Pep Comics #287 (2026 Comic Book & Graphic Novel Reading Challenge)

With a cover teasing the most one-sided snowball fight of all time, winter fun is the theme to this 1974 issue of Pep Comics. The opening story virtually has no dialogue, except for an exclamation from Archie that closes everything with a punchline. In 'Archie Says "It's Always the Same Old Story on a Weekend Ski Trip", Archie and Reggie head to the slopes. The tale is narrated like one of those Disney mockumentaries starring Goofy, as it's explained what to expect when you make an impromptu trip to the mountains. The unseen voice regales the reader with narration of a magical weekend ski trip while in reality we see everything go wrong for Archie and Reggie.

Follow up stories include Li'l Jinx engaged in a good ol' fashioned 1970s battle of the sexes. The task at hand: who makes a better pilot; men or women? But since Jinx and her pal are way too young to fly a commercial airliner, they'll have to settle for figuring out who can fly the better paper airplane. 

Archie bemoans a sudden snow storm in one yarn while Reggie and Moose struggle to get Archie up in time for a big game. Rounding out the issue are one-page gags starring Coach Kleats and Big Ethel as well as prize winning reports from members of 'Archie's Club News'. There's also a pin-up in which Archie gets Jughead to wrap him inside a giant gift wrapped box as Veronica's Christmas present. It's the only holiday themed part of this issue.

There are no creative credits anywhere to be found in this issue. But according to MyComicShop.com, Dan DeCarlo penciled the cover, Bob Bolling was the artist behind the ski trip opener and the Li'l Jinx story was written and illustrated by character creator Joe Edwards.

Completing this review completes Task #25 (An Archie Comics release from the 1970s) of the 2026 Comic Book and Graphic Novel Reading Challenge.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 10 out of 10 stars.

Archie Giant Series #219

My childhood dentist used to give you a free comic book at the end of your visit. Based on what he had to offer, my favorite selection were the Archie Digests as they were huge. And if you could get your hands on a Little Archie Digest, you were golden! 

One of the highlights were the Li'l Jinx stories that were peppered in. At the time, I didn't know that the digests were primarily, if not entirely reprints. As I had never run across a Li'l Jinx led comic book before, I thought that you'd only find Li'l Jinx in the pages of Little Archie Digest. Just this year I learned I was wrong!

Li'l Jinx debuted in Pep Comics way back in 1947. She then appeared in her own comic way back in 1956 before it became Little Archie. A small revival in the early 70s of a short-lived Giant series called Li'l Jinx Giant Laugh-Out ran for about a dozen issues. Yet in nearly 45 years of collecting, I've not once ever come across a Li'l Jinx title. Since that was the case, I never ventured out to see if there were Li'l Jinx books out there. But this year, I decided to really organize my comic book collection and discovered the existence of this book.

Just as DC had Showcase Presents to test out potential new titles, Archie Comics had the Archie Giant Series. Along with some holiday one-shots, the publisher would try out a variety of titles on a semi-regular series to gauge if interest in a new series was there with the general public. Li'l Jinx was one of those properties that was tested out. Obviously, there was some smattering of interest as a Li'l Jinx feature was released a couple of times yearly as part of the Archie Giant Series for a span of most of the 70s. There just never seemed to be enough popularity to bring Li'l Jinx back in a self-titled series.

Most of the stories in this issue are either Christmas themed or set during Winter. Most are one-page gags or brief 2-to-3-pages that are essentially wind ups to a very lengthy joke. Compared to Little Archie, the hi-jinx of Li'l Jinx and her friends are rather elementary. And I love it. But it's the opening tale that has me most intrigued, if not despondent.

One of Jinx's friends, the selfish rich girl Gigi, mentions that she has two mommies and two daddies and that she can't decide which set to spend her Christmas with. This issue was published in 1974 and I am just amazed how divorce is actually tackled somewhat in a kids book for the time period. Yes, the words divorce and remarriage are never uttered in this story and the extra parental units are not referred to as step-mom or step-dad. Yet for a book aimed at audiences I'd say of ages 7-12, the subject matter was groundbreaking stuff. 

Sadly for Gigi, both sets of parents are too busy to return home for the holidays. Thus, Gigi is going to have to spend Christmas with her servants. That is until Li'l Jinx saves the day and invites the spoiled little rich girl to her home for Christmas fun. Still, to have a child abandoned at Christmas, having to spend it with the maids and butler, just seems like child neglect today. Yet in the early 1970s, it seems like nobody batted an eye.

An interesting look at how family dynamics have both changed and stayed the same over the course of nearly 50 years. It's rather tragic. While it might seem out of place, I can recall several other TV shows and films that have lonely, if not flat out abandoned kids at Christmas. What the heck was Hollywood and us as the viewing public thinking?

Thankfully, the majority of this issue is much more cheerful and nostalgic. But it just doesn't make up for there being such a sad story at the beginning of this mostly Christmas themed comic.

Worth Consuming!

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars.