Jughead with Archie Digest #17

When Jughead suddenly starts speaking in rhyme—and the habit spreads like wildfire through Riverdale High—everyone from Archie to the principal is trapped in a verse-filled frenzy. With rhyming now the only way to speak, Betty and Veronica join forces on a bold mission: the only cure might just be a well-placed head-slap to the source of the nonsense.

In "Do or Diet," Jughead’s sudden decision to go on a diet throws a wrench into his usual routine—enough so that Principal Weatherbee appoints him in charge of the school carnival’s refreshment stand. But when the smell of burgers starts to cloud his resolve, even the most disciplined of diets might not stand a chance.

In "Pass the Word," Archie’s attempt to smooth things over with Veronica by having Betty deliver a simple "You, too!" spirals into chaos when the message gets twisted through a chain of misunderstandings. What starts as a harmless note quickly unravels as each teen misinterprets the phrase, turning a small gesture into a full-blown feud across the whole group.

In "Will Power," Jughead faces a moral dilemma when Pop raises hamburger prices, prompting him to resist temptation—until Big Ethel offers to buy them for a price: a kiss. With his usual appetite warring against his pride, Jughead must decide how far he’s willing to go to satisfy his hunger.

In "The Ancient Rights," Mr. Lodge and Fred hit the pavement for a jog, only to be outpaced by Archie, Jughead, and the gang with effortless ease. As the teens breeze ahead, the two fathers pause to appreciate the one thing time has granted them: the luxury of being able to stop and catch their breath.

In "The Drop Out," Reggie makes a dramatic exit from the Archies to form a supergroup with the town’s top musicians, but even top talent can’t spark the magic he’s missing—soon, he realizes the real rhythm was always back where he started.

In "Match Me!", Archie and Veronica clash over money, with Archie insisting there’s no shame in being poor and Veronica countering that wealth has its perks—each enlisting Betty to back their side in a surprisingly heated debate.

In "Open and Shut Case," Jughead faces a surprisingly simple challenge: keeping his eyes open in the sunlight. Reggie’s persistent push to see the world with eyes wide open leads to a moment of comic confusion when Jughead discovers the bright light makes it impossible to see at all.

In "Postage Due," a scheming villain with a grudge and a flair for disguise targets Mr. Lodge and his associates, using a mysterious perfume to sabotage their business after they ruined his career. When the post office is robbed and the culprit slips away as a mailman, Archie steps up as the unlikely hero—Captain Pureheart—blundering his way through a series of comedic misadventures to catch the culprit and restore order.