Chris Sims at Comics Alliance compiled a dozen of the funniest and most insane moments from the Archie Spire comics that were created by then Archie cartoonist Al Hartley. Sims gives some background info about Hartley as the driving force behind Spire too which I didn’t know about. You should check out his list!
Here’s one scene that Sims may not have known about. It’s from the Big Ethel short story featured in Archie’s Sonshine one shot from 1974. No, that isn’t a typo in “Sonshine”. That’s “son” as in Jesus the son of God. The Riverdale gang are spending a beautiful day at the beach and everyone seems to be having a great time and enjoying themselves except for Big Ethel. She’s just beside herself and complaining to Betty about life in general but mostly about her lack of a boyfriend. Now Betty, thanks to Hartley,
takes this as her cue to introduce Ethel to Jesus, who just so happens to appear at the beach wearing a matching blue swim suit ensemble that makes him the hipster son of God 1970s style and driving a red van adorned with “LOVE” and a cross and a Jesus bumper sticker. Hartley uses this story as a panel by panel adaptation of the story of Jesus feeding the multitudes with a paltry amount of bread and fish with two Cokes and five sandwiches swapped out for the bread and fish. Hipster Jesus says “Happy are those whose hearts are pure for they shall see God” and “Just hang in there! Anyone who’s abused for being good will find fantastic rewards!” and to love and pray for your enemies. Hipster Jesus reassures Big Ethel and the rest of the Archie gang not to get hung up on material possessions and let God take care of them just as God takes care of the birds in the sky and wild flowers in the fields.
And the panel illustrating wild flowers gets truly bizarre with the addition of Liberace dressed in a sparkly sequins jacket campily playing his candelabra bedecked piano. Think about it. Hipster Jesus conjures glittery, “law suit happy I’m not gay” Liberace (who really was gay) to illustrate a Bible verse. Rumors about Liberace’s sexuality had been going around for years before Archie’s Sonshine. That’s pretty bizarre and ironic to have a “closeted” gay man appear in a Christian comic while the Comics Code was still in full strength!
Oh, Archie Comics with out and proud Kevin Keller and asexual Jughead how you have changed!