Ian Flynn Teases Jughead Run with Mark Waid

CBR

By Anthony Couto

Published Mar 27, 2017

Ian Flynn spoke with CBR at Toronto Comicon about what's in store for his and Mark Waid's upcoming run on Jughead for Archie Comics.

As writer Ryan North departs "Jughead" this Spring, his shoes will be filled by Archie Comics veterans Mark Waid ("Archie") and Ian Flynn ("Sonic the Hedgehog") with issue #15, while Derek Charm stays on board as regular artist. CBR had the opportunity to speak one-on-one with Flynn at Toronto Comicon last weekend in a conversation that spanned his love of Jughead, his scripting process with Waid and what's in store for their first arc.

Describing what he digs about the burger-loving character, Flynn said he attributes his admiration to, "The fact that there’s so much drama and antics going on around Riverdale, and Jughead doesn’t really care. Everyone gets so worked up and so involved in their own little lives. It’s not that he’s zen master — he has his own desires — but he’s so easy-going about it all. He doesn’t let it get to him. And he also shares a deep emotional love of burgers, so we relate on that level."

For fans worried that North's departure means a departure of comedy from the series -- fear not -- there are plenty of jokes in store. "[We're definitely tackling the series] as a comedy. I mean, it’s got a little more substance than classic Jughead or Archie stuff, which is just gag, gag, gag — but it’s definitely comedy-oriented."

As for Flynn's style of collaboration with Waid, the longtime "Sonic" scribe said, "It’s still really early on in the process, but I’d say that Waid’s navigating and I’m driving." Flynn continued, "He’s the GPS; he’s been coming up with most of the ideas. I do the bulk of the writing. He does revisions, I revise revisions, he revises the revisions of the revisions, and back and forth. He’s been really easy to work with."

For readers who dug the recent crossover with Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, they're in luck -- Sabrina will be sticking around for Flynn and Waid's first arc. "I don’t want to give too much away, but in a previous story, Sabrina and Jughead didn’t quite hit it off romantically, but they did end up as friends. Jughead is the only person who could epically botch a date but come out besties from it," Flynn said. "And Sabrina tries to do something nice for Jughead in return, and it all goes very badly. Also there’s Josie and the Pussycats."

Flynn, Waid and Charm's first issue, "Jughead" #15, hits stands on May 17.