Today, in a special Monday edition of Archie Sundays (didn’t want to conflict with the Super Bowl), we look at who Archie first gave a Valentine to – Betty or Veronica?
This is Archie Sundays. Every week, I share a preview of the newest Archie Comics releases that week, plus occasional spotlights on the latest Archie news and whatever else I feel like discussing, Archie-wise.
As noted, I’m doing a Monday edition this week because of the Super Bowl. The only new Archie comic this week is an all-reprint Archie Showcase Digest, with a spotlight on Valentine’s Day stories. So I’ll share a FULL story from that comic (a classic Frank Doyle/Dan DeCarlo tale, with inks by Allison Flood and letters by Bill Yoshida), but first, I’ll answer a fascinating question (well, it fascinated me, at least) – who did Archie give a Valentine to first, Betty or Veronica?
The answer was revealed in the 1955 Archie’s Girls, Betty and Veronica Annual #3 (which I am pretty sure actually came out in 1954, but it MIGHT have come out in very early 1955), in a story drawn by the unsung Archie artist, George Frese, who sadly died in 1956.
The first person to get a Valentine from Archie? It was BETTY COOPER!
However, the twist (and there’s always a twist) is that Archie gave Betty a card because he planned on spending FIVE BUCKS on CANDY for Veronica Lodge, something that Archie found much more meaningful….
Sadly for him, Veronica didn’t think so…
Frese did another Valentine’s Day story in Archie’s Girls, Betty and Veronica #19 that was also in 1955, and since these comics weren’t exactly catalogued great, you might see someone suggest the story in #19 came out first. It definitely didn’t, since Archie’s Girls, Betty and Veronica #19 is advertising Archie Annual #7, while Archie’s Girls, Betty and Veronica Annual #3 is advertising Archie Annual #6, so the Betty and Veronica Annual definitely came first.
You might ask, “Wait, they waited for over a DECADE to do an Archie Valentine’s Day story?” Yeah, weird, but apparently true.
Anyhow, check out Dan Parent’s fun cover for the Showcase Digest: Archie’s Valentine’s Special, and the aforementioned Doyle/DeCarlo story…
ARCHIE SHOWCASE DIGEST #17: ARCHIE’S VALENTINE‘S SPECIAL
Love is in the air for Archie and friends! Celebrate the most romantic day of the year with these stories about dating dilemmas and cupid’s catastrophes!
Script: Various
Art: Various
Cover: Dan Parent, Rosario “Tito” Peña
On Sale Date: 2/14
192-page, full color digest
$9.99 U.S.
Very cute.
Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!
