I like that the Riverdale Jughead actor mentioned that he doesn't have the control to decide Jugheads sexuality. From what I've seen on twitter and IRL, people don't seem to always know or care to address that most of the people working on a project have little to no control over the final product. I always see people throwing blame for creative decisions towards people who have as little input as possible. It's always nice when you hear an actor convinced the higher ups not to make a bad change to an adaptation, but the people with the money have final say and I feel as fans we have a responsibility not to harass people who are just doing their jobs. Both for the sake of the people who are being attacked and how it makes our fandoms looks.
Yeah, even for the “bash the most accessible actor/writer/EP” crowd, it’s become glaringly obvious that RAS is to Riverdale what George Lucas was to the Star Wars prequels. I don’t even blame him for just not wanting to wake up for a 4:30 shoot, which necessitated the whole “who killed Jughead” fake out of season 4 😂
Honestly shitting on riverdale seems to be a favorite past time of every riverdale actor so Cole Sprouse isn't unique in this regard. I do appreciate him spelling it out so clearly though.
I had a teacher that graded people based on what he thought your potential was rather than the work you actually did. It sucked to see people putting out crap work and getting better grades. It wasn't the 'inspiration' that he thought it was.
I had the inverse experience I guess. I turned in a paper I knew was trash done at the last minute with the expectation that I deserved the C- I would get, and then got it back with an A and gushing praise comments. So I intentionally wrote the worst paper I could and got it back with a comment "point made... here's a B... but it is still the best paper that I received this time around."
Honestly, I've never been a top student but I've always done well in science. Last year, a group assignment I was in went a bit pear shaped and we were unable to hand it in (we'd done all the research and the write up but we had issues with the video we took of us presenting it). My teacher pulled me aside and said "Look, I know this wasn't your fault and you do better work than this but I'm going to have to give the entire group a D". I didnt like getting a low mark but I really appreciate that she marked us fairly and that she didn't give us a higher mark because we had potential to do better
@@appelofdoom8211 in the form of why even bother... yes it is demoralizing. As a result of that experience I went to the university writing center and started tutoring, just to see how bad everyone elses writing was. It's the reason I know believe we are too permissive in letting people into university. My "bad" paper still had a coherent point and something approximating conventional sentence and paragraph structure. While "tutoring" I encountered the run-on sentence fragment, something I would have previously thought of as impossible.
I liked the version of JUGHEAD from the 60’s-70’s who felt he didn’t have time for all the nonsense the rest of the gang got into around dating...which was the central theme of many of the different series, back then...and was A LOT...I saw his disdain for Ethel as primarily a function of her not respecting his boundaries, and never taking ‘no’ for an answer, but as you pointed out, this was not always consistently written
I would love it if they explored this in either the web comic or riverdale or any modern Archie media. Male harassment is always played for laughs but its a serious issue.
My problem with them not committing to Jughead being asexual is that when Kevin came out, he was always portrayed as gay from then on (as far as I remember) and it was seen as valuable and important to do so. There was even a statement from the company about it, talking about how the representation was needed and important. I remember the same for Toni Topaz minus the company announcement, it's just accepted that she's bisexual and no one challenges it. Jughead is made asexual and suddenly no one cares to continue that representation, and belittles the feelings of asexual fans who it meant a lot to. It feels like erasure compared to how the other characters were handled.
I don’t remember Jughead being asexual in the comic jughead was a cool teen who didn’t care to follow the crowd and did his own thing why the obsession with his sexuality
Well in this webtoon they are working off of ethels pov exclusively so maybe hopefully we’ll have the coming out moment that will confirm it to the audience if ethel finds out
As someone who has been in ethels position, I feel like she was the fringe friend. Where she was only allowed in the group if they needed her and the one nice friend in the group had sympathy for her. She was strung along and stuck around in hopes of truly being in the group.
I think a happy medium would be for Jughead to be asexual but not aromantic. It would also make for good representation and an interesting story to see a relationship between an ace and a (maybe) non-ace person; how they come to navigate that. It could also take the route of Ethel learning that Jughead is in fact ace, aro, or both and learning to just love him strictly as a friend. That would be good as well.
Honestly I hate seeing that happen I'm aro not ace and it always hurts a lot to people to take out the aro aspect of it aro's have little if any representation. There's ace characters and that's great and there should be more but apart from jughead I don't know of any other aromantic characters and personally I would like to feel seen.
@@fish9736 I completely understand. As a member of many unseen communities myself, it’s important that there is direct representation of all identities. I was just theorising different ways for the story to play out, one of those having him identify as strictly aromantic. The idea of maybe writing him as ace but not aro is just so that there’s more of a compromise between the different ways he’s been portrayed- I’m not particularly advocating for any specific turnout.
Wow, Cole Sprouse grew up into a.. Surprisingly eloquent and contemplative person. It's always good to see a Disney kid escape the company with their soul and brain intact.
I think Jughead just doesn’t care about chasing skirts. He comes off as a simple guy that doesn’t care about sexuality or relationships. He’s a simple guy that likes burgers and fries.
@@dallasgrey4247 Sorry, didn’t get a chance to reply to this earlier, as I was waaaaay out of town, etc. But look! As of today (10/21/21), Sasha is covering the very same Col. Saunders. So, either she read this, or is psychic! The latter gets my vote.
I’m 57 & have only been a animated Archie fan as a child, so the only thing I can say is the art is sweet, and both Big Ethel , & Jughead are drawn far hotter than in my day. Keep up the Great Work Sasha
Honestly all I can say is I remember I liked it, hey it was a Saturday morning cartoon, which made getting up early easier to do than on weekdays for school…what stands out the most for me is Reggie was the bully , Veronica’s southern accent “Archie Kins” , & Jughead loving burgers as much as Whimpy in the Popeye cartoons
FYI in case you are not sure about why I pointed out that it was a Saturday morning cartoon, when I was a child in the 60’s & 70’s there where only 3 major television networks in the USA ( ABC, CBS, & NBC) , & on Saturday ( sometime Sunday) mornings they had cartoon shows from about 8am - Noon. ABC ,& CBS more so than NBC , and those are where I first saw all of the first run cartoons of that era Scooby Doo, Flintstones, Jetsons, Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Yogi Bear, The Archies ,Space Ghost,Birdman, Mighty Mouse , Loony Toons ect
As an ace/aro person I would love to see that represented via jughead in this comic, cause our representation in media is very rare. It is okay if he isn't ace or aro or both but I hope this comic won't turn ethal into a mary sue and show the POV of betty and co. during high school.
@@walklikeyoutalk1624 that they don't really get representation and this is a character that is canoningly Ace so erasing that just for drama would be bad
As a kid, i religiously read the digest comics everynight before bed. Jughead to me was asexual before I even knew the word existed. I was extreeeeeeemly disapointed when bughead became a thing in Riverdale, but now I like the pair and I remembered that you can still like s~x and be asexual, and it’s a common thing for us to like/date people too. I still think they didn’t use his love of food as much as they should have tho. Anyways stan asexual Jughead. A true king
I like the idea of Jughead being asexual for a few reasons. It plays off Archie always being "lovestruck" (horny?) with a variety of females and lets him respond to it as an observer. Jug can still have relations with women without it being about romance. I get frustrated by writers trying to pair up characters. One can have interesting characters on their own. Platonic relationships should be shown as viable, imho.
That Cole Sprouse interview has convinced me, the cast of Riverdale needs to be saved! Their trapped in a world designed by a mad God! We need to free this American icon from this prison of meh
As someone who has enjoyed Archie comics since I was a child... I find the "modern" version can be a hit or miss. At its core, I feel these interpretations takes themselves too seriously... Which leads to having moments like Archie & gang coming off as bad people. Archie likes girls, jughead likes food, Veronica is vain.. all these are stuff written with the aim of being a comedy. So, when you take those comedic quirks and dissect them, it's a given that you're going to get some horrible personalities. I'm not saying there shouldn't be drama. But it could be done in a lot more subtle way than this. Out of all the modern Archie writers, I think Nick Spencer and Adam Hughes did it the best. Spencer's short (cancelled run) had all the shenanigans of teenagers being confused, unsure and even selfish.. but it never felt like they were bad people... Simply because it didn't wallow in that drama angle. On the other side, AH's Betty & Veronica mini-series was more focused on the comedy, making it feel like it was the same Archie and gang I loved.. just newer. Long story short... "a little less drama" and "a little more self-awareness"... that's the key to finding the right mix between the past and present Archie.
