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Wednesday, June 1, 2005
Victor Gorelick:
Running Riverdale
By
Rik Offenberger
Victor Gorelick
joined the Riverdale
teens when he was
just a teen himself.
He has stayed with
Archie and the gang
through thick and
thin his entire
career. Victor is
the Managing Editor
at Archie Comics and
took some time to
talk to us about his
life with Archie.
Rik Offenberger:
What did you study
at the School of Art
and Design?
Victor Gorelick:
When I attended Art
and Design, the name
of the school was
The School of
Industrial Art. I
majored in
Cartooning.
Offenberger:
You were underage
when you started at
Archie Comics, how
did you originally
get hired?
Gorelick:
Dexter Taylor, who
worked in the
production
department at Archie
Comics, was going
free-lance. Bob
Bolling needed an
artist to assist him
on the Little
Archie book.
Dexter jumped at the
opportunity. But, he
had to be replaced.
Industrial Art had a
job placement
service. The person
in charge of
production at Archie
Comics, Sheldon
Brodsky, a former
graduate of the
school, contacted
the service. The
cartooning class was
notified and a few
of us set up
appointments. I was
interviewed by the
Managing Editor,
Richard Goldwater. A
few days later, I
received a phone
call from Sheldon
Brodsky that the job
was mine if I wanted
it. So here I am.
Offenberger:
You worked for
Archie during the
John Goldwater and
Louis Silberkleit
era, the time the
company was a
publicly held
corporation as well
as the Michael
Silberkleit and
Richard Goldwater
era. How has the
company changed?
Gorelick: I
think the company is
more aggressive.
Archie comics has
expanded our
publishing by
introducing high
quality trade
paperbacks. Also,
looking for new ways
to present our
product. B&V
Spectacular is
one example. We've
established our
affiliate company,
Archie Comics
Entertainment and
have expanded our
licensing. ACE is
working towards
developing movies,
TV, live and
animated, licensing,
music, etc.
Offenberger:
In the 60’s you had
credits as colorist
and letterer, how
did you move into an
editorial position?
Gorelick:
Eventually, I was in
charge of the
production
department, with the
title of art
director. I did
coloring and
lettering on a
free-lance basis.
Offenberger:
You colored some of
the Spire Archie
comics, that was a
licensing program,
how much involvement
did Archie Comics
have in the
production of the
Spire Comics?
Gorelick: All
the artwork for
Spire Comics came
into the production
department at Archie
comics. The material
was proofread,
corrections made,
and trafficked to
the color separator
and printer. We
handled all the
approvals and
printing.
Offenberger:
You did some work
for Tower Comics
while you were
working at Archie
Comics, wasn’t this
a conflict of
interest?
Gorelick: I
only worked on a
couple of books. I
lettered the first
THUNDER AGENTS
story for Wally Wood
and colored a few
issues of
UNDERSEA AGENT.
It was some extra
free-lance work and
I needed the money.
It might have been a
conflict if we were
publishing super
hero comics. We
weren't at the time.
Never the less, now
that the secret is
out, I'll probably
get fired.
Offenberger:
When did you become
Managing Editor?
Gorelick:
When Richard
Goldwater took over
as president and
co-publisher of
Archie Comics in the
mid-eighties.
Offenberger:
You took over that
job from Richard
Goldwater, what was
that like?
Gorelick:
Simple. Richard said
"I taught you all I
know, here are the
files, now you're
the managing
editor."
Offenberger:
According to an
article in Money
Magazine, you said
"Most of our readers
are pre-teen girls.
We wanted to make
Jughead more
appealing to girls
because his being a
women-hater just
doesn't fit in
anymore." What other
type of changes have
been made over the
years?
Gorelick: I
try to have Jughead
acting a bit more
civil to girls.
He'll occasionally
date a girl, if she
shares the same
interests as him. He
just doesn't want to
be put in awkward
"Archie-type"
situations when it
comes to the
opposite sex.
