What if Riverdale’s greatest cook — Pop Tate, of milkshake and burger-slinging diner fame — stopped using his regular recipes and picked up a copy of To Serve Man? Well, Archie Horror’s chilling new comic collection has the answer, and as our exclusive preview will tell you: it’s not a good thing for the kids of Riverdale.
io9 is giving you a creepy look inside some of the stories of Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe of Horrors, a new Archie Horror anthology that focuses on a series of spooky tales at the iconic diner where Archie and all his friends love to hang out. They probably won’t want to by the end of this collection though, given the running theme is that meat’s back on the menu at Pop’s — and it’s them and their friends’.
Set after a pair of young dine-and-dashers, Nick St. Clair and Sherry Thyme, cross Pop’s bad side, the anthology explores a series of supernatural spooks all set around the famous diner, all centering on how Pop Tate’s work is the heart of Riverdale… and how Riverdale’s heart is often on the menu.
The anthology features work from writers Amy Chase, Jordan Morris, and Ryan Cady, alongside art from Federico Sabbatini, Liana Kangas, and Chris Panda, who are joined by Matt Herms as Chock’lit Shoppe of Horrors’ colorist, and Jack Morelli on letters. Click through to see some samples from three of the stories within — “Die-and-Dash,” “Soylent Teen,” and “Night Shift” — alongside commentary from the writers behind each tale, as well as a variant cover from iconic Archie Horror artist Francesco Francavilla.
Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe of Horrors is set to hit shelves next week, on March 22.
“Die-and-Dash” by Amy Chase and Federico Sabbatini
“When [Archie Comics senior director of editorial) Jamie Rotante shared the initial idea for this anthology with me, I knew I wanted to show how Pop’s tireless work can be taken for granted as a small business owner. Whether anyone realises it or not, Pop Tate is one of the most quietly influential people in Riverdale, which leads to some fantastic opportunities to up the scare factor as readers discover how far his reach extends.”
“Artist Federico Sabbatini is no stranger to Riverdale, or Pop’s for that matter! He delivered a more charming version of Pop and the Chock’Lit Shoppe in last year’s Weirder Mysteries anthology, so it’s a treat to now see him visiting the darker side of the diner in ‘Die-And-Dash.’”
– Amy Chase, writer
“Die-and-Dash” by Amy Chase and Federico Sabbatini
“Soylent Teen” by Jordan Morris and Liana Kangas
“Soylent Teen” by Jordan Morris and Liana Kangas
“Night Shift” by Ryan Cady and Chris Panda
“If you’ve worked in a restaurant, you get that customer service is the only truly horrifying aspect of it. Normal people step through the door and some change comes over them — they become ‘customers,’ and suddenly they’re giving you looks and ordering you around like you’re a lower life form. For this story, I wanted to put Kevin Keller through a more literal, nightmarish version of that experience — the poor guy!”
– Ryan Cady, writer
“Night Shift” by Ryan Cady and Chris Panda
Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe of Horrors Variant Cover By Francesco Francavilla
