It’s the 80th anniversary for Archie Andrews and the Riverdale crew this year and to celebrate, Archie Comics released The Best of Archie Comics: 80 Years, 80 Stories, a more than 700-page volume commemorating the beloved characters long history by featuring one story from each of those 80 years dating all the way back to Archie’s first appearance in 1941. But while the volume offers fans and new readers alike a chance to get to know the character and new-to-them stories as well as revisit beloved favorites, 80 Years, 80 Stories also functions as something of a time capsule of not just Archie history, but of American history and culture itself. According to Archie Comics Senior Director of Editorial Jamie L. Rotante, while making 80 Years, 80 Stories such a volume wasn’t necessarily a deliberate choice, Archie’s place at the forefront of events has made those stories both a reflection of their time and timeless all at once.
