Tom Root, co-head writer and co-producer of the Emmy Award-winning Robot Chicken on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim and co-creator and executive producer of the network’s upcoming Titan Maximum, will his irreverent sense of humor to the milestone 200th issue of Archie Comics’ Jughead, the publisher said.

The issue will also feature the company’s first variant cover ever, one illustrated by regular penciller Rex Lindsey.

The story, “Something Ventured, Something Gained,” takes Riverdale High’s teens on a wild ride as Jughead trades his body’s metabolism to a witch in exchange for an irresistible mega cheeseburger. As one might expect, everything goes crazy from that point.

Root is no stranger to comic book and pop culture fans, who know his work writing “Twisted ToyFare Theatre” for ToyFare magazine.

 “Tom Root infuses his scripts with wild humor and energetic storytelling that perfectly fits Jughead,” said Archie Comics CEO Jonathan Goldwater. 

The company pointed out that this won’t be the first time Root has tackled the Archie comic book teens.  One of Robot Chicken’s most popular episodes parodies the Archie Comics characters in a send up of the movie Final Destination. 

“The Archie Comics characters are comedy icons,” said Root.  “Each character’s personality has been so well-defined over the course of nearly 70 years that it was a lot of fun to shake them up and present them with new challenges.  Mostly, though, I just wanted to write a funny issue.  I hope Archie fans like it!”

Jughead #200 should be in stores in March 2010.