Archie's Girls Betty and Veronica #263
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeArchie's Girls Betty and Veronica #263 is a representative mid-run issue from 1977 that captures the series at a transitional cultural moment: one of its stories engages directly with the emerging video-game craze that was beginning to reshape American teenage leisure, with all the boys in the Riverdale gang ignoring the girls in favor of arcade games. The issue also continues the long-running tradition of folding Li'l Jinx backup stories — featuring her neighborhood foil Charley Hawse — into the Betty and Veronica anthology format, which served as one of the main vehicles keeping Joe Edwards's character in front of readers across multiple decades. The cover's miniature-golf scene was considered strong enough to be redrawn and reused for the cover of Archie's Double Digest Magazine #17, a testament to the compositional skill of the Archie bullpen during this era.
In "Verse Than Ever," Betty and Veronica take a surprising turn when they decide to master the video games that have suddenly captured every boy’s attention—determined to outplay the boys at their own game, just to prove a point. Written by George Gladir and brought to life with Dan DeCarlo’s signature charm and Barry Grossman’s vibrant colors, this 1977 classic captures a playful moment of rivalry and wit. The cover, also by Dan DeCarlo, perfectly captures the lighthearted tension of the moment.
In "Verse Than Ever," Veronica insists that she and Betty should be known as "Veronica and Betty" — not just for the rhythm, but because, as she puts it, it's easier to rhyme. The idea sets off a lighthearted debate about friendship, identity, and whether their bond is worth a song.
When the boys at Riverdale High ditch dating for video games, Betty and Veronica take matters into their own hands—literally. Determined to win back their attention, the girls dive into the world of arcade machines, hoping to outplay the boys at their own game.
In this lighthearted 1977 tale from *Archie's Girls Betty and Veronica #263*, Frankie finds himself oddly flustered by the sight of Maria in her swimwear at the beach—so much so that he impulsively tries to cover her up, much to the amusement of those around him. The story captures a classic moment of teenage awkwardness with a touch of humor, all in just five pages.
ComicBooks.com Value
This exact issue on ebay
Raw / ungraded ▾ $3.79–$5.68 2 listings
Read it digitally
Sell my copy
Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.
We Buy Collections ▸History
By 1977, the series was well into its third decade, produced under Archie Comics' standard assembly-line system using staff and freelance talent. The issue carries credits for George Gladir on script with Dan DeCarlo on pencils and Rudy Lapick on inks for at least one story — a collaboration typical of Archie's mid-1970s output. A Li'l Jinx story in the issue is credited to Bob Montana, who had died on January 4, 1975; this content is therefore reprinted or archival material drawn from Montana's long-running newspaper-strip work, consistent with Archie's established practice of recycling strip material as four-panel filler. The GCD notes that the clothing style and four-panel format of the newspaper-derived content place its original production in the late 1950s to early 1960s.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published 1977 as issue #263 of Archie's Girls Betty and Veronica, a series that ran from March 1950 to April 1987 for a total of 347 issues.
- One story features a gag built around video games, with all the Riverdale boys ignoring Betty, Veronica, and the other girls in favor of arcade gaming — an early reflection of the late-1970s video-game boom in Archie Comics storytelling.
- A Li'l Jinx backup story featuring her recurring foil Charley Hawse appears; Li'l Jinx was created by Joe Edwards and first debuted in Pep Comics #62 (July 1947).
- The Li'l Jinx content in this issue is credited to Bob Montana, who died January 4, 1975 — confirming it is reprinted or archival newspaper-strip material predating the issue's publication date.
- At least one story (Betty playing hard-to-get with Archie) is credited to writer George Gladir, penciler Dan DeCarlo, and inker Rudy Lapick — the core creative team of the Archie bullpen in this era.
- The issue's cover scene — Archie and Betty paired at a miniature golf course while Veronica looks on annoyed — was later redrawn and reused as the cover of Archie's Double Digest Magazine #17.
- The issue contains what the GCD identifies as a reprint of two late-1950s/early-1960s Archie syndicated newspaper strips, identifiable by the clothing style and four-panel format.
- Stories from this issue were reprinted in Betty and Veronica Comics Digest Magazine #14 (August 1985) and Betty & Veronica (Jumbo Comics) Double Digest #53 (September 1995).
Cast · 6 characters
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in Archie... Archie Andrews, Where Are You? Comics Digest Magazine #6 (1978), Betty and Veronica Comics Digest Magazine #14 (1985), The Jughead Jones Comics Digest #34 (1985), Betty & Veronica (Jumbo Comics) Double Digest #20 (1990), Betty and Veronica Comics Digest Magazine #44 (1990), Betty & Veronica (Jumbo Comics) Double Digest #21 (1990), Betty and Veronica Comics Digest Magazine #51 (1991), Betty & Veronica (Jumbo Comics) Double Digest #53 (1995), Archie Americana Series #4 (1998), Best of Archie Comics Betty and Veronica #1 (2014), Betty et Véronica #77
Key issues in Archie's Girls Betty and Veronica
Reviews
Reader reviews
No reader reviews yet.