This is "My Name It is Nothin'," a look at when comic books guest star celebrities, but their names are changed so as to avoid any legal problems.
Today, we look at the time that Little Richard helped the Archies get over the criticism that their music was just "bubblegum pop."
After the real life version of the cartoon band, The Archies, hit it big with the blockbuster single, "Sugar, Sugar," their genre of upbeat, poppy music geared towards a younger audience was dubbed "bubblegum pop." Some people meant it as a compliment, but most people meant it as an insult.
Well, in 1972's Everything's Archie #21 (by most likely George Gladir, Bill Vigoda and Rudy Lapick), the Archies are basking in their success until Archie sees a bad review for their music in a rock music magazine (loosely based on Rolling Stone, but the head of the Raving Pebble doesn't remotely resemble Jann Wenner, so it's probably just meant to be a generic rock magazine)...
They visit the magazine's office and the head of the magazine explains that the Archies just aren't good enough for them to give them good reviews...
The editor tells them that they should look to Little Harry as the sort of music that they should aspire to. Little Harry, of course, is Little Richard. Impressively, Archie takes the critique to heart and tells the group that they SHOULD check him out to see what they can learn...
Sure enough, Little Harry recognizes them and brings them on stage, much to the shock of the Raving Pebble's editor, who is aghast that Little Richard would share the stage with the Archies...
But then Richard dresses him down and explains that good music is good music, whether bubblegum pop, rock or whatever...
Cute stuff.
Okay, people, there are obviously TONS of great examples of this sort of thing in comic book history, so get thy selves to thine e-mail and send in suggestions for future editions of My Name It is Nothin' to brianc@cbr.com!
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