Josie and the Pussycats
This is actually a pretty decent spoof of consumerism, and an affable comedy.
- Score
- 5.5
This is actually a pretty decent spoof of consumerism, and an affable comedy.
One of the best most accurate adaptations of the source material.
By Tym Stevens
Archie Comics is the house that Dan DeCarlo rebuilt.
After years of the house style of original '40s artist Bob Montana, the modern classic style of the Archie line was redefined singly by artist Dan "Millie The Model" DeCarlo. Dan also independently created the new series' "Sabrina The Teenage Witch" (1962) and "Josie" (1962) and brought them into the company. (In typical comics history fashion, the corporation and the law later cheated him out of his rightful ownership and profits). In 1969, in a bid toward the radically changing youth, Josie fronted a rock combo under the new title "Josie And The Pussycats", where Dan integrated the Archie comics line with bassist Valerie Smith.
To everyone's surprise, the Archie TV cartoon had a #1 hit record in 1969 with "Sugar Sugar", spurring the 1970 'Josie And The Pussycats' Saturday morning musical cartoon, followed by 1972's 'Josie And The Pussycats In Outer Space'. The nostalgia for these shows, coupled with the rebel rise of Riot Grrrl and its commercial co-option as Girl Power, led to the 2001 film adaption.
The film was initially dismissed as a contradictory spoof/shill of media marketing. But actually, in between its sly self-referentialism and fun lines, this amiable comedy slips in some fierce satire of consumerism that only becomes more relevant across this corporate-throttled century. And MVP Rosario Dawson began her sway through graphix-based films here (Men In Black II, SIn City, Clerks II, the Netflix/Marvel shows).
Dan DeCarlo's singular style continued its clear influence within the erotic "Cherry" comix, Jaime Hernandez's work on "Love And Rockets", and Bruce Timm's many animated series.