Undercover Archie

TIPPY TEEN #1 - This Looks Familiar!

Wally Wood had a long and storied career in comics, and there's plenty to go into, but of note today was his and Publisher Harry Shorten's Tower Comics. Shorten had worked as a writer and Editor at MLJ (Archie Comics) in it's early days and Wood had worked for nearly everyone.

Tower Comics is primarily remembered for it's Thunder Agents by Wally Wood, but the LONGEST RUNNING comic they published was Tippy Teen, an obvious Archie Comics influenced Teen Humor book.

(TIPPY TEEN #1 cover-dated November 1965, on newsstands September 1st, 1965, cover art by Samm Schwartz)

Shorten brought in Samm Schwartz from Archie Comics to Edit and oversee the book, so naturally, Schwartz got work for Archie artists Harry Lucey, Dan DeCarlo, and Bob White.

Harry Lucey did the first story and... that looks a LOT like Archie, Betty and Veronica (with hair colors the same, but styles switched) and blonde-haired guy (Animal) as a cross between Moose and Jughead. From what I've read, these characters were designed (homaged) by Schwartz.

(TIPPY TEEN #1 cover-dated November 1965, on newsstands September 1st, 1965, art by Harry Lucey)

And the innuendo was there from the beginning...

(TIPPY TEEN #1 cover-dated November 1965, on newsstands September 1st, 1965, art by Harry Lucey)

As well as Harry Lucey's famous female poses. If the stories were true, and Lucey would turn his art in with the female characters not wearing any clothes, uh... the inkers certainly got an eyefull!

(TIPPY TEEN #1 cover-dated November 1965, on newsstands September 1st, 1965, art by Harry Lucey)

The second story was done by Dan DeCarlo. 1965 was DeCarlo coming into his prime. And this... this looks like a variation of Betty and Veronica with all of the small detailed touches of 1965 home life. 

(TIPPY TEEN #1 cover-dated November 1965, on newsstands September 1st, 1965, art by Dan DeCarlo)

There are moments when you just do a double-take and think... dd they take this STRAIGHT out of an Archie comic? Hey... I love DeCarlo's work (and Harry Lucey and Samm Schwartz), so I love this issue. So it's ok!

(TIPPY TEEN #1 cover-dated November 1965, on newsstands September 1st, 1965, art by Dan DeCarlo)

I like how they brought back some sexual innuendo too. Not much, but you didn't see anything like THIS in Archie anymore. The art was by longtime journeyman Bill Williams and fits in pretty well. GCD seems to think Samm Schwartz inked him here, but it can be hard to say.

(TIPPY TEEN #1 cover-dated November 1965, on newsstands September 1st, 1965, art by Bill Williams)

The problem with doing an Archie rip-off... eh homage, is that they've already done almost every storyline you can think of already and ripped THEMSELVES off repeating stuff numerous times. Here, Harry Lucey rips George Frese off with story he drew in Ginger #1 from 1952. Who'd ever remember, right?

(TIPPY TEEN #1 cover-dated November 1965, on newsstands September 1st, 1965, art by Harry Lucey)

Some of the panels are straight up lifts, and even though Lucey does spice it up a bit and make minor changes - when you read them back to back, it's very clear... still, back in 1965 very few people would've even noticed.

(TIPPY TEEN #1 cover-dated November 1965, on newsstands September 1st, 1965, art by Harry Lucey)

Lots of Pin-ups to take up space...

(TIPPY TEEN #1 cover-dated November 1965, on newsstands September 1st, 1965, art by ....)

(TIPPY TEEN #1 cover-dated November 1965, on newsstands September 1st, 1965, art by ....)

(TIPPY TEEN #1 cover-dated November 1965, on newsstands September 1st, 1965, art by ....)

(TIPPY TEEN #1 cover-dated November 1965, on newsstands September 1st, 1965, art by Samm Schwartz)

And... the Beatles-esqe storyline (which I always loved) in which Tippy actually gets to play with the band. 

This series isn't loved by many, but I'm one who still appreciates it... especially this first issue with Lucey and DeCarlo. 

(TIPPY TEEN #1 cover-dated November 1965, on newsstands September 1st, 1965, art by Bill Williams)