Oni Press will soon be publishing Archie Comics.
This is an abbreviated version of another comics publishing trend that is becoming increasingly common. In other words, traditional publishers license their venerable titles to other publishers who can bring new interpretations to them.
Following the success of Oni Press’ EC Comics brand, the publisher plans to produce and distribute regular Archie Comics comics starting in early 2026. Creators include fresh names like Patrick Horvath, Corinne Betico, and Fabio Moon.
The benefits for both publishers are clear. Oni has added some of the most iconic characters in American pop culture to its brand, and Archie Comics recently changed its distribution model to breathe new life into those icons.
“How do we do something fresh in 2026 with a character who is so malleable and who has been in almost every situation since Riverdale?” said Oni chief Hunter Golinson. “That’s kind of a tall order we’ve given ourselves.”
Oni said they have licensed the entire Archie Comics catalog and will take over the monthly periodical titles and complete collections.
According to an official announcement, several ongoing Archie comics will appear, including Archie by W. Maxwell Prince and Fabio Moon, and an untitled horror comic by Eisner Award winner Patrick Horvath and Out of Alcatraz artist Tyler Crook. The Sabrina the Teenage Witch title will also serve as a launch book to coincide with the DC KO debut of DC’s Teenage Witch.
Salvina the Teenage Witch and EC/Oni’s Kano collaborated on Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and another horror series, Archie in Hell, comes from Horvath and Crook.
“From the world of comics, where Archie’s story brought many people to comic books for the first time, to the long-running success of ‘Riverdale,’ Archie’s cherished characters have few rivals in terms of recognition and influence on global pop culture,” said David Steward II, chairman of Oni Lion Forge Publishing Group. “This new partnership marks one of the most important moments in Oni Press’ 30 years as a leading publisher of independent comics, and we look forward to working with the Archie team to write a memorable new chapter in the history of these legendary characters that will set the stage for decades worth of stories to come.”
“Archie comics always have an element of hope,” says editor Jamie Rotante. he told THR. “What people look for in Archie is comfort and familiarity, even when things get dark or the tone gets serious.”
“There are only so many opportunities to start fresh with these characters, so we wanted to do something meaningful,” Golinson said. “The mission statement was to take a big turn and publish a big ongoing book that people would be hooked on for years.”
No word yet on whether current Archie standard bearer Dan Parent will have a role in the reinvented publisher. Parents barely appeared in the 2015 New Riverdale reboot, but returned to the spotlight in the years that followed.
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