Archie Comics will continue their growth with a new line of young adult original graphic novels in 2020. The new imprint, Archie Blue Ribbon, will be targeting a bookstore market and filling a gap in the company’s current publishing program, which has primarily targeted comic book stores and newsstands.

“At Archie, our goal is always to present the best story in the best format to reach the most readers,” said Archie Comics Co-President Alex Segura. “Launching a YA-centric line of original graphic novels with Blue Ribbon and partnering with Little Bee to create graphic novels geared toward kids is a natural next step to give fans compelling, unique, and meaningful stories involving our iconic characters.”

Blue Ribbon’s launch titles will be Betty and Veronica: The Bond of Friendship by Jamie L. Rotante with art by Brittney Williams, followed by a Riverdale tie-in with Riverdale: The Ties That Bind by Micol Ostow and Thomas Pitilli. Both comics launch in 2020 and will be 144 pages.

Archie will also be partnering with Little Bee for a middle grade series, starting with The Riverdale Diaries: Hello, Betty! by Sarah Kuhn and J. Bone. The series will follow the Archie Comics characters as they brave middle school and embark on new adventures.

“The Little Bee partnership came together naturally, and helps us continue to reach a vitally important market. We’re all extremely excited to see The Riverdale Diaries in the hands of young readers,” Segura said. “In terms of the YA line, we’ve had the idea in our back pocket for some time now, and it fell into place once the talent and stories for Betty and Veronica and Riverdale came together. Archie Blue Ribbon will stand for the best talent telling the best stories featuring our characters, and we’re excited to launch this imprint in such a meaningful way.”