While modern comic book fans have discovered Jughead Jones’ avowed asexuality and casual fans have embraced Cole Sprouse’s performance on Riverdale, hunger is almost always Jughead’s defining trait. What can we say? The boy loves food like no other. But in an upcoming one-shot from Archie Comics, Jughead is taking his appetite to a much darker place.
Via Entertainment Weekly, Archie has revealed new details about Jughead: The Hunger, a single issue story by writer Frank Tieri and artist Michael Walsh. Within this story, Jughead has been transformed into a murderous werewolf, whose killing spree has earned him a new nickname: “the Riverdale Ripper.”
“What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Jughead? The fact that the guy’s always so damned hungry all the time, right? In Jughead: The Hunger, we ask why that is, and we reveal the answer is quite a bit more sinister than the guy just really liking Pop’s cheeseburgers a whole lot,†explained Tieri while speaking to EW. “It turns out our version of good ol’ Jug has a lot more in common with his dog Hot Dog than anybody ever realized. Well, other than the fact Hot Dog isn’t whacking and eating half of Riverdale, of course.â€
This is actually not the first time that Archie Comics has put its iconic characters into horror stories. Afterlife With Archie and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina are both critically acclaimed series that brought unexpected terror to the residents of Riverdale. There’s even the possibility that Jughead: The Hunger could lead to a new ongoing series as well, if fans respond favorably to it. Of course, the only way that’s going to happen is if Jughead leaves some of his friends alive after this story. Or perhaps Jughead won’t be the only werewolf in this tale. EW posted a few preview pages, and they revealed the fate of at least one supporting character at Jughead’s claws.
Jughead: The Hunger will be released on Wednesday, March 29.
What do you think about Jughead as a werewolf? Howl at the moon in the comment section below!
Image: Archie Comics
