Archie Annual #5

Archie’s trying to keep his summer romance alive, but Veronica’s off at Sunset Lake with her family—so he convinces his dad to take a vacation at the same lake, hoping to stay close. But when Mrs. Lodge pulls the family back to Riverdale after just one day, Archie’s plan starts to unravel in ways he never expected.

In "The Apple Knocker," Archie takes on a week-long streak of Good Samaritan acts, earning praise until Mr. Lodge, eager to support the cause, gifts him a barrel of apples to hand out. When the wealthy businessman learns Jughead may have skipped washing the apples—thanks to a mix-up involving insecticide—he launches a frantic, apple-stealing spree across Riverdale, only to discover too late that Archie never even distributed them.

In this classic 1953 humor tale from Archie Annual #5, a beach trip takes a wild turn when Jughead’s lunch-eating spree prompts Archie and Reggie to send him out to sea on a surfboard—only to panic when he vanishes. Unbeknownst to them, the tide drifts Jughead back up the shore, where he stumbles upon Betty and Veronica before startling the boys with a ghostly visit at Archie’s doorstep, all while still wrapped in a white sheet.

In "Kiss and Run!", Reggie pulls a mischievous prank to stir up trouble between Archie and Veronica, calling Veronica to claim he saw Archie with Betty—then showing up at Betty’s window in an Archie wig and sweater, pretending to be Archie in a dramatic kiss. The story captures the classic teenage antics of the Archie universe with a playful twist, all in a lighthearted, six-page humor tale from 1953.

Archie tries a little kindness—well, mostly mischief—when he convinces the gang to throw a surprise party for Miss Grundy, hoping her newfound social life will make her ease up on the homework. With Jo and the others caught in the web of secret plans and misdirected pranks, it’s a classic case of teenage logic meeting teacherly suspicion.