Undercover Archie

PEP COMICS #8

(On Newsstands in July 1940)

For a second month, Irv Novick delivers a Pep Comics cover that's just a bit different than what had come before - darker, a little more sexual, a little more human tension - this cover run by Novick deserves more praise!

(from Pep Comics #8 - July 1940, artwork by Irv Novick)

The bad guy opts to shoot himself in the head, as opposed to being taken alive! Joe Higgins (The Shield) says, "He saved the state the expense of executing him!"

It was a different time for comics!

(from Pep Comics #8 - July 1940, artwork by Irv Novick)

Not sure who drew the Comet story this month, but it sure isn't Jack Cole... some pretty cool, bizarre layouts, faces and ideas though...

(from Pep Comics #8 - July 1940, artwork by Irv Novick)

Last month Kayo Ward gave a lady a good spanking (courtesy of Bob Wood), and this month Sgt. Boyle finds that method works for him as well!

(from Pep Comics #8 - July 1940, artwork by Charles Biro)

Can you imagine... seeing this ad for the first time? The Black Hood and the Skull make their first preview appearance!

(from Pep Comics #8 - July 1940, artwork by Edd Ashe? for the cover, most likely Al Camy for the Skull)

They couldn't know it at the time, but imagine a situation early in the career of your publishing company, where Irv Novick and Charles Biro are competing every month to outdo each other. 

Yep, just like his contemporary over on Pep, Biro had now gone to a darker tone, a higher tension and a subtle sexuality to make a run of covers we'll forever love from this period!

(from Zip Comics #8 - July 1940, artwork by Charles Biro)

Comics from the Golden Age will always be linked to the sensationalized low brow gruesomeness they capitalized on... looking at it from today's perspective, they were ahead of their time!

(from Zip Comics #8 - July 1940, artwork by Irv Novick)

Tania, Queen of the Pirates, shows that not all women got spanked during the Golden Age! Fun on the high seas in Captain Valor!

(from Zip Comics #8 - July 1940, artwork by Mort Meskin)

Blue Ribbon gets in on the act with a Rang-A-Tang cover that's a bit darker, a bit more tense, a bit more... well ok, it's not a Novick or a Biro, but Ed Smalle contributed a couple of interesting covers here!

And of course, we get the introduction of Richy the Amazing Boy, to help commercialize…eh…make Rang-A-Tang even more exciting!

(from Blue Ribbon Comics #6 - July 1940, artwork by Ed Smalle)

Sam Cooper would go on to do some noteworthy art in the Golden Age, but here in his early days (Doc Strong) you could see some amazing detail in his work already!

(from Blue Ribbon Comics #6 - July 1940, artwork by Sam Cooper)