Day: April 2, 2026

Smash Pages Q&A | Dave Baker + Nicole Goux on ‘Punk’n Heads’

The creators of ‘Fuck Off Squad,’ ‘Forest Hills Bootleg Society’ and more discuss their latest project, a punk rock coming-of-age story that Top Shelf will release next week.

In addition to their solo work, Dave Baker and Nicole Goux have jammed together on numerous graphic novels over the last several years that includes books like Fuck Off Squad, Forest Hills Bootleg Society and Everyone is Tulip. Next week they’ll add another to the list, Punk’n Heads, a punk rock, romantic coming-of-age story about being “young, messy and alive.”

“Punk’n Heads is a book for all the broken hearted losers out there,” Baker said. “The kids who wanted to accomplish great things and then ended up playing shitty back-room punk shows. If you’ve ever broken up with someone in the back of a van, right before six idiots in Doc Martens are about to pile in, this is the book for you.”

“For anyone whose journey hasn’t been a straight path, Punk’n Heads might just bring you a little solace,” Goux said. “Join Hannah, Jerry, Morgan and Birdie in their quest to make something cool, make it big or maybe just be a little less sad.”

I spoke with Baker and Goux about getting the band back together for their latest graphic novel, as well as being young, following your dreams and what happens when those dreams get derailed. You can also check out some preview pages from the book before it arrives in stores next week.

Continue reading “Smash Pages Q&A | Dave Baker + Nicole Goux on ‘Punk’n Heads’”

Exclusive | The Archie gang gets sucked into a video game in ‘Archie Comics 85th Anniversary Presents: Archie Game Galaxy’

The one-shot, featuring a new story written and illustrated by Holly G!, arrives April 29.

We’ve got an exclusive preview of Archie Comics 85th Anniversary Presents: Archie Game Galaxy, a new one-shot arriving April 29 from writer and artist Holly G!, and the timing couldn’t be better, what with the Super Mario Galaxy movie opening in theaters this week.

The story kicks off when Betty agrees to watch Sabrina’s mischievous cat Salem, and the whole gang tags along to keep her company. Things take a turn when Jughead discovers an old gaming console and powers it up. Suddenly, Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead and the rest find themselves sucked inside the game and stranded in a dazzling universe of quirky planets and wild challenges.

Holly G!, who handles the full creative package here, incluidng script, pencils and the cover, brings her distinctive style to both the classic Riverdale characters and the game world setting.

“I’m so stoked to share my latest project for Archie Comics, where I had the chance to bring the Archie gang into a groovy, Mario-like video game universe. I’m a lifelong gamer—my journey started at just seven years old when my grandfather bought me Pong!!” she said. “Although I’m not a die-hard Mario fan (I’m more a Skyrim, dungeon crawler kinda gal) I absolutely LOVE the new Mario movie and the Epic Universe park section. WOOHOO! To make sure this adventure was authentic, I picked up Mario Galaxy on my Xbox (since my Switch decided it needed a break—meh). The story kicks off with Betty earning some extra cash pet sitting at Sabrina’s house, where they stumble upon a magical gaming console that transports them into a whimsical, wild world with Salem as their guide. Of course, I had a blast designing not only the gameplay but the fashions, as well, to honor their origins! I do hope you enjoy the blend of nostalgia and fun that I created for you in this SUPER story!”

Inks are by Bob Smith, colors by Glenn Whitmore and letters by Jack Morelli. Variant covers are by Stan Goldberg, with a foil variant by Joe Staton.

Check out the preview below, along with a complete classic Archie story that’ll also be included in the comic.

Continue reading “Exclusive | The Archie gang gets sucked into a video game in ‘Archie Comics 85th Anniversary Presents: Archie Game Galaxy’”