ARCHIE COMICS #47

(On Newsstands in September 1950)

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Bob Montana continues his classic cover run of 1950, with this rather tame by today's standards play on the boy-girl relationship with theater dating of the era. Veronica is puzzled, Betty seems amused and Jughead... is Jughead asleep?

(from ARCHIE COMICS #47 - September. 1950, artwork by Bob Montana)

Another beach story, which would of course become a regular feature in Archie for many years. As well as Archie's wondering eye...

(from ARCHIE COMICS #47 - September. 1950, artwork by Samm Schwartz?)

Right in the middle of the story we get a pin-up of both Veronica and Betty (it's actually a PART of the story) and I believe it's Montana's art on both...

(from ARCHIE COMICS #47 - September. 1950, artwork by Bob Montana?)

Poor Betty... she gets a great pin-up drawn of her and the color separation person messed it up!

She truly can't win!

(from ARCHIE COMICS #47 - September. 1950, artwork by Bob Montana?)

I can't help it... every time there's a situation where Veronica or Betty make a play for Jughead, I have to make it as a part of this blog. Usually Betty's advances are a part of some ploy, but Veronica will occasionally swoon over him... Jughead's reaction is priceless!

(from ARCHIE COMICS #47 - September. 1950, artwork by Samm Schwartz?)

And here is... I believe... the first appearance of Jughead's eye balls!

(from ARCHIE COMICS #47 - September. 1950, artwork by Samm Schwartz?)

For those who are paying close attention, you may have noticed I missed a month - August 1950 - to be exact - and here are the books from that month - sure wish I had an Adventure of the Dover Boys #1 to review!

SAM HILL Private Eye #1

(On Newsstands in July 1950)

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Even though Chester Gould’s Dick Tracy had been around since 1931, showing police procedure and the violence as a part of street crime, it wasn’t until Charles Biro’s CRIME DOES NOT PAY in 1942 that the genre took off and everyone started to emulate it. 

Of course Archie Comics was coming into it 8 years late, and considerably less violent, but to make up for it, Harry Lucey would crank up the sensuality and sleaze up just enough to not aggravate his editors.

I mean, right there on the cover it boasts ‘a dame who’s built like a goddess and makes love like a she-devil’. (that’d look right at home in the pages of Men’s Adventure Magazine’s that grow in popularity during the 50’s)

(from SAM HILL PRIVATE EYE #1 - July. 1950, artwork by Harry Lucey)

Harry Lucey went to work for MLJ back in 1941, drawing such features as Fireball and Madam Satan before graduating to doing one of their top characters in Hangman. His early career was cut short when he went into the Army for a few years. After returning he worked in advertising for a while before returning to MLJ who apparently let him design the covers of both Sam Hill and the Adventure of the Dover Boys (the following month), which featured ad like heavy text on the cover to promote the comic. (Dover Boys oonly lasted 2 issues).

(from Pep Comics #12, #17, Hangman #3, and Adventure of the Dover Boys #1 - artwork by Harry Lucey)

Harry’s art had grown in leaps and bounds since his early days, and if he hadn’t ended up as one of the great Archie artists, he might’ve followed the more realistic art abilities he had and be remembered as one of the good girl artists of the era….

(from SAM HILL PRIVATE EYE #1 - July. 1950, artwork by Harry Lucey)

It may seem strange today, but in 1950, ladies were hurling empty milk bottles at each others heads and blacking out with their skirts hiked up and legs wide open. Wertham was looking in all the wrong places!

(from SAM HILL PRIVATE EYE #1 - July. 1950, artwork by Harry Lucey)

JUGHEAD #2

(On Newsstands in July 1950)

Ah what it just have been like to go to the newsstand in July of 1950 and see Archie #46, Betty and Veronica #1, Jughead #2, and Pep Comics #81 (along with Sam Hill #1 and Darling Love #6)!

(from Jughead #2 - July. 1950, artwork by probably George Frese)

Most likely the first mention of a Murder Cult in an Archie Comic...

(from Jughead #2 - July. 1950, artwork by George Frese)

George Frese was doing great opening panels, layouts, he had his characters' look the way he wanted, and it fit nicely into a Montana-esqe style. 

(from Jughead #2 - July. 1950, artwork by George Frese)

One of the earliest stories featuring the gang going to the beach (in the comic books... Montana had already explored this in the strip)

(from Jughead #2 - July. 1950, artwork by George Frese)

Books published by Archie Comics and on the stands in June of 1950

ARCHIE COMICS #46

ARCHIE’s GIRLS BETTY and VERONICA #1

ARCHIE’s PAL JUGHEAD #2

DARLING LOVE #6

PEP COMICS #81

SAM HILL PRIVATE EYE #1

ARCHIE’s GIRLS BETTY and VERONICA #1

(On Newsstands in July 1950)

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I have a lower grade copy of this, highly under rated book, which had to wait for solo titles from Reggie and Jughead before it finally got it’s chance - and it would last for 37 years before being rebooted 2 months later and continuing to this very day!

