Archie's TV Laugh-Out #80

This cheerful 1981 entry in Archie's TV Laugh-Out has all the hallmarks of Riverdale humor at its most relatable — on the cover, Archie is on his knees in tears during Drama Club rehearsal while an older woman and two girls (one holding a script, one looking on with crossed arms) debate whether his crying is real emotion or a desperate ploy to escape the school play. Stan G.'s cover art captures the scene with bright, energetic linework and a wonderfully comic staging that sets up the anthology's mix of gags perfectly. Inside, Dexter Taylor handles writing and art duties on "Critic at Large," promising more of the witty, lighthearted storytelling that made this series a staple of early-'80s Archie Comics.