You know, Archie Comics sure made a killing on comics that were basically just teenagers runnin’ around in bikinis.
So I’ve been a little under the weather (for non-COVID things) the last couple of days, hence no Monday update as per usual. I may be keeping things slight here through the end of the year, if you’ll bear with me.
I did see this somewhat amusing aside here in the lead story in this issue of Archie’s Girls Betty and Veronica #203 (November 1972) by Frank Doyle and Dan DeCarlo. It’s just a few pages long, involving some beach shenanigans with Archie and our titular characters. Here’s the splash page for that story:
But if you look closely, you see, reflected in the sunglasses of the unnamed young lady in the foreground, is Riverdale’s most notorious rake, Reggie Mantle:
…who otherwise does not appear in the story. Now, sure, perhaps Reggie is marketing specialty sunglasses with lenses emblazoned with his sneering image. But I prefer to think there’s some story off to the side of the main plot, told entirely in that reflection, of Reggie’a attempts to pitch woo to this gal and of his inevitable rejection.
I suggest that, not unlike the Mirror Master fighting Flash, this young woman has trapped Reggie Mantle within her sunglasses as revenge for a totally unwanted flirtation routine.
Bully:
That’s a great idea! Given that Archie Comics recently introduced the bad teenage witch Amber Nightstone in the Sabrina the Teenage Witch Anniversary Spectacular no. 1, it would make for a fun story to have Amber at the beach and Reggie trapped within her sunglasses for his unwanted flirtation routine. Sabrina would have to rescue him, but then, due to Reggie’s obnoxious behavior towards her, she’d trap him in a giant beach ball. Then the Flaming Lips would show up and Wayne Coyne would be in another giant beach ball. Then the Archies would jam with the Flaming Lips and perform the complete Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots album–the song “Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell” would be dedicated to Reggie Mantle.
“titular”
HEH.
Ah, yes, Archie! Always with the problems! Like weather to date THIS hot girl or THAT hot girl!
Bully: “not unlike the Mirror Master fighting Flash, this young woman has trapped Reggie Mantle within her sunglasses as revenge for a totally unwanted flirtation routine.”
That scans!
also:
FEEL BETTER, MIKE!