Riverdale (Archie Comics)
Encyclopedia
Riverdale is a fictional town somewhere in the United States that is the setting for most of the various characters that appear in Archie Comics
. According to a Contest from 2002, Riverdale is probably located in Mississippi
, where John Goldwater was when he created Archie.
s, restaurant
s, and park
s. The climate, appearance and geography of Riverdale varies from story to story. Riverdale has been shown to have beach
es, lake
s, river
s, farmland
, woodland
, mountain
s, plain
s, a transit system (as noted in the Josie and the Pussycats film
) and four distinct season
s with changes in climate
. The population is fairly friendly.
While Riverdale's location was never clearly defined, there have been many clues over the years. It has a beach (and therefore is a likely a coastal city) and receives snow in the winter. Riverdale has never faced earthquakes or hurricanes, although one plot from the 1990s involves a tornado hitting Riverdale. There does seem to be a river passing through the city because in one story, "The Roly Poly Robber," a bridge is shown connecting two districts of the city. The city is, however, not home to any major port or dockyard. Some portions of the city are hilly.
Often, clues as to its location that appear in certain stories contradict others. In one story, Riverdale is shown on a small map as being in about the same place as Des Moines, Iowa
. One plot in the 1990s involved Jughead possibly being forced to move to Ohio
, in which Betty, looking at a map, comments that Ohio is extremely far away. Another story says that the beach is not on the ocean, but rather on a lake with no other land in sight, perhaps one of the Great Lakes
(there is at least one real Riverdale
in that area). In the live-action film adaptation (Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again
), Riverdale is explicitly portrayed as being located in California.
In one of the issues of Archie and Jughead Digest, when one of the readers wrote in with the question of "Where is Riverdale located?", the editor replied that "Riverdale is more of a state of mind than an actual physical location. It could be anywhere that kind people live and just have fun, like Archie and his friends. It could be in the Midwest
, or along the Eastern Seaboard
, or even a town in Canada
, Mexico
, or England."
, a historic figure of New York City
and New York
state. The Hudson River
flows by Manhattan
. Bear Mountain State Park
is up the Hudson River, not too far from New York City, and there is a section in the Bronx, a borough
of New York City, on the Hudson known as Riverdale
.
Another view is that Riverdale, and many of the characters and sites are based on Haverhill
, Massachusetts
, hometown of Archie creator Bob Montana. A replica of Auguste Rodin
's statue The Thinker
sits in front of both Haverhill High School and Riverdale High School.
in Haverhill, Massachusetts
. The building still stands, although is now Haverhill's City Hall. Archie cartoonist Bob Montana attended Haverhill High from 1936–1939 and drew on his experiences there in drawing the comic.
Riverdale High's walls sport a blue and green color scheme, although the school colors are officially blue and gold. The school is one of the most common settings for Archie Comics stories. Frequently-seen locations on school grounds include its many classrooms, cafeteria, gymnasium, athletic field, chemistry lab, principal’s office, and the office of the school newspaper, The Blue and Gold.
Only a few of Riverdale High's staff appear regularly in the comics. These include school principal Mr. Weatherbee
, homeroom teacher Miss Grundy
, chemistry teacher Mr. Flutesnoot, history teacher Miss Haggly, physical education teachers Coach Kleats and Coach Clayton
, cafeteria cook Miss Beazley
, custodian Mr. Svenson
, secretary Miss Phlips, and superintendent of schools Mr. Hassle. The rest of the faculty members have appeared for short periods or sporadically over the years, particularly in the 1970s, and late 1980s through early 1990s.
There is a genuine Riverdale High School in Pierrefonds
, Quebec, a suburb of Montreal
.
There is another Riverdale High School in Portland, Oregon
,
es, called The Awesome Foursome, who all possessed super powers when they took a peek at Archie's science project (in this series Clayton was referred to as Harry even though he's been called Floyd many times by faculty in regular digest stories). The series lasted for 5 issues and ended with the Awesome Foursome losing their powers after putting out a chemical fire.
