Pep #258
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freePep Comics #258 holds a specific place in Archie history as the issue in which Coach Floyd Clayton — father of Chuck Clayton, one of the publisher's first prominent African-American characters — made his debut appearance in the pages of the long-running anthology. Chuck himself had been introduced just one issue earlier in Pep #257 (and in parallel Archie-line titles in mid-1971), making this immediate follow-up issue part of a conscious, two-step diversification of the Riverdale cast. The issue also exemplifies the 1971 Archie anthology format at its most typical: multiple creative teams delivering self-contained gag strips, a Li'l Jinx backup, and a cover cameo by Joe Namath — then at the height of his crossover celebrity — illustrating how Archie routinely wove real-world pop culture into Riverdale's fictional world.
In "Record Breaking," Archie finds himself in the unlikely spotlight when he accidentally fuels his trusty jalopy with Dilton's experimental rocket fuel, sending Mr. Lodge's record-setting race car into a tailspin. Written by George Gladir and illustrated by Gus Lemoine, with inks by Jon D'Agostino and colors by Barry Grossman, this 1971 classic captures the chaos and humor of Riverdale’s most outlandish moments—complete with a cover by Dan DeCarlo and Jon D'Agostino that perfectly captures the scene’s high-speed silliness.
When Archie accidentally fuels his jalopy with Dilton’s experimental rocket fuel, the resulting blast sends him careening through Riverdale—just as Mr. Lodge’s record-setting race car hits the track. The chaotic chase that follows turns the town into a high-speed obstacle course, with Archie’s unlikely rocket ride stealing the spotlight from Lodge’s polished machine.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
The issue was published in October 1971 under the editorship of Archie Comic Publications, arriving during a period when the company was actively expanding the racial diversity of its cast following the introduction of Chuck Clayton earlier that same year. Multiple veteran Archie creators contributed: Dan DeCarlo and Jon D'Agostino produced the cover; Al Hartley scripted and penciled the lead story 'Record Breaking' with D'Agostino inking; George Gladir scripted 'Speed Breed,' penciled by Gus LeMoine with D'Agostino on inks; Frank Doyle scripted 'Stroke of Luck' with pencils by Stan Goldberg and D'Agostino inking; and Joe Edwards both wrote and drew the Li'l Jinx segment 'Halfies,' consistent with his decades-long stewardship of that character.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published October 1971 by Archie Comic Publications, Inc.; 36 pages, full color.
- Coach Floyd Clayton — father of Chuck Clayton and athletic coach at Riverdale High — makes his first appearance in this issue, in the story 'Record Breaking,' drawn by Al Hartley and inked by Jon D'Agostino.
- Chuck Clayton, Archie's first prominent African-American male teen character, appears in this issue just one month after his own debut; he was created explicitly to add diversity to the Riverdale cast, though Valerie of Josie and the Pussycats predated him by several years.
- Cover art by Dan DeCarlo (pencils) and Jon D'Agostino (inks); DeCarlo was the defining visual architect of the classic Archie house style.
- New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath — then one of the most recognizable sports celebrities in America following Super Bowl III — is indexed as a character in this issue, reflecting Archie's regular practice of incorporating real-world celebrity figures.
- The story 'Speed Breed' (script: George Gladir, pencils: Gus LeMoine, inks: Jon D'Agostino) features Archie sabotaging Hiram Lodge's record-setting race car by filling it with Dilton's experimental rocket fuel; this story was later reprinted in Laugh Comics Digest #53 (July 1984).
- The Li'l Jinx backup story 'Halfies' — in which Jinx and Gigi debate splitting a found quarter — was written and drawn by Joe Edwards, creator of Li'l Jinx, who had been producing the character since her debut in Pep Comics #62 (1947).
- The story 'Stroke of Luck' (script: Frank Doyle, pencils: Stan Goldberg) was later reprinted in Betty & Veronica Jumbo Comics Double Digest #15 (October 1989).
Cast · 19 characters
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in Laugh Comics Digest / Laugh Comics Digest Magazine / Laugh Digest Magazine #53 (1984), Archie Comics Digest #68 (1984), Betty & Veronica (Jumbo Comics) Double Digest #15 (1989), Archie #14
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