The fun of camp turns into a nightmare this summer in Chilling Adventures Presents…Camp Pickens, the latest one-shot from Archie’s horror imprint. Each story in Camp Pickens will follow a “classic horror trope and upends expectations,” according to Archie.

It starts with the framing story “Bug Juice” by writer Jordan Morris (Jordan, Jesse, Go!) and artist Diana Camero (Five Nights at Freddy’s) with Jughead Jones leading campers to find a drink that should ward off evil because the camp is haunted. Going deeper into the woods, they must use all of their outdoor knowledge to survive while also learning more about the camp’s sinister past. 

“Stories set at summer camp are synonymous with Archie,” Archie Senior Director of Editorial Jamie L. Rotante said. “Many fans will agree that some of their fondest memories were reading Archie digests while at camp. So, naturally, we had to do a camp-based horror one-shot.” 

The camp’s past is explored in the ghost story, “The Curse of Camp Pickens” by writer Blake Howard (Punchline: The Gotham Game) and artist Carola Borelli (The Deadliest Bouquet). Then it turns into the classic slasher in “Down and Out and Death Cursed” by writer Tim Seeley (Hack/Slash) and artist Mike Norton (Battlepug).

“I’m a huge fan of Blake’s and Tim’s writing, so being able to work on an issue with them was a total thrill,” Morris said. “The vibe was very collaborative. They (along with the great Archie editors) gave me awesome pitches that ended up in my script. I think readers will have a blast going back into the issue and finding the easter eggs that tie all the stories together.”

“Following the lead of movies like Sleepaway Camp, TV series like American Horror Story: 1984, and video games like The Quarry, Camp Pickens explores the horrific things that can happen when teens are left to their own devices over the summer,” Rotante said. “We’ve got an all-star lineup on this title, too, introducing writer Blake Howard to the sinister world of Archie Horror, bringing back Jordan Morris from this month’s Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe Of Horrors, as well as returning artists Carola Borelli and Diana Camero, from Betty: The Final Girl and Fear The Funhouse, respectively, and reuniting the team behind the mega-hit comic series Revival, writer Tim Seeley and Mike Norton.”

Camp Pickens will be in comic shops on June 21, 2023.