Archie's Girls Betty and Veronica #24
Published in May 1956, 'Archie's Girls Betty and Veronica' #24 is a representative mid-run entry in one of Archie Comics' most enduring titles—a series that ran an unbroken 347 issues from 1950 to 1987 and served as the primary showcase for the Betty–Veronica rivalry that defines the publisher's identity. The issue falls squarely in the period when Dan DeCarlo was actively reshaping the visual language of the Riverdale universe, penciling multiple stories here alongside inker Rudy Lapick in a collaboration that would eventually produce the definitive Archie house style. It also features a guest appearance by Wilbur Wilkin, a character who actually predates Archie Andrews himself, giving the issue an unexpected historical footnote connecting two distinct eras of the publisher's lineage.
In "Mask Her Aid!", Archie’s confidence in his own driving skills takes a hilarious turn when he insists women are terrible drivers—only to find himself hilariously outmatched while pushing a shopping cart through the supermarket, distracted by chatter and window gazing. Written by Frank Doyle and illustrated by George Frese, this 1956 classic captures the charm and humor of early Archie comics with a lighthearted twist on gender stereotypes and everyday mishaps.
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The issue was produced by Archie Publications under the editorial and artistic conditions typical of mid-1950s Archie output: short anthology-format stories (the issue runs 36 pages in full color at a ten-cent cover price) by a rotating stable of freelancers. Dan DeCarlo, who had begun contributing to the series as early as 'Archie's Girls Betty and Veronica' #4 (1951) while simultaneously freelancing for Atlas/Marvel, was by this point a regular penciler on the title and was being encouraged by editor Harry Shorten to draw in his own style rather than strictly imitating Bob Montana's earlier look—a creative freedom that would lead to DeCarlo becoming the definitive visual architect of Archie Comics by the late 1950s. Scripter Frank Doyle, one of the most prolific writers in Archie's history, also contributed at least one story to this issue.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Cover-dated May 1956, published by Archie Publications; GCD records an on-sale date of March 1, 1956, placing it firmly in the Silver Age.
- Contains seven stories across 36 full-color pages, including 'Mask Her Aid!' (art: Tom Moore), 'Sleepy Time Gal!' (pencils: Samm Schwartz, inks: Terry Szenics), 'Fee for Two' (script: Frank Doyle, pencils: George Freese, inks: Terry Szenics), and 'Baited and Dated,' 'Some Dish,' 'The Right Man,' and 'Phoneitus' (all penciled by Dan DeCarlo, inked by Rudy Lapick).
- Dan DeCarlo pencils the majority of the issue's stories—his collaboration with inker Rudy Lapick during this era is credited across multiple sources as foundational to establishing Archie Comics' enduring visual house style.
- Wilbur Wilkin appears in this issue; he is historically notable as a character who debuted in 'Zip Comics' #18 (September 1941), three months before Archie Andrews' own first appearance, making him arguably Archie Comics' (then MLJ Magazines') first successful teen character.
- Frank Doyle, one of the most prolific writers in Archie Comics history, scripted at least one story ('Fee for Two'), in which Jughead explains to Reggie the secret of how Archie strings along both Betty and Veronica simultaneously.
- The issue was digitally reprinted by Archie Comics and made available as an ebook (Amazon Kindle), preserving the original stories with a disclaimer noting the historical context of their creation.
- Part of a series that ran 347 issues (1950–1987) and included eight annuals; 'Archie's Girls Betty and Veronica' was the primary dedicated title for the Betty–Veronica dynamic before being relaunched as simply 'Betty and Veronica' in June 1987.
- No confirmed major first appearances of new characters have been identified in this specific issue by key-issue databases or collector resources.
Cast · 14 characters
Full credits
Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
Archie tells Betty that he wouldn't let her or any woman drive his car because women are such terrible drivers because they talk too much and stare at shop windows while driving. While pushing a shopping cart in the supermarket Archie gets into numerous accidents because he's too busy talking rather than watching where he's going.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).