this means to me,” Aguirre-Sacasa said. “It's no secret I’ve been an Archie fanatic since I can remember, I grew up reading these books--they've inspired me and my writing in so many ways. Working on the Archie characters is like hanging out with friends--and now I get to do that even more. My top priority is to find new ways to showcase our great lineup of properties – from the Archie gang to Josie to Sabrina to the Red Circle heroes – to current fans, to new fans. We have the best characters in the world, and I want to make sure everyone knows it.”
In addition to his work at Archie, which will include writing a new ongoing SABRINA series, Aguirre-Sacasa is a screenwriter and playwright whose credits include FOX's GLEE, Broadway's Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, MGM's Carrie remake (2013), the recent critically acclaimed musical adaptation of Brett Easton Ellis' cult classic American Psycho, and the upcoming horror movie remake of the classic The Town that Dreaded Sundown.
Acclaimed Girls Creator Lena Dunham Comes To Riverdale
March 3, 2014 - New York - As announced this morning in THE NEW YORK TIMES, Lena Dunham, the star and creator of HBO's hit series
Girls will be penning a new, four-part Archie Comics story slated to hit newsstands and comic shops in 2015.
Dunham, known for her topical and compelling writing as well as her stellar performances on
Girls, will bring her modern voice to some of the most beloved characters in pop culture as Archie and the gang come face to face with a new reality show filming in Riverdale.
"I was an avid Archie collector as a child -- conventions, first editions that l kept in plastic sleeves, the whole shebang. It has so much cultural significance but also so much personal significance, and to get to play with these beloved characters is a wild creative opportunity," said Dunham
Newly-minted Archie Comics Chief Creative Officer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, who also writes the bestselling and acclaimed AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE series, reached out to Dunham as his first official move in his new executive role.
"When we found out Lena was a fan, the first thing I did was call Roberto," said Archie Comics Publisher and CEO Jon Goldwater. "And he said, instantly, 'Let’s try to make this happen!' And here we are. It's been a magical confluence of events, and it further cemented why Roberto is the ideal person for the CCO role, and why this is the next logical step in Archie's evolution as a real pop culture company -- a place where the strongest, most unique voices can come and contribute to Archie's world. The best part is -- we're just getting started."
"Everyone at Archie is thrilled Lena’s coming aboard to write this story, and I can tell you, it's going to be fantastic," said Aguirre-Sacasa. "Lena’s take on the Archie gang is funny and real and contemporary. It’s a stunning fit, and I know fans will be excited to read it. I am!"
Dunham's breakthrough was the 2010 indie film
Tiny Furniture, which earned her the award for Best First Screenplay at the 2010 Independent Spirit Awards. She can currently be seen on the third season of the acclaimed HBO series
Girls, which she created, and serves as executive producer, writer, and director. Dunham’s book
Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She’s Learned will be released in Fall 2014 through Random House.