Jughead's Revenge
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California , United States |
| Products | Punk rock music, studio albums, live performances |
| Website | official%20website |
Jughead's Revenge is a punk rock group originating from Los Angeles, California, established in 1989. Over their career, they have produced six studio albums, with their most recent release being Pearly Gates in 1999. After more than a decade of recording and touring extensively, the band ceased activity in 2001 following legal action from Archie Comics regarding the rights to the character Jughead Jones. They reunited in 2009 and resumed live performances from 2010 onward; as of 2018, they are engaged in creating new material.
Formation and early period (1989–1992)
The formation of Jughead's Revenge took place in 1989 when guitarist Joe Rimicci and bassist Brian Preiss enlisted vocalist Joe Doherty through shared acquaintances. Drummer Kevin Heller completed the original ensemble.
Their first album, Unstuck in Time, was laid down in spring 1990 at Westbeach Recorders in Hollywood, produced by Brett Gurewitz of Bad Religion fame and engineered by Donnell Cameron. This debut was released on their own label, Lawsuit Records, limited to a pressing of 1,000 black vinyl copies. Following a summer 1990 U.S. tour alongside punk band One Direction, they issued the single Out of Beer, Out of Tune and Out of Control in 1991, restricted to 500 blue vinyl units featuring live recordings from 924 Gilman Street in Berkeley. Additionally, they provided a live rendition of "Fabric of the Mind" for a split single with NOFX distributed by Ox Fanzine in Germany.
Their sophomore album, It's Lonely at the Bottom, came out in 1992. Recorded at Westbeach Recorders between tours, production was handled by Thee Slayer Hippie from Poison Idea, with Donnell Cameron again engineering. Initially available on CD through Cash Money Records in the U.S., it later saw a vinyl release via Do It! Records in Germany. The band embarked on a European tour during spring 1992 following this album's launch.
BYO Records era (1993–1995)
Post touring for It's Lonely at the Bottom, Jughead's Revenge unveiled their third studio effort, Elimination, in 1994. This record was tracked during winter 1993 at Paramount Studios Hollywood with Barry Conley as producer. It marked their first collaboration with BYO Records, which licensed the album to facilitate broad touring; subsequently, their earlier albums Unstuck and Lonely were also reissued under BYO. An alternate take of "Unlimited" was recorded for a split single shared with Strung Out on Fearless Records. Following this release, drummer Nenus Givargis departed due to family commitments. As their local fanbase grew, the band chose to organize their own shows without promoters, maintaining affordable entry fees and providing platforms for emerging acts such as Green Day, The Offspring, and Blink-182.
In 1994, Jughead's Revenge toured Canada supporting Face to Face. They then put out a collection of B-sides and rare tracks titled 13 Kiddie Favorites, featuring new drummer Jarrod Thornton. Recorded in 1995 at Paramount Studios with Barry Conley producing, it was initially released exclusively in Europe through Do It! Records in Germany. The song "49/61" was included on the Punk Sucks compilation issued by Liberation Records. BYO licensed this album later that year. A music video for "49/61" appeared on the Cinema Beer Goggles compilation from Hopeless Records. In 1996, the group contributed cover songs to various compilations such as Punk Rock Jukebox ("Hitman" originally by Plasmatics) and Before You Were Punk ("Young Turks" by Rod Stewart). They also released a split single with Lagwagon in 1995 featuring "Just to Get Away" from Poison Idea, along with a cover of Devo's "Jerkin' Back and Forth" for the tribute album We Are NOT Devo.
Final phase, legal dispute, and disbandment (1995–2001)
In 1995, Jughead's Revenge entered into a contract with Nitro Records, a label established by Dexter Holland of The Offspring, leading to the release of their fourth studio album, Image Is Everything, in 1996. The album was produced by Warren Fitzgerald of The Vandals at Paramount Studios, with engineering by Barry Conley. It reflected the surf music influences of Joe and Brian, both in the recordings and during their European tours, featuring covers such as "Rumble at Waikiki" by Jon and the Nightriders alongside original tracks like "Skag Up My Ass". Following Jarrod Thornton's departure, former Vandals drummer Ty Smith joined the lineup, with Craig Riker added as a second guitarist.
