Some elements of American pop culture transcend time or place and become iconic, as though they were always there. Archie Andrews, the quintessential American teen, and his friends, Jughead, Reggie, and especially Betty and Veronica, have spent over seven decades portraying the ups and downs of teenage life. Their stories prove as durable and identifiable for audiences today as the day they first appeared on newsstands.

Archie quickly took over the hero anthology Pep Comics shortly after his first appearance and was promptly given his own title, thereby sealing his status as the top teen comedy hero. The success of the comic took MLJ Publishing from a scrappy latecomer to a major powerhouse in the comics market. Despite an enormous print run, Archie Comics 1 has survived in astonishingly low numbers and top tier Archie collectors are notoriously known as the "black holes" of the collecting community, as once they're in a collection, they're never to be seen again. Archie Comics 1 is likely the single most difficult major Golden Age key to obtain after Pep Comics 22, Archie's first appearance. One of the most demanded and revered of comic book keys, this book never fails to elicit excitement when copies surface and regularly breaks records.

This professionally restored copy is a colorful, sturdy example of the kind of ribald humor that kept America's spirits buoyed during its darkest days. It's only typical of the John Wise collection to boast some of the scarcest and most important of Golden Age keys -- this is a sterling example.

Overstreet Guide 2013 VF- (7.5) value = $40,750

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