jhsharman

[jhsharman]

I did get an interesting response for this from a retired musician and old Queer man (and who I had batted around a few era and cultural referencing questions over to). You don't think perhaps that phrase was the poor best option available because "sex-addiction" isn't G-rated? And Betty could be referring to a more mature regard of women & men as social equals?  Or... you probably did, but decided that it's more entertaining to speculate on the born-again hustle, speshly if some of the strip's authors reeked of that. Ignorant of Archie's creators and Al Hartley. Pull apart the lines of sublimated hormone suggestions at your will. Beyond this, the man recounts -- This retrieved a memory from age 16 involving the high school lunchtime chat group of 7 or 8 I was in until I moved to the weed-smoking bunch the following year -- from his account of the jealous meat-head intruding here and the social dynamics confusing him as a closeted gay man, it is probably best he took in with the pot-heads.

My Better Buddy Betty

Despite what you hear. Despite his reputation. Archie does not score. Ever. It is a family comic book, after all.

And Al Hartley gets really strange here. Witness Betty's elaborate attempt at scoring with Archie.

I have to lay aside the awkwardness of the name -- closeted transgender? -- and wade into the next. Like, if this were part of contemporary fiction and by someone not a fundamentalist born again right wing Christian, I would mark this concept as heavy handed commentary -- stilted parody of gay conversion therapy. "Scare the Straight Away", as it were.

You can say this: Al Hartley did come in with vision, and commentary one can comment on. But it really was overall insane at times.

[jhsharman]

the Psychological Game

Noting the angles of Reggie's strike, and the ball's bounce. What accounts for its steeper jump in the second?

[jhsharman]

"Hat's Off"

"Infamous" beanie?

[jhsharman]

sunburns

[jhsharman]

"The kiss of life"

[jhsharman]

"double takes"

Twins? Clones? Robot doubles?

[jhsharman]

"Size Surprise"

They either blanched at the shirtless miniature pro-wrestler, or they wanted to pay tribute to the Ditko Charlton hero -- and ONLY the first version (note the definite article "the").

[jhsharman]

play dead

can't have the soda lying next to the comics

[jhsharman]

When the Red, Red Robin Comes Jog, Jog, Joggin' Along

Need Mary's curlers match her hair color?

[jhsharman]

"Twist of Hate", "Archie the Musical", "The Write-Off"

"Frenemy" history.

[jhsharman]

"Glove Dove"

Could be worse. Could be Randy Johnson, spring training, pitching a fastball and -- exploding bird. This one survived. (Baseball highlights. I am not linking to an exploding bird.)

[jhsharman]

The Get Together

I suppose Mr. Lodge is moving his index finger into the aim and shoot position now. Except --

[jhsharman]

chopped wood

Betty is now playing with her ponytail. Jughead is having more trouble carrying the logs.

[jhsharman]

"Moose Mess"

Arithmetic Fail. An indictment of the American educational system right here.

Fixed later.

[jhsharman]

Very special issue in Archie Comics where Mr. Weatherbee goes all Big Brother on us. The "4" looks like a " 9" though. 1989 is here!

Oh, Dilton. And you're the genius?

Miss, Ms. 1984 was notorious for changing character names in reprintings.

Always been at war with smoking.

Now it's 1984

A definition of irony.

An interesting issue, incidentally. The problem comes out, though, that things have moved apace such that a modern reader's reaction might be an "And --?"

[jhsharman]

The Iron Bulldog

No label.

Utilitarian Gray coach's sweatshirt.

[jhsharman]

"Look Who's Watching"

"Mom. What does 'Censored' mean?"

" Wait. Let me see that. Ohmygod!"