The impression I got from the comments/discussions surrounding big ethel is that being "asexual" or "aromantic" are drawbacks and some sort of flaw in a charecter (therefore person) so even if we dO give the aces some crumbs and make jughead ace, making him aro is jUsT tOo mUCh. As an ace AND aro person this is heartbreaking and I hope y'all get some help.
It’s so sad but I’m not surprised. To be honest most people don’t even know what aromatic or asexual is and don’t take me seriously when i talk about it. Common phrases i get are “you just haven’t met the right person yet” or “that’s so sad”. It genuinely hurts me to know that people around me see me or at least this part of me as silly or invalid.
It's like, it gives off the Mad TV sketch "Pretty White Kids with Problems" energy, sprinkled with some Riverdale flavoring. Like, I need to see a pre-transformation Ethel, because if a young 20 something actor looking, bombshell model lookin', causally stylish woman says that her name, straight-faced, is "Ethel Muggs", my response would be "That a family name?", "Really... REALLY?" "Are you under witness protection?" Then again... If it ain't Archie's Weird Mysteries, then I don't want it lol
The first issue started with a flashback, but it was very much Ethel going “Woe is me”, rather than any realist depiction of events. Also, Weird Mysteries are the only way to go.
Honestly I don’t even read Archie comics, I do know of the characters. And this story itself is something I’ve seen tons of times before. In the different fonts idk doesn’t seem that interesting. Seems the standard “ I was weird in high school but I’m like super cool now” trope
I’m on the side of Ethel being taller & less traumatized by high school. I mean, she had to know she was barking up the wrong tree chasing Jughead. Speaking of which… Jughead has a possible future with Midge? What does Midge actually see in men, anyway?? Moose, Jughead; she like her broken boys, doesn’t she? 🤔
I’m really enjoying the webtoon and I think it has a lot of possibilities since Ethel is an unreliable narrator. I don’t live in a country which has Archie comics and could only read them when we went on vacation so this is a nostalgic comic for me and I’m really enjoying it
Glowing up is possible. I, and many others look better than we did in high school. Confidence, learning about yourself (style, makeup, etc.) It's not really that out of the ballpark you know? Your supposed to feel awkward as a child (and you could still be as an adult), but you can also be more sure of yourself as an adult.
As a fan of Archie Comics who has been reading them since I was in single digits (or at least looking at the pictures), I can appreciate Big Ethel Energy. I think it is too early for me to write off the series and in my opinion, it's just following the steps of the romance trope it's falling under. Since it's pretty early in the series I don't mind, the art is beautiful and I am curious to see if they hit every beat or add their own twists to it. I will say that as someone under the ace umbrella, I would love ace representation. Just because you're ace doesn't mean that you don't have romantic or sexual relationships and this *could* be a great series to explore that. Jughead explaining to Ethel that they need a different kind of connection and that they don't understand the kind of love she is looking for could help other people understand/identify images from their own life. The petty side of me is annoyed that she isn't the height that she was in the comics, they literally could have shown her growing into her own. I also am personally over "ugly duckling" stories (even though she doesn't look ugly in her high school days, but it seems implied) so Archie being blown away at how beautiful she is now just made me roll my eyes. The demographic is a definitely young adult and that shows, which isn't a bad thing, I just hope that they pump some originality in it. What if Ethel ends the series still single but fully loving and embracing her past, present, and future self? What if Ethel learns that Riverdale wasn't the problem, it was just her mindset in it? What if she realizes that we never truly leave high school, it's just that the rules change ever so slightly? Those are all pretty tropey too, and who's to say that this series won't do that, but I hope BEE doesn't fall too far into the current romance trope it's in and mixes it up a little. Again, it's a little too early to judge all of this accurately and I am interested enough to keep reading. This is a little rambly but whatever; I always love your videos and would love if you continued outside the superhero scope of comics! I feel like this is an area easily ignored, but I could be looking in the wrong places.
Tbh, I didn’t really see Archie being “blown away” and more like “wow! You look great! Do you want to catch up?” And being extremely excited and happy over it. That said, it is a webtoon and I got very little expectations for it ever being original. There’s only a few stories I’d consider even remotely original on webtoon.
To me, it doesn’t matter which version of Jughead they use. It’s technically not his story. That being said, he’s always been a foodie, no matter what. He might as well share that love of food with the world.
Did... did Jughead by extension because we had to discuss him for Big Ethel Energy just help me get a better picture of who I am? I've never felt like asexual was a good fit for who I am, but I hadn't really known aromantic was a thing. But yeah, I had to pause the video to go look all of this up and I guess I am running somewhere on the spectrums of asexual and aromantic (the latter more than the former). Well at least I have a closer name for how I feel, even if in a silly and roundabout way. I've had the Webtoon app since you discussed Wayne Family and read a few of those so far. I think I'm going to have to explore the app a bit more. Thank you Sasha
We got another one folks!! (Because I am the way i am though i should let you know I’m aro AND ace. Ha! i win! Truly the undefeated champion!) In all seriousness though congratulations i hope you all the best!!
No lie I started screaming when you showed the interaction between adult Ethel and Jughead. It reminded me too much of romance manga tropes. I will say the art is very good. Like they made Jughead so hot.
I want the end to be Ethel discovering something important, then recognizing her teacher didn't really want her back to be neutral, but because she wanted her to learn something important and heal/grow. And yeah I do worry the character is too "pretty". As always thank you so very much for the video.
I am fine with different interpretations but I totally understand why some fans prefer some interpretations over others, so far the only thing I've not been a big fan of in this webtoon is the idea that the Archie gang used to be bullies, I am really not a fan of that but I am farelly hopefully there will be a twist revealing that ethel was a misunderstanding things
Them being bullies kind of make sense to me , the group does give off an oblivious "the world revolves around me" vibe. Kind of like the group in community
As some one who only read Archie comics as a child in the 80s; I never gave it any thought at the time because I was a child but ace does seem the natural direction to move Jughead in as after hungry for burgers not being interested in dating was kind of his defining character trait in a lot of stories.
I agree that the idea of "canon" is very loose in the Archie universe. I can think, for example, of stories in which Veronica abhors physical exertion, vs. one in which she was Riverdale High's track star. And Archie is usually clumsy and awkward, except in the "Life with Archie" series, where his athletic feats save the day. And there may have been a few stories where Jughead liked a girl or two. But, before the late 80s, these were exceptions. Some character traits were steady enough through the first four decades of Archie to stick. And Jughead being interested in food rather than girls is one of those traits. A sexual Jughead is just not Jughead. It may work for newer readers, but for me, Jughead died and some imposter stole his identity. Same with Ethel. Being physically unattractive and boy-crazy was part of her character. I understand that these characters don't fit comfortably into contemporary culture, but I would rather have the characters killed off and replaced than changed so radically that the only practical similarity is the character names.
I was reading digests in the early 90s and it was always hamburgers not girls. Jughead was always a character I felt very connected to before I even understood dating and decades before I knew what asexuality was. Chip understood the character when he wrote that series and everyone else is pushing the canon in weird directions, IMO. I'm hoping this series does too, it's just from an angsty Ethel POV. So boy crazy she can't move on. And he just can't connect. It's not the best rep for either of them, but it would be fairly character accurate at least.
From my time in the fandom I’ve found people tend to be mad that version isn’t ace not because they think all versions must be but because the show runners said they’d think about it down the line and Cole Sprouse aside he’d be fine with it then down the line they turned around said he was to established as allo to change that and that is interpreted by some as them kicking the can down the road to escape the heat. There are popular Webtoons with ace characters. I recommend Brimstone’s and Roses the main characters is bi and her main love interest is ace it doesn’t come up much and they’re still only on the roommates stage of their relationship and have other stuff going on.
Yeah, I started watching Riverdale because a lot of the discussion of Jughead's sexuality seemed to imply he might actually be ace in the series, and it was really exciting for me. When I realized they weren't doing that I finished the season and stopped watching, and it was honestly a pretty shitty feeling to lose out on that
That line about the artist drawing attractive characters is pretty on point when you see how hard she "There's something about Mary"-ed Ethel. I wouldn't even recognize it as the same character aside from the hair color.
