ARCHIE COMICS #54

(On Newsstands in Nov 1951)

That run of Montana covers must've had an effect on Bill Vigoda, because here's another quality undervalued example, with perfect body language and humor... he's even stepped up the 'hint of sexuality' with these last two (the twist of Veronica's hip, accentuating the movement of her breasts so...) Ok, ok, enough with the Sigmund Freud routine!

I just wish he'd tone down Archie's beaver teeth!

(from Archie Comics #54 - Nov. 1951, artwork by Bill Vigoda)

Inside front cover ad for the whole line of Archie related books..

(from Archie Comics #54 - Nov. 1951, artwork by Bill Vigoda?)

I've made no attempt to hide my affection for George Frese's work, and this sequence leading into the next page is just classic. One of my favorite Golden Age Archie stories... Here, Betty and Veronica are, as usual battling for Archie's affection, and as Veronica keeps trying to send Betty away for something to drink, Betty decides to ask Archie into the kitchen to help her put in a new light bulb....

(from Archie Comics #54 - Nov. 1951, artwork by George Frese)

And when the lights go out again and Veronica wants to get to the bottom of what's going on...

Long before the first episode of Riverdale was even thought off...Maybe one of the greatest lesser known panels in Archie history!

(from Archie Comics #54 - Nov. 1951, artwork by George Frese)

In the same issue...this pretty much sums up every Archie attempt to get out of trouble...

(from Archie Comics #54 - Nov. 1951, artwork by George Frese?)

Some of these Public Service ads could be gruesome!

(from Archie Comics #54 - Nov. 1951, artwork by Bill Vigoda?)

PEP COMICS #5

(On Newsstands in Apr 1940)

The excitement of superheroes was really taking hold, as the Blue Beetle's second self titled comic hit the stands and the Batman's first solo title was also this month. Right there next to them was MLJ's growing in popularity the Shield in Pep Comics, now on it's fifth issue!

(from Pep Comics #5 - Apr 1940, artwork by Irv Novick)

The 'Mosconians' sound suspiciously German in their language!

(from Pep Comics #5 - Apr 1940, artwork by Irv Novick)

Even though Batman had introduced the Bat-gyro in Detective #31 a few months earlier, the Bat PLANE wouldn't be introduced until Batman #1 this month. The Wizard already HAD a plane (the Strato-Plane) which he gladly lends out to the Shield in this issue! The bromance is in full bloom!

(from Pep Comics #5 - Apr 1940, artwork by Irv Novick)

It's not like the hot headed Comet doesn't man handle pretty much anyone he comes into contact with... but that... character syntax... yeah, we won't be seeing that in the latest Archie...

(from Pep Comics #5 - Apr 1940, artwork by Jack Cole)

I'm enjoying these Mort Meskin 'Press Guardian' stories, just as much to see the things Ditko was influenced by! 

(from Pep Comics #5 - Apr 1940, artwork by Mort Meskin)

ZIP COMICS #5

(On Newsstands in Apr 1940)

That Steel Sterling... he was certainly the Superman of MLJ Comics... always hanging from planes and taking on the really dangerous stunts... he is, after all, the ORIGINAL Man of Steel!

(from Zip Comics #5 - Apr 1940, artwork by Charles Biro)

Texa continues to give the Scarlet Avenger all he can handle, but switches to a white costume for this issue. Hey, I just think it's cool to see a Golden Age female villain - I can't help it if she's conscious about her wardrobe! She's no slouch on the disintegrator gun though!

(from Zip Comics #5 - Apr 1940, artwork by Irv Novick)

The way we phrase things has changed, obviously, over the last 75+ years, as Nevada Jones shows us.

(from Zip Comics #5 - Apr 1940, artwork by Frank Volp)

TOP NOTCH COMICS #6

(On Newsstands in Apr 1940)

Quite a spectacular cover for Top Notch Comics #6, as the Wizard shares it with a new story...

(from Top Notch Comics #6 - on newsstands Apr 1940, artwork by Edd Ashe)

... the Lin Streeter spectacular 'GALAHAD'...seems like a good way to ramp up some violence!

(from Top Notch Comics #6 - on newsstands Apr 1940, artwork by Lin Streeter)

You don't realize what a simple layout design, seen over and over, will do until someone throws in one of these circle inserts out of the blue... stands out like a happy face in the middle of a page! Thanks William Wills!... from Streak Chandler in "The Plot to Murder Mars'  

(from Top Notch Comics #6 - on newsstands Apr 1940, artwork by William Wills)

Karnak the Mystic Magician (is it safe to say that Ditko read MLJ Comics?), encounters some weird voodoo bad guys in Louisianna of all places.... and the face of Siva!

