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It seemed to me (and a lot of people at the tim) that the whole "Great Experiment" was done because Archie Comics felt compelled to say that Jughead wasn't gay just because he didn't like girls. It felt incredibly lame at the time.

Actually, the Jughead going back to normal thing was fully resolved in Jughead #19, wherein Forsythe P, embittered by his experiences, turned into a vehement misogynist. After Betty confronts him for writing a fairly bilious (Well, as a bilious as an Archie comic would allow) woman-hating song for The Archies, he tearfully confesses that he was just tired of being hurt.

I remember reading a story where a certain pin on Jughead's hat caused him to be irresistable to women. He wasn't happy about it.

What I always found funny about Jughead was the fact girls were supposed to go crazy when they heard his name "Forsythe." That is why he is called Jughead. Speaking of one-off characters, who could forget The Brain, the smartest girl in school, who's main goal in life was to get Jughead to fall in love with her?

That's a conveniently placed sand dune on the cover of that digest there.

Wendy Weatherbee is surprisingly hot. Like Josie hot.

Actually, the Jughead going back to normal thing was fully resolved in Jughead #19, wherein Forsythe P, embittered by his experiences, turned into a vehement misogynist. After Betty confronts him for writing a fairly bilious (Well, as a bilious as an Archie comic would allow) woman-hating song for The Archies, he tearfully confesses that he was just tired of being hurt.

You're absolutely right, Layne.

I should have said that the whole "Jughead as a player" idea came to a head in #18, while the next issue brought it back to normal.

Good call.

I remember reading a story where a certain pin on Jughead’s hat caused him to be irresistable to women. He wasn’t happy about it.

Yeah, there was a story like that, but I dunno if it is "in continuity" for the comics. It is sort of like the early 80s explanation for how no one realizes Clark Kent is Superman - because Superman is sub-consciously constantly doing super-hypnotism (focused through his glasses) on people to make them think Clark Kent looks dumpy.

* Insert Chasing Amy reference *

Part of me wants to say that Jughead wasn't interested in girls because he was a late bloomer and just wasn't ready. Another, louder part of me thinks that he has a " hamburger girlfriend " a la Peppermint Larry's Candy Wife on The Misadventures of Flapjack. I think I best stop there.

Would that be anything like Odin Quincannon and his meat, Nitz?

" Would that be anything like Odin Quincannon and his meat, Nitz? "

If I had brought that up, not only would it have been too disgusting, but also too predictable for anyone with even a cursory knowledge of me

I havent bought or read Archie in a long time, but holy crap!
That last cover just looks horrible, and so not the usual Archie art style!
Is that really how they draw them now?

And wasnt Jughead's first true love Betty Crocker? I remember a story where he was all in love with her because of all the good food, so his friends had to convince him she wasnt 'real' or something like that.

I AM:

That was a Bloom County story.

Am I the only one who REALLY WANTS Warren Ellis to write Archie? Wouldn't that be sweet? Warren Ellis? Writing Archie? Oh man. Jughead would really be in trouble then. In widescreen, no less.

That’s a conveniently placed sand dune on the cover of that digest there.

I don't get it.

Actually, yeah, I don't get it, either.

Elaborate, Michael!

Good article. I knew about most of them. They've mostly gone to a "He doesn't dislike girls...and really isn't opposed to dating them...he just prefers food more. And since dating takes money..." stance.

It does keep them away from the 'is he gay' issue, as well as taking them past the "He Man Woman Haters Club" from Our Gang.

I like how they've handled Jug and his romantic entanglements. He hasn't truly 'flipped', and is interested in more than just a body. When the right woman comes along, he'll handle it.

I also am very pleased with how they've improved Ethel. Once they stopped going for 'ugly', they made her lovely in her own way. And more than a few times, they've played on her being tall and gawky, and how she handles it. (Too gawky for cheerleading, but that height is good in Volleyball...).