I actually like big Ethel energy I read a lot of Archie comics when i was younger but I never really read issues with Ethel . Making them bullies in Ethel’s life kinda makes sense because from an outsiders perspective they weren’t the best people. Veronica was mean and classist, Betty had no spine, judghead depending on the comic was incredibly misogynistic and Archie had commitment issues. I definitely wouldn’t have wanted to be friends with them or interact with them.
Its strange I think they made a quick change regarding her height because in a fast pass episode in the past veronica is picking outfits for the girls and when they get to Ethel she is very tall maybe they're going for a even tho she's taller than everyone she always feels shorter and looked down on even tho everyone is literally looking up at her
The Church of the Algorithm gives this video its blessing, and must it stay clear of the blasphemers from The First Algorithmic Temple (and the many people impersonating their members).
I guess this is an appropriate time to ask: The scar, how you got it? Because if you don't have anything, I'll say you got it while saving some kittens from a bear.
As a kid I had a weird crush on Jughead so this comic is honestly a guilty pleasure. I have my theories but I always though Ethal/Jughead were cute and that's my preferred canon :)
He could be an ace while still wanting romance too! that would be interesting! I think we equally have not got that representation either! But I know siobhan's art and I'm sure she will give her best for it
The only reason I started reading it was to see if Jughead was going to be asexual in this adaptation. If it turns out he isn’t then I won’t continue reading it.
Recently got into webtoons/comics, so B.E.E is technically my first Archie comic. I think it’s ok; but it’s nice slice life comics have a space to actually exist. Also check out everything is fine - one of best horror comics I’ve read.
Stagtown is another fantastic horror comic if you haven’t found it yet! I also recommend Unholy Blood; not horror but a fantastic story and it’s about to end so it’s the perfect time to binge it!
Eleceed is amazing too!! But I agree with the person above, Unholy Blood is a must! They have really good thrillers and horror ones too, one of my favorite ones is Sweet Home ❤
I do agree that technically they aren't beholden to an ace/aro cannon, and that a level of excitement comes from seeing new takes on established characters (just in general, mixing up established cannons). It's reasonable, but when it's the justification for 99% of the stories being told, then there's an issue with publishing/producing. Authors should have some significant say in telling the stories they want, but if all the authors are wanting to tell the same story (time of recording ;-) ) then they don't all need to become inked down. All intended as friendly musings - happy to discuss :-)
Which Archie canon am I attached to? The Horror canon, Jughead The Hunger, Vamperonica, Blossoms 666, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Chilling Adventures in Horror, and Afterlife With Archie. So that clearly means that I would like to see Ethel get involved with a murder cult 😈.
I think the initial hook came off as a bit of an author's highschool revenge fantasy blog, like "I'm gonna go back to my old town, but now Im super successful and hot, and all my bullies like me now, but now Im gonna turn THEM down". That being said I still see a lot of potential in where the story could go and am interested by the potential character interactions, especially if she is treated as an unreliable narrator. I do kind of whish they had kept her more "plain" or at least her past self
I still hope they pull with Jugs more modern ace identity, it better explains his aversion than bullying and Ethel's obsession with him (a decade out, seriously girl, get some distance mentally and emotionally not just physically, don't make your life about just one boy from HS, please...I was tossed in literal trash and but like... I got therapy when I was in college? Not for that, for the sexual assault, but HS certainly came up. It's good and healthy and I absolutely recommend it... If you can't move past one obsessive emotional thing on your own, like, talk to someone... Idk) is seriously tilting that. Anyhow, people who are new to hot Jug, go check out the guy who did the voice acting on the original radio show! Someone's grandpa was a looker!
some people don't realize that their actions/words can be construed as bullying, so I believe that'll play a big part in it. if you're in the popular group, there's a high chance something you did or said randomly hurt somebody else deeply without you realizing. also high school sucks
I feel like the Archie gang being portrayed as “bullies” isn’t that left field like I can def see it. I also don’t mind the troupes when I think of Archie I think of “WhO wILL ArcHIe CHooSe???BeTTY oR VeROniCa?!” So Ethel being a little “hallmark-y” fits well
I saw this and had to go and read the 5 chapters that were out. The first time I saw Ethel, I burst out laughing. She and the cast are RIDICULOUSLY HOT and I don't think I was prepared 😂 I'm interested to see where this goes and have no issues with it aside from wishing that past Ethel was plainer, so those scenes could contrast more and be more impactful.
I should have realized this when I read a recent Archie Digest story. It is true. The Archieverse is actually an ArchieMultiverse. How many Archie Earths are there? I doubt it is just 52, probably bordering an Infinite number. Waiting for Archie to be a candidate for the Legion on Super Heroes now......... or maybe the X-Men......
meh, I have to many Archie comics even a lot of Jughead comics and Betty and Veronica comic but I am okay whatever they do to Jughead, but if they get rid his food obsessing and great friendship with Betty I would be enrage.
I always figured that Jughead saw his friends go crazy when hormones kicked in and just said, nope. I'm going to sit this out. I feel like it's a stretch to use that to determine his canon sexual preferences for life.
I love your salt. I think she’s still finding herself and is an unreliable narrator. But that’s ok, as long as she keeps growing, she’ll work through enough of her stuff to be able to view the past more objectively and see other people’s actions as stemming from more than just their thoughts and feelings towards her.
I believe no matter in what interpretation he can be ace. Being ace doesn’t mean you can’t ever be attracted to others or be in relationships (that falls into aromantic) So even in the bughead version he can still get with what’s her name and be ace
In my opinion, Not really the more I read it, it seems Ethel is realizing there’s pretty great men out there that have interest in her but she can’t let go of that Jughead rejection because it was traumatized her and she has to let go of high school
I mean, my mans can still be asexual and have a relationship. Honestly I’d say that would be more interesting because media just *doesn’t portray* what it’s like to be in a relationship that isn’t explicitly sexual.
JUGHEAD'S TIME POLICE! Sasha you beautiful, amazing nerd! I have been trying to recall what that was for years now! I had a digest as a kid with issue 1 reprinted in it and I always wondered if there was more and yet somehow could never find it online. Thank you so much!!!!
I suppose I'm glad that Ethel is getting called "too hot" for her archetype by some fans, because that means the comic is accomplishing something it's harder to do in live action. From what I saw in this vid, Ethel is drawn zaftig. Curvy. With more to love. She looks like she's supposed to be somewhat overweight, and she's still getting called hot. That's something that's less likely to happen on TV, even today. It's also possible that I'm being fooled by the art style and/or her clothing, but I really think this idea has some legs to it. I haven't seen any of this comic except what you just showed us, but I wonder if maybe this version of Big Ethel got that nickname because she was chubby in high school.
I was just thinking about what would be a Great crossover: Riverdale Meets Smallville! I would have it take place in their HS yrs, Betty & Veronica could turn their rivalry toward Clark ( can’t you just see the anger on Betty’s face when Ronnie says “ClarkieKins”),while Chloe & Lana turn theirs too Archie ( we already know Chloe has a thing for red head men with freckles Jimmy Olsen). Lex can hookup with Sexy Grundy, & Jughead can get a meteor rock/Kryptonite Power maybe like Matter Eater Lad from the Legion of Superheroes
I haven’t read Archie Comics in a long time through I devoured them when I was younger. I also believe the Jughead Double Digest were the superior checkout option. As a result, there was a lot of Ethel content in what I read. I’d only really seen her depicted as Big Ethel, where she was often just the but of the joke. I’m really interested to learn of this series, and think it’s an interesting chance to look at an often ignored character more closely. Thanks!
I’m honestly kind of critical of the webtoon although it’s still new. It just contains common elements I see in other romances that turn me off (the focus on appearances and status is a big one for me). But the art is pretty and it’s exciting to see an interpretation of an under-examined character. I also get how it appeals to certain readers and they’re allowed to enjoy fun escapist romance even if it’s a bit shallow. I hope it does have good representation besides the black gay best friend lol. I also don’t like the idea that you can just flick asexuality on and off depending on the writer’s desire but I do get that Jughead’s sexuality itself has never been concrete (but it should be).
I loved the Jughead comics as a kid to the point where I would regularly buy them from my library bookstore whenever I found one usually the ones from the 90s those were the only comics I was interested in I guess because I just really liked that specific member of the Archie gang Jughead had that is the others are range from not caring about downright loathing
I really love slice of life comics! I definitely need more of these. Also, Jughead the mukbanger??? Love it! This story overall is a bit cliche, especially regarding Ethel but I’m excited to see how much closer she’ll gain while being in riverdale.