Riverdale High was a series that stemmed from Archie at Riverdale High. The content in Riverdale High was not limited to comics but also included interactive sections that asked readers to send in information about their own schools and featured a "School of the Month" that would be included in the comics and on the cover. The stories were more poignant and revolved around the faculty at Riverdale High School and its interactions with the student body during and after school hours. Riverdale High ended when Archie Comics
decided to refocus its publications on the core series.
, who once lived in Riverdale but eventually moved. Characters who appear in Josie and the Pussycats come from Midvale (although in the film
the characters explicitly come from Riverdale, the girls have a Muni
bus pass). The people of Riverdale, Greendale and Midvale are all generally on good terms with each other, but other nearby towns tend to antagonize them.
Riverdale High School's main scholastic and athletic rival is Central High School, located in another nearby community. Central High seems to consist of nothing but villainous types. The males are generally thuggish, conniving brutes, and the females are usually lecherous, scheming vamps. In most of their encounters, Central students seldom compete without using unsportsmanlike conduct, if not out-and-out cheating. The coaches and teachers often are not only aware of this skullduggery, but encourage it. In most cases, Central's team colors are bright red and silver-white, contrasting Riverdale's blue and gold.
Pembrooke Academy is a private school in Riverdale's suburb catering to the snobbish and wealthy. Pembrooke is the school of Cheryl
and Jason Blossom and their snobbish friends Bunny and Cedric. They look down on Riverdale students as "townies" and will not (except for the Blossom twins) willingly associate with them. When they must interact, they will do whatever it takes to humiliate and defeat their rivals. Other schools that have been featured as Riverdale rival schools include Hadley High and Southside High. In one strip, a letter sent to Riverdale has "U." where the state should be, and a zip code of 10543 (which in real life is Mamaroneck, New York
, the home of Michael Silberkleit, an Archie Comics editor). There is a neighborhood of the Bronx known as Riverdale.
Archie Comics
Archie Comics is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the Village of Mamaroneck, Town of Mamaroneck, New York, known for its many series featuring the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Jughead Jones. The characters were created by...
. According to a Contest from 2002, Riverdale is probably located in Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, where John Goldwater was when he created Archie.
Overview
Riverdale is usually shown as being a medium-sized town (possibly a suburb of a bigger city), with all the usual amenities of shopping mallShopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
s, restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s, and park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
s. The climate, appearance and geography of Riverdale varies from story to story. Riverdale has been shown to have beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
es, lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
s, river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s, farmland
Arable land
In geography and agriculture, arable land is land that can be used for growing crops. It includes all land under temporary crops , temporary meadows for mowing or pasture, land under market and kitchen gardens and land temporarily fallow...
, woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
, mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
s, plain
Plain
In geography, a plain is land with relatively low relief, that is flat or gently rolling. Prairies and steppes are types of plains, and the archetype for a plain is often thought of as a grassland, but plains in their natural state may also be covered in shrublands, woodland and forest, or...
s, a transit system (as noted in the Josie and the Pussycats film
Josie and the Pussycats (film)
Josie and the Pussycats is a 2001 comedy film released by Universal Studios and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Directed and co-written by Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan, the film is loosely based upon the Archie comic of the same name...
) and four distinct season
Season
A season is a division of the year, marked by changes in weather, ecology, and hours of daylight.Seasons result from the yearly revolution of the Earth around the Sun and the tilt of the Earth's axis relative to the plane of revolution...
s with changes in climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
. The population is fairly friendly.
While Riverdale's location was never clearly defined, there have been many clues over the years. It has a beach (and therefore is a likely a coastal city) and receives snow in the winter. Riverdale has never faced earthquakes or hurricanes, although one plot from the 1990s involves a tornado hitting Riverdale. There does seem to be a river passing through the city because in one story, "The Roly Poly Robber," a bridge is shown connecting two districts of the city. The city is, however, not home to any major port or dockyard. Some portions of the city are hilly.
