Obama and Palin: The Archie Comics summit
The classic comic has achieved the seemingly impossible — uniting the president and the conservative queen — albeit in two-dimensional form

The image: The spirit of bipartisanship is in the air — and on the cover of the latest Archie comic book. For a plot about Riverdale High's student body election, Archie editors paired the ideologically opposed politicians (each giving readers the thumbs-up). And it's not the first Archie issue to hypothesize the match. Palin and Obama shared a milkshake on an early January 2011 cover, provoking the series' eponymous red-head to marvel, "I guess anything's possible!" And an earlier episode in the unfolding school-election plot saw Archie and Reggie faking endorsements from the political leaders. (Get a sneak peek at this month's issue in AOL's Comics Alliance.)
The reaction: While "substantive" political messages in entertainment is one thing, says Calvin Freiburger at NewsRealBlog, "the wholesale political weaponization of America's... pop icons" is quite another. Come off it, says Jon Goldwater, co-chief executive of Archie Comics, quoted in The Huffington Post. This is a "fun, entertaining piece of storytelling." The message is that "even people with opposing views can find common ground if they truly want what is best for this country." Have a look at the cover in question:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Help! Do we really need four Beatles biopics?
Talking Point The cast of Sam Mendes' Beatles biopics has been announced
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Test driving the Rolls-Royce Spectre Black Badge
The Week Recommends We take the most powerful Rolls-Royce ever built for a spin in Barcelona
By Fergus Scholes Published
-
Tuberculosis is seeing a resurgence, and it's only going to get worse
Under the radar The spread of the deadly infection is buoyed by global unrest
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?
In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration
By The Week Staff Published
-
'Seriously, not literally': how should the world take Donald Trump?
Today's big question White House rhetoric and reality look likely to become increasingly blurred
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will Trump's 'madman' strategy pay off?
Today's Big Question Incoming US president likes to seem unpredictable but, this time round, world leaders could be wise to his playbook
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Democrats vs. Republicans: who are the billionaires backing?
The Explainer Younger tech titans join 'boys' club throwing money and support' behind President Trump, while older plutocrats quietly rebuke new administration
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
US election: where things stand with one week to go
The Explainer Harris' lead in the polls has been narrowing in Trump's favour, but her campaign remains 'cautiously optimistic'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is Trump okay?
Today's Big Question Former president's mental fitness and alleged cognitive decline firmly back in the spotlight after 'bizarre' town hall event
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The life and times of Kamala Harris
The Explainer The vice-president is narrowly leading the race to become the next US president. How did she get to where she is now?
By The Week UK Published
-
Will 'weirdly civil' VP debate move dial in US election?
Today's Big Question 'Diametrically opposed' candidates showed 'a lot of commonality' on some issues, but offered competing visions for America's future and democracy
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published