Awesome review! I like the art style and the character. Been a fan of Archie comics since the early 70’s. I would like to see you do a review of Fables if you haven’t done one yet.
I'm a longtime fan on Archie Comics. Still collect them today. So, the ugly Ethel does actually have sentimental memories for me. I went to school with a girl who, when i first saw her, made me think of Ethel. Weirdly though, after we graduated, she blossomed. Damn, she was hot. And for the record, when were friendly, in school, but not close friends. Actually, I was a lot like Jughead. Girls were trouble with a capital T. I'm not gay, but honestly, I still feel that way.
Personally the asexual route would explain so much about his character. That or he hit puberty super late, but it would explain why so often he didn't care about women but didn't show any signs of being gay.
The TV movie also had Jughead divorced and he ended back up with Ethel (whom had become model’ish - I sense a trend). I was a big fan of the Archie comics and while ace wasn’t a term when I was a kid I feel it’s a fair evolution of Jughead. Ah. After the announcement about Jonathan Kent today, though, we’re going to look back on this and even the Tim Drake discussions as “the simpler times”. :D I don’t envy you fielding the talks, Sascha.
About profession portrayals, I have no problem with journalists being written in that way in comics like Ethel, Lois, Vicki, etc. But I think comics still lacks the diversity of journalists, not much different kinds of journalists being represented.
I wonder if I'm alone in having had Archie comics completely pass me by. Certainly they were nowhere to be seen in Scotland when I was young and I don't really remember seeing them in comics shops in the UK as a whole in later years. I don't see this as a great loss as they don't look like my sort of thing but I am interested to know how many fans of the comics are from outside North America. Probably more now due to the Riverdale series which I think was shown here but I wonder if anyone outside NA was reading the comics before that.
i live in south east asia and in our old school library there were some battered betty and veronica comics..... thats when i was introduced to archie in its whole... i was one of the lucky kids from my small town to always go out to the city and to the bookstores there...archie comics are expensive here ,and my mum wouldnt let me get them cuz sometimes betty and veronica would wear bikini's..... but i whenever i could i would read them
I really like how the Archie gang are almost the villains in this story. As someone who is pushing 30 and has reconnected with people I knew growing up it’s very true that you can unknowingly be a character is someone else’s story and that they will see things completely differently than you did and that somehow both your perspectives can be the truth.
Unless he has a nose like a McDonald's French fry, he's not Jughead to me. Does anyone remember about 30 years ago a live action Archie tv movie set at about 15 years after high school? In that version Ethel had become a model and Jughead had a son from a previous relationship.
The newest ch makes no sense. Her thoughts about the "backhanded" comments about her looks that NOW she looks amazing, but she's the only one that keeps comparing herself to old self. I firmly believe this Ethel is stuck in her high school mentality and can't see beyond her "trauma" that she holds on to the past versions thinking that they haven't changed. But her versions of the people are beginning to crack. Because they have changed. I hope she gives them the benefit of the doubt and grow. But that is wishful thinking
Jugghead doing mukbang is highly on brand there. But... why do they always draw him so hot these days? He's supposed to be a lanky dork. I think they're gonna go the "he lalways iked her but was too shy" direction. It just feels like it. And geez... that's whats going on on Riverdale? Why are people watching that exactly?
You just answered a question I had for a while, I figured the eyebrow might be a scar, but it looks bad ass so I wasn't sure if it was a fashion thing I just never knew about haha!
I did start this webtoon as the art looked really good. But I was getting slightly mary sue aspects in Ethel and I ended up unsubscribing when present Jughead was revealed as I HATED the tattoos. And Jughead was drawn like some leading man in an action film. Didn't feel like Jughead. I got bad vibes. Edit: I also can't help but feel like it's going down those late 90s early 2000s teen romcom tropes. Where it tries to moralise that you shouldn't judge people by their appearance whilst changing people's appearance to get the couple together.
I'm not personally a huge fan of _Big Ethel Energy,_ but I'm glad it exists. Honestly, what I love about Archie is that there isn't a single set canon. I think Marv Wolfman said something at some point about how continuity ties your best writer to your worst writer, and I think Archie's approach is a way to avoid that. If you love a certain version or run of Archie comics, you don't have to worry about _its_ narrative cohesion getting spoiled by a version you don't like as much. Plus, by having a wide range of tones, themes, and styles using the same set of characters, people who have different tastes can connect with each other through a mutual appreciation of some form of Archie.
Here's a comment you're not expecting: There is NO WAY that anything in the "Archieverse" could reflect MY high school days, because they were all spent IN GERMANY! I was a military brat when I started high school, so I know NOTHING of what STATESIDE high school was like. Also, it probably would be about the same if I HAD been stateside, because I was a black kid in a somewhat larger than a small town city called St. Louis, Missouri. High school for me here was going to resemble NOTHING about Riverdale or Archie's life. Of course, that was why I found many of the Archie comics I read back then entertaining. Real like often isn't very enjoyable. That's why we have fiction and fantasies!
"Jughead is a mukbang TH-camr." You know...that's a pretty logical evolution of his character.
I mean, yeah, his entire quirk(not superpower) is that he loves food and eating.
And naturally his app would have been a grub hub/door dash like app.
it really does make perfect sense
Yeah all this is so Jughead. Eating as a job and making a food delivery app
That’s actually kinda funny
I like that the Riverdale Jughead actor mentioned that he doesn't have the control to decide Jugheads sexuality. From what I've seen on twitter and IRL, people don't seem to always know or care to address that most of the people working on a project have little to no control over the final product. I always see people throwing blame for creative decisions towards people who have as little input as possible. It's always nice when you hear an actor convinced the higher ups not to make a bad change to an adaptation, but the people with the money have final say and I feel as fans we have a responsibility not to harass people who are just doing their jobs. Both for the sake of the people who are being attacked and how it makes our fandoms looks.
Yeah, even for the “bash the most accessible actor/writer/EP” crowd, it’s become glaringly obvious that RAS is to Riverdale what George Lucas was to the Star Wars prequels.
I don’t even blame him for just not wanting to wake up for a 4:30 shoot, which necessitated the whole “who killed Jughead” fake out of season 4 😂
Honestly shitting on riverdale seems to be a favorite past time of every riverdale actor so Cole Sprouse isn't unique in this regard. I do appreciate him spelling it out so clearly though.
fr!! we're watching the same show but somehow I don't see Cole Sprouse listed as a writer...
According to most TH-cam comments, Hollywood doesn't even have writers, all the actors make everything up on the spot (especially your favorite line).
"Big Ethel" sounds like something politicians would be accused of being in the pocket of.
It good thi
If you spell her name "Ethyl", it would mean alcohol!
I had a teacher that graded people based on what he thought your potential was rather than the work you actually did. It sucked to see people putting out crap work and getting better grades. It wasn't the 'inspiration' that he thought it was.
Oh wow that’s trash 😓
I had the inverse experience I guess. I turned in a paper I knew was trash done at the last minute with the expectation that I deserved the C- I would get, and then got it back with an A and gushing praise comments. So I intentionally wrote the worst paper I could and got it back with a comment "point made... here's a B... but it is still the best paper that I received this time around."
Honestly, I've never been a top student but I've always done well in science. Last year, a group assignment I was in went a bit pear shaped and we were unable to hand it in (we'd done all the research and the write up but we had issues with the video we took of us presenting it). My teacher pulled me aside and said "Look, I know this wasn't your fault and you do better work than this but I'm going to have to give the entire group a D". I didnt like getting a low mark but I really appreciate that she marked us fairly and that she didn't give us a higher mark because we had potential to do better
Wouldn't that also be really demoralizing if you feel like you made a bad assignment and get a good grade for it?
@@appelofdoom8211 in the form of why even bother... yes it is demoralizing. As a result of that experience I went to the university writing center and started tutoring, just to see how bad everyone elses writing was. It's the reason I know believe we are too permissive in letting people into university.
My "bad" paper still had a coherent point and something approximating conventional sentence and paragraph structure. While "tutoring" I encountered the run-on sentence fragment, something I would have previously thought of as impossible.
