Theme Song – Josie And The Pussycats

“Everywhere the actions at, we’re involved in this and that”

Truly one of the pioneers of the imaginary bands genre. Josie and The Pussycats began life in the Archie comics of the 1960’s. Back in the dawn of marketing departments inventing pop stuff they were not the only band to be invented to cash in on the kids craze called rock and roll. The Monkees began life as a TV show first and a real live band second. Josie And The Pussycats got the jump on them though. First appearing in 1962 in ink. Initially created as a rival band to The Archies and their hit Sugar Sugar, J&TPC’s (not be confused with FC&TRS) could bosh out another piece of pop fluff every week and there would be cash in singles and albums a plenty. That’ll shift some lunchboxes won’t it kids?

Ear worms like Double Bubble and Get Moving have a fascinating retro charm to them now. You can’t fake vintage like that. first

They were mixed up in witchcraft and sexual rivalry from the off. Dark stuff for a primary coloured comic book about high school kids in the 60’s but delivered in that wholesome all american way it seemed fine. The Archieverse seems to have loose rules about who and what can cross over from where. Kiss, Ramones, Aliens and Predators have all walked the corridors of Riverdale High. It’s as if they got the plot of 2009 horror comedy Jennifer’s Body and that movies imaginary rock band Low Shoulder from an issue of Josie And The Pussycats and just added some buckets of blood.

At the risk of sounding like some hipster/nerd/furry/hybrid I preferred the 70’s cartoon Josie to the 2001 movie Josie. It wasn’t the cat ears and tails that did it for me though (honest) it was the whole Hanna-Barbera style adventures involving monsters who looked like they were from Scooby-Doo and the word salad theme tune. They cram some content into that theme song. In an era where Alice Cooper (real or imaginary?) could do prime time family TV on The Muppet Show while rising from caskets and dancing with monsters then Dr. Teeth And The Electric Mayhem didn’t seem that outlandish an idea for kids or parents. Nothing against Rachel Leigh Cook, Rosario Dawson and Tara Reid but my Josie will always have the same voice as Judy Jetson and Penelope Pitstop (Cartoon VO legend Janet Waldo) and be prepared to suit up and fly to the moon like a billionaire CEO at a moments notice.

In 2005 there was a Manga makeover for the make believe band. Their background was retconned. They were now all first time acquaintances, throwing away decades of Archie Lore that enraged purists and caused rioting in comic stores… OK I made that last bit up. Comics fans love a good retcon.

By the time Afterlife with Archie was published, Josie is Josephine McCoy. An orphaned Vampire child (I’m not making this bit up) who has walked the earth since 1901 and uses her rock band of fellow vamps to prey on innocent young reporters who make their way backstage. I told you it got dark. Line that up along side Anne Rice’s Vampire Lestat and the Faustian backwards masking of Sammy Curr in Trick Or Treat or whatever the fuck is going on with The Relentless in Paradise City and Josie and The Pussycats have got them all beat. Dethklok do not stand a chance

“We’ve been going over the master plan, driving in a custom-painted van, practicing for hours, don’t you know that soon no matter where you go, we’ll be on the radio?”

It’s the clean cut image and perma-smiles that make it all seem so creepy.

I think I should mention You’re It (You’re The Ultimate) from the Lindsay Lohan version of Freaky Friday is a cast off Josie tune at this stage too. \M/. I know because Mark Waters told me.