| Josie and the Pussycats |
The cover of Josie and the Pussycats 48 Page Giant #1 (1993). Art by Dan DeCarlo. |
| Publication information |
| Publisher |
Archie Comics |
| Schedule |
Varied |
| Format |
Ongoing |
| Publication date |
February 1963 – October 1982, 1993 |
| Number of issues |
106 |
| Creative team |
| Artist(s) |
Dan DeCarlo |
| Creator(s) |
Dan DeCarlo |
Josie and the Pussycats (also known as She's Josie and Josie) is a teenage humor comic book about a fictional rock band, created by Dan DeCarlo and published by Archie Comics. It was published from 1963 until 1982; since then, a number of one-shot special issues have appeared without regularity. It was adapted into a Saturday morning cartoon by Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1970 and a live-action motion picture by Universal Studios and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 2001. Two albums were recorded under the name Josie and the Pussycats: one as the soundtrack for the 1970 cartoon series and the other as the soundtrack for the 2001 motion picture.
History
Origins
Josie was created in 1958 by comic book artist Dan DeCarlo, who based her on his wife (also named Josie). After spending a number of years attempting to sell Josie as a syndicated comic strip, he instead sold it to his main employer, Archie Comics, so that he could develop it into a bi-monthly comic book series. After being introduced in Archie's Pals 'n' Gals #23, the first issue of She's Josie appeared in February 1963, featuring level-headed, sweet-natured Josie (whose last name was given as either Jones or James), her blonde bombshell friend Melody, and the bookwormish brunette Pepper. These early years also featured the characters of Josie and Pepper's boyfriends Albert and Sock (real name "Socrates"), Albert's rival Alexander Cabot III, and Alex's twin sister Alexandra. Occasionally Josie and her friends would appear in "crossover" issues with the Archie characters. She's Josie was eventually shorted to just Josie, and was mildly successful during the rest of the 1960s. Josie and her gang also made irregular appearances in Pep Comics and Laugh Comics during the 1960s.
She's Josie becomes Josie and the Pussycats
During the 1968 - 1969 television season, the first Archie-based Saturday morning cartoon, The Archie Show, debuted on CBS. The Archie Show, produced by Filmation Studios, was not only a hit on TV, but on the radio as well (The Archies' song "Sugar, Sugar" hit the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in September 1969 and went on to be Billboard's number one "Hot 100 Single" of that year). Competing animation studio Hanna-Barbera Productions wanted to duplicate its success and contacted Archie Comics about possibly adapting one of their remaining properties into a show similar to The Archie Show. Archie Comics responded by offering to re-develop the Josie comic (which, by 1969, had lost its focus and popularity) into a comic about a teenage music band, and allowing Hanna-Barbera to adapt it into a music-based Saturday morning show.
Therefore, in 1969, many significant changes were made to the "Josie" comic:
- In Josie #42 (published in August 1969), Josie met a heavily built blond folk singer named Alan M., who over time became Josie's on-again, off-again boyfriend (much to the chagrin of Alexandra, who was also immediately smitten with Alan M. and never missed an opportunity to try and steal him away from Josie).
- In Josie #43 (published in September 1969), Alexandra discovers that her cat Sebastian is actually a reincarnation of an ancestor of the Cabot family, who was executed for consorting with witches. Whenever Alexandra holds Sebastian in her arms, she can cast powerful magic spells. This ability would seem to give Alexandra quite an edge in her competition with Josie for Alan M., but the magic spells she casts always seem to backfire in some way. Alexandra and Sebastian's witchcraft powers were not used in Hanna-Barbera's TV show.
- In Josie #45 (or rather Josie and the Pussycats #45, as this was the first issue to bear that title, published in December 1969), Josie and Melody have decided to start a band called The Pussycats, and ask Alexandra to be their bassist. Alexandra accepts... but only if the girls change the name of the group to "Alexandra's Cool Time Cats." Expecting Josie and Melody to yield to her demands, Alexandra is flustered when she finds that her brother Alex has appointed himself manager of the Pussycats and found a replacement bassist in Valerie Smith (later renamed Valerie Brown), a new girl in school. The Pussycats make their now-famous leopard print costumes (complete with cat ear headbands and a long tail) and perform at their first gig (a school dance), as Alexandra, seething with bitterness and anger, tries unsuccessfully to use her witchcraft to get back at the Pussycats and Alex.
The re-imagining of the comic also resulted in three casualties: Albert, Sock, and Pepper, who were eventually phased out of Josie's world. From 1970 on, most of the stories in the comic book revolved around the Pussycats traveling around the country and the world to perform gigs, with Alan M., Alex, and Alexandra (and sometimes Sebastian) in tow. When the girls weren't off performing, they would be at home dealing with the various trials and tribulations of teenage life (often including Alex's jealousy of Alan M., Alexandra's jealousy of Josie, ). The Josie and the Pussycats comic ran until 1982, after which the girls would often be featured in various Archie Giant Series issues and special limited-run series and one-shot books of their own. Reprinted Josie stories (including the occasional pre-Pussycats story) appear frequently in the various Archie digest reprint magazines.
