Riverdale delivers a sexy, updated take on the classic Archie comics, but what would
it look like if the cast was a little closer to their comics counterparts?
Jughead Jones
To take on an angsty version of Jughead, Cole Sprouse dyed his naturally blonde hair to
dark brown, and he sports the character’s signature hat, no matter how weird it might
be.
The only thing that keeps him from being a dead ringer is Jughead’s Pinocchio-style
nose.
Archie Andrews
Like Kevin Keller said in episode one: Archie got hot.
K.J.
Apa's Archie is super-jacked, with red-dyed hair alongside thick black eyebrows of the
comics.
He makes viewers believe that Archie Andrews could be the kind of guy two best friends
would fight over for eighty years.
But he's still missing the trademark freckles and clumsiness of the comics.
Betty Cooper
Riverdale’s resident brilliant blonde is played by Lili Reinhart, who sports Betty’s
iconic ponytail… when she’s not sporting a wig as “Dark Betty.”
Reinhart’s hair is a little darker than the cartoon blonde of the comics, and she
lacks the bangs that Betty is usually depicted with.
Other than that, though, she could’ve stepped off the page.
Veronica Lodge
Brazilian-American actress Camila Mendes said she wasn’t planning on auditioning for Veronica
until she found out the producers were making the character Latina, and that she like liked
that the character “wasn’t a stereotype.”
Aside from the change in background and the Bettie Page bangs that Veronica has in the
comics, Mendes is virtually identical to Riverdale’s richest teenager.
Cheryl Blossom
Cheryl Blossom was once banned from Archie comics for being too sexy, but Madelaine Petsch
steals the show as the River Vixens’ dramatic HBIC, whether she’s involved in a murder
mystery or shooting enemies with arrows.
Like Cheryl of the comics, Petsch is redheaded, although her hair's darker than in the comics,
and her brown eyes depart from Cheryl’s green.
Kevin Keller
Kevin Keller made headlines in 2010 when he was introduced as the first openly gay character
in Archie Comics, and has been a mainstay of the cast ever since.
Actor Casey Cott's hair is dark brown, along with green eyes.
Those are both departures from comic book Kevin Keller, who sports wavy blonde hair,
and bright blue eyes.
Ms. Grundy
The character we think is Geraldine Grundy isn't.
Jennifer Gibson stole Grundy’s identity and started an inappropriate relationship
with 15 year-old Archie.
34 year-old Sarah Habel is pretty different from comics-Grundy in every way.
We eventually see the “real” Ms. Grundy in the newspaper, looking exactly like her
comics counterpart, but otherwise, we’re far from the source here.
Fred Andrews
On TV, former teen heartthrob Luke Perry sports a full head of hair and chiseled good looks,
showing exactly where his son Archie gets his handsomeness.
That's a stark contrast to comic book Fred Andrews, who's overweight and nearly bald.
And it's a good thing, too: a bald, mustachioed Luke Perry is not the Luke Perry we want.
Hiram Lodge
As Hiram Lodge, Mark Consuelos has a sinister cool, the physique to grapple on the wrestling
mat, and the edge to intimidate mobsters like Poppa Poutine.
But “cool” and “sinister” aren’t words that could plausibly describe him in
the comics.
With white hair, a thick mustache, and glasses, Hiram's a stuffy businessman who tends to
fall into swimming pools.
Toni Topaz
Toni Topaz was introduced into the comics as a potential love interest for Jughead,
which meant she was a competitive eater who crushed the competition at a cupcake-eating
contest.
On the show, Vanessa Morgan's ability to scarf down desserts has yet to be fully explored,
but beyond that, she bears a pretty strong resemblance to her comics counterpart.
Penny Peabody
Penny Peabody is definitely the most obscure character to make it to the screen, originally
appearing as a child in the Little Archie spinoff.
Brit Morgan brings her to TV as a ruthless attorney working for the Southside Serpents,
and given what happens between her and Jughead, it’s probably for the best that Riverdale
made her a much older woman.
Nick St. Clair
Unlike most characters on Riverdale, Nick St. Clair wasn't originally designed for the
cartoony style that we all recognize from Archie Comics.
Instead, he was introduced as a modern "bad boy."
Graham Phillips lacks the spiky hair and soul patch from the comics, but otherwise, he absolutely
plays Nick with the same smug smarminess that makes him so hateable.
The Red Circle
In the comics, "Red Circle" a line of superhero comics featuring characters like the Shield,
Jaguar, and Fly Girl.
Riverdale transformed that idea by having Archie get inspired to form a vigilante gang
of masked, shirtless teens after reading too many funnybooks.
The only thing that would’ve made it weirder is if Archie actually started fighting crime
as the Shield.