Archie's Joke Book Magazine #2
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeArchie's Joke Book Magazine #2 is an early entry in what would become one of Archie Comics' longest-running humor titles, a series that ran continuously from 1953 to 1982. Published on January 5, 1954, the issue showcases the compact, gag-strip format — packed with dozens of half-page and single-page humor strips — that defined the series as a reliable anthology vehicle for virtually every major Riverdale character, including Professor Flutesnoot and Mr. Lodge alongside the core cast. As a second issue of the title, it helped establish the structural template and comedic rhythm that the series would maintain for nearly three decades. Several of its stories were reprinted in British Archie Annuals as early as 1959 and again in IDW's 2011 retrospective collection, confirming that the material held up as representative of the era's best Archie comedy work.
In "Water Ya Know!", Archie faces a mix of schoolyard chaos and mild academic pressure, from Mr. Weatherbee’s college advice to Miss Grundy’s curious phone call about "Archie's father." With a poem, a science lab explosion, and a surprisingly philosophical chat about punishment, Archie keeps his usual upbeat attitude—just as Bob Montana’s signature art brings the whole scene to life, both inside and on the cover.
In this delightfully absurd one-pager from *Archie's Joke Book Magazine #2*, Jughead delivers his signature brand of nonsense with a side of surreal humor—quipping about food, carving a statue for fun, feeding an elephant mothballs, and imagining Archie and Betty steeped in tea. The story captures Jughead’s wild, whimsical logic in a single, perfectly silly page.
In this lighthearted 1954 installment from *Archie's Joke Book Magazine #2*, Archie faces the usual classroom chaos when Mr. Weatherbee pushes him to consider college—only for Miss Grundy to accidentally phone "Archie's father" in a mix-up. From a disastrous science lab explosion to a poetic misfire and a math grade that leaves even Mr. Weatherbee scratching his head, Archie keeps his spirits high with his trademark optimism. As the school staff debates the finer points of discipline and potential, one thing’s clear: Archie’s knack for turning mishaps into moments of laughter is as strong as ever.
In this lighthearted 1954 gem from Archie's Joke Book Magazine #2, Archie tries to convince Jughead to buy him a soda—only to be met with skepticism after Jughead spots him with cash at the garage. When Archie claims he was just getting his battery charged, Jughead takes the pun literally and suggests charging the soda too, turning a simple request into a classic teen joke.
In this lighthearted 1954 gem from Archie's Joke Book Magazine #2, Veronica defends her green lipstick with flair while Betty can't resist a jab at her baking. The moment takes a playful turn when Veronica casually uses her bathing suit as a bookmark—just another day in the lives of these ever-dynamic teen rivals.
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The issue was edited by John L. Goldwater with Harry Shorten serving as managing editor — the same team that oversaw the broader Archie Comics line during its formative postwar expansion. The majority of the art is attributed to Bob Montana, the foundational visual architect of the Archie characters, though the GCD notes — on the authority of Ted Miller's son Grant Miller, communicated via the Comics History Exchange — that Miller ghost-penciled two one-page stories credited to Montana when Montana could not meet the production deadline; which two stories those are remains unconfirmed. Notably, the issue carried no advertisements, reflecting the clean, reader-focused magazine format Archie favored for the title. At least one story in the issue was adapted from Montana's Archie newspaper strip, specifically a strip dated September 8, 1951, illustrating how the comic and strip properties cross-pollinated material during this period.
Trivia · 8 facts
- On sale January 5, 1954, as recorded in the Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series, Vol. 8, Part 2, No. 1 (Periodicals, January–June 1954); published by Archie Comic Publications Inc.
- Edited by John L. Goldwater (editor) and Harry Shorten (managing editor), the core editorial team of Archie Comics throughout the early 1950s.
- Primary art attributed to Bob Montana, creator of the Archie characters; the GCD records that artist Ted Miller ghost-penciled two stories credited to Montana in this issue when Montana could not complete them before deadline — which specific stories Miller drew remains unknown.
- The issue contains no advertisements, consistent with the magazine-format presentation Archie used for the title.
- Characters appearing include Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Jughead Jones, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle, Mr. Lodge, Miss Grundy (Geraldine Grundy), Mr. Weatherbee, Professor Flutesnoot, Dilton Doiley, Moose Mason, and Pop Tate — making it a broad ensemble showcase of the Riverdale cast at this early stage.
- Professor Flutesnoot (Benjamin Flutesnoot), the Riverdale High science teacher, appears in a story where Mr. Weatherbee consults his electrical-course class to solve a domestic problem with his wife's iron.
- At least one story is adapted directly from the Archie newspaper comic strip (the strip dated September 8, 1951), an early documented example of strip-to-comic-book material repurposing within the Archie line.
- Stories from this issue were later reprinted in British Archie Annuals (Gerald G. Swan series, beginning around 1959) and in IDW's July 2011 reprint volume Archie's Joke Book #1: Great Gags from Great Archie Artists!, demonstrating the material's enduring editorial reputation.
Cast · 7 characters
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Reprints
Reprinted in Archie Annual #25 (1959), Archie Annual #26 (1959), Archie Annual #27 (1959), Archie Annual #28 (1959), Wilbur Comics #87 (1959), Archie's Joke Book #1 (2011), Archie's Joke Book #2, Archie's Joke Book #4, The Archie Gang #46
Key issues in Archie's Joke Book Magazine
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