The Archie comics first went into publication over 75 years ago, and has since published numerous titles surrounding Archie and the gang, as they navigate though relationships, comic adventures and their teenage lives in the town of Riverdale. This premise got picked up by the CW a few years ago, leading to the creation of the now renowned show, Riverdale.
The show is based around the small town of Riverdale and the dark secrets that surround it, and features many of the other side characters from the comics as well. However, like any other adaptation, the TV version of Riverdale and the gang is slightly different than the one rendered in the comics. Scroll below to explore 5 ways Riverdale is different from The Archie comics, and 5 ways it's the same.
Different - All The Mysterious Murders
It is safe to say that the TV series took a huge turn from the comics upon introducing dark storylines, mysterious murders and a number of shady characters to the town Riverdale.
Unlike the show, the Archies comics merely reflect on the everyday troubles teenagers face, such as love triangles and saving money for dates. However, the show Riverdale, puts Archie and his friends in the middle of some serious trouble by introducing them to a world of cults, secrets, violence, crime and murders.
Similar - Archie’s Musical Career
In season one we see Archie starting to play the guitar and beginning his music journey. Through the course of the show, Archie goes on to take his music more seriously, even writing and performing songs with resident singer, Josie, from Josie and the Pussycats.
Similarly in the comics, Archie and the gang all play in a band called ‘The Archies,’ where Archie sings and plays the guitar, Jughead plays the drums, Veronica sings and plays the keyboard and Betty is the percussionist.
Different - Jughead’s Character
TV Jughead, played by Cole Sprouse, shares many physical similarities with the Jughead drawn in the comics. They’re both skinny, wear similar clothes, and even share the same quirky hat. However, the similarities between the two end there, as TV Jughead’s persona and storyline are completely different than the one exhibited in the comics.
In the show Riverdale, Jughead runs an entire gang while being a full-time student. Moreover, he enters a serious relationship with Betty Cooper, which has never been explored in the comics. He is also an adept writer and shows a level of courage that is never displayed by his comic book version.
Similar - Jughead’s Hunger
Jughead from the comics might have made a complete leap in the TV show with his dark personality, insane courage and good looks, however, the core of his personality - his hunger, stays the same.
Jughead’s never-ending hunger and love for food, especially hamburgers, is evident in perhaps every issue of Archie comics. This characteristic of his also makes its way to the show Riverdale, where Jughead is often seen biting into hamburgers, sipping on delicious milkshakes, and spending almost all his time at his favourite diner, Pop’s.
Different - Archie’s Dad
In the comics, Archie’s dad is still happily married with a receding hairline and a plump stomach. However, Mr. Andrews’s TV alter-ego is quite different than his comic book self.
In the show Riverdale, Mr. Andrews was played by teen heartthrob Luke Perry, who looked quite different than the drawings in the comic. Moreover, unlike the comics, Mr. Andrews was divorced in the show, owned a construction company and even briefly dated Veronica’s mother, Mrs. Lodge.
Similar - Archie & Veronica’s Relationship
The Archie comics are perhaps most known for the famous love triangle between Archie, Veronica and Betty. Even though the TV series only deals with this situation for the first half of the first season, they continue to show Archie and Veronica’s relationship blossom on the show.
Similarly to the comics, Archie is devoted to Veronica and she is head over heels for him. Moreover, similarly to the comics, TV show Veronica also uses her wealth to get Archie out of trouble in a number of situations.
Different - The Lodge Family
The Lodges are completely rewritten and reimagined from the comics in the show Riverdale. Firstly, unlike the show, Mr. Lodge is not a criminal in the comics. He is still mighty rich alright, but earns his money in legal ways. Furthermore, he has an exceptionally close relationship with his daughter Veronica, and the two adore each other in the comics, unlike the TV show.
The family is also depicted as Latinx in Riverdale, however this is not the case in the comics. Even Veronica’s character in the show is shades different from her egoistic and obnoxious self in the comics.
Similar - Betty & Veronica’s Friendship
Now the love triangle might be missing from the show, resulting in the absence of some quarrels between Veronica and Betty that are usually featured in the comics, but the two remain close best friends in both the show and the comic series.
Similar to the comics, Veronica and Betty are both on the cheerleading squad, spend a ton of time together and have a genuinely close relationship with each other. They deeply care for one other and appear to be best friends through both adaptations.
Different - Miss Grundy
Longtime fans of the Archies comics were shocked to see a young Miss Grundy in season one of Riverdale. Unlike the comics, the Miss Grundy in the show is young, attractive, teaches music, and eve shares a close and inappropriate relationship with Archie.
In the comics, however, Miss Grundy is an old homeroom teacher, who sometimes teaches Match and English as well. Furthermore, unlike the show, Miss Grundy has white hair tied in a bun, a pearl necklace and glasses in the comics.
Similar - The Gang
In the comics, Archie and the gang have always shown the value of friendship, and stuck together through all their wild adventures and teenage experiences. Regardless of the fights and quarrels they have, the gang continues to supports each other, no matter what.
Similarly, the gang is just as close and filled with genuine friendships in the show Riverdale. They might go against their own families, and fight real demons, but always have the support of their best friends to help guide their way.