Flashback Friday: That Time in 1997 Archie Comics Predicted Virtual Schooling in 2021.

Move over Simpsons, looks like another beloved cartoon series was able to predict the future. You see, back in 1997, while yours truly was singing along with Mariah Carey’s Honey and ecstatically begging my mom how I just *had* to get platform sneakers (I actually won that argument and she got them for me; I’m not sure if that was a win stylistically, though), Archie Comics was looking ahead more than two decades- to 2021. From their website:

Did Archie Comics (that’s us) really publish a story in 1997 about Betty attending virtual school in the year 2021?

The answer: Yes.

The source: Us. Archie Comics.

You may have seen the viral post on Twitter, Facebook, or Reddit. And you’re probably thinking, “Wow, is this real?!”

Yes, it’s a real story, and it was first printed in issue #46 of the “Betty” comic series in February 1997. Still don’t believe us? Ask Comics.org.

The 6-page story, originally titled “Betty in High School 2021 A.D.” was written by George Gladir, with art by Stan Goldberg, Mike Esposito, Bill Yoshida, and Barry Grossman. In this story we find Betty and her friends in Riverdale dealing with the struggles of virtual home schooling!

When this story was reprinted in 2015, the year in the title was changed to “2104 AD” (probably because we didn’t have flying cars yet) but rest assured, the original story was published in 1997 and eerily predicted elements of virtual home schooling now commonly found across the world!

Scroll down to read the story and head over to their site for much more.