Later this month, there's gonna be a seismic shift in the Riverdale music scene as Betty and Veronica quit The Archies to form their own band, Rock Candi, as told in the upcoming one-shot Betty & Veronica Friends Forever: Rock & Roll from writer/artist Holly G!.
The iconic pair of Betty and Veronica have been part of The Archies since the '60s, when the band debuted alongside a successful real world single titled Sugar, Sugar, performed by studio musicians and billed as a song by the fictional Archie Comics band The Archies.
Now striking out as the leaders of their own band, Betty and Veronica will be joined in Rock Candi by a new character, drummer Jola Kitt, who makes her debut in a batch of brand new interior pages from the one-shot.
"New character Jola Kitt is the comic book embodiment of rock and roll. Betty and Veronica, along with Jola, strike out on their own to form a new band, Rock Candi (how great is that name?), leaving The Archies," states Archie Comics editor-in-chief Mike Pellerito. "It's the first new band we’ve come up with in a while, and I can't wait to show people where this is all going."
Check out the pages and meet Jola Kitt here:
"I love that Mike Pellerito encouraged me to create the all-gal band Rock Candi!" states writer/artist Holly G!. "In the story, you’ll see Betty struggle to balance what’s expected of her with what she feels inspired to do; we all need that support system to help make our dreams come true.And I think the friendships in Archie Comics are a wonderful microcosm, where we can see the best of that happen!”
“If there’s anyone out there that feels like their light is being kept hidden, I hope the story helps you feel understood and gives you some encouragement!”
The formation of Rock Candi isn't the only new development in Betty & Veronica Friends Forever: Rock & Roll. Along with her new band, Betty Cooper has a budding romance with Trev, the brother of Valerie from Riverdale's other big rock band sensation, Josie and the Pussycats.
Betty & Veronica Friends Forever: Rock & Roll goes on sale March 8.
If Betty and Veronica had superpowers, they would certainly be among the best superhero best friends ever.