Spy Vibe's Comics Week continues today with a brief look at the impact of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. on Archie Comics. I enjoyed photographing my copy of Life With Archie # 57 so much yesterday! Having never been an Archie reader, it was fun to discover the graphic quality of the panels and to see the overt influence of the Spy Boom. In fact, spy satire was an integral part of Life With Archie between 1966-1967. Most of the issues published during that period contained short stories based on spy conventions around Archie as "The Man From R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E." In this alternate universe, Archie and his pals were cast as agents of P.O.P. (an acronym for Protect Our Planet), who fought against the costumed baddies from C.R.U.S.H. (sure sounds like Thrush!). In addition to various spy gadgetry and adventure, all of the P.O.P. agents were referred to as secret acronyms (A.R.C.H.I.E., B.E.T.T.Y., etc). The stories were predictably innocent, but thoroughly charming. Who doesn't love a lipstick gun? The secret agent impact even continued into the modern era with new R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E. stories in Archie Comics. I do not have copies of early issues to photograph (yet!), but here are a few low-res scans of vintage Life With Archie spy covers. Look for panel images in the future. Enjoy!
Recent Spy Vibe posts: Comics Week: Archie, Comics Week: Robots, Comics Week: Cold War Atomic, Comics Week: TV Avengers & Batman 75th, Comics Week: SPYMAN, Comics Week: Jimmy Olsen, Diana Rigg at 76, Gerry Anderson Box Set, Gerry Anderson Doc, Mr. Hulot's Box Set, Rare Avengers Scripts, Man From Uncle UK Comics, Mattel X-15, Thunderbirds Comics, Shakespeare Spies: Diana Rigg, Shakespeare Spies I, Batman News, Monty Python Fathom Spies, Monty Python Returns!, Rodney Marshall Avengers Interview, Avengers Book: Bowler Hats & Kinky Boots, George Lois Design & Mad Men, Richard Sala: Super-Enigmatix, The Spotnicks, Model Secret Agents, Remo Williams Blu-ray, Bunny Yeager and Ursula Andress, Danger Mouse, Lost Avengers Episodes, Big Fun Toys, Danger Diabolik Soundtrack, Mother's Day (Avengers), Mod Fashion Dolls, Cold War Archie, New Avengers Comic, Ipcress File Blu-ray, Playboy Bunny Interview, The 10th Victim Japanese and Kindle, U.N.C.L.E. Japanese Books, The 10th Victim German Edition, UNCLE Gun, The Saint books return, Trina Robbins Interview, Catsuits, Batman '66 Green Hornet Interview: Ralph Garman Ty Templeton.