Often, clues as to its location that appear in certain stories contradict others. In one story, Riverdale is shown on a small map as being in about the same place as Des Moines, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. One plot in the 1990s involved Jughead possibly being forced to move to Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, in which Betty, looking at a map, comments that Ohio is extremely far away. Another story says that the beach is not on the ocean, but rather on a lake with no other land in sight, perhaps one of the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
(there is at least one real Riverdale
Riverdale, Illinois
Riverdale is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 15,055 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Riverdale is located at ....
in that area). In the live-action film adaptation (Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again
Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again
Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again was a live-action television movie based on comic book characters published by Archie Comics...
), Riverdale is explicitly portrayed as being located in California.
In one of the issues of Archie and Jughead Digest, when one of the readers wrote in with the question of "Where is Riverdale located?", the editor replied that "Riverdale is more of a state of mind than an actual physical location. It could be anywhere that kind people live and just have fun, like Archie and his friends. It could be in the Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
, or along the Eastern Seaboard
Eastern seaboard
An Eastern seaboard can mean any easternmost part of a continent, or its countries, states and/or cities.Eastern seaboard may also refer to:* East Coast of Australia* East Coast of the United States* Eastern Seaboard of Thailand-See also:...
, or even a town in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, or England."
Origin
While the more recent Archie comics have been deliberately vague about Riverdale's location, it was not ambiguous in the earliest run of the comic. In Jackpot Comics #5 (Spring, 1942), written by Archie's creator, Bob Montana, the story has the gang going on a river trip. One panel says "...the good ship "Peter Stuyvesant" settles into the Hudson, as Riverdale High clambers aboard for a happy trip to Bear Mountain." The ship is named after Peter StuyvesantPeter Stuyvesant
Peter Stuyvesant , served as the last Dutch Director-General of the colony of New Netherland from 1647 until it was ceded provisionally to the English in 1664, after which it was renamed New York...
, a historic figure of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
state. The Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
flows by Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. Bear Mountain State Park
Bear Mountain State Park
Bear Mountain State Park is located on the west side of the Hudson River in Orange and Rockland counties of New York. The park offers biking, hiking, boating, picnicking, swimming, cross-country skiing, cross-country running, sledding and ice skating...
is up the Hudson River, not too far from New York City, and there is a section in the Bronx, a borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
of New York City, on the Hudson known as Riverdale
Riverdale, Bronx
Riverdale is an affluent residential neighborhood in the northwest portion of the Bronx in New York City. Riverdale contains the northernmost point in New York City.-History:...
.
Another view is that Riverdale, and many of the characters and sites are based on Haverhill
Haverhill, Massachusetts
Haverhill is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 60,879 at the 2010 census.Located on the Merrimack River, it began as a farming community that would evolve into an important industrial center, beginning with sawmills and gristmills run by water power. In the...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, hometown of Archie creator Bob Montana. A replica of Auguste Rodin
Auguste Rodin
François-Auguste-René Rodin , known as Auguste Rodin , was a French sculptor. Although Rodin is generally considered the progenitor of modern sculpture, he did not set out to rebel against the past...
's statue The Thinker
The Thinker
The Thinker is a bronze and marble sculpture by Auguste Rodin, whose first cast, of 1902, is now in the Musée Rodin in Paris; there are some twenty other original castings as well as various other versions, studies, and posthumous castings. It depicts a man in sober meditation battling with a...
sits in front of both Haverhill High School and Riverdale High School.
Riverdale High School
Riverdale High School is the local educational institution of Riverdale where Archie and his friends attend Grade 11. It is based on what was Haverhill High SchoolHaverhill High School
Haverhill High School is the high school of Haverhill, Massachusetts. It enrolls around 2,200 students in grades 9 through 12 from many diverse backgrounds. The school offers a variety of Advanced Placement classes, a wide range of clubs, a number of varsity and junior varsity sports, as well as a...
in Haverhill, Massachusetts
Haverhill, Massachusetts
Haverhill is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 60,879 at the 2010 census.Located on the Merrimack River, it began as a farming community that would evolve into an important industrial center, beginning with sawmills and gristmills run by water power. In the...
