A new racer tears up the road in Riverdale!

Riverdale’s teens push the pedal to the metal in April when Archie Comics welcomes new character Daisy Thunder to town! Daisy, an ace racer from the rival gang Southside Serpents, gives Archie a run for his money in a new story by writer Craig Boldman and artist Steven Butler that kicks off ARCHIE & FRIENDS: HOT ROD RACING, a one-shot comic book collecting racing stories from throughout Archie history.

“Racing and cool cars are such a big part of childhood fantasies and part of Archie lore, and we wanted a new character who evoked that feeling with a little bit of danger,” said Archie Comics Editor-in-Chief Mike Pellerito.

In Daisy’s debut, she challenges the core Archie cast to a race which Archie hopes to win with his famously run-down jalopy, now rebuilt as a hot rod for the job. And in true Archie Comics style, there’s drama off the track, as well, as the story hints at a complicated history between the characters.

“I had a rough idea of what we wanted with an invented history of the Southside Serpents going back to the ‘Little Archie’ days,” Pellerito continued, “and a look that took inspiration from Evel Knievel, Pinky Tuscadero, and Penelope Pitstop, which Steven Butler perfectly brought to visual life. But I wanted a name before Craig Boldman put it all together. My right-hand man [Archie Comics Production Manager/Associate Editor] Stephen Oswald started listing off cool racing movies with a twist, and we had Daisy Thunder! Craig turned it into something great and Steven went above and beyond. Another amazing character added to the Archie sandbox, and I can’t wait for more.”

That in-universe backstory will give Archie fans something to chew on as Daisy revs the engine in HOT ROD RACING and future appearances, adding a foil and rival for Archie much in the same way Cheryl Blossom stirred up the dynamic between Betty and Veronica when she was reintroduced in 1994’s “Love Showdown” storyline.

“Daisy Thunder is a childhood friend of the Riverdale gang — or should we say frenemy? — who moved away when they were very young. Now she’s back!” said Boldman, offering some insight into that fictional backdrop. “In the intervening years, she’s had an amazing life, owing to her father’s career as a globe-hopping professional racecar driver. He’s ready to settle down and enjoy a slower pace, but it turns out Daisy’s not wired that way.”

ARCHIE & FRIENDS: HOT ROD RACING releases April 3 in comic shops nationwide, with inks by Lily Butler, colors by Glenn Whitmore, lettering by Jack Morelli, and a cover by Steven & Lily Butler with colors by Rosario “Tito” Peña. It’s available for pre-order at comic shops nationwide now.

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Al Mega

I'm Al Mega the CEO of Comic Crusaders, CEO of the Undercover Capes Podcast Network, CEO of Geekery Magazine & Owner of Splintered Press (coming soon). I'm a fan of comics, cartoons and old school video games. Make sure to check out our podcasts/vidcasts and more!