(from Archie’s Girls Betty and Veronica #1 - July. 1950, artwork by Bill Vigoda)

This was a huge book for George Frese, who obviously Archie Comics had big plans for. Besides the Bill Vigoda cover (done in George’s style!), this book is ALL George. (Though - two of the stories ‘What’s Cookin’ and ‘You Can’t Win’ were taken pretty directly from Montana Sunday strips from 09/18/49 and 02/27/49. Not copied, but pretty closely mirrored...

(from Archie’s Girls Betty and Veronica #1 - July. 1950, artwork by George Frese)

The first issue would be extremely Betty heavy in it’s stories (this one Veronica doesn’t even appear in), and judging from this panel she was all about taking charge!

(from Archie’s Girls Betty and Veronica #1 - July. 1950, artwork by George Frese)

It’s so sweet. Two friends, hanging out together all day and then sleeping over at each other’s house. In the same bed.

C’mon! It’s the 50’s! 

(from Archie’s Girls Betty and Veronica #1 - July. 1950, artwork by George Frese)

ARCHIE COMICS #46

(On Newsstands in July 1950)

I’m not sure how many times I can say, “Great Montana cover”, especially knowing what one is coming up in a few months, but I have to say, that girl directly behind Veronica is one of my favorites

(from Archie Comics #46 - July. 1950, artwork by Bob Montana)

You’d think at this point in knowing each other, Archie would be smart enough to not ever entertain the idea of listening to a suggestion form Reggie Mantle...

(from Archie Comics #46 - July. 1950, artwork by Samm Schwartz)

nope...

(from Archie Comics #46 - July. 1950, artwork by Samm Schwartz)

Now here was an angle we hadn’t seen before…Weatherbee and Grundy at a Professional Wrestling match! 

And of course it turns into a big mess….

(from Archie Comics #46 - July. 1950, artwork by George Frese)

Books published by Archie Comics and on the stands in June of 1950

ARCHIE COMICS #46

ARCHIE’s GIRLS BETTY and VERONICA #1

ARCHIE’s PAL JUGHEAD #2

DARLING LOVE #6

PEP COMICS #81

SAM HILL PRIVATE EYE #1

ARCHIE ANNUAL #2

and

LAUGH COMICS #40

(On Newsstands in June 1950)

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The 2nd annual came out in June of 1950, and for the cover of it, Bob Montana presents the ultimate Archie dream, or, at least, the ultimate Archie dream he could actually publish...

(from Archie Annual #2 - June. 1950, artwork by Bob Montana)

Montana gave us the rare treat of not one, but two stories inside this year’s annual! For as much work as they’d done to create a ‘house style’ based on his art, it’s still always refreshing to see the real deal!

(from Archie Annual #2 - June. 1950, artwork by Bob Montana)

Betty’s always up for helping Archie out… even if it means taking off her costume from underneath her blanket to give to him!

(from Archie Annual #2 - June. 1950, artwork by what looks like a cleaner and smoother Bill Vigoda….)

Veronica probably hadn’t ever been asked THAT before...

(from Archie Annual #2 - June. 1950, artwork by George Frese?)

The second appearance of Moose (the first being in Jughead #1, Nov. 1949, Aug 2014 post) and still protective of ‘Lottie’.

(from Archie Annual #2 - June. 1950, artwork by Bob Montana)

These early Archie Laugh Comics are somewhat harder to find in decent condition, so I’m always proud of when I have one that looks this nice…not sure who the cover artist is - maybe Red Holmdale or a combined effort...

(from Laugh Comics #40 - June. 1950, artwork by ?)

Ah, yes. The innocence of the 50’s…in a comic strip with subtle sexual innuendos, it was just a matter of time before handcuffs showed up. Geoerge Frese was getting a lot of extra work!

(from Laugh Comics #40 - June. 1950, artwork by George Frese)

As if we still haven’t gotten the idea, Moose has yet another girlfriend (Carol), and Jughead has somehow got himself again in a compromising position. And Moose gets more action than anyone in Riverdale, what’s up with that?

(from Laugh Comics #40 - June. 1950, artwork by George Frese)

Did he say ‘shat’?

(from Laugh Comics #40 - June. 1950, artwork by George Frese)

Samm Schwartz was another artist getting plenty of work, including some of MLJ’s other fun features. He makes sure to let you know where his loyalties will always be though!

(from Laugh Comics #40 - June. 1950, artwork by Samm Scwartz)

Comics published by Archie and on the stands in June of 1950

ARCHIE ANNUAL #2

DARLING ROMANCE #6

LAUGH #40

SUPER DUCK #33

SUZIE COMICS #76

WILBUR COMICS #32

LAUGH COMICS #39

(On Newsstands April 1950)

ARCHIE COMICS #45

and

PEP COMICS #80

(On Newsstands in March 1950)

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Samm Schwartz was quickly becoming the go to guy at Archie Comics. He had a clean style and was able to easily incorporate the Montana House Style, so that regardless of the title the Archie books would have uniform appearance.

