[MarkWarner]

After our last "True Life" book, we now move on to a Pep Comics anthology. As far as I can see see the reading group has not tackled one of this series before, so I think it is well overdue.

As a new upload suggested this to me , so it seems appropriate that we read that one. It is Pep Comics #64, which can be found here https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=70445. It's a free for all, choose what you want to comment on!

Happy reading!

[SuperScrounge]

No Body's Dummy - Seems atypical for an early Archie, in both style and, well, being funny. ;-) (Not that other '40s Archies can't be funny, but personally I don't think they became consistently funny until the late '50s/early '60s.)

Katy Keene - Cute.

Death Takes No Holiday - Okay, but what is it about circuses and crime? Based on comic stories you'd think these hives of villainry would be shut down as no good seems to come from them. And yet they must make a ton of money as the A plot seems to be some one causing trouble to get the circus owner to sell.

Man's Best Friend - Not bad, but when did Oscar become a Great Dane? Did the writer of this text story ever see how the artist drew Oscar?

Gloomy Gus - Amusing.

Willy the Wise Guy - Eh.

Li'l Jinx - Okay. Seems weird to see Edwards' art before he took on what I think of as the Edwards' style.

[bowers]

Pep Comics were among the first comics I downloaded many, many years ago, and I've read the first 65 issues. I'm probably in the minority, but I've never much cared for the Archie character or stories. I think the first one was in Pep 22, when he insisted everyone call him "Chick". (He didn't like his name) Mostly, I read Pep for The Shield and Hangman stories. The last Shield was in the issue after the one we are discussing. I understand the move from a hero comic to a "funny" comic, but that's when I quit downloading and reading them. I do like "funny" comics, but the later Peps just weren't that good or funny!

The Archie story was okay, just not my cup of tea.

My sister used to buy Katy Keene so I was familiar with the character. This one was good for what it was.

Enjoyed The Shield story, though not one of his best. I also wonder about the circus/crime connection.

Also enjoyed the Gloomy Gus feature. Good writing, fun art, and a quite different type of character!

The rest of the book wasn't bad, just a bit forgettable.

This issue was quite average, so just an "okay" rating from me. But thanks for reintroducing me to Pep Comics! Cheers, Bowers

[The Australian Panther]

In the 60's and 70's there were plenty of Archie Comics around and they were cheap in second hand shops. I read plenty of them. Many of them were reprints, but not of this vintage. Some good gags in the first story. I miss that kind of visual slapstick.
Bill Woggin's stuff must have been popular oweing to the number of books it was printed in and the number of reader contributions. This kind of thing would be on-line these days. I notice a couple of the designs were sent in by fellas. I get the impression Bill enjoyed drawing the designs.
Shield and Dusty. :- Irv Novick is another artist I like better early in his career than later. He is very creative with his layouts and his use of blacks. He's almost in Toth territory here. Story is pretty straightforward though.
Gloomy Gus:- I like how sometimes creators made their discontent with the industry known through their work.
''........ 18 of them would be cartoonists, editors and politicians. ' You know how those characters are - they can go to the devil by themselves.'
Willie the Wise guy:- practical joker gets his just deserts. or just doesn't get dessert.
Lil Jinx:- more slapstick. Strip went for quite a long time.
Pretty standard Archie Book, quite good for what it was.
Enjoyed looking at it.

[Captain Audio]

Still chuckling over the Archie story, would have made a great TV episode for the old B&W situation comedies. Maybe a Dobie Gillis ep, Dobie and Maynard being Clones of Archie and Jughead.

Haven't read any further yet, but this comic looks promising.

[Morgus]

My sister used to have the reprints of some of these oldies, and I always felt it was a rip off, since this was OLD Archie and not the new style. Now they amaze me with how subversive I find them. The covers always show provocative, hot Betty and Veronicas and Archie looks like missing link between humans and Howdy Doody. Very disturbing.
Read the Archie story and it was funny with the art average for the era. Forgot about Little Jinx so it was neat to see her in early action. Nice journeyman art through out.
As a kid everything had to be in strict categories to my way of thinking so the idea that Harvey or Archie had super heroes was something close to heresy. I remember STARING at the issue of Hot Stuff I got one year with the ad for Spirit reprints and not knowing who or WHAT they were talking about.
It was a different world, for sure. Anybody know why Charles Atlas wore that leopard print?

[lyons]

Good morning, Morgus.  Charles Atlas began as a skinny 97lb weakling who was bullied and really had sand kicked in his face by a beefy lifeguard in front of a pretty girl at Coney Island.  Perhaps the reason for the leopard print briefs was in acknowledgment that his special brand of isometric exercises began when he watched the lions and big cats at the zoo in their cages maintain their muscular structure by stretching.  He made millions on this new idea of exercising, and hey, when you're as manly as Charles Atlas, you get to wear leopard print.

[paw broon]

This was good fun.  I enjoy Archie comics but it's only in the last few years, thanks to the digest reprints, that I discovered the goofy looking Archie and I don't like of him like that.  But the story was really funny and he came over as a right klutz (is that the right word? I'd always say a clumsy sod) as he continued to be in the later stories.  The policeman is great and I loved all the jokes with the gun.  The misunderstandings and mis-interpratations all added loads to the fun.
Katy Keene is all very glamourous but that's about all.
Then The Shield appears and that's just great for me.  I've always loved that costume, and Dusty's, for that matter.  Once again, it's a skelp on the napper - a la Black Terror - which lays the hero out.
Gloomy Gus raised a wee smile.
Willy seemed poor stuff and it took me a while to figure out why the character looked familiar, and it's because in a couple of panels he looks very like a character in Viz.
Never been a big fan of Jinx, so it didn't do anything for me.  But the comic was highly entertaining in a good part of it - and there's The Shield.

[Captain Audio]

Charles Atlas kicked a Leopard's butt and stole his pants.

I'm reminded of one of the actors who played Tarzan in several movies and a short lived TV series getting so into his role that when on location a leopard strolled through the cam he sprang on it and tried to wrestle it. Luckily before the leopard killed him the camp cook smashed it on the head with an iron skillet. the actor was hospitalized for months bringing the series to an end. It was years before the claw marks healed enough that he could take his shirt off for the cameras.