Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you
I love Archie Comics, as I grew up reading them. My mom introduced me to them as she used to read the comics when she was a kid. The TV show based on Archie’s Weird Mysteries is based off a spin off series of the same name, and they used to air the animated show every Saturday morning.
This episode is pretty creepy as it always makes me think of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and “Boys! Raise Giant Mushrooms in Your Cellar” from Ray Bradbury’s Machineries of Joy.
So the episode starts out with Jughead and Archie driving down to the TV station. Jughead had been watching a B Horror film movie marathon the night before, and saw that they were having a contest. He answered the questions correctly and became the big winner. As he can’t drive he asks Archie to help him collect his prize.
When Jughead gets to the station it turns out that his prize is a POTATO
Jughead isn’t that happy about it, but like who would be? You can get those at any grocery store. But Jughead is nicer than I as he takes his freebie and goes on home. When Jughead gets home, he parks himself back on the couch and starts watching more TV, getting into the “zone”. He is so focused that he fails to realize that the potato is not your average spud. It starts to take over, creating its own Jughead creation, very much like in Invasion of the Body Snatchers, when they make the pod people.
The next day, Jughead is acting strangely. He is standing in a pot trying to “absorb nutrients”; he hands out potatoes to everyone, calling them his “friends”, and when Reggie starts eating French Fries Jughead freaks out. All are shocked at this behavior as Jughead has eaten more fries than anyone they’ve ever known.
That night at Betty’s house, Archie and Betty are watching a television program. Betty gets so engrossed in the show that the potato Jughead gave her earlier catches her off guard and she is about to be taken over, but Archie manages to save her. Afterwards, they decide to talk to Jughead about his new potato ‘friends’.
Soon Jughead’s potato friends have sprouted and taken over everyone in the town.
Eventually even Betty gets trapped and the only ones who are still “alive”, are Archie and Dilton. The two team up and discover that the potatoes must be coming from the TV studio, that is where it all began.
When they get there, unfortunately the potato zombies are there and attacking.
Archie and Dilton try to climb up the tower, but Dilton is taken down by one of the potatoes.
It’s up to Archie to save the day. He tries to climb up, but is caught by a potato; he reaches up; attempting to hit the button to destroy the potatoes…..
And he is barely able to make it, but does. All the potatoes burst and are destroyed. Everyone wakes up and are okay. No one knows where the Great Potato came from or where he has gone, but for now they are safe.
It’s a great story, the perfect amount of creepy and campy; all the tropes you desire.
To start Horrorfest from the beginning, go to I Don’t Belong in the World
For the previous post, go to A Very Scary Story
For more on aliens, go to You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Potato
To buy your own copy, click on the image below:
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