An Interview With The Creators Of ‘Bite Sized Archie’

It’s already been two and a half years since writer, Ron Cacace, and artist, Vincent Lovallo, launched Archie Comics’ first webcomic, Bite Sized Archie. In that time they’ve given us such iconic characters as Spider and made numerous nods to Cosmo the Mighty Martian. With volume 2 of Bite Sized Archie coming out in print this September, find out what it’s been like for Cacace and Lovallo to look back in the following interview:

Rachel Bellwoar: Bite Sized Archie comes out weekly but are you ever able to knock out a few installments in advance or do pop culture trends change too quickly for that to be feasible?

Ron Cacace: We tend to work about four weeks ahead with the scripts and artwork which does make it tough to jump on trends that pop up overnight. We do have the ability to edit some jokes as we get closer to release, which we did early on with a reference to Bean Dad, but it doesn’t happen too often. The best trends should last a few weeks at minimum so even if we’re a month behind the curve, it’s still much faster than comics from major publishers have been in the past when it comes to commenting on pop culture!

Vincent Lovallo: Ron is great at picking and choosing how the latest trends are incorporated into each strip so that even if the moment has passed, the joke still lands.

Bellwoar: Volume 2 will be collecting the entire second year of the webcomic, from December 9, 2021 to December 2, 2022. Just like volume 1, though, you also provide sketches and commentary on each strip. What has it been like, going back and reading all the strips together, and have you enjoyed getting to point out the different references?

Cacace: I really enjoy going back and looking over the older strips because we tend to focus on holidays, big movie releases, new video games and things like that. So, it is a bit like traveling back to those moments in time and remembering what was happening when the strip first debuted. And I love getting to see Vin point out easter eggs or homages that he snuck in there!

Lovallo: That’s right! Each strip is like a fond memory, it’s so great looking back and reflecting on our previous work after so long, sometimes I surprise myself with the references we included! Sometimes when the strips debut online, I’ll either call out the references or leave a hint for fans to discover on their own. The print collection gives us the chance to elaborate on those even more, and fill folks in on anything they may have missed.

Bellwoar: Also like volume 1, volume 2 begins with a cast list that includes a thumbnail of each character and two words to describe them. I’m especially fascinated by the two words you chose to describe Betty. How did you decide on “sweetheart” and “environmentalist?”

Cacace: That was all Vincent! He designed the book and I thought he did a great job capturing the essence of the characters with such brevity. I like words a bit too much to be so succinct.

Lovallo: The cast profiles are something I’ve enjoyed doing since working on the Archie Action books. It’s a quick way to introduce new readers to a large cast. Naturally, Bite Sized Archie has a large cast, too, so that’s why we included it in the print collections. All the descriptions you see in the book were originally my placeholders, but Ron was cool with them so they stuck! I suppose we all have images in our minds of who these characters are, so to me, Betty seems like a kind-natured person who wants to preserve the beauty of the world.

Bellwoar: Burgo, the sentient burger, joins the cast in volume 2 and is heavily featured in the webcomic’s first ongoing storyline. When did you know Burgo was a star?

Lovallo: From the first day he came hot off the grill! Look at his adorable little face!

Cacace: I think we knew right away that it would be a bit mean-spirited if Jughead ate Burgo and that was the end of his story. The idea of an eternal battle between Jughead and a sentient burger started there, and the strip with all the anime fight scenes got a lot of nice feedback. I knew we needed to do more with him and I’m glad fans stuck with us through the multi-part story!

Bellwoar: Speaking of stars, while Spider has appeared in a lot of strips since Cheryl tried to destroy them, will they ever get their turn in the spotlight?

Lovallo: Spider has been popping up consistently as a background character and subtly joining in the teens’ antics. I leave it up to Ron if there is a bigger story waiting for Spider!

Cacace: You just gave me an idea for a script! We’ll see Spider in a strip later this summer!

Bellwoar: Yea! What an honor, and can’t wait to see more Spider. Even more recently, Spam Likely made his comic strip debut. Which came first — Spam’s name or his character design?

Cacace: Hold on! Who’s Spam Likely? We have a character named Scam Likely… could Spam be his sister?

I was on vacation in Florida and was thinking up ideas for a batch of scripts. I thought it would be funny to do something with Reggie trying to scam people. I had the word Scam on the brain and then the magic moment hit me to name a character after the message that pops up on your phone when you’re getting a scam call. It really is a shame how one of the most powerful and important methods of communication has been quickly destroyed in this country.

I gave Vin some ideas for Scam’s appearance. I was initially thinking of modeling him after Tweak from South Park but I love what Vin came up with. The slicked-back hair is the perfect look.

Lovallo: I think we’re getting scammed right now; I’ve never had Spam and am not likely to have it anytime soon. Scam Likely got a brief description from Ron: originally blonde and scruffy looking, yet edgy and alluring, As I was drawing, I kept seeing Kevin Keller in a disguise, so I focused solely on the edge and alure with slicked back hair, neat clothing, and a different look for his eyes from most of the cast. I think he stands out, in a good way!

Bellwoar: When you accidentally invent a new character without trying. Sorry for the misnomer there, Ron and Vin! Is it tricky coming up with catchy titles for each strip?

Cacace: It can be! Whenever I have trouble with the titles, Vin steps in and delivers a solid contender. I love how we’re able to collaborate; it’s always a “Yes and…” type of relationship. If he has an idea on how to add to what we’re doing, it’s going in there!

Lovallo: I tend to leave the title naming to Ron (he writes the funny captions coupled with each post, too!). If Ron is ever in a jam or if I have an idea for a title, he’s always amenable to my suggestions. And that goes both ways with script and art. I’m fortunate to have such a great collaborator and friend!

Bellwoar: What’s been one of the weirdest or most memorable times you’ve seen one of the panels from Bite Sized Archie used out of context?

Cacace: The one I see used the most is the “You should never tweet.” panel from early on with Jughead in a suit. It’s such a simple and striking panel and I would share more about how and when I saw it used but I’m gonna keep it a secret for now.

Lovallo: I can’t remember which strip it was, but I recall a fan repurposing a panel to place their own characters into the scene. I guess it’s an honor to know that fans want to be that immersed in the Bite Sized universe!

Bellwoar: Thanks for agreeing to this interview, Ron and Vin!

Bite Sized Archie Volume 2: Going Viral goes on sale September 5th from Archie Comics. You can also read Bite Sized Archie online (a new Bite Sized Archie is published every Thursday on Tiny View).