. The building still stands, although is now Haverhill's City Hall. Archie cartoonist Bob Montana attended Haverhill High from 1936–1939 and drew on his experiences there in drawing the comic.
Riverdale High's walls sport a blue and green color scheme, although the school colors are officially blue and gold. The school is one of the most common settings for Archie Comics stories. Frequently-seen locations on school grounds include its many classrooms, cafeteria, gymnasium, athletic field, chemistry lab, principal’s office, and the office of the school newspaper, The Blue and Gold.
Only a few of Riverdale High's staff appear regularly in the comics. These include school principal Mr. Weatherbee
Mr. Weatherbee
Waldo Weatherbee is a fictional character in the Archie Comics universe. Mr. Weatherbee is the principal of Riverdale High School, where Archie Andrews is a student. To Riverdale students and staff, he is commonly called Mr. Weatherbee, due to his authority position. Sometimes, Archie and his...
, homeroom teacher Miss Grundy
Miss Grundy
Geraldine Grundy is a fictional character of the Archie Comics series.-Fictional history and character:In the comics, she is the homeroom teacher at Riverdale High School, occasionally teaching English and Math, as well. In Jackpot Comics #4, she is referred to as "Mrs. Grundy, the principal",...
, chemistry teacher Mr. Flutesnoot, history teacher Miss Haggly, physical education teachers Coach Kleats and Coach Clayton
Coach Clayton
Coach Clayton is a fictional character, an African American coach of the Archie Comics universe. He is Chuck Clayton's father. He first appeared in Archie at Riverdale High #14....
, cafeteria cook Miss Beazley
Miss Beazley
In the Archie Comics universe, Bernice Beazley is the cafeteria chef of Riverdale High School. In a stereotype of high school cafeterias, Miss Beazley is portrayed as an awful cook who is quite curt and outspoken, even to the principal, Mr. Weatherbee, whom most people fear...
, custodian Mr. Svenson
Mr. Svenson
In the Archie Comics universe, Mr. Svenson is the custodian at Riverdale High School. A Swede, he is bashful and speaks with a thick accent that is often hard for Archie and the gang to understand. He also always says 'By Yiminy!'. However, he is extremely hard-working and, although they don't...
, secretary Miss Phlips, and superintendent of schools Mr. Hassle. The rest of the faculty members have appeared for short periods or sporadically over the years, particularly in the 1970s, and late 1980s through early 1990s.
There is a genuine Riverdale High School in Pierrefonds
Pierrefonds-Roxboro
Pierrefonds-Roxboro is a borough of the city of Montreal. It is composed of the former municipalities of Pierrefonds and Roxboro, spanning the northern part of the West Island...
, Quebec, a suburb of Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
.
There is another Riverdale High School in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
,
Miniseries
The Faculty Funnies miniseries debuted in 1989 under its own title. Mr. Weatherbee, Mr. Flutesnoot, Miss Grundy and Coach Clayton were secretly superheroSuperhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
es, called The Awesome Foursome, who all possessed super powers when they took a peek at Archie's science project (in this series Clayton was referred to as Harry even though he's been called Floyd many times by faculty in regular digest stories). The series lasted for 5 issues and ended with the Awesome Foursome losing their powers after putting out a chemical fire.
Riverdale High was a series that stemmed from Archie at Riverdale High. The content in Riverdale High was not limited to comics but also included interactive sections that asked readers to send in information about their own schools and featured a "School of the Month" that would be included in the comics and on the cover. The stories were more poignant and revolved around the faculty at Riverdale High School and its interactions with the student body during and after school hours. Riverdale High ended when Archie Comics
Archie Comics
Archie Comics is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the Village of Mamaroneck, Town of Mamaroneck, New York, known for its many series featuring the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Jughead Jones. The characters were created by...
decided to refocus its publications on the core series.