Offenberger:
Your audience is
mostly
pre-adolescent, how
do you keep in touch
with what is hip and
trendy for them?
Gorelick: We
learn a lot from our
readers through
e-mail and snail
mail. What they like
and don't like. I
subscribe to quite a
few teen magazines
and make sure the
writers and artists
keep in touch with
what the current
teenage trends,
fashions, movies, TV
shows are. It's a
constant learning
process.
Offenberger:
30% of all Archie
comics are sold in
Canada, why is
Archie so popular in
Canada?
Gorelick: We
produce a great
product and
Canadians love to
read. Especially,
Archie Comics.
Offenberger:
Archie pus out an
All Canadian Digest,
when Archie sells
70% of their comics
worldwide, why
target such a
specific Market?
Gorelick:
Because Archie is so
popular in Canada,
why not publish
comic that
highlights our
neighbors to the
north.
Offenberger:
Does Archie do other
regionally specific
titles?
Gorelick:
We've had special
issues of
Veronica where
she's traveled to
France, Mexico,
England to name a
few.
Offenberger:
Archie hires a lot
of Graduates from
the Joe Kubert
School, is there any
formal relationship
with the school?
Gorelick: Joe
Kubert has produced
some very talented
Archie artists. I
usually review all
the 3rd year
students portfolios
every year looking
for artists who are
interested in humor
comics. Also, being
on the board of
advisors of he
Kubert School is a
big help.
Offenberger:
Archie hired both
Neal Adams and Tom
DeFalco and gave
them their first
jobs, how does
Archie look for and
evaluate talent?
Gorelick: If
an artist or
writer's work meets
our current needs,
we'll give them an
opportunity.
Offenberger:
Was it this past
relationship with
Tom DeFalco that
lead to the
Archie/Punisher
team up?
Gorelick: I
presented the idea
to Tom. Tom spoke to
his boss, Mike
Hobson. I spoke to
my boss, Michael
Silberkleit. Mike
and Mike agreed to
go ahead with the
project at the 1993
San Diego Comic
Convention. I guess
you could say that
our past
relationship helped.
Offenberger:
Are there plans for
any new Little
Archie comics?
Gorelick:
We've been
discussing it at
management meetings.
Offenberger:
At the Mamaroneck
Historic Harbor
Street Fair last
year, you put on
presentations that
show the process
involved in creating
a comic book. Can
you share with us
what that process
is?
Gorelick: At
the presentation I
explain the creative
process. Choosing a
script and assigning
it to an artist for
penciling. How the
inking, lettering
and coloring is
done. I briefly
explain the color
separating and
printing process.
Offenberger:
For free comic book
day most publishers
put out a reprint,
how did Archie
decide to put out
original material?
Gorelick: We
feel that by
preparing new
artwork, the free
comic will become
more collectible.
Offenberger:
The manga art style
has taken over
Sabrina and now
Josie and the
Pussycats. Do
you see a time in
which manga may
become the house
style at Archie?
Gorelick:
Absolutely not.
Offenberger:
Recently Archie
brought back Trade
Paperbacks with the
Mighty Crusaders
and Little Archie,
as well as comics
featuring Katy Keene
and Bingo Wilkin.
How does Archie
decide it’s time for
a revival?
Gorelick: We
discuss new projects
and ideas at our
weekly staff
meetings. Input from
the editors, sales
and circulation, the
art dept., not to
mention suggestions
from our readers,
all help the
publishers in the
decision making
process.
Offenberger:
Thank you to taking
the time to answer
some questions and
thank for keeping
the Riverdale Gang
fresh and exciting. |
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Rik Offenberger has spent the last several years running
the Super Hero News service. In his free time he interviews
comic book creators. He has been published both online and
in print. His work has appeared in The Comics Buyers Guide,
Comic Retailer, Borderline Magazine, and
SilverBulletComicBooks.com. He maintains his own websites at
SuperHeroNews and
MightyCrusaders.Net. |
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