Archie Horror has become a staple of the classic publisher's offerings, and now the concept of putting classic Archie characters in terrifying situations is heating up for summer with an anthology titled Archie Horror: Camp Pickens, which includes a trio of horror tales.
Before Camp Pickens' June release, we've got an early look at interior pages from three stories in the anthology. Here's the gallery of pages followed by descriptions of the stories:
First up, there's 'Bug Juice' by writer Jordan Morris and artist Diana Camero, in which Jughead Jones and the campers in his care come face-to-face with some giant insectoid monsters.
"I was trying to think of an unexpected source of terror at summer camp and remembered being made to drink bug juice," says Morris. "Sure, it was just a cute name for cheap mass-produced fruit punch, but it conjures some pretty disgusting images. I thought that taking 'bug juice' literally would be a great jumping on point for the Aliens or Starship Troopers-style adventure you always wanted to have at summer camp (at least I did)!"
Then there's 'The Curse of Camp Pickens' by writer Blake Howard and artist Carola Borelli, in which Betty Cooper has a ghastly encounter with a spectral camper.
"I've never attended a summer camp so it was new for me to immerse myself in this atmosphere. It was stimulating to study every aspect of it, and the fact that it's a story with horror edges only made it more fun," states Borelli. "Working on characters that are known and so well defined but who were new in my hands, searching for the right atmosphere, being able to create something that can excite the reader; all this reminds me why I love this job!"
And finally there's 'Down and Out and Death Cursed' by Tim Seeley and artist Mike Norton, in which Veronica Lodge must survive an undead killer with ties to the cursed camp.
"I've been pretty much existing off of '80s camp horror movies for the last four years, so getting a chance to draw one is just kinda perfect for me," states Norton. "It's kinda scary how well Archie and horror go together!"
Archie Horror: Camp Pickens goes on sale in June.
Check out Newsarama's picks for the best horror comics of all time.
