Archie and Me #44

Part of the Giant Series lineup, this 1971 issue of Archie and Me kicks off summer fun with a sunny beach scene that says it all: a dazed Mr. Weatherbee clings white-knuckled to a colorful surfboard on the sand while Archie grins and cheers him on, with Veronica looking amused and an ice-cream-cone-holding Betty nearby — all while chaos erupts in the waves behind them. The cover caption, "Mr. Weatherbee, you didn't do too bad for the first time on a surfboard — you can let go now!", sets the playful tone perfectly for the issue's story, "Sweating It Out." At 25 cents for a Giant-sized issue, it's a warm slice of Riverdale at the beach that captures everything charming about the Archie universe.