Cover: Bob Montana

Archie Comics #1

Nov 1942 · Archie · 0.10 USD

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★ Key event — Veronica Lodge★ Key event — Archie Andrews★ 1st appearance — Hermione Lodge★ 1st appearance — Cubby

About this Issue

Archie Comics #1 (Winter 1942) is the launch of what would become one of the longest-running comic book series in American publishing history, giving Archie Andrews — a character who had debuted just a year earlier as a backup strip in Pep Comics #22 — his own dedicated title. The issue established the template for the teen-humor genre that would define a generation of comics: the love triangle at the core of its lead story, the recognizable Riverdale high-school setting, and a supporting cast whose archetypes have echoed across decades of comics, television, and film. It also marks the first solo-title appearance of Mrs. Andrews, Veronica Lodge, Jughead Jones, Mr. Weatherbee, Miss Grundy, and Mrs. Lodge together in an Archie-branded book. As the direct ancestor of a franchise that reshaped how American publishers thought about non-superhero, character-driven anthology comics, this issue is among the most historically significant Golden Age debuts outside the superhero genre.

Contains 9 stories

Prom Pranks

8 pp · Teen

Mr. McQuiggan

In "Prom Pranks," Archie dreams up a perfect prom invitation for Veronica, only to have his plans upended when Betty accepts his real request—only to discover Jughead accidentally mailed the letter. Now caught between two promises, Archie faces the chaos of juggling two dates to the big dance.

That Old Oaken Bucket

9 pp · Humor, Anthropomorphic-Funny Animals

CubbyMr. Lion

Train Trouble

7 pp · Humor, Teen

Elmer Q. Pluggett (introduction)Eleanore (chicken)

Crime Wave in Bugland

7 pp · Anthropomorphic-Funny Animals

Bumbie

Pancakes in a Blackout

2 pp · Teen

When the air raid siren blares during a quiet morning, Archie finds himself juggling burning pancakes and the urgent need to blackout his house—two emergencies that can’t wait, and neither can be ignored.

Roses Are Red

6 pp · Anthropomorphic-Funny Animals

SquoimyAnnabelleMoe Squito

The Case of the Missing Mistletoe!

5 pp · Teen

Judy Price (introduction)Jerry Price (introduction)

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

6 pp · Anthropomorphic-Funny Animals

Judge OwlSpeedy RabbitTorty Tortoise (introduction for all)

Jughead's Day

6 pp · Sports, Teen

In "Jughead's Day," Jughead reluctantly steps in for an injured teammate during a high-stakes hockey game, knowing full well he’s no athlete—yet he plays anyway. When a series of hard hits leave him shaken, his mind spirals into vivid nightmares where Archie seems to be both the cause and the only one who can save him.

ComicBooks.com Value

Our Model is In Beta

Raw (Good) $4,730

CGC 8.5 · 1 in census $129,263*

CGC 8.0 · 1 in census $128,515*

CGC 7.5 · 1 in census $81,371*

CGC 7.0 · 2 in census $67,609*

CGC 6.5 · 2 in census $66,979*

CGC 6.0 · 1 in census $65,653*

Show all 17 grades ▾

CGC 5.5 none in existence

CGC 5.0 · 3 in census $46,759*

CGC 4.5 none in existence

CGC 4.0 · 6 in census $37,167

CGC 3.5 · 6 in census $21,900*

CGC 3.0 · 14 in census $16,949*

CGC 2.5 · 4 in census $16,949

CGC 2.0 · 5 in census $16,949*

CGC 1.5 · 1 in census $12,150*

CGC 1.0 · 4 in census $11,966

CGC 0.5 · 4 in census $7,975

* estimate — limited direct-sales data at this grade

Our model’s value — refined as new sales data arrives · CGC census counts shown where available

More listings for this title

2nd print $2 VF $2.99 GOOD $3.88 VF/NM $4 VF+ $5.19 VF+ $5.19 VF/NM $7.98 NM · Signed $50

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History

Archie Andrews was conceived by publisher John L. Goldwater, drawn by artist Bob Montana, and written by Vic Bloom, with Goldwater reportedly drawing inspiration from the popular Andy Hardy films starring Mickey Rooney as a model for a relatable, everyday teenage protagonist. Montana had originally pitched a four-boy strip concept to Goldwater, who reshaped it into a two-boy, two-girl configuration and settled on the name Archie after some negotiation; Montana and Harry Lucey then collaborated on the inaugural Pep Comics story. The immediate success of Archie's debut in Pep Comics #22 (December 1941) led MLJ Magazines — the company formed by Maurice Coyne, Louis Silberkleit, and John Goldwater, whose initials formed the company's name — to fast-track a self-titled quarterly series, with managing editor Harry Shorten overseeing the first issue and Bob Montana handling both cover and interior art duties.

Trivia · 7 facts

On-sale date: November 15, 1942 (cover-dated Winter 1942); published by M.L.J. Magazines, Inc. under editor Harry Shorten.
Cover and primary interior art by Bob Montana, with additional interior art by Joe Edwards; the issue ran 64 pages at a cover price of ten cents.
The lead story 'Prom Pranks' features Archie accidentally mailing a prom invitation to Veronica Lodge — a version of Veronica's arrival in Riverdale that directly contradicts the origin established in Pep Comics #26 (April 1942), one of the earliest continuity discrepancies in the franchise.
The issue contains an early appearance of the Crown Soda Shop, noted by the Grand Comics Database as the in-universe precursor to Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe, a setting that would become central to the Archie mythology.
The issue is an anthology: in addition to the Archie lead stories, it includes the humor strips Cubby, Bumbie, Squoimy, and a Judge Owl feature, reflecting the standard MLJ anthology format of the era.
Within roughly six months of this issue's publication, the radio program 'The Adventures of Archie Andrews' debuted on May 31, 1943, making the comic's first solo issue the immediate springboard for the franchise's multimedia expansion.
Stories from this issue have been reprinted in at least eleven collected editions, including Archie Firsts (Dark Horse, December 2010), Archie Archives Vol. 1 (Dark Horse, May 2011), the Archie Americana Series Best of the Forties (1991), and Best of Archie Americana: Golden Age 1940s–1950s (2017), attesting to its enduring canonical importance.