Archie Comics

The rise of teenage culture can be traced back to the 19th Century novels by Horatio Alger. Alger’s books, which were immensely popular in the latter quarter of the 1800’s, often featured a juvenile protagonist of modest means that through sheer hard-work, ingenuity and force of intellect, rose above their station and made themselves into “somebody.” That is, successful at whatever it is that they may have chosen to do, despite the odds and obstacles against them. People, especially teenagers, loved these stories; they were inspiring and represented what would shortly be called “The American Dream.”

In general, after The Great War there was a pervasive loosening of attitudes toward sex and economic independence that swept infectiously through America - and these mores eventually trickled down to the teenagers. Before this, teenagers were viewed as “better to be seen and not heard” by the adult establishment. The expectation, economically, for the young man, was to apprentice at the same jobs that their fathers were doing, or to grow up being groomed to take over the family-farm. Artistic and intellectual pursuits were considered “distractions” or “phases,” and wastes of time that little Johnny and Sally would surely just simply “grow out” of.

Then along came mass media. This was a game-changer. Beginning in the early 30’s, young people across the country could revel, weekly, in the tales of The Aldrich Family on the radio. This particular radio show was largely centered around the exploits and foibles of teenage son Henry Aldrich, who was always coming up with some “crazy scheme” with his friends, with often no-so-great results. But he always learned a lesson in the end, and always had the loving support of his Mom and Dad, if not always their understanding…

Also with broadcast technology and the phonograph, there became what were called “crooners,” that is, singers of popular ballads (decidedly NOT the operatic or symphonic music of parents) that no longer needed the concert hall to gain a recognition, we could listen to them at our convenience in our own homes because there was a new delivery system via consumer recordings and radio. In film, there became the concept of the “star,” and for the first time teenagers had entertainment choices that were specifically targeted to appeal exclusively to their age-group.

The Big Band Era brought a new kind of music that emphasized “swing,” with a more aggressive beat that was made for dancing. Girls swooned, and boys took notice. The problem was, that in order for the boys to get the girls they needed one thing : money. Shop and service industry workers started getting younger and younger, and the idea of the “afterschool job” for teenagers, for the first time, became viable; one needed “dough” to take their best gals out dancing or to the cinema, and to keep up with the hottest new music.

Reflecting this kind of changing order, one could point to the very successful series of Andy Hardy movies from MGM in the late 30’s. Andy, effectively portrayed by Mickey Rooney, was a precocious, enterprising and headstrong teenager whose prime motivators in his young life seemed to be a healthy attraction to girls, and thus, finding ways to make money. Andy was a teenage character that was a bit more complex than an audience had previously seen in that he often experienced romantic dilemma and economic anxiety; Andy and his gang of faithful buddies were, in true Alger-esque fashion, continually devising new ways to get money and girls.

America finally entered the Second World War. Shortly thereafter came a popular song called “They’re Either Too Young Or Too Old,” inevitably sung by a woman lamenting that the dating pool had dwindled due to the fact that all the men in their age group were off fighting the Axis. The notion of the “afterschool job” was no longer a choice - it was mandatory; America needed it’s teenagers to pick up the slack in the adult workforce if commerce and industry was going to survive for “the duration.”

In comic books, amidst this perfect storm, emerged Archie Andrews, and a cast of archetypal characters which would orbit his teenage world. It was a no-brainer for publisher M.L.J. to give a character like Archie a shot given the popularity of Andy Hardy and Henry Aldrich.The most odd detail in the history of Archie, was that his character, maybe betraying a bit of tentativity on M.L.J.’s part, was introduced in Pep Comics (#22, December 1941), smack-in-the-middle of a book that was dominated by stories in the popular superhero trend of The Golden Age.

In some alternate reality, the editors may have well said “Ok. Here are some super-serious stories featuring super-serious Nazi-fighters The Shield and The Hangman… and oh yeah, here’s a little humorous co-feature introducing you to a character that will come to not only be a solidifier of American teenage culture, but go on to be the most immediately recognizable iconoclastic “ginger” ever to be woven into the fabric of the American consciousness for the next 90-or-so years.”

Proving immediately popular, the always amiable and friendly Archie Andrews was relatable to generations of comic-book readers, and although kept as a regular feature in Pep, also spawned his own book, Archie Comics (and after 1959, simply “Archie”), a giant-sized title in 1942. Conceived as a quarterly, it quickly went bi-monthly due to overwhelming demand…

Almost every supporting character in the book went on to gain their own title, and each character served as a formulaic prototype (stereotype?) that would influence a good deal of all teen-based media that would follow. We had Betty and Veronica continuously vying for Archie’s affections - one was super sweet and considerate, and the other was aggressive and manipulative. We had Jughead, faithful comic-relief goofball best friend who was more interested in eating and napping than in girls and money. And there’s always a rival - Archie’s was Reggie, a pompous, egotistical twit always angered and frustrated at Archie’s good fortune.

A lot of these characters can be directly linked to those featured in later teen-oriented media, from Bud in Father Knows Best, to Ricky and David in The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriett, To Wally and the Beav in Leave It To Beaver, and even up to Ritchie, Ralph and Potsie in Happy Days.

Early Archie appearances in Pep, and Golden-Age Archie Comics - especially those featuring first-appearances of prominent supporting characters (Sabrina, Moose, Dilton) are the ones that collectors want to get their hands on, as values have risen drastically over the last ten years or so.

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