Archie & Friends # 47 to # 95 continued to include new Josie and the Pussycats stories in the regular house style, until Archie & Friends # 96, where they were transformed into the manga style.
Manga makeover
On March 2005, Archie announced that a Manga version of the title will be published under its helm, with the art of Tania del Rio, who was also responsible for the manga makeover of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. del Rio and company will first tackle Josie and the Pussycats with an introductory story, “Opening Act” in Tales from Riverdale Digest #3 on June 8. The band appeared in its manga form earlier in issue #68 of Sabrina, The Teenage Witch.
In Archie & Friends #96, the origin of the Pussycats was somewhat retconned. Josie Jones was cut from the school choir for singing in her own style. She met Valerie Smith, and the two decided to form a rock group called “Josie and the Pussycats.” In need of a drummer, they recruited Melody. It was Melody’s idea to wear cat-like outfits. They were not doing so well at first, but Alex really liked the group (though Alexandra could tell that what really interested him was Josie). Alex’s father agreed to let him be the manager, as long as he didn’t use his wealth to make them stars (they have to do it the hard way).
Then in Sabrina the Teenage Witch #72, a stranger named Alan gave them a helping hand carrying equipment. Josie, who was attracted to Alan already, grew jealous because she thought there was an attraction between Alan and Melody (though she may have been incorrect). Alex hired him as their stagehand (apparently, he wasn’t aware that Josie had a crush on Alan.) The manga focuses on the group's attempt to reach fame, rather than on their career after they have already achieved it. In the manga, Alan has a younger sister named Alison who has not been seen in other comics. Also in the manga, Alexandra tried to manage a rival rock trio called the Vixens. However, though glamorous, the three girls she chose for the group had no talent.
However, the manga version was not popular among Archie Comics readers who preferred the traditional style. It was removed from Archie & Friends after 9 issues (#96-#104). A Katy Keene revival replaced it (both were featured alongside each other in the latter part of the manga's run), though it too did not last long. Reprints of Josie and the Pussycats stories continue to appear in digest comics.
This year, after being absent from 25 issues, Josie and the Pussycats will make its return to Archie & Friends in a traditional style in a two part story entitle Battle of the Bands. (In issues #130 & #131)
Characters
Josie McCoy
A short-haired redhead, Josie is the leader and co-founder of the Pussycats. She is the lead vocalist and plays guitar. Portrayed as a sweet, attractive, and level-headed teenage girl, Josie is usually the stable center in the middle of the chaos surrounding her band and her friends.
Josie's last name was originally given as either "James" or "Jones" for much of the comic book's run. The "McCoy" surname was assigned to the character in the early 2000s, at about the time the Josie feature film went into production. Comic books reprinted in the late 2000s sometimes change the last names to the girls' names from the movie.
During the early years of her comic (1963 - 1969), Josie dated a folk singer named Albert, while her sharp-minded friend Pepper usually dated a jock named Sock. Both boys embraced the hippie culture that was forming at the time. During and after the Josie and the Pussycats revamp, she dated Alan M. Mayberry.
In the cartoon series, Josie's speaking voice was performed by Janet Waldo (the voices of Judy Jetson and Penelope Pitstop) and her singing voice was performed by Cathy Dougher. She was played by Rachael Leigh Cook in the 2001 live-action Josie and the Pussycats movie.
Melody Valentine
The co-founder and drummer for the Pussycats (she also sang occasional lead vocals for the TV series), Melody is a cute blonde and speaks in a sing-song voice, denoted by the musical notes in her cartoon word balloons. She is an absent-minded, bubbly sort of character often taken to using silly, nonsense language. Many of the Josie stories use Melody's sex appeal as a plot device: gags with the male characters running into trees and telephone poles or driving off the road as Melody walks by in a miniskirt were frequent in the comic stories.
In the comics, her last name is sometimes given as Jones, but at other times, Josie's last name is Jones. The manga has given the name Jones to Josie, and has yet to refer to Melody by more than a single name. This confusion ended when the movie established her last name as Valentine. It may be that Josie or Melody is related to Jughead Jones, but this has yet to be revealed.[original research?]
In the cartoon series, whenever the group is in a dangerous or potentially dangerous situation, Melody's ears would wiggle. In the cartoon, she frequently gets brainwashed, but is already very dim-witted. Later, in the Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space series, she adopts a cute little alien named Bleep.
In the cartoon series, Melody's speaking voice is performed by Jackie Joseph, and her singing voice is performed by Cherie Moor (later better known as Cheryl Ladd). She was played by Tara Reid in the live-action Josie and the Pussycats movie. Bleep's voice was done by Don Messick, the voice of Scooby-Doo, Astro, Dr. Benton Quest, Boo Boo, and more.
Valerie Brown
A headstrong young lady, Valerie performs back-up vocals (in the comics, cartoons, and the movie) and occasionally sings lead (nearly always in the TV series) for the Pussycats. In the comics and the movie, she plays the bass; in the cartoons, she plays tambourine. She is also the group's main songwriter, and is occasionally seen playing different instruments. She is the character who saves the day the most often, thanks to her street smarts and her mechanical and scientific genius. Valerie is notable as the first African-American cartoon character on a regular animated television series.
