The rise of teen culture dates back to the 19th century novels of Horatio Alger. Alger’s books, which were immensely popular in the last quarter of the 1800s, often featured a youthful protagonist of modest means who, through hard work, ingenuity, and force of intellect, rose above his position and became “somebody”. that is, successful in whatever they have chosen to do, despite the odds and obstacles stacked against them. people, especially teenagers, loved these stories; they were inspiring and represented what would soon be called “the American dream.”
Overall, after the great war there was a widespread loosening of attitudes toward sex and economic independence that spread contagiously throughout the united states, and these customs eventually trickled down to teenagers. prior to this, teenagers were viewed as “better to be seen than heard” by the adult establishment. The expectation, economically, for the young man was to apprentice in the same jobs that his parents did, or grow up being prepared to take charge of the family farm. artistic and intellectual pursuits were considered “distractions” or “phases” and wastes of time that little johnny and sally would surely just “get over.”
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then came the media. this was a game changer. In the early 1930s, young people across the country could delight in weekly Aldrich family tales on the radio. This particular radio show focused heavily on the exploits and foibles of teenage son Henry Aldrich, who was always coming up with some “crazy plan” with his friends, often with not-so-great results. but he always learned a lesson in the end, and he always had the loving support of his mom and dad, even if not always understanding of him…
Also with broadcast technology and the phonograph, so-called “crooners” arose, that is, singers of popular ballads (decidedly not the operatic or symphonic music of the parents) who no longer needed the concert hall to gain recognition . we could listen to them at our convenience in our own homes because there was a new delivery system through consumer and radio recordings. in the movies, it became the concept of “star” and for the first time, teens had entertainment options that were specifically targeted to appeal exclusively to their age group.
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The era of big bands brought a new type of music that emphasized “swing”, with a more aggressive rhythm made for dancing. the girls fainted and the boys noticed. The problem was that for guys to get girls, they needed one thing: money. workers in the commerce and service industry began to get younger and younger, and the idea of “after school work” for teenagers became viable for the first time; you needed “dough” to take your best girls out dancing or to the movies, and keep up with the newest music.
Reflecting this kind of changing order, one could point to the very successful Andy Hardy film series from MGM in the late 1930s. Andy, effectively played by Mickey Rooney, was a precocious, entrepreneurial, headstrong teenager whose main in his young life it seemed to be a healthy attraction to girls and therefore finding ways to earn money. Andy was a teenage character who was a bit more complex than audiences had previously seen, often experiencing romantic dilemmas and financial anxiety; Andy and his gang of loyal friends were, in true Alger style, continually coming up with new ways to get money and girls.
the united states finally entered the second world war. soon after came a popular song called “either they’re too young or they’re too old,” inevitably sung by a woman who lamented that the dating pool had dwindled due to the fact that all the men in her age group were fighting sex. axis. the notion of “work after school” was no longer an option, it was mandatory; America needed its teenagers to take over from the adult workforce if commerce and industry were to survive for “the duration.”
In the comics, in the midst of this perfect storm, Archie Andrews and a cast of archetypal characters emerged who would orbit his teenage world. was a no-brainer for publisher m.l.j. give a character like archie a chance given the popularity of andy hardy and henry aldrich. the strangest detail in archie’s story was that his character, perhaps betraying a bit of hesitation on m.l.j.’s part, was introduced in the pep comics (#22, december 1941), right in the middle of a book dominated by stories from the popular trend of superheroes from the golden age.
in some alternate reality, the editors may well have said “ok. here are some super serious stories with super serious Nazi fighters, the shield and the executioner…and oh yeah, here’s a little co-article humorous that introduces you to a character who will come to be not only a solidifier of American teen culture, but will remain the most immediately recognizable iconoclastic “redhead” woven into the fabric of the American consciousness for the next 90 years or so. less”.
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Proving to be immediately popular, the ever kind and likeable Archie Andrews was relatable with generations of comic book readers and although he remained a regular feature on pep, he also spawned his own book, Archie Comics (and after 1959, simply “archie”), a giant-sized title in 1942. conceived as a quarterly, it quickly became a bi-monthly due to overwhelming demand…
Nearly every minor character in the book earned their own title, with each character serving as a formulaic prototype (stereotype?) that would influence much of all teen-based media that would follow. we had betty and veronica continually competing for archie’s affections: one was super sweet and considerate, and the other was pushy and manipulative. we had jughead, comic relief’s faithful goofy best friend who was more interested in eating and napping than girls and money. And there’s always a rival: Archie was Reggie, a pompous, selfish jerk who was always angry and frustrated at Archie’s good fortune.
Many of these characters can be directly linked to those appearing in later teen-oriented media, from Bud in Dad Knows Best, to Ricky and David in The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriett, to Wally and the Beav in Let Him Go. beaver, and even ritchie, ralph and potsie on happy days.
archie’s first appearances in pep and archie’s golden age comics, especially those featuring the first appearances of prominent supporting characters (sabrina, moose, dilton) are the ones collectors want to get their hands on, since the values have increased drastically. for the last ten years or so.
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