Other notable places
Notable places in Riverdale besides the high school include the following:- Pop TatePop TateFor the 19th-century baseball player, see Pop Tate ."Pop" Tate, a fictional character in the fictional Archie universe, is the owner and manager of the Chok'lit Shoppe, a soda shop and frequent hangout of Archie's Gang...
's Chocklit Shoppe, the soda shopSoda shopA Soda shop, also often known as a Malt shop, is a business akin to an ice cream parlor and a drugstore soda fountain. Interiors were often furnished with a large mirror behind a marble counter with gooseneck spouts, plus spinning stools, round marble-topped tables and wireframe sweetheart...
frequented by the teenaged cast. - Pickens' Park, the community park named for the fictional Civil War hero General Pickens.
- The Lodge Mansion, the large and luxurious home of wealthy Veronica LodgeVeronica LodgeVeronica Lodge is a fictional character in the Archie Comics books series.-Fictional history and character:She is called both by her name Veronica and her nickname Ronnie...
and her parents. - Homes of other members of the gang, including the Andrews residence, Jones residence and Cooper residence.
- Dilton DoileyDilton DoileyDilton Doiley is a fictional character in the Archie Comics universe. He is the smartest teenager in Riverdale High School.-History:Characters resembling Dilton appeared quite early in Archie stories—one can be seen, unnamed, in Archie Comics #1...
's science lab, a home-based setup where Dilton invents and conducts experiments. - Chuck ClaytonChuck ClaytonChuck Clayton is an African-American teenage fictional character published by Archie Comics. Chuck lives in the fictional town of Riverdale, and is the friend of Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Jughead Jones, and other students at Riverdale High School....
's studioStudioA studio is an artist's or worker's workroom, or the catchall term for an artist and his or her employees who work within that studio. This can be for the purpose of architecture, painting, pottery , sculpture, scrapbooking, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, animation, radio or television...
, where Chuck draws his cartoons at home. - The beach, where Archie and the gang spend much of their time in the summer.
- The Riverdale Mall, a source of shopping and entertainment, particularly for the girls.
Nearby towns
Some nearby towns include Greendale and Midvale. Greendale is the home of Sabrina, the Teenage WitchSabrina, the Teenage Witch
Sabrina the Teenage Witch is a comic book series published by Archie Comics about the adventures of a teenage fictional character named Sabrina Spellman. The character was created by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo. The comic's characters have also appeared in various other media...
, who once lived in Riverdale but eventually moved. Characters who appear in Josie and the Pussycats come from Midvale (although in the film
Josie and the Pussycats (film)
Josie and the Pussycats is a 2001 comedy film released by Universal Studios and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Directed and co-written by Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan, the film is loosely based upon the Archie comic of the same name...
the characters explicitly come from Riverdale, the girls have a Muni
San Francisco Municipal Railway
The San Francisco Municipal Railway is the public transit system for the city and county of San Francisco, California. In 2006, it served with an operating budget of about $700 million...
bus pass). The people of Riverdale, Greendale and Midvale are all generally on good terms with each other, but other nearby towns tend to antagonize them.
Riverdale High School's main scholastic and athletic rival is Central High School, located in another nearby community. Central High seems to consist of nothing but villainous types. The males are generally thuggish, conniving brutes, and the females are usually lecherous, scheming vamps. In most of their encounters, Central students seldom compete without using unsportsmanlike conduct, if not out-and-out cheating. The coaches and teachers often are not only aware of this skullduggery, but encourage it. In most cases, Central's team colors are bright red and silver-white, contrasting Riverdale's blue and gold.
