{"id":22556,"date":"2012-10-19T06:06:11","date_gmt":"2012-10-19T10:06:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.filmbuffonline.com\/FBOLNewsreel\/wordpress\/?p=22556"},"modified":"2012-10-18T16:31:30","modified_gmt":"2012-10-18T20:31:30","slug":"history-of-the-comic-book-film-hey-kids-comics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.filmbuffonline.com\/FBOLNewsreel\/wordpress\/2012\/10\/19\/history-of-the-comic-book-film-hey-kids-comics\/","title":{"rendered":"HISTORY OF THE COMIC BOOK FILM: Hey, Kids Comics!"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a multi-part series, Comic Book Film Editor William Gatevackes will be tracing the history of comic book movies from the earliest days of the film serials to today\u2019s big blockbusters and beyond. Along with the history lesson, Bill will be covering some of the most prominent comic book films over the years and why they were so special. This time, we\u2019ll talk about Harvey and Archie Comics and what took them so long to reach the big screen.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

If you are of a certain age, then Harvey and Archie Comics played an important part of your childhood. Growing up in the 1970s, I seem to recall that the offerings from those two companies took up as much rack space at the local newsstand as the offerings of Marvel and\/or DC. And, as a child, more often than not, I\u2019d be drawn to the bright colors, cartoonish characters, and goofy storylines and pick up an issue of Richie Rich Millions <\/strong>or Little Archie <\/strong>over Batman <\/strong>or Amazing Spider-Man<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

If comic books turned from a pastime to a hobby for you as you grew up these companies could very well have become an albatross around your neck. More than one well-meaning adult would buy you a copy of Archie<\/strong>, thinking that <\/strong>since it was a comic book, you\u2019d love it. Only you were at an age where you grew out of those kinds of books and viewed them as childish.<\/p>\n

Then, most likely, as an adult, you come to look back at those books with a sense of nostalgia, remembering the sheer joy you had reading those issues on the living room floor.<\/p>\n

This experience might not be all that different amongst many people of a certain age. Harvey and Archie have become a part of Americana, part of our cultural heritage. Both publishers have become a vital part of American comic book history, although it would take decades for each of them to have properties adapted for the big screen. And when films were finally made of these companies comics, one company was out of business and the other\u2019s film featured a tertiary character getting their shot at stardom, not the most well known character.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Harvey Comics dates all the way back to the Golden Age of Comics, where they were one of the earliest comic book publishers. Back then, like most comic companies, their output was primarily superheroes\u2014characters such as Shock Gibson, Captain Freedom and Black Cat.<\/p>\n

In 1950, when superheroes were on their way out, Harvey entered into an agreement with Paramount Pictures to do comic books based on some of their more famous cartoons\u2014Casper the Friendly Ghost, Baby Huey, and Little Audrey. The success of these brands turned Harvey into a publisher that specialized in kid-friendly comics. Eventually, they would supplement these licensed properties with characters of their own creation such as Wendy the Good Witch, Hot Stuff and Richie Rich.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Richie Rich was created in 1953 in the pages of Little Dot <\/strong>by Alfred Harvey and Warren Kremer. He was dubbed \u201cthe poor little rich boy\u201d and while he had enough money to buy two of whatever he wanted, he was always nice and kind to anyone he met. His adventures typically dealt with people trying to steal his fortune or tricks played on him by his cousin Reggie Van Dough, Jr.<\/p>\n

Richie Rich became Harvey\u2019s most popular character, starring in over 50 different titles from the company over the next three decades. As popular as he was, he wouldn\u2019t get a film until after Harvey went out of business.<\/p>\n

Harvey went into a decline during the early 1980s and went out of business in 1982. The company came back briefly from 1986 to 1989 before the family sold the rights to HMH Communications, which published some of the Harvey titles until 1994, when regular publication stopped. That was the same year that Richie Rich <\/strong>arrived in theaters.<\/p>\n