Johanna's Reviews: Betty & Veronica Summer Fun

Betty & Veronica Summer Fun
No writer or artist credits given
Archie Comics, 96 color pages, $10.95

This paperback collects summer-themed stories starring the Archie 
characters from 1960-1962 and 1964. (I don't know what was wrong with 
1963.) They're exactly what you expect -- guys and girls at the beach -- 
with the additional flavoring of an earlier era. For instance, the first 
story features Archie, Betty, and Veronica spending a day at the beach, 
where Archie spends all his time fetching and carrying for them. 
Everyone considers the girls fragile, delicate flowers, to be protected 
by an umbrella and kept from getting wet. 

If you pay attention, you'll notice other oddities, like the girls 
putting on what looks to today's eyes like cocktail dresses in order to 
leave the house on an urgent errand, or Veronica's swim cap making her 
look like she has purple hair, or Betty being outright mean in order to 
break up Archie and Veronica's relationship. The sheer variety of period 
swimwear illustrated is fun in itself. 

I was also surprised to learn that Veronica's pool, at least these days, 
wasn't heated. Certain jokes repeat themselves -- the need to protect 
swimsuits by keeping them dry or how much the girls hate to exercise -- 
but that's to be expected over a period of five years of throwaway kids' 
entertainment. The pinups and art style, though, indicate that the 
artists may have had Junior's dad in mind as well. 

The story I think I'll most remember is a two-pager early in the book. 
Betty and Veronica are admiring Archie while he's lifeguarding while 
jealous Reggie sneaks off to retrieve the shark outfit he's previously 
hidden in some nearby rocks. First off, why does this guy own a shark 
outfit? How easily is one purchased, anyway, let alone kept nearby just 
in case it's needed? Of course, Jughead happens to have a new spear gun, 
just the kind of toy I always bring to a fun afternoon outing at the 
beach. I bet you've guessed what happens. The punchline is the girls 
kissing Jughead for saving their lives, which he hates, while Archie 
mopes Reggie-as-shark is trying to hitchhike from a buoy. You just can't 
get entertainment like that anymore. 

The foreword is by Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island. 
She compares her character to Betty, arguing for the need for more 
competent positive female roles in modern entertainment.

-- 
Johanna Draper Carlson             
Reviews of Comics Worth Reading -- http://www.comicsworthreading.com