Canadian Gift Guide

Ah the Holiday Hiatus is over! I hope everyone got everything on their wish lists, and most importantly, had a wonderful, restful holiday with their loved ones at their sides. Of course, while Christmas is high time to get your shop on, gift-giving is a year-round occasion, so the CGG will soldier on with plenty of suggestions for birthdays, anniversaries, special events, and everything in between.

For me, the holidays remind me of years of receiving the latest Archie Comics holiday special in my stocking. Over the last while, the world of Archie has permeated my gift-giving line of vision a bit, as I’ve read a few articles on how much the series has really been turned on its head.

Chances are, you heard about the fame Archie Comics issue that came out a year or two ago where Archie finally made his decision and proposed to Veronica. That is, until they released another comic shortly afterwards that revealed the Veronica marriage scenario was just that – a scenario, and gave you a glimpse as to what life would be like had Archie chosen blondie Betty. Now you can collect all six stories that made up the Archie wedding specials, plus the special epilogue, in a special 168-page graphic novel for the supreme bargain price of $9.99. Whether a kicky throwback or a gift for the ultimate Archie fan, the Archie Wedding series is just the thing to get you up to date on where North America’s fave redheaded teen is at.

If you’ve got a taste for more Archie, the series recently made headlines for the release of its ‘Life With Archie’ graphic novel ‘magazine subscription’. Each issue of the magazine features two simultaneous stories that carry on the marriage threads explored in the Archie Weddings series – Archie Loves Betty and Archie Loves Veronica. Compared to the fluffy, silly, campy tone of the Archie comics you grew up with, Life With Archie is a little bit gritty in comparison. Aside from the pitfalls revealed in each seemingly idealistic partnership, you also get a glimpse of the entire Riverdale cast – Miss Grundy is ailing from a terminal illness, Jughead is struggling to get a small business loan, and Reggie is lamenting days gone by. A one-year subscription to the mag is just $24 (a mere $2 an issue) while two years will set you back less than double – $44.

There you have it – if you were always wondering and wanting to see what happened to Archie post-high school, above are two great options to do so, at fantastically affordable prices. Alternatively, introduce a young one in your life to the world of Riverdale with a slew of Archie goods (available at ArchieComics.com for Canucks, or at your local comic shop). Plus, you might wanna get ahead of the curve, rumour has it the Archie Comics folks are planning a big-screen adaptation, which means the hype is about to hit the stratosphere for this classic series.