Al Fieldstone

Al Fieldstone
Biographical Information
Occupation	Editor-in-chief
Status	Alive
Relationships
Affiliation	Pep Comics
Appearances
Actor	Garry Chalk
First Appearance	"Chapter One Hundred and Nineteen: Skip, Hop, and Thump!"
Last Appearance	"Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Six: The Golden Age of Television"

Al Fieldstone is a guest starring character on The CW's Riverdale. He is portrayed by Garry Chalk.

Al is the editor-in-chief at Pep Comics until the publications is forced to shut down.

Throughout Riverdale

Season 7

Hiring Jughead and Ethel

Al hires Ethel and Jughead

Al is accused by Jughead of stealing his story and publishing it through Pep Comics. Al explains that there are no original ideas and that he gets hundreds of submissions a week consisting of the same slop. That said, he's willing to give Jughead an opportunity as a writer. All he has to do is turn a log line he's been given into a seven-page story by the following morning. Jughead does just that and returns with his story. Although it's not perfect, he welcomes Jughead to the team as their latest writer, at which point, Jughead puts in a good wood for Ethel, claiming that she's a cheap artist with an interest in gore. And so, despite her being a girl, Al hires her as well after being impressed by her graphic drawings.

Al is on a tight deadline and instructs Jughead to write an entire issue for the next day. Four strories of 7 pages each. Pleased with the work, Al tells Jughead that he is willing to print his name in the issue. Not on the cover as Jughead hoped, but a byline inside – Jughead "Jugular" Jones.

Plagiarism

Al strikes a deal with Rayberry

Al denies Jughead's accusations of plagiarizing Brad Rayberry by claiming that Rayberry's story is titled "November County" while Pep Comics is "November Country". Moreover, he claims to have tried to contact the author but never had a response and assumed he had died. Al, Bernie, and Jughead unpack the new issue hot off the press. Rayberry bursts into the editorial office and accuses them of plagiarizing as many as eight of his stories. Al denies saying that it is possible for two authors to have the same idea at the same time. Rayberry is skeptical since eight times is a stretch to be a coincidence. Jughead acts as a go-between. Someone must have read the books and been unconsciously inspired. He then proposes to credit Rayberry in future reprints for a modest but appropriate fee. Al agrees to pay him $2 per adaptation. Rayberry accepts the deal but wants to be paid for the eight already "adapted."

Al is surprised to learn of Brad Rayberry's death and how troubled writers make such endings. He agrees to give Jughead the address of the PO box where Rayberry sent money made from the sale of comic books.

War on Pep Comics

Pep Comics is under attack

Al hasn't the foggiest who wrote the original story on the Milkman when questioned by Jughead. However, he suggests that the young writer attend the office Halloween party and ask around.

Happy to have Ethel with them again, Al warns Jughead and Ethel about the issues that he company is facing. After Dr. Fredreich Werthers's editorial on The Register smearing their company and stirring the public opinion against them by labelling Pep Comics as violent pornography, the company must stay under the radar for a while. This is the reason why he is hesitant to publish Ethel's fictionalized recounts of her encounter with the Milkman and the idea to write a sequel to Ted Sullivan's original story. A few days later, Ethel and Jughead submit a story about a psychotic mailman instead. Al appreciates their work and accepts to publish it even though he is aware that Dr. Werthers and his supporters won't fall for the slight alteration.

Al informs Ethel and Jughead that the new issue is not selling. Vendors from across the States are sending back bundles. He has no problem with Ethel and Jughead taking some since it's Ethel's first story ever to be published, and she would like to keep it.

Al and Jughead meet the Tribunal

Al explains to Jughead that the situation is serious. The Tribunal, as he calls the organization formed by Dr. Werthers, Principal Featherhead, Mayor Blossom, and Sister Woodhouse, has emmended a code governing the content of comic books. After talking with Veronica Lodge, Jughead came to a counterproposal for any point in the code that is too vague about what constitutes unsuitable content. Fieldstone and Jones meet in the office of Dr. Werthers, who rejects their amendment to the code, stating that the meeting is a mere formality. Without their seal of approval, no vendor in the U.S. will sell Pep Comics, and they will go broke. Al jokes that Sister Woodhouse and Dr. Werthers should show him what they mean by dirty content but is quickly shut up by the psychiatrist and the mayor.

Creating Sabrina the Teenage Witch

Jughead came to him with an idea for a new character for the relaunch of Pep Comics. Veronica the Teenage Witch. Al is not very sure a witch will pass court approval. After seeing the first draft of the character, Al suggests changing the name since Veronica is reminiscent of a sexy Veronica Lake and making her less scary. A half-witch. Jughead then creates Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Al is on board with the new comic book until he gives Jughead the news that Sabrina has not been approved. As soon as they heard the word "witch," the censors immediately thought of Satanism and human sacrifices.

Physical Appearance

Al is an older man with greying hair and brown eyes.

Appearances

Season 7

• "Chapter One Hundred and Nineteen: Skip, Hop, and Thump!"
• "Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Two: Tales in a Jugular Vein"
• "Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Three: Peep Show"
• "Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Seven: American Graffiti"
• "Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Eight: Halloween II"
• "Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Nine: After the Fall"
• "Chapter One Hundred and Thirty: The Crucible"
• "Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Three: Stag"
• "Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Four: A Different Kind of Cat"
• "Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Six: The Golden Age of Television"

Trivia

• Al is not a character from the Archie Comics. He is an original character, created specifically for the series.
• Al is based on Al Feldstein, editor-in-chief of EC Comics. The Pep Comics storyline is a parallel to the publication history of Tales from the Crypt.

Gallery

See also: Category:Images of Al Fieldstone