Pop Culture Icons Collide In ‘Archie Meets Flash Gordon’

Archie Comics is becoming the crossover king with all the increasingly bizarre meetings it’s having in its pages. Archie Andrews has met the Punisher, the B-52s, Kiss, and Predator to name a few. This June, he encounters another iconic comic character in Archie Meets Flash Gordon. The heroes and villains from both worlds collide in a sci-fi comedy adventure from writer Jeff Parker and artists Dan Parent and Rich Koslowski.

Writer Jeff Parker says:

I’m now a pretty big believer that the Riverdale gang can fit with practically any other characters and genres, but it’s best when they get to really flex and go way outside their zone like say, the planet Mongo with Flash Gordon, King of the Impossible. This of course coincides with the sad passing of cinema great Max Von Sydow who was the most memorable Ming the Merciless, and wait until you see our take on the Emperor of Mongo.

Archie Meets Flash Gordon picks up with Ming the Merciless attempting a full-scale invasion of Earth via Riverdale. Flash is ready for a fight, but he’ll need some help from Archie and the gang to see this through.
Parker continued:

I wanted to write more Archie and more Flash Gordon, so this really clicked for me, and I tried to laser in on tailoring this to be a story Dan Parent would enjoy drawing. He hasn’t yelled at me yet, so fingers crossed!

I will admit that I’m a little rusty on my Flash Gordon knowledge, but this sounds like a match made in heaven, especially with the creators involved. There’s a nice retro feel to Parent’s artwork that is sure to match up with will Parker’s style.
Artist Dan Parent says:

I was more than thrilled to work with Jeff again and what could be better than working with a classic character like Flash Gordon? The story has so much action and fun, it really jumps off every page! As a fan of the classic comics and movie serials (and the 1980 movie which I happened to watch again before I was approached with this project), I was excited to take part in another monumental Archie team up. I’m happy to work with my pal Rich Koslowski on this, too!

Archie Comics Co-President Alex Segura says:

Flash Gordon is an iconic, sci-fi/pulp hero, and in the long tradition of great, off-the-wall Archie crossovers, this seemed like a perfect next step. When we were thinking of creative for this, Jeff Parker, who did a bang-up job on Archie Meets Batman ’66, was atop our list. And no one is better equipped to give this one-shot the classic, retro-but-modern vibe that it demands than Archie legend Dan Parent. This book will be fun, accessible, and just what people are looking for.

Archie Meets Flash Gordon #1 will feature a main cover by Dan Parent and a variant cover by Sandy Jarrell.
Tea Fougner, editorial director, King Features Syndicate added:

King Features and Archie Comics are a great team, so having our beloved characters, Flash Gordaon and the Archie kids, team up, too, is an exciting moment for both of these classic brands. To top it off, to work with such amazing talent like Dan Parent and Jeff Parker is an honor. Their love for all of these characters shines through every page, and we’re thrilled to share this story with fans new and old.

Archie Meets Flash Gordon #1 is set for release on June 3rd, 2020.