Pep Comics #42
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freePep Comics #42 (on-sale July 1943) is a genuine cultural milestone in the history of Archie Comics: its Bob Montana cover — depicting Archie and Jughead in a radio recording studio while The Shield and Hangman lurk in blue shadow behind them — functioned as a public announcement that the company's superhero era was giving way to a teen-humor dynasty. The issue's interior 'G-Man Club' page trumpeted the launch of the Archie Andrews radio program on NBC's Blue Network, the franchise's first adaptation beyond the printed page and the beginning of a media presence that would run until 1953. It also marks the last Pep Comics cover on which The Hangman appeared as a featured figure, closing out a consecutive run that had stretched from issue #17. Taken together, the cover iconography and radio cross-promotion make this single issue the clearest snapshot of the precise moment Archie Andrews displaced a generation of Golden Age superheroes.
In "Diamonds of Death," Archie finds himself unexpectedly thrust into a high-stakes horse race after a mix-up at the Lodge estate, all while navigating a rivalry with Reggie and a surprise visit from Jughead. Written by Harry Sahle and illustrated by Sahle with inks by Ginger, this 1943 adventure blends humor and suspense as Archie’s morning ride with Jughead sets off a chain of events neither could have predicted. The cover, by Bob Montana, captures the tension with a classic, dynamic scene from the story.
In "Archie the Jockey," Archie finds himself unexpectedly thrust into the world of horse racing when Veronica invites him to the Lodge estate, believing he’s a natural rider. With Jughead’s late-night coaching and a last-minute switch, Archie is chosen to fill in for the sick jockey—just as the weekend’s big race looms.
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We Buy Collections ▸History
The issue was published by MLJ Magazines, Inc. under editor Harry Shorten, the editor who had shepherded Pep Comics since issues #22–23 and who presided over the calculated humour pivot beginning with #40. The Archie backup story — 'Archie the Jockey' — was scripted and pencilled by Harry Sahle, with inks by Janice Valleau (credited as 'Ginger'); Sahle had taken over the Archie feature from Bob Montana and was in the process of defining the character's look for wartime readers. The Shield feature ('Diamonds of Death') was drawn by Irv Novick, and The Hangman story was illustrated by Bob Fujitani (signing as 'B. Fuje'), while the new humor serial 'Marco Loco, Adventurer' — debuting in this issue — was the work of Carl Hubbell, replacing the long-running 'Bentley of Scotland Yard' strip that had ended the previous month. The on-sale date of July 16, 1943 is verified by the Catalog of Copyright Entries, Part 2, Periodicals, 1943.
Trivia · 7 facts
- The Bob Montana cover carries a large banner reading 'Archie Talks — Tune in Your Radio over the Blue Network,' directly cross-promoting the Archie Andrews radio program that debuted on the NBC Blue Network on May 31, 1943, and ran until 1953.
- This is the final Pep Comics cover on which The Hangman appeared as a prominently featured character; he had appeared on every cover from #17 to #42, a streak launched by the death of The Comet in issue #17 (July 1941).
- The Archie story, 'Archie the Jockey,' was scripted and pencilled by Harry Sahle with inks by Janice Valleau (as 'Ginger'); it introduced Mr. Lodge (here oddly given the placeholder name 'Lodge Lodge III') in a story continued into issue #43 — though sources note that this is sometimes incorrectly described as Mr. Lodge's debut.
- The Shield feature, 'Diamonds of Death,' was drawn by Irv Novick, and The Hangman story was drawn by Bob Fujitani (as 'B. Fuje') — two of the principal superhero artists carrying the MLJ stable at this stage of the Golden Age.
- The issue debuts the humor serial 'Marco Loco, Adventurer' by Carl Hubbell (running through #52), replacing 'Bentley of Scotland Yard,' as part of the editorial shift toward comedy that had been building since issue #40.
- The Captain Commando and Boy Soldiers story, drawn by Irv Novick, features Adolf Hitler and Nazis as villains, with Abraham Lincoln appearing in a dream cameo — combining the wartime superhero tradition with the patriotic tone typical of MLJ's WWII output.
- The Archie story from this issue has been reprinted in Dark Horse's Archie Archives (2011 series) #2 (October 2011) and again in Archie Archives (2015 series) #2 — Spring Fever and Other Stories (May 2016).
Cast · 22 characters
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Reprinted in Archie Archives #2 (2011), Archie Archives #2 (2016)
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