In what might be the most seismic change in the comic book industry since the last one, Oni Press has made a deal to license the entire Archie Comics library for publication. And not only that, Oni will publish entirely new monthly Archie Comics books, original graphic novels, and and prestige collections as well.
“From the world of comics – where Archie’s stories led so many to pick up their very first comic book – to the long-running success of RIVERDALE, Archie’s cherished cast of characters have few rivals in terms of their visibility or influence on global pop culture,” said David Steward II, Chairman of the Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group via a press release provided to Comic Book Club. “This new partnership is one of the most significant moments in Oni Press’ three decades as a leading publisher of independent comics, and, in collaboration with the Archie team, we look forward to writing a memorable new chapter in the history of these legendary characters that will set the stage for decades worth of stories yet to come.”
For the past few years, fans of the Town with Pep have lamented the increasingly whittled publication line from the 80 plus year-old publisher, leading to bi-monthly digests currently being released that, format-wise, have little to do with the Double Digests kids would pick up in supermarkets for decades. That’s not to mention the main line of books, which have varied from short-run prestige format series to one-shots set in the Archie Comics horror universe or Red Circle superhero universe.
But now, thanks to Oni, it seems like that’s all changing. Timed to the 85th anniversary of Archie’s first appearance in Pep Comics #22, starting in 2026, Oni will launch three new series:
ARCHIE #1
Written by W. Maxwell Prince
Art by Fábio Moon and Nick Cagnetti
September 2026
SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH #1
Written by Corinna Bechko
Art by Kano
October 2026
ARCHIE IN HELL #1
Written by Patrick Horvath
Art by Tyler Crook
November 2026
To be clear: Oni Press is not buying Archie Comics. Archie will still exist as an independent company, but their back catalogue and new titles will be published through Oni Press for the time being. These sorts of collaborations seem to be happening more frequently; for example, see how Alien Books (and with them Valiant) are being released through IDW, though again, both exist independently as their own companies. It’s more of a you scratch my back, I scratch yours type deal, lifting all ships, versus a hostile takeover.
“At the heart of everything we do, Archie’s representation on the printed page is always the starting point for each great leap forward our company has experienced,” added Jesse Goldwater, Senior Vice President of Creative of Archie Publications, Inc. “From our very first conversations with Hunter, Sierra, and the Oni team, we knew that these were the ideal partners to write a new chapter for Riverdale – one that’s faithful to the past, while unafraid to chart new territory for the future.”
“Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, and the rest of Riverdale’s most memorable teenagers aren’t just some of the greatest comic book characters ever created – they’re also full-blown American icons. It’s the privilege of a lifetime to be able to build upon their rich legacy with this incredibly talented cast of creators to push the storytelling conventions of what an Archie comic can be,” said Oni Press President & Publisher Hunter Gorinson. “We’re immensely grateful to Jon Goldwater, Jesse Goldwater, Mike Pellerito, and the rest of the Archie Comics team for their trust, partnership, and collaboration as we ready what we intend to be one of the most inspired and groundbreaking comics publishing programs of the 21st century.”
Per the release, the new Archie line will be editorially overseen from the Oni Press side by Editor-in-Chief Sierra Hahn, with “additional contributions” from Senior Editor Bess Pallares and Editor Megan Brown, alongside “guidance” from Archie Comics’ Senior Director of Editorial Jamie Rotante and Editor & Art Director Vincent Lovallo.
“Life in the 21st century isn’t all milkshakes and sunshine. What does it mean to be ‘America’s Favorite Teenager’ in 2026?” said Hahn. “Behind the scenes, for the better part of a year, we’ve been challenging ourselves to re-conceptualize a Riverdale that’s at once informed by all eras of Archie’s past, while also defining an utterly unique path into the future. With this new line, we’re hoping to forge an All-Star Superman moment for Archie’s brilliant constellation of characters – whether it’s W. Maxwell Prince, Fábio Moon and Nick Cagnetti on ARCHIE, Corinna Bechko and Kano on SABRINA, or Patrick Horvath and Tyler Crook on their own HELL of a title, rest assured: You’ve never read an Archie comic quite like these before.”
The duo of companies promise that the collaboration will announce additional details at 2026’s ComicsPro Industry Conference, as well as San Diego Comic-Con. But hey, what about some more details now? Following the release of Archie #1 in September 2026, Oni will release brand new classic collections including “compact digest editions, deluxe hardcovers and omnibi, and comprehensive box sets” that range from original creators John L. Goldwater, Bob Montana & Vic Bloom, to newer contributions from Mark Waid, Fiona Staples, Tom King, Chip Zdarsky and more. So, the whole 85 year history, basically.
…And then in 2027, the line will expand even further with “an all-new line of middle grade and young adult graphic novels – set in their own, accessible continuity outside of the core Oni Press publishing line – that will feature contributions from some of the most acclaimed and recognizable talents writing and illustrating for those audiences today.” Oni promises more details on that later in 2026.
Beyond the Archie Comics of it all, this marks the biggest move yet for Oni Press, which previously rebooted the EC Comics line in a similar fashion, partnered up with the Nacelle Company for a “Nacelle-verse” line of comics, and recently made a deal with Matt Kindt’s Flux House imprint for new publications as well as media rights to his past titles.
As for Archie Comics, things have been heating up recently on the media side as well, with Spider-Verse impresarios Phil Lord and Chris Miller working on a live-action Archie Comics movie for Universal, written by Tom King, and Riverdale creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa developing a live-action version of his book Afterlife With Archie for Disney+.
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