Pembrooke Academy is a private school in Riverdale's suburb catering to the snobbish and wealthy. Pembrooke is the school of Cheryl
Cheryl Blossom
Cheryl Blossom is a fictional character of the Archie Comics universe. She is a wealthy teenage girl, the privileged daughter of a software engineer.-History and character:...
and Jason Blossom and their snobbish friends Bunny and Cedric. They look down on Riverdale students as "townies" and will not (except for the Blossom twins) willingly associate with them. When they must interact, they will do whatever it takes to humiliate and defeat their rivals. Other schools that have been featured as Riverdale rival schools include Hadley High and Southside High. In one strip, a letter sent to Riverdale has "U." where the state should be, and a zip code of 10543 (which in real life is Mamaroneck, New York
Mamaroneck (village), New York
Mamaroneck is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 18,929 at the 2010 census. It is located partially within the town of Mamaroneck and partially within the town of Rye. The portion in Rye is unofficially called "Rye Neck"...
, the home of Michael Silberkleit, an Archie Comics editor). There is a neighborhood of the Bronx known as Riverdale.
Cultural references
- In The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode "Sideshow Bob RobertsSideshow Bob Roberts"Sideshow Bob Roberts" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons sixth season, and it originally aired on October 9, 1994. Kelsey Grammer returns as villain Sideshow Bob, who, in this episode, wins the Springfield mayoral election through electoral fraud. The episode was written by Bill Oakley and Josh...
" (Episode 2F02), several Archie Comics characters, including Archie AndrewsArchie Andrews (comics)Archie Andrews, created in 1941 by Vic Bloom and Bob Montana, is a fictional character in an American comic book series published by Archie Comics, as well as the long-running Archie Andrews radio series, a syndicated comic strip, The Archie Show, and Archie's Weird Mysteries.-Character and...
, Veronica LodgeVeronica LodgeVeronica Lodge is a fictional character in the Archie Comics books series.-Fictional history and character:She is called both by her name Veronica and her nickname Ronnie...
, Moose MasonMoose MasonMoose Mason is a fictional character in the Archie Comics universe. He attends Riverdale High School where he is typically depicted as the best athlete but the poorest student. His difficulties with school were later attributed to dyslexia...
and Jughead JonesJughead JonesJughead Jones is a fictional character in Archie Comics who first appeared in the comic in December 1941. He is the son of Forsythe II; although in one of the early Archie newspaper comic strips, he himself is identified as Forsythe Van Jones II...
, make a brief cameo appearanceCameo appearanceA cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
. After Sideshow BobSideshow BobRobert Underdunk Terwilliger, better known as Sideshow Bob, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Kelsey Grammer and first appeared briefly in the episode "The Telltale Head". Bob is a self-proclaimed genius who is a graduate of Yale, a member of...
's stooges pull up to the Simpsons' house, toss Bart Simpson (who had been investigating Bob) out of their car, and deliver a warning to "Stay away from Sideshow Bob!", the Archie gang, in one of the show's frequent non sequiturs, pull up to the Simpsons' house and toss Homer SimpsonHomer SimpsonHomer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
out of their car. Moose warns Homer to "Duh, stay out of Riverdale!" Later in the episode, Homer is reading an issue of Archie Comics and mutters, "Stuck-up Riverdale punks, think they're too good for me!" - The pop punkPop punkPop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
band from Uruguay Riverdale takes its name from the town of Riverdale.
See also
- Duckburg
- EterniaEterniaEternia is the name of the fictional planet that serves as a setting for the Masters of the Universe toy collection and animated series.-Origins:...
- MalgudiMalgudiMalgudi is a fictitious town in India created by R.K. Narayan in his novels and short stories. It forms the setting for most of Narayan's works. Starting with his first novel, Swami and Friends, all but one of his fifteen novels and most of his short stories take place here...
- Marlinspike HallMarlinspike HallMarlinspike Hall is Captain Haddock's country house in Hergé's comic book series The Adventures of Tintin.The hall is modeled after the central section of the Château de Cheverny...
- SpringfieldSpringfield (The Simpsons)Springfield is the fictional town in which the American animated sitcom The Simpsons is set. A mid-sized town in an undetermined state of the United States, Springfield acts as a complete universe in which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. The geography of the town and its...