Archie Comics #3
Archie Comics #3 (cover-dated Summer/June 1943) is one of only a handful of issues from the series' first year of existence, published while the Riverdale cast was still being assembled and refined during the Golden Age. The issue captures the Archie universe in its earliest wartime form — including a story in which Betty and Veronica host a dance for soldiers, grounding Riverdale firmly in the World War II home-front culture that shaped the series' initial audience appeal. As one of the first three issues of what would become comics' longest-running humor series, it stands as primary-source evidence of how MLJ Magazines was constructing the comedic, character-driven teen formula that would eventually reshape the entire American humor-comics market and outlast nearly every superhero title of its era.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
The series launched from M.L.J. Magazines Inc. — the predecessor company that would rename itself Archie Comic Publications in 1946 — following the breakout success of Archie Andrews in Pep Comics beginning in December 1941. The initial Archie characters were the creation of publisher John L. Goldwater and artist Bob Montana, working with writer Vic Bloom, with Montana having developed the concept partly from a four-boy adventure strip he had tried to sell earlier. By the time issue #3 reached newsstands in 1943, Montana had already entered U.S. Army service, and the GCD credits for this period note that creator credits are partially reconstructed from later reprint editions, reflecting the informal production practices of wartime Golden Age comics publishing.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Cover-dated Summer/June 1943; published by M.L.J. Magazines Inc. (predecessor to Archie Comic Publications), the third issue of the self-titled Archie Comics series that debuted in Winter 1942.
- The issue contains a story in which Betty and Veronica host a wartime dance and invite soldiers — a direct reflection of WWII home-front themes woven into the Riverdale setting during the series' first year.
- Characters confirmed in the issue by the Grand Comics Database include Archie Andrews, Fred Andrews, Mary Andrews, Jughead Jones, Veronica Lodge, Betty Cooper, and Mr. Lodge, establishing most of the core cast together this early in the series' run.
- Cubby, a funny-animal backup-strip character, appears in this issue as part of MLJ's anthology-style format in the earliest Archie issues — a holdover from the multi-feature structure common to Golden Age comics.
- The GCD notes the issue's table of contents page carried a notice that both of the preceding issues — Archie Comics #1 and #2 — had sold out entirely, indicating strong reader demand even at this embryonic stage of the series.
- Primary artist Bob Montana, who designed the visual template for Archie and all his friends, was the guiding creative force on the series in this period before his World War II Army service interrupted his involvement.
- The contents of this issue were reprinted in Archie Archives (Dark Horse, 2011 series) #2, making the Golden Age stories accessible to modern readers in an archival hardcover format.
- Reggie Mantle, though indexed as appearing in this issue, had already made his debut in Jackpot Comics #5 (Spring 1942) — meaning any appearance here is an early recurring role, not a first appearance.
Cast · 10 characters
Full credits
Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
Mr. Spitball just might donate a nice sum of money to Riverdale High School. Unfortunately, Archie's playing on the baseball team when Mr. Spitball goes to a game.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).