Archie's Pal Jughead #79
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeArchie's Pal Jughead #79 (cover-dated December 1961) introduces the United Girls Against Jughead — a recurring organization that gave structure to the long-running gag of Riverdale's girls trying to crack Jughead's legendary girl-indifference, and which reappeared intermittently in the series through approximately 1970. The issue also carries serious weight in character-history debates: Grand Comics Database data suggests that Big Ethel (later Ethel Muggs) appears in the 'Tell It to the Judge' story here, potentially making this her actual first appearance — predating the widely-cited Jughead #84 by several issues. If confirmed, that would make #79 not merely a fun Silver Age Archie read but a genuine character-debut issue for one of the most enduring supporting players in the Archie universe. The cover itself — depicting Jughead in a horror-movie Creature from the Black Lagoon parody — is also a distinctive piece of Silver Age Archie cover design that stands apart from the series' usual fare.
In "Between Us Girls," Jughead finds himself on the TV quiz show Ask the Experts, where his expertise in food takes center stage—much to the delight of his friends, who’ve invested in his success with hopes of a payoff. With the final question looming, the tension builds as everyone watches, unsure if Jughead’s luck will hold. Art by Samm Schwartz brings the classic Archie charm to life, with the cover by Schwartz capturing the moment’s anticipation.
In "Between Us Girls," the Riverdale girls band together in a lighthearted mission to reform Jughead’s notorious girl-avoidance habits, launching a series of increasingly creative (and hilariously misguided) schemes to win him over—only to find his loyalty to his own habits is harder to crack than they imagined.
In "A Hopeless Case," Jughead’s usual indifference to romance takes a surprising turn when Gwen tries to win his attention at a party—only to discover his head in her lap has a very specific, utterly unromantic purpose. The story captures the classic Archie humor with Jo’s trademark laziness and Gwen’s exasperated charm, all in two perfectly paced pages.
In "Tell It to the Judge," Jughead finds himself unexpectedly cast as judge for the Riverdale High Beauty Contest, only to be swarmed by pleading boys all vying for their crush to win—plus a surprisingly involved Big Ethel. With charm and a clever twist, Jughead navigates the chaos in a way that keeps everyone guessing.
In "Quiz Quazy," Jughead lands a spot on the TV quiz show *Ask the Experts*, where his expertise in food takes center stage. With his friends betting on his success and pooling their money to cover travel and lodging, the pressure mounts as he nears the final question.
In "Space Joker," Jughead’s lunch gets stolen—by a Martian who’s been hiding in plain sight, disguised as a teenage delinquent. When Archie jokes about aliens blending in, the punchline comes alive in the most unexpected way, with the Martian causing chaos before vanishing into the crowd.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
The issue was produced at the height of Samm Schwartz's first, defining tenure as the lead artist on the Jughead solo title — a run that, by colleague Joe Edwards's account, was responsible for transforming Jughead from a comic-relief second banana into a fully realized star character. Schwartz pencilled, inked, and lettered the stories himself, giving the book a cohesive visual identity that is closely associated with the Silver Age Archie house style. The series was published by Archie Comic Publications, Inc. and the GCD notes that the on-sale date falls within the 1962 periodicals record at the Library of Congress, placing the actual newsstand availability in late 1961 or very early 1962 despite the December 1961 cover date.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published December 1961 (cover date) by Archie Comic Publications, Inc.; on-sale data per Library of Congress periodicals records places it on newsstands in late 1961 or very early 1962.
- First appearance of the United Girls Against Jughead, a recurring Riverdale organization that appeared intermittently in Archie comics through approximately 1970.
- Grand Comics Database indexing records Big Ethel (Ethel Muggs) appearing in the story 'Tell It to the Judge' — potentially her first comics appearance, predating the widely-cited debut in Jughead #84.
- All interior stories were pencilled, inked, and lettered by Samm Schwartz, who was the series' defining artist during the 1950s and early 1960s and is credited with designing the Big Ethel character.
- The issue contains at least four stories: 'Tell It to the Judge' (Jughead judges a beauty contest), 'Quiz Quazy' (Jughead as TV quiz-show contestant), 'Space Joker' (Martian-disguise comedy), and the United Girls Against Jughead lead story.
- The cover features a Creature from the Black Lagoon parody image — an unusual horror-film homage for a humor title that has drawn collector attention.
- This is noted as the first 12-cent cover-price issue for the series, marking a cover-price transition point in the title's run.
- The United Girls Against Jughead lead story was later reprinted in Archie Spotlight Digest: Archie 75th Anniversary Digest #12 (September 2017), confirming its lasting significance to the Jughead canon.
Cast · 13 characters
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Reprints
Reprinted in Archie's Favorite Comics from the Vault #[nn] (2015), Archie Spotlight Digest: Archie 75th Anniversary Digest #12 (2017), Archie Giant Comics Splendor #[nn] (2022), World of Archie (Jumbo Comics) Double Digest #119 (2022)
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