Pep Comics #53

From 1945, this MLJ/Archie anthology puts the freckled redhead front and center as Pep Comics #53 spotlights Archie Andrews in full athletic glory. Bill Vigoda's cover captures a delightfully chaotic baseball moment — Archie charges home in his striped uniform while a dark-haired girl in red throws her hands up in alarm, a smaller figure ducks out of the way, and a blonde onlooker gasps, all punctuated by the speech bubble "He's really going to be out!" A packed crowd cheers in the background, making this a wonderfully lively snapshot of small-town teen energy at a dime a copy.