Archie #194

The cover of this September 1969 issue captures a perfectly relatable summer predicament: Archie and Jughead, decked out in beach gear and clutching swim rings, have strolled into a bank's loan department only to sheepishly admit they need gas money just to reach the beach. A bemused bank officer sits across the counter while other customers look on, and the running gag is spelled out in cheerful word balloons above the whole scene — with a fun vignette of the gang dashing toward the surf stretched across the title banner above. Dan DeCarlo and Rudy Lapick deliver the warm, breezy linework that made Archie covers so appealing in this era, and at fifteen cents it was a genuine summer bargain.