I liked the version of JUGHEAD from the 60’s-70’s who felt he didn’t have time for all the nonsense the rest of the gang got into around dating...which was the central theme of many of the different series, back then...and was A LOT...I saw his disdain for Ethel as primarily a function of her not respecting his boundaries, and never taking ‘no’ for an answer, but as you pointed out, this was not always consistently written
I would love it if they explored this in either the web comic or riverdale or any modern Archie media. Male harassment is always played for laughs but its a serious issue.
My problem with them not committing to Jughead being asexual is that when Kevin came out, he was always portrayed as gay from then on (as far as I remember) and it was seen as valuable and important to do so. There was even a statement from the company about it, talking about how the representation was needed and important. I remember the same for Toni Topaz minus the company announcement, it's just accepted that she's bisexual and no one challenges it. Jughead is made asexual and suddenly no one cares to continue that representation, and belittles the feelings of asexual fans who it meant a lot to. It feels like erasure compared to how the other characters were handled.
^^^
This!
its almost like... they just claimed he was asexual for woke points?
I don’t remember Jughead being asexual in the comic jughead was a cool teen who didn’t care to follow the crowd and did his own thing why the obsession with his sexuality
Well in this webtoon they are working off of ethels pov exclusively so maybe hopefully we’ll have the coming out moment that will confirm it to the audience if ethel finds out
As someone who has been in ethels position, I feel like she was the fringe friend. Where she was only allowed in the group if they needed her and the one nice friend in the group had sympathy for her. She was strung along and stuck around in hopes of truly being in the group.
I think a happy medium would be for Jughead to be asexual but not aromantic. It would also make for good representation and an interesting story to see a relationship between an ace and a (maybe) non-ace person; how they come to navigate that. It could also take the route of Ethel learning that Jughead is in fact ace, aro, or both and learning to just love him strictly as a friend. That would be good as well.
Honestly I hate seeing that happen I'm aro not ace and it always hurts a lot to people to take out the aro aspect of it aro's have little if any representation. There's ace characters and that's great and there should be more but apart from jughead I don't know of any other aromantic characters and personally I would like to feel seen.
If jughead was just ace it wouldn't make me happy
@@fish9736 I completely understand. As a member of many unseen communities myself, it’s important that there is direct representation of all identities. I was just theorising different ways for the story to play out, one of those having him identify as strictly aromantic. The idea of maybe writing him as ace but not aro is just so that there’s more of a compromise between the different ways he’s been portrayed- I’m not particularly advocating for any specific turnout.
@@Chemochal thank you for replying
@@fish9736 of course. Thank you for sharing your perspective!
Wow, Cole Sprouse grew up into a.. Surprisingly eloquent and contemplative person. It's always good to see a Disney kid escape the company with their soul and brain intact.
Yeah honestly the only weird thing he did was troll Tumblr that one time
@Acceptance with Joy 🌼 oh yeah if you type cole sprouse tumblr in youtube search you'll learn more about it
I think Jughead just doesn’t care about chasing skirts. He comes off as a simple guy that doesn’t care about sexuality or relationships. He’s a simple guy that likes burgers and fries.
He's canonically ace
@@sticks4632 In different continuities. As stated in the video, there’s many continuities.
@@josephdavis115 in my opinion jug aceness should be as canon as archie's red head but yeah
@@josephdavis115 True but most stories usually have Jughead coded as asexual. So it was always there but only recently confirmed
@@BlueBlazeKing only the recent ones as of 2016 do.
Can't wait until Crisis on Infinite Archie's to happen. Then we can have all the Jugheads.
If they can do it with Col. Saunders, why not?
@@jpboursaw4469 Yay! Someone else remembers the DC KFC crossovers
Must. Happen.
@@dallasgrey4247 Sorry, didn’t get a chance to reply to this earlier, as I was waaaaay out of town, etc. But look! As of today (10/21/21), Sasha is covering the very same Col. Saunders. So, either she read this, or is psychic! The latter gets my vote.
@@dallasgrey4247 the what now
I’m 57 & have only been a animated Archie fan as a child, so the only thing I can say is the art is sweet, and both Big Ethel , & Jughead are drawn far hotter than in my day. Keep up the Great Work Sasha
How would you describe your love Archie back when you were kid?, I just interested in earring what fan of Archie liked about it back the .
Honestly all I can say is I remember I liked it, hey it was a Saturday morning cartoon, which made getting up early easier to do than on weekdays for school…what stands out the most for me is Reggie was the bully , Veronica’s southern accent “Archie Kins” , & Jughead loving burgers as much as Whimpy in the Popeye cartoons
FYI in case you are not sure about why I pointed out that it was a Saturday morning cartoon, when I was a child in the 60’s & 70’s there where only 3 major television networks in the USA ( ABC, CBS, & NBC) , & on Saturday ( sometime Sunday) mornings they had cartoon shows from about 8am - Noon. ABC ,& CBS more so than NBC , and those are where I first saw all of the first run cartoons of that era Scooby Doo, Flintstones, Jetsons, Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Yogi Bear, The Archies ,Space Ghost,Birdman, Mighty Mouse , Loony Toons ect
@@rodneylindsey849 I love this list of cartoons I'm much younger but my dad used to bring the dvds from the library:,,) Animaniacs too
I Luv Animaniacs, Tiny Toons, & Pinky & The Brain …they actually where introduced in the 80’s when I was in my 20’s “ GEEK FOR LIFE”
As an ace/aro person I would love to see that represented via jughead in this comic, cause our representation in media is very rare. It is okay if he isn't ace or aro or both but I hope this comic won't turn ethal into a mary sue and show the POV of betty and co. during high school.
WHAT IS UP WITH EVERY SEXUALITY TALKING ABOUT REPRESENTATION.
@@walklikeyoutalk1624 I'm guessing your straight ?
@@walklikeyoutalk1624 that they don't really get representation and this is a character that is canoningly Ace so erasing that just for drama would be bad
@@walklikeyoutalk1624 because people want representation? As an ace person, seeing more ace rep would be awesome :)
@@walklikeyoutalk1624 can confirm there was talk on the BEE team chief
As a kid, i religiously read the digest comics everynight before bed. Jughead to me was asexual before I even knew the word existed. I was extreeeeeeemly disapointed when bughead became a thing in Riverdale, but now I like the pair and I remembered that you can still like s~x and be asexual, and it’s a common thing for us to like/date people too. I still think they didn’t use his love of food as much as they should have tho.
Anyways stan asexual Jughead. A true king
Personally that is me, not wanting to do the actual thing but I entertain the idea of it.
I like the idea of Jughead being asexual for a few reasons. It plays off Archie always being "lovestruck" (horny?) with a variety of females and lets him respond to it as an observer. Jug can still have relations with women without it being about romance. I get frustrated by writers trying to pair up characters. One can have interesting characters on their own. Platonic relationships should be shown as viable, imho.
That Cole Sprouse interview has convinced me, the cast of Riverdale needs to be saved! Their trapped in a world designed by a mad God! We need to free this American icon from this prison of meh
As someone who has enjoyed Archie comics since I was a child... I find the "modern" version can be a hit or miss.
At its core, I feel these interpretations takes themselves too seriously... Which leads to having moments like Archie & gang coming off as bad people.
Archie likes girls, jughead likes food, Veronica is vain.. all these are stuff written with the aim of being a comedy.
So, when you take those comedic quirks and dissect them, it's a given that you're going to get some horrible personalities.
I'm not saying there shouldn't be drama. But it could be done in a lot more subtle way than this.
Out of all the modern Archie writers, I think Nick Spencer and Adam Hughes did it the best.
Spencer's short (cancelled run) had all the shenanigans of teenagers being confused, unsure and even selfish.. but it never felt like they were bad people... Simply because it didn't wallow in that drama angle.
On the other side, AH's Betty & Veronica mini-series was more focused on the comedy, making it feel like it was the same Archie and gang I loved.. just newer.
Long story short... "a little less drama" and "a little more self-awareness"... that's the key to finding the right mix between the past and present Archie.
Yeah. Definitely! It just needs some nuance.
Sounds boring
@@Wandasolosurfavs This is the same as saying that Tom and Jerry sounds boring cause they don't kill each other and that is not realistic
The impression I got from the comments/discussions surrounding big ethel is that being "asexual" or "aromantic" are drawbacks and some sort of flaw in a charecter (therefore person) so even if we dO give the aces some crumbs and make jughead ace, making him aro is jUsT tOo mUCh. As an ace AND aro person this is heartbreaking and I hope y'all get some help.