I think that Michael is talking about the 2nd last cover where a sand dune is covering that girl's feet (I don't read Archie so I have no idea who she is), the reason being is that some artists (eg Rob Liefeld) can't draw feet so just put stuff in front of them, but I could be completely wrong. Michael's comment also made me realise how many of these covers are on a beach, which is a lot.

"I havent bought or read Archie in a long time, but holy crap!
That last cover just looks horrible, and so not the usual Archie art style!
Is that really how they draw them now?"

It's the curse of Al Milgrom.

Why are Jughead's pants so baggy?

I realize that this is alittle off-topic, but what's the deal with Jughead's hat? Did people ever really wear hats like that?

"I realize that this is alittle off-topic, but what’s the deal with Jughead’s hat?
Did people ever really wear hats like that?"

He needed to wear the hat in order to access his super powers. No, really!

Really couldn't care about the characters, but I'd be remiss if I didn't share this.

"I realize that this is a little off-topic, but what’s the deal with Jughead’s hat? Did people ever really wear hats like that?"

Jughead's hat is a regular men's hat (like a fedora, but with a smaller crown. Maybe a derby?) with the brim cut into points and bent straight up. It's something kids do to their father's old hats for fun, or auto mechanics do to create a hat that will keep grease out of their hair but won't have a brim that may obstruct vision. Look at comic strips from the 1920's thru the 1940's -- it it shouldn't take too long to find a kid wearing a hat like Jughead's. Or watch the Andy Griffith Show -- Goober Pyle (an auto mechanic) usually wore one.

Except Jughead's hat has "points" that are impossibly long. But that's just because even the artists have forgotten how you make a Jughead hat...

the way Jughead is drawn on the 3rd cover (Jughead 123) makes me think of Stan Laurel.

I really enjoyed Jughead's Time Police. Surprisingly good.

I'm suprised nobody mentioned the U.G.A.J. - United Girls Against Jughead! An organization devoted to preventing Jughead's girl-hating philosophy from spreading to other boys by getting him fixed up.

Magic Hat indeed! Complete with OATH!

"Teenie weenie magic beanie, pointing towards the sky-give me muscle, vigor, strength, form a SUPER guy!"

and bickity-bam, Captain hero arrives!

Sorry, but I really do think Jughead is gay., and frankly, it's all the fault of those who created the characters in the first place, and those who modified them thereafter. If Jughead was a character in a movie, it would be taken for granted--while also unspoken--that he's gay. He's the typical gay cliche of mid-20th century America. The earlier Jughead stories, where he's "dating" Betty or Veronica clearly shows his indifference to females, while the later stories seem to be lame responses to the "Jughead is gay" argument. And even those stories depict Jughead's interest in girls as being somewhat tongue-in-cheek. So either he's gay or he has the social development of a six-year-old (girls are icky).

It's rather comical (no pun intended) that by the time it becomes acceptable for a character like Jughead to be acknowledged as being gay, the people writing & drawing the books then will say "But of course he was always gay! Everyone knew that!" and it'll be no big deal. After all, somewhere in the Archie universe there has to be a gay character, and if Archie is to maintain any kind of relevance to real life--and real life love interests--Jughead, or Dilton, or Mr. Weatherbee, or Miss(!) Grundy, or Pop Tate...somebody will have to come out. It doesn't have to mean that Jughead will start chasing after his friends, or even Pride Parades in Riverdale, but there might be a Gay-Straight Alliance at Riverdale High. Wouldn't Jughead's relationship with his friends be more poignant knowing that he might be attracted to them, but won't risk their friendship by admitting it? Wouldn't that speak volumes to every gay teen that ever read an Archie comic more powerfully than any clumsy attempt to "fix up" Jughead with a girl? Imagine the drama and suspense in such storytelling!

I could see Pop Tate as gay...

Hey, thanks so much for the Jughead history. I'm 28 yrs old, and I have wondering about Jughead's many girlfriends that pop in and out since I was 16. Naturally, I haven't read comics since then to find out, but now I'm caught up. Thanks!!