It's been an action-packed year for America's oldest teenager. When not crossing over with Predator and Sharknado, Archie Andrews has seen a full reboot courtesy of top talent like Marc Waid, Fiona Staples, Chip Zdarsky, and Erica Henderson, and is getting set to star in a CW series and stage musical penned by Will Ferrell co-conspirator, Adam McKay.
But while the Riverdale gang has already made some headway into the digital space with various initiatives, it's not really a full 2015 renaissance until Archie Andrews has a mobile app to call his own.
"The new Archie Comics app consolidates all of our various, disparate offerings into one, seamless experience," the company's SVP of Digital Ron Perazza told TechTimes ahead of this morning's announcement. "Traditional Archie, New Riverdale, Archie Horror, Sonic, Mega Man, and Dark Circle are all in one app now."
Launching first on iOS - with an Android version promised soon - the app goes live today. Designed by Madefire, the technology firm behind IDW's forray into digital, the new Archie app features two distinct payment options, letting users buy an issue at a time, newsstand-style, or just go for broke with an Archie Unlimited subscription account.
The app will also offer access to digital-only material. Perazza again, "Original digital content allows us to really get creative with different presentations and story combinations that appeal to very specific audiences. One of the best-kept secrets about Archie's digital publishing program is that we've been creating original, digital content for years. We have a series of themed collections that have just been rebranded 'Pep Digital' and contain books like 50 Magical Stories about Sabrina The Teenaged Witch, Archie Through Time, or even the complete Cosmo the Merry Martian."
The company's CEO Jon Goldwater also hastens to add that this isn't the first time the iconic redheaded teenager has crossed the digital divide.
"A lot of people forget we were the first comic book company to go day and date with our books - meaning we provided the titles to comic shops, bookstores and digital simultaneously. That's proof positive that Archie has always been invested in the digital space, long before our competitors realized its value," Goldwater told the site. "Archie has always strived to expand our presence, not limit it - we want our books available to everyone however they choose to consume them, from comic shops to bookstores to newsstands to apps to streaming."
As such, Archie will continue distributing books through Comixology, iBooks, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and a number of other digital outlets. "I think it's safe to say that that is just the beginning," added Perazza. "Digital publishing, whether it be through our App or with the help of our distribution partners, allows us to not only put content directly into the hands of comic fans around the world but also allows us to craft content specific to a wide variety of special interests."