It’s so sad but I’m not surprised.
To be honest most people don’t even know what aromatic or asexual is and don’t take me seriously when i talk about it. Common phrases i get are “you just haven’t met the right person yet” or “that’s so sad”. It genuinely hurts me to know that people around me see me or at least this part of me as silly or invalid.
It's like, it gives off the Mad TV sketch "Pretty White Kids with Problems" energy, sprinkled with some Riverdale flavoring. Like, I need to see a pre-transformation Ethel, because if a young 20 something actor looking, bombshell model lookin', causally stylish woman says that her name, straight-faced, is "Ethel Muggs", my response would be "That a family name?", "Really... REALLY?" "Are you under witness protection?"
Then again... If it ain't Archie's Weird Mysteries, then I don't want it lol
The first issue started with a flashback, but it was very much Ethel going “Woe is me”, rather than any realist depiction of events.
Also, Weird Mysteries are the only way to go.
She should team up with Kathy Keene
Honestly I don’t even read Archie comics, I do know of the characters. And this story itself is something I’ve seen tons of times before. In the different fonts idk doesn’t seem that interesting. Seems the standard “ I was weird in high school but I’m like super cool now” trope
I’m on the side of Ethel being taller & less traumatized by high school.
I mean, she had to know she was barking up the wrong tree chasing Jughead.
Speaking of which…
Jughead has a possible future with Midge? What does Midge actually see in men, anyway?? Moose, Jughead; she like her broken boys, doesn’t she? 🤔
I’m really enjoying the webtoon and I think it has a lot of possibilities since Ethel is an unreliable narrator. I don’t live in a country which has Archie comics and could only read them when we went on vacation so this is a nostalgic comic for me and I’m really enjoying it
Ethel being hot kinda takes away from the story. If she’s a plain Jane that was overlooked her whole life she shouldn’t look like a model.
Glowing up is possible. I, and many others look better than we did in high school. Confidence, learning about yourself (style, makeup, etc.) It's not really that out of the ballpark you know? Your supposed to feel awkward as a child (and you could still be as an adult), but you can also be more sure of yourself as an adult.
As a fan of Archie Comics who has been reading them since I was in single digits (or at least looking at the pictures), I can appreciate Big Ethel Energy. I think it is too early for me to write off the series and in my opinion, it's just following the steps of the romance trope it's falling under. Since it's pretty early in the series I don't mind, the art is beautiful and I am curious to see if they hit every beat or add their own twists to it. I will say that as someone under the ace umbrella, I would love ace representation. Just because you're ace doesn't mean that you don't have romantic or sexual relationships and this *could* be a great series to explore that. Jughead explaining to Ethel that they need a different kind of connection and that they don't understand the kind of love she is looking for could help other people understand/identify images from their own life.
The petty side of me is annoyed that she isn't the height that she was in the comics, they literally could have shown her growing into her own. I also am personally over "ugly duckling" stories (even though she doesn't look ugly in her high school days, but it seems implied) so Archie being blown away at how beautiful she is now just made me roll my eyes. The demographic is a definitely young adult and that shows, which isn't a bad thing, I just hope that they pump some originality in it. What if Ethel ends the series still single but fully loving and embracing her past, present, and future self? What if Ethel learns that Riverdale wasn't the problem, it was just her mindset in it? What if she realizes that we never truly leave high school, it's just that the rules change ever so slightly? Those are all pretty tropey too, and who's to say that this series won't do that, but I hope BEE doesn't fall too far into the current romance trope it's in and mixes it up a little. Again, it's a little too early to judge all of this accurately and I am interested enough to keep reading.
This is a little rambly but whatever; I always love your videos and would love if you continued outside the superhero scope of comics! I feel like this is an area easily ignored, but I could be looking in the wrong places.
Tbh, I didn’t really see Archie being “blown away” and more like “wow! You look great! Do you want to catch up?” And being extremely excited and happy over it.
That said, it is a webtoon and I got very little expectations for it ever being original. There’s only a few stories I’d consider even remotely original on webtoon.
To me, it doesn’t matter which version of Jughead they use. It’s technically not his story. That being said, he’s always been a foodie, no matter what. He might as well share that love of food with the world.
Married ace who is probably also aromatic here. Thanks for the thoughtful discussion!
Did... did Jughead by extension because we had to discuss him for Big Ethel Energy just help me get a better picture of who I am? I've never felt like asexual was a good fit for who I am, but I hadn't really known aromantic was a thing. But yeah, I had to pause the video to go look all of this up and I guess I am running somewhere on the spectrums of asexual and aromantic (the latter more than the former). Well at least I have a closer name for how I feel, even if in a silly and roundabout way. I've had the Webtoon app since you discussed Wayne Family and read a few of those so far. I think I'm going to have to explore the app a bit more. Thank you Sasha
Welcome to the gang! It takes a lot of us a long time because we don't get talked about a lot, but hey, whatever works for you works!
Thanks. I appreciate the welcome and honestly the knowledge that I'm not that weird
We got another one folks!! (Because I am the way i am though i should let you know I’m aro AND ace. Ha! i win! Truly the undefeated champion!) In all seriousness though congratulations i hope you all the best!!
No lie I started screaming when you showed the interaction between adult Ethel and Jughead.
It reminded me too much of romance manga tropes.
I will say the art is very good. Like they made Jughead so hot.
I want the end to be Ethel discovering something important, then recognizing her teacher didn't really want her back to be neutral, but because she wanted her to learn something important and heal/grow. And yeah I do worry the character is too "pretty".
As always thank you so very much for the video.
I am fine with different interpretations but I totally understand why some fans prefer some interpretations over others, so far the only thing I've not been a big fan of in this webtoon is the idea that the Archie gang used to be bullies, I am really not a fan of that but I am farelly hopefully there will be a twist revealing that ethel was a misunderstanding things
Not so much bullies as realistically clueless teenagers.
Them being bullies kind of make sense to me , the group does give off an oblivious "the world revolves around me" vibe. Kind of like the group in community
I'm not fine with it either, Ronnie I can believe but not Archie and Jug
The entire gang can be selfish sometimes even in the actual comics
As some one who only read Archie comics as a child in the 80s; I never gave it any thought at the time because I was a child but ace does seem the natural direction to move Jughead in as after hungry for burgers not being interested in dating was kind of his defining character trait in a lot of stories.
I agree that the idea of "canon" is very loose in the Archie universe. I can think, for example, of stories in which Veronica abhors physical exertion, vs. one in which she was Riverdale High's track star. And Archie is usually clumsy and awkward, except in the "Life with Archie" series, where his athletic feats save the day. And there may have been a few stories where Jughead liked a girl or two. But, before the late 80s, these were exceptions. Some character traits were steady enough through the first four decades of Archie to stick. And Jughead being interested in food rather than girls is one of those traits. A sexual Jughead is just not Jughead. It may work for newer readers, but for me, Jughead died and some imposter stole his identity. Same with Ethel. Being physically unattractive and boy-crazy was part of her character. I understand that these characters don't fit comfortably into contemporary culture, but I would rather have the characters killed off and replaced than changed so radically that the only practical similarity is the character names.
This.
I was reading digests in the early 90s and it was always hamburgers not girls. Jughead was always a character I felt very connected to before I even understood dating and decades before I knew what asexuality was. Chip understood the character when he wrote that series and everyone else is pushing the canon in weird directions, IMO.
I'm hoping this series does too, it's just from an angsty Ethel POV. So boy crazy she can't move on. And he just can't connect. It's not the best rep for either of them, but it would be fairly character accurate at least.
I feel like every Archie comic you bring up on the channel would be a better use of tv storylines than whatever Riverdale is doing.
From my time in the fandom I’ve found people tend to be mad that version isn’t ace not because they think all versions must be but because the show runners said they’d think about it down the line and Cole Sprouse aside he’d be fine with it then down the line they turned around said he was to established as allo to change that and that is interpreted by some as them kicking the can down the road to escape the heat.
There are popular Webtoons with ace characters. I recommend Brimstone’s and Roses the main characters is bi and her main love interest is ace it doesn’t come up much and they’re still only on the roommates stage of their relationship and have other stuff going on.
Yeah, I started watching Riverdale because a lot of the discussion of Jughead's sexuality seemed to imply he might actually be ace in the series, and it was really exciting for me. When I realized they weren't doing that I finished the season and stopped watching, and it was honestly a pretty shitty feeling to lose out on that
Love it or hate it, one thing's for certain: Ethel in this comic is so freaking cute.
