Politico: In Archie: Obama vs Palin

In Archie: Obama vs Palin

It was revealed earlier this month that Archie Comics had put President Barack Obama and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on the cover of 'Archie' issues #616 and #617. On the first cover we peeked, the two pols are featured looking downright friendly: Obama and Palin share a milkshake, prompting Archie to declare, "Wow, I guess *anything's* possible!" Inside, Obama and Palin get involved with Riverdale High's student government election, in which Archie is running against Reggie.


But, lest you think the comic book is all mush, POLITICO has learned that the company is set to announce two covers on a less bi-partisan theme: Palin and Obama fighting it out.


Archie Comics will announce on Tuesday variant covers on the Obama-Palin theme, with one cover showing Obama poised to clash with Palin in midair, while another — labeled "The Fight for America!" — depicting Obama and Palin sporting boxing gloves, prepped to spar with one other. Obama is dubbed "The Chicago Kid" while Palin gets named "The Thrilla from Wasilla."


Archie Comics co-CEO Jon Goldwater told POLITICO that the company had received so much positive feedback on the first Obama/Palin cover (which made the rounds last week) they decided, why ruin a good thing?


"We sat around and talked and said, 'Holy toledo!' This is something that we should take a look at and bring the president back on the cover for." (He said he just reached out to both the Palin and Obama camps and predicted that "I'm sure that we're going to hear from them" about their comics).


"At the end of the day, President Obama and Sarah Palin completely come from opposite sides, but they both want the same thing: The best interests of the United States. And we figured Riverdale High School was a place they can unite," he said.


Of course, there's a subtle statement being made here by Archie Comics: Sarah Palin is the apparent GOP leader. Why else choose her to counter Obama?


"From my view point, she does represent the Republican Party right now," said Goldwater. "She's out front and center and there is no other dynamic candidate that we can see here at Archie that basically represents the Republican Party. ... No one else occurred to us, actually."