Archie Comic Publications, Inc. is an American comic book publisher headquartered in Pelham, New York. The company is known for its many titles featuring fictional teenagers including Archie Andrews, Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Sabrina Spellman, and Josie and the Pussycats.
The company began in 1939 as MLJ Comics, which primarily published superhero comics. The initial Archie characters (such as Archie Andrews, Jughead Jones, and Betty Cooper) first appeared in Pep Comics #22 (cover-dated Dec. 1941). and were created by publisher John L. Goldwater and artist Bob Montana. in collaboration with writer Vic Bloom. By creating Archie, Goldwater hoped to appeal to fans of the Andy Hardy movies starring Mickey Rooney.
Archie Comics is also the title of the company's longest-running publication, the first issue appearing with a cover date of Winter 1942. Starting with issue #114, the title was shortened to simply Archie. The flagship series was relaunched from issue #1 in July 2015 with a new look and design suited for a new generation of readers. Archie Comics characters and concepts have also appeared in numerous films, television programs, cartoons, and video games, including the hit 2017 television drama series Riverdale.