Uh oh! Somebody put Archie Andrews in a hot wash an' shrunk 'im!
Panel from "Flapjack Fling" Little Archie Giant Comics #6 (Spring 1958); script, pencils, inks, and letters by Bob Bolling
I consider the Bob Bolling Little Archies masterpieces of kids' comics, right up there alongside John Stanley's Little Lulu, Barks's Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck, Fred Toole and Al Wiseman's Dennis the Menace, Sheldon Meyers's Sugar and Spike, and Walt Kelly's Pogo Possum. Witty, charming, and beautifully drawn, it deserves a big hardcover boxed set of several volumes collecting the complete Bob Bolling. How about it, Archie Comics? If you don't wanna, why not license the books to Fantagraphics? What, are ya scared? Nyah nyah nyah nyah!
Ahem. Little Archie makes pancakes.
Archie Andrews: Men's Rights Activist. Of course, antics ensue, mostly because that's what antics do.
Enter: Mom Andrews! It's "antics" like this that made her say to Fred: "Only one child!" In fact, pretty much everybody in Riverdale except the Joneses thought the same.
Man, I love that fourth panel above, with Betty and Veronica skipping down the stairs. Anyway, sitcom catastrophe is now set up, and the pay-off is coming in for a landing in five...four...three...
No harm done, then! Also, judging from his initial reaction, I think that French guy wants to have a menage a trois with Fred and Mary Andrews. But that's a whole 'nother comic book. Probably Pep. Anyway, all's well that ends well, and Archie has learned a valuable lesson, which was the whole point — hasn't he?
Pancakes!
Almost to the end now, but I really wanted to say how happy I am Pancakes won the survey.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Siskoid! I've already got my August theme picked out, but I hope to have a poll again towards the end of August to pick the subject for September!
ReplyDelete(No fair voting for "Pancakes Again!")
Saturn Girl was Archie's mom?
ReplyDelete