Writer: Holly G! (Holly Golightly)
Pencils: Holly G!
Inking: Jim Amash
Lettering: Bill Yoshida
Coloring: Stephanie Vozzo
Original Publication: Cheryl Blossom, No. 37
Cover Date: March, 2001
Length: 11 pages
As of this writing, this issue is not available digitally, although the story itself probably is, due to reprints in more recent digests. For this review, I’m looking at my original copy of this issue that I bought in 2000.
So here we are at the final issue of Cheryl Blossom. One thing that I’ve been curious about is just when, precisely, certain people knew it was the end. When did Holly know? When did Victor Gorelick know? I don’t know about Holly, but various internal clues point to Archie Comics axing the title either before or while this issue was laid out, prior to going to print. You’ll see why as we go through these final stories. I’ll start with some evidence from the sales charts, though. Apparently, this issue was originally solicited for October of 2000 (the month after issue #36 came out) before being resolicited for December of 2000. This is the only instance that I’ve found in the sales charts of an issue of this series being resolicited, and I’m not sure what, precisely, was the reason for it.
Anyway, let’s get into the story:
Cheryl (who has blue eyes in this story) is bored in Media class – until the next assignment (make a documentary video) is given. That perks her up. The teacher tells them to pick a person that they admire or someone that has inspired them in some way. Cheryl wonders who to pick. Cheryl’s snow-girl outfit is by Amy Jennings of Massachusetts.
Cheryl wants to do a documentary about herself (even though she already has), but the teacher (Ms. Q) shoots that down. Jason (who has brown eyes in this story) makes fun of Cheryl, and Cheryl threatens him. The class laughs. Sitting to Cheryl’s left is a girl that could be either Heather or Bunny/Priscilla, but it’s unclear. Ms. Q says they have two months to film and edit their videos, and then they will present them to the class.
Later, at home, Cheryl is lying on her bed (with Sugar) and reading a teenzine while thinking about her documentary. She considers Archie but decides there’s no great angle in that. Cheryl finds it unfair that she can’t do the documentary about herself, because she’s the most fascinating person that she knows. She reads in the teenzine about the Sugar Girls reuniting, and that inspires her. She even thinks they may want her back in the band (with Ginger absent, of course).
Cheryl goes to Jason, who’s playing video games, and talks him into operating the camera in case she’s asked to join the band. He’s convinced (and gets a boner) once he’s told it’s about the Sugar Girls.
However, Jason backtracks and is hesitant to do Cheryl’s “dirty work”. They agree to help each other with their respective videos.
The next day, Cheryl informs Jason that the Sugar Girls have just arrived in town for a concert. They’re expecting Cheryl and Jason; they love the idea of a documentary and may even get it aired on TV.
They go outside to the white limo. Cheryl asks Jason if he has enough film and batteries (despite the camera looking tape-based), and Jason says yes.
On the ride over, Jason is excited to meet the Sugar Girls, and Cheryl is excited to see them again.
They arrive…somewhere. Cheryl has Jason start “rolling the film”. They go into the room, and Cheryl and the Sugar Girls greet each other.
Sugar Baby says it’s “groovy” to see Cheryl again. Who still said “groovy” in 2000? Cheryl introduces Jason and tells the girls to ignore him. By the way, Sugar Baby has blue eyes. She also has freckles…sometimes, but the amount is inconsistent. Anyway, Baby introduces Cheryl to Ginger Sugar (who has green eyes), making a point that they never met. Cheryl makes a joke, but Ginger doesn’t appreciate it.
After a bit of awkwardness, Cheryl angrily asks them about being let back in the band, which they reject. Posh says she nearly got them in big trouble last time (she doesn’t elaborate). Scary shows Cheryl a note that they had to sign, promising her parents that they’d never let her in the band, ever. I’m sure that’s totally legally binding. Um, didn’t they recently establish Cheryl is now 18, or is that no longer true? Anyway, Cheryl is angry. Baby says the documentary is going to be fun, but Cheryl has already lost interest.
Over the course of however many days, Cheryl has Jason secretly record the girls in embarrassing moments, such as Baby sucking her thumb while sleeping, Ginger sleeping at a table while drinking coffee (still wearing a face mask and night cap), a zit on Posh’s nose, Sporty stuffing her face with junk food (chips and soda), a rip in the back of Scary’s pants during the concert, and Baby slipping and falling down the stairs.
Cheryl shows her documentary to the class. A nervous Ms. Q calls it “very interesting”.
Jason’s video is next. Cheryl says she played the background music. Jason’s documentary is about Cheryl, which she was unaware of. He caught her embarrassing moments on video: snoring in her sleep and eating pickles dipped in peanut butter (while reading a book called Astro Logics). An enraged Cheryl chases Jason, who informs her that the Sugar Girls “loved” their copy of his video.
This story was pretty funny, but, in real life, the Spice Girls broke up in December of 2000 (despite publicly insisting they were not splitting) after ceasing all promotional activities for their third album, Forever, which achieved only a fraction of the success of its two best-selling predecessors, selling four-million copies, and Ginger didn’t rejoin the group until they reunited in 2007.
There’s a blurb at the bottom of the last page of the story, again promoting the “all-new” Sabrina: The Animated Series (I didn’t note it in my review, but a similar blurb appeared on the bottom of the first page of “Party Crasher“). Why were they promoting this series after it had run its course?
Extras
Between Parts 1 and 2 are a 1-page Archie story titled “Hocus Focus” and the usual Editor’s Notebook by Victor Gorelick (in which he doesn’t mention Cheryl at all).
After the story are a 2-page “Dear Cheryl” letters column by Sara Algase (but, unlike in the previous issue, no address to send future questions) and a 1-page Archie story titled “Alibi Guy”.
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