Pep #356

The Riverdale gang crowds the top of this cover in full 1979 style, while the two-panel strip below tells a perfectly timed comedic story: a confident student schemes to offer carrying a new girl's books, only to discover she's already lugging an improbable, towering stack of them — the "class brain," as the punchline makes clear. Dan DeCarlo and Jim DeCarlo's cover art captures that signature Archie charm, with snappy expressions and bright colors that make the gag land before you've even opened the book. At just 40 cents, Pep #356 is a warm slice of the lighthearted humor the series did so well.