Robot Archie

Superherobox|

caption=Robot Archie in the 1968 story "Robot Archie and the Shark Monster of Aronda Bay"
comic_color=background:#ff4095
character_name=Robot Archie
real_name=N/A
publisher= IPC Magazines/Wildstorm
debut="Lion" #1, 23rd February, 1952
creators=E. George Cowan
Ted Kearnon
alliance_color=background:#ffc0c0
status=Active
alliances=Black Flag
previous_alliances=
aliases=The Jungle Robot, Archie The Robot, Archie de Man van Staal (Dutch), Archie Le Merveilleux Robot (French), Archie l'homme d'acier (French)
relatives= The Junior Robot
powers=Super strength, bulletproof, telescopic limbs.|

Robot Archie is the name of a fictional comic book character who first appeared in "Lion" #1 published in February 1952.

Publishing history

"Robot Archie" first appeared in the first issue of "Lion", a weekly British boys adventure title published by IPC Magazines, who were at the time, the biggest publisher of weekly adventure titles in the UK along with DC Thomson. "Lion" was a science fiction action-adventure comic in the mold of "Eagle" and was a direct competitor to that comic.

"Robot Archie" appeared in the first issue but was known as "The Jungle Robot" in this first issue. the character was created by writer E. George Cowan and artist Ted Kearnon, who remained the main artist on the strip for much of its time in "Lion". The strip lasted 25 weeks before it took a four year gap and returned in 1957, this time the strip was called "Archie The Robot" but eventually the strip became better known as "Robot Archie".

The strip was one of the most popular in "Lion" during the 1960s but the character's adventures ended when "Lion" was finally cancelled in May 1974. However "Robot Archie" strips did appear in colour (with redrawn art from the Dutch series) in "Vulcan", a short lived weekly title which was cancelled in 1976. The series was published and popular in France and the Netherlands too. In the Netherlands the series was published in the magazine "Sjors"(for which Bert Bus made new Archie material -which was translated into French too - from 1971)and two or three series of albums which - like the Archie publication in France - stopped in the early 80's.

After this the character entered publishing limbo but remained well loved by fans. The character made a brief cameo appearance under the name "Android Andy" in Alan Moore and Alan Davis's run on "Captain Britain" for Marvel UK. The next appearance after this was in the pages of Grant Morrison's "Zenith" strip in "2000 AD". This portrayed Archie as a burned out acid casualty and part of a team of heroes called Black Flag.

In 2004 a new "Classic Archie" adventure by Bert Bus was published in Dutch.

In 2005 it was announced that Robot Archie, as well as all of IPC's adventure heroes, would feature in a new six issue mini-series to be published by the Wildstorm imprint of DC Comics. Called "Albion", the series is plotted by Alan Moore, and written by Leah Moore and John Reppion, with art by Shane Oakley and George Freeman. Robot Archie features on the cover of the first issue which was drawn by Dave Gibbons.

Character biography

Robot Archie was built by Professor C.R.Ritchie to be the world's most powerful mechanical man. Originally he was called The Jungle Robot (due to his early adventures taking place in the jungles of Africa and South America) and was remote controlled by Professor Ritchie and his nephew Ted Ritchie and his best friend Ken Dale.

Robot Archie's adventures started as conventional action thrillers with Archie and his friends battling criminals and jungle creatures, but eventually he began to fight more fantastic and dangerous villains and aliens, including "The Sludge", a monster who had previously had its own strip in "Lion".

Initially Archie could not speak, but around 1966 a voice box was added, which gave the robot a boastful, but charming, personality.

When Robot Archie reappeared in the pages of Grant Morrison's "Zenith", he was a burned out 1960's acid casualty (renaming himself "Acid Archie") who helped Zenith fight the Lloigor. Archie is apparently killed by Ruby Fox in Phase IV when she short circuits him whilst he is trying to rip off her head. But this later revealed as the copy of Archie within the Chimera pocket universe, as he is seen partying with Zenith and Peter St. John during the Epilogue. Archie also appears in "zzzenith.com" in the special Prog 2001 edition of "2000AD". Zenith explains that rust in the brain-pan has caused Archie's personality to change from anarchist Acid-House aficionado into a vigilante, hunting down sex offenders with a lethal vigour. He is last seen in the story escaping on a bus in a false beard after sexually assaulting popstar Britney Spears.

In "Albion", the character was found in the basement of a Manchester pub by Penny Dolmann, who repaired and modified him to rescue her father. Archie was destroyed acting as a decoy for Penny.

ee also

*"Albion"
*"Lion"
*"Zenith"

External links

* [http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/a/archie.htm Robot Archie at International Superhero]
* [http://www.comicsuk.co.uk/ComicInformationPages/LionPages/SteveLaming1.htm History of "Lion" at comicsuk]