In the comic book, she replaced Pepper, a sharp-minded spectacled brunette. Valerie is more tomboyish than her two bandmates. Her last name in the comics was originally given as "Smith". The last names McCoy, Valentine and Brown were assigned to the characters for the 2001 Josie feature film. However, Archie Comics would later acknowledge these names as canonical.
In the cartoon series, she's a genius, similar to Velma from Scooby Doo. Valerie's speaking voice is performed by Barbara Pariot, and her singing voice is performed, until her death on October 2006, by Patrice Holloway, sister of Motown recording artist Brenda Holloway. She was played by Rosario Dawson in the live-action Josie and the Pussycats movie.
Alexander Cabot III
Rich, snobbish, temperamental, and cowardly, Alexander, the twin brother of Alexandra, is the Pussycats' shifty and not-too-dependable manager. He often gets the group in hot water because of his crazy promotional schemes. Alexander wears sunglasses often and likes to flaunt his wealth, typically dressing in flamboyant and expensive clothing. In the comics, he has a crush on Josie and is often trying to find ways to divert her attention from her boyfriend, Alan M., though he has also shown interest in Melody when Josie is unavailable (particularly in the original Josie comics). His personality is markedly different in the animated series; he is much friendlier (though no more dependable and far more cowardly than the comics version), and most often serves as a comedic foil for Alexandra's constant scheming. The animated version of Alexander also exhibits no romantic feelings towards Josie. But sometimes seemed to have a thing for Melody.
The comic book version of Alexander is reminiscent of Archie Andrews's rival Reggie Mantle, while the cartoon version is very similar to Scooby-Doo's pal Shaggy. The animated version of Alexander is voiced by Casey Kasem, who also voiced Shaggy. In a 1973 Josie-guested episode of The New Scooby-Doo Movies, Alexander and Shaggy both appear on-screen together for quite some time. Alexander was played by Paulo Costanzo in the 2001 live-action motion picture.
Alexandra Cabot and Sebastian the Cat
Alexandra is technically a supporting character, but often overshadows the rest of the cast in both the comics and the cartoons. She is the twin sister of Alexander Cabot III.
Alexandra has black hair with a white lightning-bolt shaped stripe running through the middle of it (her ponytail gives a slight impression of a skunk's tail because of this stripe). In contrast to the good-natured girls in the Pussycats, Alexandra is cynical, hateful, mean, offensive, rude, scheming and self-centered. She is insanely jealous of the Pussycats (especially Josie, about whom she never has a kind word). Although Alexandra desperately wants to be the star of the band (and to rename it as "Alexandra's Cool Time Cats"), she is talentless and can't sing or play well at all.
Alexandra has a serious crush on Alan M., and often tries to steal him away from Josie. Although she is not particularly fond of her cowardly brother, Alexandra often joins forces with him to separate Alan M. and Josie (so that Alex can go for Josie and Alexandra can go for Alan M). Her personality in the cartoon is largely unchanged, and while Alexander tends to irritate her with his cowardice and his other personality quirks, she has defended him on occasion, too. The animated version of Alexander doesn't participate in his sister's schemes to break up Josie and Alan.
Alexandra also has a Tuxedo cat named Sebastian. In the comics, Sebastian is the reincarnation of a witchcraft-practicing ancestor of the Cabot family, Sebastian Cabot. Alexandra finds that, by holding her cat in her arms, she can cast powerful magic spells (Alexandra and Sebastian's bond is represented in that they both have a matching white stripe in their middle of their hair/fur). However, this plot device is used very rarely, and Alexandra has also been shown to be able to cast spells without Sebastian being around. In the cartoons, Alexandra and Sebastian do not have magic powers.
Alexandra's voice in the cartoons is provided by former Mouseketeer Sherry Alberoni, while Don Messick supplies the meows, screams, and Muttley-esque snickers for Sebastian. Alexandra was played by Missi Pyle in the live-action Josie and the Pussycats movie, while Sebastian does not appear in the live-action film.
Alan M. Mayberry
Alan M. Mayberry (known as "Alan M." in the comics, and as simply "Alan" in the cartoon series) is a tall, blond, muscular folk singer who serves as the Pussycats' roadie. He is also Josie's boyfriend, but Alexandra is constantly trying to win a date with him. In the comics, he replaced the fun-loving but sensitive guitarist Albert, Josie's former boyfriend and Alex's former rival. In his first appearance, the creators tried to give him and Alex their own band, but it did not last beyond one issue, and the comic took a different direction.
In the cartoon series, he plays the role of the self-appointed group leader, similar to that of Fred from Scooby-Doo (and perhaps not coincidentally does bear some resemblance to him as well). His and Alex's characters were somewhat changed for the cartoon to make them more like the male characters from Scooby Doo in an attempt to recapture its success. His animated persona is voiced by Jerry Dexter. He was played by Gabriel Mann in the live-action film.
See also
External links