(from Top Notch Comics #6 - on newsstands Apr 1940, artwork by C.A. Winter)

ARCHIE COMICS #53

(On Newsstands in Sept 1951)

The improvement of Bill Vigoda's art and the incorporation of the house style into his work, had really paid off, and whereas there are very few non-Montana covers that would really cause me to take notice (until Harry Lucey started doing them) this is one that I really like. Featuring Betty of course.

(from Archie Comics #53 - Sept. 1951, artwork by Bill Vigoda)

When Dilton convince's Mr. Weatherbee to institute his 'Obey Your Impulse' mantra throughout the school, it leads to some funny hijinks...

(from Archie Comics #53 - Sept. 1951, artwork by Bill Vigoda)

...some of which you wouldn't see in a current issue of Archie!

(from Archie Comics #53 - Sept. 1951, artwork by Bill Vigoda)

Some panels... are better left unsaid...

(from Archie Comics #53 - Sept. 1951, artwork by Samm Schwartz)

Hardly a better illustration of the relationship between Archie and the world around him... HIS carefree and unknowing clumsiness and the world's frustration from it!

(from Archie Comics #53 - Sept. 1951, artwork by Bill Vigoda)

You have to wonder... when it even manages to manifest itself to someone he really has a great deal of interest in, like Veronica, if it's some inborn, uncontrollable reflex or...

(from Archie Comics #53 - Sept. 1951, artwork by Bill Vigoda)

...just a subconscious way to get her out of her clothes!

(from Archie Comics #53 - Sept. 1951, artwork by Billl Vigoda)

BLUE RIBBON COMICS #4

(On Newsstands in March 1940)

Having been a few months, Blue Ribbon Comics returned this month with their 4th issue, and in keeping with the war theme, Corporal Collins graced the cover in full action, courtesy of Charles Biro!

(from Blue Ribbon Comics #4 - on newsstands March 1940, artwork by Charles Biro)

Long before, Peter Parker (the Amazing Spider-man) thought of it, there was the Fox, using his rigged camera to take pictures while in action!

(from Blue Ribbon Comics #4 - on newsstands March 1940, artwork by Irwin Hansen)

Jungle fun in The Origin of Ty-Gor! (For some of you who might get traumatized over this panel, they DON’T actually sacrifice him, but rather raise him to be a Tarzan like character of the jungle.)

(from Blue Ribbon Comics #4 - on newsstands March 1940, artwork by George Storm)

TOP NOTCH COMICS #5

(On Newsstands in March 1940)

Another bigger than life rendition of the Wizard by Edd Ashe, and of course, keeping in the war theme!

(from Top Notch Comics #5 - on newsstands February 1940, artwork by Edd Ashe)

I’d been wanting to put one of these in… it’s pretty cool to see some of this stuff today and remember… well, I don’t remember THESE, I wasn’t even born yet, but I DO remember when comics had stuff like this for sale in them… 

(from Top Notch Comics #5 - on newsstands February 1940, artwork by ?)

Returning the favor from Pep #4 (actually, it appears THIS meeting happen first) the Wizard and Shield have yet another historic meeting, making thistle first superhero team up! (I think. Kinda.)

(from Top Notch Comics #5 - on newsstands February 1940, artwork by Edd Ashe)

"When Jack Sheridan’s father was killed by the invaders in 1931, young Jack was adopted by his father’s wise and wealthy old friend, Chan Sing-Tan. Jack vowed to avenge his father’s death and swore never to rest until he had driven the invaders from the land of the peaceful Chinese, and to this end he trains himself to become a marvel in the sciences, the Hindu art of escape, boxing and jiu-jitsu, and ancient Chinese magic and illusion." - from the first story.

Here, Chan gives some… good insight?

(from Top Notch Comics #5 - on newsstands February 1940, artwork by Irv Novick)

Vola as the aliens object of affection in ‘Streak Chandler on Mars’, from Harry Shorten (with artwork by William Wills). 

(from Top Notch Comics #5 - on newsstands February 1940, artwork by William Wills)

PEP COMICS #4

(On Newsstands in March 1940)

Ira Novick’s covers were always great for this series, and here the theme of war once again plays a part. Almost a year before Captain America show up we had the Shield already protecting the U.S.!

(from Pep Comics #4 - March 1940, artwork by Irv Novick)

Two months before the epic battle between the Sub-Mariner and the Human Torch in Timely Comics, we had the FIRST meeting of two established superhero in MLJ Comics! That’s right… here the Wizard meets the Shield and help each other out over the course of a few panels, so… THIS is the first official Superhero Team-up!

