Archie Giant Series Magazine #161

When Jughead falls into a funk after Pop's closes due to Pop's illness, Archie and Reggie rally to help—stealing the key from Mr. Tate and transforming the shop into a bustling hub of food and fun. With Veronica, Betty, and Moose orchestrating a crowd-pleasing campaign that even involves some enthusiastic dragging, the whole town is drawn in—just as Mr. Tate, struck by visions of Jughead's appetite, arrives to find the place packed with smiling customers.

When a mysterious rock crashes to Riverdale during a downpour, Jughead’s curiosity gets the better of him—only to find himself suddenly packing super strength. Suddenly, every girl in town is noticing him, much to his dismay, as his usual quiet life takes a wildly unexpected turn.

Jughead, down to his last Yugoslavian Pfennig, dreams up a wild scheme: painting a rainbow with a pot of gold at the end, hoping to cash in on the mythical reward. With nothing but his imagination and a brush, he sets out to turn a whimsical idea into real cash—no matter how far-fetched it seems.

In "False Lead," Jughead joins forces with Cricket O'Dell, the girl who can sniff out money, for a high-stakes boy-girl treasure hunt sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce—only to find their partnership derailed when her talent is deemed "not legal." Forced to compete with a ribbon tied around her nose, the unlikely duo must navigate the clues with nothing but luck and a shared love of snacks.

In "A Loan and Blue," Archie asks Jughead for a dollar, only to be met with an over-the-top, wildly imaginative performance from his best friend—Jughead spins a full-blown, absurd tale to prove why parting with a single dollar would be a catastrophic mistake. Written with classic Archie charm and drawn with expressive flair, the story captures the duo’s timeless dynamic in a perfectly paced, laugh-out-loud five pages.