Oh and I have a sweet copy of this book don't I?

(from Laugh Comics #39 - Apr. 1950, artwork by Samm Schwartz)

Speaking of 'incorporating the Montana House Style', they also tended to incorporate the Montana story telling style, many times by straight out copying the story! You may remember a similar scene from my last post featuring a January 1947 News Paper Strip by Montana!

(from Laugh Comics #39 - Apr. 1950, artwork by Samm Schwartz)

That Betty!

(from Laugh Comics #39 - Mar. 1950, artwork by Samm Schwartz?)

Montana was still on his classic cover run in the Archie book, here featuring one of my favorites...

(from Archie Comics #45 - May 1950, artwork by Samm Schwartz)

...but on the inside, Samm Scwartz had become the feature artist of the book. He'd go on to be a fixture on Jughead's solo book for most of the next 40 years, but his  work on Archie would show others how the house style should look!

(from Archie Comics #45 - May 1950, artwork by Samm Schwartz)

He would bring his classic body language to the book that would influence everyone on it forever!

(from Archie Comics #45 - May 1950, artwork by Samm Schwartz)

And he understood the youth of the times... and he could draw females!

(from Archie Comics #45 - May 1950, artwork by Samm Schwartz)

Meanwhile, there was an artist named Harry Lucey who was getting his own title (Sam Hill) and would eventually make his own mark on the world of Archie! Here's an ad promoting it's drivable a few moths later!

(from Archie Comics #45 - May 1950, artwork by Harry Lucey in the ad)

Ok... I had a few nice copies in a row here... this one... not so much!

A nice gag all the same!

(from Pep Comics #80 - May 1950, artwork by Samm Schwartz?)

Meanwhile Bill Vigoda was getting a story to do here and there, and George Frese was doing a Jughead feature in Pep as well!

(from Pep Comics #80 - May 1950, artwork by Bill Vigoda)

ARCHIE’S SUNDAY FINEST HC

Special Book Review!

Having the black & white newspaper strip collections of Bob Montana's Archie is really nice, but how about the color Sunday Full Page Strips? Oh yeah!

Once again, IDW has put together a really nice hardcover book, with a nice book mark tassel (that's Archie orange) and is even shaped like a traditional book shelf sized book.

Growing up in St. Louis, the Post Dispatch was one of two area newspapers, so of course I found this ad interesting in the intro for the book.

(from St. Louis Post Dispatch, date unknown, artist unknown)

Going back just 4 years, it’s refreshing to see Montana handling these characters and setting the tone for others to follow… he loved playing on Betty’s obsession with Archie! And we loved to see it!

(from Nov. 10. 1946, artwork by Bob Montana)

Montana consistently created interesting logo panels to start these Sunday stories, and here Betty makes sure she stands out!

(from Nov. 12. 1946, artwork by Bob Montana)

Gulp! Ah, the things they could get away with in a 1947 American Newspaper! 

(from Jan. 05. 1947, artwork by Bob Montana)

Jughead may not consider this his greatest moment, and.. neither does Archie!

(from Jan. 05. 1947, artwork by Bob Montana)

It’s ‘The Best I Ever Tasted!” - Yeah…. this may be my favorite Montana Sunday strip ever!

(from Jan. 05. 1947, artwork by Bob Montana)

Montana was so good at body language... Veronica relaxed, cool, well dressed - Betty working hard to get dressed up, tense posture...

(from May. 11. 1947, artwork by Bob Montana)

In Archie #20 (May/June 1946), a group of unnamed friends strip Archie and throw him into the local pond. Here in July 1947, Reggie and two others, do the same. What was going on in Riverdale?

(from July. 20. 1946, artwork by Bob Montana)

Veronica sporting a snazzy nightgown while Archie sports a shiner!

(from Dec. 14. 1947, artwork by Bob Montana)

Yeah… there are just some situations you’ll see in a 1948 newspaper strip… even thought they’re being done in a humorous non-serious manner… that you just won’t see today….

(from Jun. 27. 1948, artwork by Bob Montana)

Yoinks!

(from Jun. 27. 1948, artwork by Bob Montana)

More Montana brillance, playing on the Archie in a girl’s outfit, pulling Reggie into the mix. 

(from Jul. 11. 1948, artwork by Bob Montana)

Veronica sporting her 1948 Halloween costume! 

(from Oct. 31. 1948, artwork by Bob Montana)

Any great Archie strip has at least one panel that makes you HAVE to read that story… Betty at it again!

(from Dec. 12. 1948, artwork by Bob Montana)

Archie always on the prowl...

(from Aug. 7. 1949, artwork by Bob Montana)

This is NOT how Archie planned it....

(from Aug. 14. 1949, artwork by Bob Montana)

My assessment? This book is worth having as a part of your collection!

(from Sep. 24. 1950, artwork by Bob Montana)