(from Pep Comics #4 - March 1940, artwork by Irv Novick)

Writer/artist Jack Cole’s ‘The Comet’ is still on the run from the Police… who have no problem shooting at him right out on the streets!

(from Pep Comics #4 - March 1940, artwork by Jack Cole)

Long before it would be considered ‘political’, The Comet took an accountant’s path to crime fighting and exposing big business for their manipulation!

(from Pep Comics #4 - March 1940, artwork by Jack Cole)

Fu Chang deals with metal robot’s, voodoo spells, and tiny imp helpers… Manly Wade Wellman was pulling out all the stops on this one!

(from Pep Comics #4 - March 1940, artwork by Lin Streeter)

Broken down in it’s simplest form, the aliens see us as women for wives and men as food! More Manly Wade Bellmen fun from Rocket and the Queen of Diamonds.  

(from Pep Comics #4 - March 1940, artwork by Lin Streeter)

ZIP COMICS #4

(On Newsstands in March 1940)

Charles Biro could come up with some exciting covers and here, with the emerging specter of war, he shows that Steel Sterling is ready for action!

(from Zip Comics #4 - March 1940, artwork by Charles Biro)

Being the early days of comics, most of these stories took a pretty standard form to their storytelling… crime committed, female in danger, hero to the rescue, misstep, and then finale. Steel Sterling was no different, and here we see the classic female in danger scene, suitably spiced up for a younger reading audience! These were some of the small touches to the art that were used to separate their work from others. 

(from Zip Comics #4 - March 1940, artwork by Charles Biro)

Another great example… Steel Sterling punches one of the henchmen through the wall in classic Bugs Bunny indention style!

(from Zip Comics #4 - March 1940, artwork by Charles Biro)

And… another nice touch… here the female in danger, gets to take out her revenge on her captors! Now that’s a fitting finale!

(from Zip Comics #4 - March 1940, artwork by Charles Biro)

More than a year before comics’ most famous Amazon, the Scarlet Avenger had a continuing storyline against Texa, the beautiful Amazon villainess!

(from Zip Comics #4 - March 1940, artwork by Irv Novick)

Steve Ditko was a huge Mort Meskin fan and would have been 12 at the time this issue came out.. and looking at these two pages here… you can SEE where Ditko was influenced. The clean style, body movement...

(from Zip Comics #4 - March 1940, artwork by Mort Meskin)

ARCHIE COMICS #52

(On Newsstands in June 1951)

George Frese (I'm pretty sure this is him) is the great unheralded Golden Age Archie artist. Here he does his best Bob Montana (which is the point) and even has the clever frustration of Betty, and the drool of Archie. His Veronica has little less hint of sexuality than BM might've drawn, but seriously, I'm ok with it!

(from Archie Comics #51 - June 1951, artwork by George Frese)

Further proof than Jughead had date(s), and Archie Comics wanted to let us know. Though some of the girls in that picture, I guess I can see why he downplayed it so much...
(from Archie Comics #51 - May 1951, artwork by George Frese?)

Mr. Weatherbee teaches the class First Aid with disasterous results, in one of my favorite stories from this era "Operation Band-Aid". 

(from Archie Comics #51 - May 1951, artwork by George Frese?)

Here at Undercover Archie Headquaters, we pride ourselves on finding panels in past issues that just wouldn't make it in today's Archie Comics. Come on Mark Waid, prove me wrong!
(P.S. Really enjoying the new Archie, the Riverdale TV show, AND my old Archie's. It's ok to like all three!)
(from Archie Comics #51 - May 1951, artwork by George Frese?)

Wow! In 1951, an 'expensive' car was $7000...

(from Archie Comics #51 - May 1951, artwork by George Frese?)

Another PSA comic story where Jughead gets bit by a dog. Not sure why I found this so funny, it's actually a pretty traumatic event... just not something you see everyday in an Archie Comic! Poor Juggie even had to go to the doctor...
(from Archie Comics #51 - May 1951, artwork by George Frese?)

Betty will occasionally sum up her Archie miscalculations in humorous ways, and this one even includes an extremely nervous looking Dilton! What's making you so nervous old boy?

(from Archie Comics #51 - May 1951, artwork by Bill Vigoda)

And finally, thanks to a little trickery, Archie finally gets a little play in with Veronica, though her reaction in that last panel means it's not exactly going so well...

(from Archie Comics #51 - May 1951, artwork by Bill Vigoda)