After extensive touring, the band composed their fifth album, Just Joined, which came out in 1997. This record was tracked at Westbeach Recorders, produced by Trever Keith of Face to Face, and engineered by Donnell Cameron. Andy Alvarez from Stranded became the full-time drummer after the initial leg of their U.S. tour.
Their final album, Pearly Gates, was released in 1999. It was recorded at For The Record in Orange, California, with Paul Miner—then bassist for Death by Stereo—handling production duties. This release served as a parting gift to fans prior to a planned hiatus following years on the road. The band’s concluding tour took place in 2001, covering venues across the United States and Canada.
In 2000, Nitro Records reached a settlement with Archie Comics; under its terms, no monetary damages were sought provided the band ceased using any imagery resembling Jughead Jones and adopted the new name Jugg's Revenge. Soon thereafter, Nitro Records announced that Jughead's Revenge had officially disbanded.
Reunion (2009–present)
Jughead's Revenge declared their reunion in December 2009 to commemorate two decades since their formation, scheduling performances for early 2010. Lead vocalist Joe Doherty confirmed that rehearsals were underway while awaiting confirmation for shows slated for March. Meanwhile, members remained engaged in other musical endeavors including Kill Detail, Cellphish, and Black Fag. Doherty also co-hosts the podcast Raised by Wolves.
Regarding new compositions, Doherty mentioned that while they were experimenting with fresh material, their immediate focus was on selecting approximately 40 songs for their March concerts, followed by a tour through California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada.
Their first reunion concert took place on March 20, 2010, at Scotland Yard in Canoga Park, California. After guitarist Joey Rimicci toured Europe with Black Fag in April, Jughead's Revenge resumed their reunion tour throughout that year.
On April 1, 2010, they opened for Bad Religion at Anaheim’s House of Blues—a significant connection given Jughead's Revenge had supported Bad Religion during the early 1990s Against the Grain tour and that guitarist Brett Gurewitz had produced their debut album Unstuck in Time.
By June 2011, A.J. Condosta had replaced Andy Alvarez on drums. In July 2011, Doherty announced plans to release new 7" records featuring original songs.
On February 4, 2018, the band teased via Twitter their first album release in nearly twenty years.
Most recently, Jughead's Revenge issued the EP Vultures through SBÄM Records on May 5, 2023.
Current lineup
- Joe Doherty − lead vocals (1989–2001, 2009–present)
- Eric Bootow − bass guitar (2009–present)
- A.J. Condosta − drums (2011–present)
Past members
- Brian Preiss − bass guitar (1989–2001)
- George Snow − guitar (1989–1993)
- Craig Riker − guitar (1996–1999)
- Kevin Heller − drums (1989)
- Nenus Givargus − drums (1989–1994)
- Jarrod Thornton − drums (1994–1996)
- Ty Smith − drums (1996–1998)
- Andy Alvarez − drums (1998–2001, 2009–2011)
- Joey Rimicci − guitar (1989–2001, 2009–2025; deceased)
Studio releases
- Unstuck in Time (1990)
- It's Lonely at the Bottom (1992)
- Elimination (1994)
- Image Is Everything (1996)
- Just Joined (1998)
- Pearly Gates (1999)
Compilation albums
- It's Lonely at the Bottom/Unstuck in Time (1995)
- 13 Kiddie Favorites (1995)
Appearances on compilations
Jughead's Revenge contributed to numerous compilation albums, including:
- Welcome to Califucknia (Signal Sound Systems Records, 1993)
- Punk Sucks (Liberation Records, 1994)
- Go Ahead Punk... Make My Day (Nitro Records, 1996)
- Before You Were Punk (Vagrant Records, 1997)
- We Are NOT Devo (Centipede, 1997)
- Deep Thoughts (album) (Nitro Records, 1998)
- Short Music For Short People (Fat Wreck Chords, 1999)
- Punk Goes Metal (Fearless Records, 2000)
- The Thought Remains the Same (Nitro Records, 2000)
- Punk Rock Jukebox (Cherry, 2002)
- Farewell to Venice (BDF Records, 2006)