Josie and the Pussycats #48
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeJosie and the Pussycats #48 (June 1970) is an early-run installment of the freshly retitled series, published the same year the Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon debuted on CBS — a moment of peak cultural convergence for the franchise. The issue presents the full, newly assembled cast that defined the Pussycats era: Josie, Melody, and Valerie alongside Alan M., Alexander, and Alexandra, the lineup that had only crystallized three issues earlier in #45. It also features Li'l Jinx and Archie-universe characters, reflecting Archie's omnibus anthology approach that kept the title accessible to the broadest possible readership. The stories here embody the post-1969 creative template — globe-trotting gigs, romantic rivalry, and comedic ensemble chaos — that would sustain the book through 1982 and inspire decades of adaptations.
In "Alex's Heavy Date," Alexandra’s antics take a magical turn as she tries to keep the Pussycats from their gig—first by trapping Alex, then by summoning spells to wreck his car. When her magic backfires and strands the band, they’re forced to accept a ride from her, leaving them with no choice but to let her steal the spotlight. Written by Dick Malmgren and brought to life with Dan DeCarlo’s signature style—pencils by DeCarlo and inks by Rudy Lapick, with lettering by Bill Yoshida—this 1970 issue delivers a delightfully chaotic chapter in the Pussycats’ adventures.
In "Alex's Heavy Date," Alex tries to win Josie's heart by having Alexandra use her witchcraft—only for the spell to go hilariously awry, landing on the Big-Ethel-like Gwendolyn instead. Written by the team behind the series and illustrated with their signature flair, this 1970 humor tale spins a lighthearted spell of mistaken affection.
In "Using His Head," Alexandra’s attempts to keep the Pussycats from their gig take a wild turn when she ties up Alex and spells his car into malfunctioning. With her magic leaving the group stranded, they’re forced to accept a ride from her — and, much to their dismay, let her take center stage.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
The series bearing this issue number was created by cartoonist Dan DeCarlo, who had refashioned the long-running Josie title (originally She's Josie, 1963) into a music-band vehicle after Hanna-Barbera approached Archie Comics about adapting a property similar to the hit Archie Show. The creative retooling concluded with issue #45 (December 1969), and by issue #48 the new roster of writers and artists — including Dick Malmgren (who co-created Valerie Smith) and Frank Doyle, with pencils from Gus Lemoine and Stan Goldberg and lettering by Bill Yoshida — was fully operational. Barry Grossman provided the coloring across the book's stories, part of Archie's consistent house-production model of the era.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Cover-dated June 1970; one of the earliest issues of the Josie and the Pussycats series, which was retitled from plain 'Josie' with issue #45 (December 1969).
- The series was created by Dan DeCarlo; Valerie Smith, who appears in this issue, was co-created by Dick Malmgren, who also scripted at least one story in #48.
- Valerie Smith (later also referenced as Valerie Brown in adaptation materials) is recognized as the first major Black character in Archie Comics, having debuted in #45 just three issues prior.
- The Hanna-Barbera animated adaptation premiered on CBS on September 12, 1970 — the same calendar year as this issue — making it a landmark in the franchise's cross-media expansion; the cartoon's Valerie became the first regularly appearing Black female character in Saturday morning animation.
- GCD reprint records confirm at least two distinct Pussycats stories in #48: one scripted by Dick Malmgren (pencils Gus Lemoine, letters Bill Yoshida, colors Barry Grossman) featuring Josie, Melody, and Valerie, and a second scripted by Frank Doyle (pencils Stan Goldberg) featuring the full ensemble including Alan M., Alexander Cabot III, and Alexandra Cabot.
- Issue #48 also contains a Li'l Jinx story (written and drawn by Joe Edwards) and a Veronica Lodge story (scripted and penciled by Dick Malmgren, inked by Jon D'Agostino), consistent with Archie's anthology format of bundling multiple feature characters per issue.
- Stories from this issue were later reprinted in Archie digest publications, including B&V Friends Double Digest Magazine, indicating their continued appeal to readers across decades.
- From 1970 onward, stories in the series revolved around the Pussycats traveling the country and world to perform, with Alan M., Alex, and Alexandra in tow — the storytelling formula this issue exemplifies.
Cast · 13 characters
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in Archie's TV Laugh-Out #21 (1973), Josie and the Pussycats #72 (1973), Laugh Comics Digest / Laugh Comics Digest Magazine / Laugh Digest Magazine #36 (1981), Archie's Double Digest Magazine #58 (1992), Laugh Comics Digest / Laugh Comics Digest Magazine / Laugh Digest Magazine #197 (2004), Tales from Riverdale Digest #5 (2005), Tales from Riverdale Digest #10 (2006), B&V Friends Double Digest Magazine #214 (2011), B&V Friends Double Digest Magazine #221 (2012), Archie 1000 Page Comics Celebration #[nn] (2014), B&V Friends Double Digest Magazine #240 (2014), The Best of Josie and the Pussycats #[nn] (2017)
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