Josie #17

The cover of this December 1965 Archie Series issue captures pure, cheerful chaos: a crowded dance floor packed with teens, a blonde girl in a red dress and a guy in a blue blazer cutting loose at the center, balloons and streamers everywhere, and a pair of mischievous monkeys scurrying underfoot — all while onlookers' speech bubbles credit the mayhem to Melody's accidental genius. Dan DeCarlo and Vincent DeCarlo deliver the kind of lively, expressive linework that made this era of Archie comics so irresistible. If a story called "The Decorator" can produce this much joyful pandemonium, it's a 12-cent purchase that earns every penny.