Reggie I can buy as a bully, but Archie? Get the truck outta here with that ship!
That line about the artist drawing attractive characters is pretty on point when you see how hard she "There's something about Mary"-ed Ethel. I wouldn't even recognize it as the same character aside from the hair color.
I actually like big Ethel energy I read a lot of Archie comics when i was younger but I never really read issues with Ethel . Making them bullies in Ethel’s life kinda makes sense because from an outsiders perspective they weren’t the best people. Veronica was mean and classist, Betty had no spine, judghead depending on the comic was incredibly misogynistic and Archie had commitment issues. I definitely wouldn’t have wanted to be friends with them or interact with them.
Yeah, I picked up on Veronica's flaws VERY QUICKLY as a kid.
I've realized as an adult that Archie's flings with girls aren't really a good thing....
Its strange I think they made a quick change regarding her height because in a fast pass episode in the past veronica is picking outfits for the girls and when they get to Ethel she is very tall maybe they're going for a even tho she's taller than everyone she always feels shorter and looked down on even tho everyone is literally looking up at her
The Church of the Algorithm gives this video its blessing, and must it stay clear of the blasphemers from The First Algorithmic Temple (and the many people impersonating their members).
I guess this is an appropriate time to ask: The scar, how you got it? Because if you don't have anything, I'll say you got it while saving some kittens from a bear.
At least this ms Grundy doesn’t date students (that we know about)
As a kid I had a weird crush on Jughead so this comic is honestly a guilty pleasure. I have my theories but I always though Ethal/Jughead were cute and that's my preferred canon :)
He could be an ace while still wanting romance too! that would be interesting! I think we equally have not got that representation either! But I know siobhan's art and I'm sure she will give her best for it
The only reason I started reading it was to see if Jughead was going to be asexual in this adaptation. If it turns out he isn’t then I won’t continue reading it.
Recently got into webtoons/comics, so B.E.E is technically my first Archie comic. I think it’s ok; but it’s nice slice life comics have a space to actually exist.
Also check out everything is fine - one of best horror comics I’ve read.
Stagtown is another fantastic horror comic if you haven’t found it yet! I also recommend Unholy Blood; not horror but a fantastic story and it’s about to end so it’s the perfect time to binge it!
Eleceed is amazing too!! But I agree with the person above, Unholy Blood is a must! They have really good thrillers and horror ones too, one of my favorite ones is Sweet Home ❤
I do agree that technically they aren't beholden to an ace/aro cannon, and that a level of excitement comes from seeing new takes on established characters (just in general, mixing up established cannons). It's reasonable, but when it's the justification for 99% of the stories being told, then there's an issue with publishing/producing. Authors should have some significant say in telling the stories they want, but if all the authors are wanting to tell the same story (time of recording ;-) ) then they don't all need to become inked down.
All intended as friendly musings - happy to discuss :-)
Which Archie canon am I attached to? The Horror canon, Jughead The Hunger, Vamperonica, Blossoms 666, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Chilling Adventures in Horror, and Afterlife With Archie.
So that clearly means that I would like to see Ethel get involved with a murder cult 😈.
I think the initial hook came off as a bit of an author's highschool revenge fantasy blog, like "I'm gonna go back to my old town, but now Im super successful and hot, and all my bullies like me now, but now Im gonna turn THEM down". That being said I still see a lot of potential in where the story could go and am interested by the potential character interactions, especially if she is treated as an unreliable narrator.
I do kind of whish they had kept her more "plain" or at least her past self
When I was a child my introduction to comics were Little Lulu and Archie, and I started reading super hero comics as a teen, so this speaks to me.
I still hope they pull with Jugs more modern ace identity, it better explains his aversion than bullying and Ethel's obsession with him (a decade out, seriously girl, get some distance mentally and emotionally not just physically, don't make your life about just one boy from HS, please...I was tossed in literal trash and but like... I got therapy when I was in college? Not for that, for the sexual assault, but HS certainly came up. It's good and healthy and I absolutely recommend it... If you can't move past one obsessive emotional thing on your own, like, talk to someone... Idk) is seriously tilting that.
Anyhow, people who are new to hot Jug, go check out the guy who did the voice acting on the original radio show! Someone's grandpa was a looker!
Yes. This Ethel seems like she's the one who never moved on from high school while everyone else did.
some people don't realize that their actions/words can be construed as bullying, so I believe that'll play a big part in it. if you're in the popular group, there's a high chance something you did or said randomly hurt somebody else deeply without you realizing. also high school sucks
I feel like the Archie gang being portrayed as “bullies” isn’t that left field like I can def see it. I also don’t mind the troupes when I think of Archie I think of “WhO wILL ArcHIe CHooSe???BeTTY oR VeROniCa?!” So Ethel being a little “hallmark-y” fits well
This comic remInds me of a wattpad story tbh. I like the later chapters though let’s see how it develops
Here voting for really tall Big Ethel, Ace Crown Jughead, and mild bullying of Ethel that everyone has outgrown.
17:24 "More webtoons please!"
Axed, The Witch and the Bull, Suitor Armor, and Trailer Park Warlock.
I saw this and had to go and read the 5 chapters that were out. The first time I saw Ethel, I burst out laughing. She and the cast are RIDICULOUSLY HOT and I don't think I was prepared 😂
I'm interested to see where this goes and have no issues with it aside from wishing that past Ethel was plainer, so those scenes could contrast more and be more impactful.
I should have realized this when I read a recent Archie Digest story. It is true. The Archieverse is actually an ArchieMultiverse. How many Archie Earths are there? I doubt it is just 52, probably bordering an Infinite number. Waiting for Archie to be a candidate for the Legion on Super Heroes now......... or maybe the X-Men......
meh, I have to many Archie comics even a lot of Jughead comics and Betty and Veronica comic but I am okay whatever they do to Jughead, but if they get rid his food obsessing and great friendship with Betty I would be enrage.
I always figured that Jughead saw his friends go crazy when hormones kicked in and just said, nope. I'm going to sit this out.
I feel like it's a stretch to use that to determine his canon sexual preferences for life.
I love your salt. I think she’s still finding herself and is an unreliable narrator. But that’s ok, as long as she keeps growing, she’ll work through enough of her stuff to be able to view the past more objectively and see other people’s actions as stemming from more than just their thoughts and feelings towards her.
I think part of my problem with Big Ethel Eneergy is that the plot is so wattpad. It just feels tired to me already.
Anyone else remember the 90s Archie TV movie ("Back to Riverdale"?) where Ethel had grown up to be a supermodel?
Yeah! and Jugghead had a son!
I remember that movie. Christopher Rich, from the sitcom "Reba", played Archie. th-cam.com/video/vNEoIYipjeM/w-d-xo.html
I believe no matter in what interpretation he can be ace. Being ace doesn’t mean you can’t ever be attracted to others or be in relationships (that falls into aromantic)
So even in the bughead version he can still get with what’s her name and be ace
This Webtoon has big wattpad jugheadxyou fanfic energy
Yep. Big time.
In my opinion, Not really the more I read it, it seems Ethel is realizing there’s pretty great men out there that have interest in her but she can’t let go of that Jughead rejection because it was traumatized her and she has to let go of high school
I mean, my mans can still be asexual and have a relationship. Honestly I’d say that would be more interesting because media just *doesn’t portray* what it’s like to be in a relationship that isn’t explicitly sexual.
I don't understand why she gave them the tickets. Also, a 5 story apartment with no elevator.
JUGHEAD'S TIME POLICE! Sasha you beautiful, amazing nerd! I have been trying to recall what that was for years now! I had a digest as a kid with issue 1 reprinted in it and I always wondered if there was more and yet somehow could never find it online. Thank you so much!!!!
I literally never noticed your scar until you pointed it out. :O
I suppose I'm glad that Ethel is getting called "too hot" for her archetype by some fans, because that means the comic is accomplishing something it's harder to do in live action. From what I saw in this vid, Ethel is drawn zaftig. Curvy. With more to love. She looks like she's supposed to be somewhat overweight, and she's still getting called hot. That's something that's less likely to happen on TV, even today. It's also possible that I'm being fooled by the art style and/or her clothing, but I really think this idea has some legs to it.
I haven't seen any of this comic except what you just showed us, but I wonder if maybe this version of Big Ethel got that nickname because she was chubby in high school.
I was just thinking about what would be a Great crossover: Riverdale Meets Smallville! I would have it take place in their HS yrs, Betty & Veronica could turn their rivalry toward Clark ( can’t you just see the anger on Betty’s face when Ronnie says “ClarkieKins”),while Chloe & Lana turn theirs too Archie ( we already know Chloe has a thing for red head men with freckles Jimmy Olsen). Lex can hookup with Sexy Grundy, & Jughead can get a meteor rock/Kryptonite Power maybe like Matter Eater Lad from the Legion of Superheroes
Moose showed up in today's episode and ships are being built as we speak!
All I can say is that I absolutely adore the art in this. It's so pretty
I haven’t read Archie Comics in a long time through I devoured them when I was younger. I also believe the Jughead Double Digest were the superior checkout option. As a result, there was a lot of Ethel content in what I read. I’d only really seen her depicted as Big Ethel, where she was often just the but of the joke. I’m really interested to learn of this series, and think it’s an interesting chance to look at an often ignored character more closely. Thanks!
I’m honestly kind of critical of the webtoon although it’s still new. It just contains common elements I see in other romances that turn me off (the focus on appearances and status is a big one for me). But the art is pretty and it’s exciting to see an interpretation of an under-examined character. I also get how it appeals to certain readers and they’re allowed to enjoy fun escapist romance even if it’s a bit shallow.
I hope it does have good representation besides the black gay best friend lol. I also don’t like the idea that you can just flick asexuality on and off depending on the writer’s desire but I do get that Jughead’s sexuality itself has never been concrete (but it should be).
I loved the Jughead comics as a kid to the point where I would regularly buy them from my library bookstore whenever I found one usually the ones from the 90s those were the only comics I was interested in I guess because I just really liked that specific member of the Archie gang Jughead had that is the others are range from not caring about downright loathing
Never been a big fan but Archie vs Predator 1&2 are both amazing reads lol
I really love slice of life comics! I definitely need more of these. Also, Jughead the mukbanger??? Love it! This story overall is a bit cliche, especially regarding Ethel but I’m excited to see how much closer she’ll gain while being in riverdale.
Awesome review! I like the art style and the character. Been a fan of Archie comics since the early 70’s. I would like to see you do a review of Fables if you haven’t done one yet.
I'm a longtime fan on Archie Comics. Still collect them today. So, the ugly Ethel does actually have sentimental memories for me. I went to school with a girl who, when i first saw her, made me think of Ethel. Weirdly though, after we graduated, she blossomed. Damn, she was hot. And for the record, when were friendly, in school, but not close friends. Actually, I was a lot like Jughead. Girls were trouble with a capital T. I'm not gay, but honestly, I still feel that way.
Personally the asexual route would explain so much about his character. That or he hit puberty super late, but it would explain why so often he didn't care about women but didn't show any signs of being gay.
The TV movie also had Jughead divorced and he ended back up with Ethel (whom had become model’ish - I sense a trend). I was a big fan of the Archie comics and while ace wasn’t a term when I was a kid I feel it’s a fair evolution of Jughead.
Ah. After the announcement about Jonathan Kent today, though, we’re going to look back on this and even the Tim Drake discussions as “the simpler times”. :D I don’t envy you fielding the talks, Sascha.
About profession portrayals, I have no problem with journalists being written in that way in comics like Ethel, Lois, Vicki, etc. But I think comics still lacks the diversity of journalists, not much different kinds of journalists being represented.
I'm sorry, I think Jughead looks like Quackity in this and I cannot stop thinking about it
Now I can't stop thinking about it either
I wonder if I'm alone in having had Archie comics completely pass me by. Certainly they were nowhere to be seen in Scotland when I was young and I don't really remember seeing them in comics shops in the UK as a whole in later years. I don't see this as a great loss as they don't look like my sort of thing but I am interested to know how many fans of the comics are from outside North America. Probably more now due to the Riverdale series which I think was shown here but I wonder if anyone outside NA was reading the comics before that.
i live in south east asia and in our old school library there were some battered betty and veronica comics..... thats when i was introduced to archie in its whole... i was one of the lucky kids from my small town to always go out to the city and to the bookstores there...archie comics are expensive here ,and my mum wouldnt let me get them cuz sometimes betty and veronica would wear bikini's..... but i whenever i could i would read them
I really like how the Archie gang are almost the villains in this story. As someone who is pushing 30 and has reconnected with people I knew growing up it’s very true that you can unknowingly be a character is someone else’s story and that they will see things completely differently than you did and that somehow both your perspectives can be the truth.
Unless he has a nose like a McDonald's French fry, he's not Jughead to me.
Does anyone remember about 30 years ago a live action Archie tv movie set at about 15 years after high school? In that version Ethel had become a model and Jughead had a son from a previous relationship.
It's here on TH-cam. th-cam.com/video/vNEoIYipjeM/w-d-xo.html
Beyond happy you covered this. Still on the fence with the adaptation. A little too tropy for me.
The newest ch makes no sense. Her thoughts about the "backhanded" comments about her looks that NOW she looks amazing, but she's the only one that keeps comparing herself to old self. I firmly believe this Ethel is stuck in her high school mentality and can't see beyond her "trauma" that she holds on to the past versions thinking that they haven't changed. But her versions of the people are beginning to crack. Because they have changed. I hope she gives them the benefit of the doubt and grow. But that is wishful thinking
Jugghead doing mukbang is highly on brand there. But... why do they always draw him so hot these days? He's supposed to be a lanky dork.
I think they're gonna go the "he lalways iked her but was too shy" direction. It just feels like it.
And geez... that's whats going on on Riverdale? Why are people watching that exactly?
Archie double digests are still sold in the checkout lines at my local Publix supermarket.
2:55 Aaaaah, rogue apostrophe! /o\ "making the character's so hot" - making the character's *what* so hot? :O
You just answered a question I had for a while, I figured the eyebrow might be a scar, but it looks bad ass so I wasn't sure if it was a fashion thing I just never knew about haha!
I did start this webtoon as the art looked really good. But I was getting slightly mary sue aspects in Ethel and I ended up unsubscribing when present Jughead was revealed as I HATED the tattoos. And Jughead was drawn like some leading man in an action film. Didn't feel like Jughead.
I got bad vibes.
Edit: I also can't help but feel like it's going down those late 90s early 2000s teen romcom tropes. Where it tries to moralise that you shouldn't judge people by their appearance whilst changing people's appearance to get the couple together.
That is NOT Artchie. There are zero freckles. That is not Jughead with the hat and the nose and the ears and the eyes.
I'm not personally a huge fan of _Big Ethel Energy,_ but I'm glad it exists. Honestly, what I love about Archie is that there isn't a single set canon. I think Marv Wolfman said something at some point about how continuity ties your best writer to your worst writer, and I think Archie's approach is a way to avoid that. If you love a certain version or run of Archie comics, you don't have to worry about _its_ narrative cohesion getting spoiled by a version you don't like as much.
Plus, by having a wide range of tones, themes, and styles using the same set of characters, people who have different tastes can connect with each other through a mutual appreciation of some form of Archie.
This is my favorite comic channel nowadays!
Fun read, I was disappointed in them at the movies i wonder if they realized they did later.
Here's a comment you're not expecting: There is NO WAY that anything in the "Archieverse" could reflect MY high school days, because they were all spent IN GERMANY! I was a military brat when I started high school, so I know NOTHING of what STATESIDE high school was like. Also, it probably would be about the same if I HAD been stateside, because I was a black kid in a somewhat larger than a small town city called St. Louis, Missouri. High school for me here was going to resemble NOTHING about Riverdale or Archie's life.
Of course, that was why I found many of the Archie comics I read back then entertaining. Real like often isn't very enjoyable. That's why we have fiction and fantasies!
Wait, if you did highschool in Germany, how do you know with so much certainty the American high school you would've went to would be in Missouri??
@@lemon_boii1074 I was a military brat. My parents took my sister and me to Germany in 1972. I did high school in what was then WEST Germany.
I miss the original Jughead with that dopey look and the big nose and crown.
Of u like webtoons read I'm the Grim Reaper by Grave weaver
Of course I'd watch Jughead's TH-cam channel. That would be like watching Rembrandt's painting channel.