As you know from reading previous installments of Comic Book Compulsive I came to appreciate Archie Comics relatively late in life. And while I now find I enjoy the antics of Archie, Betty and Veronica (depending on who’s drawing them of course) I prefer the non-Archie Archie Comics. Your Wilbur, your Suzie and, in particular, your Ginger.

Branded for no particular reason as the “Sweetheart of a Nation”, she appeared in ten issues of her own comic between 1951 and 1954 and then more or less disappeared. Which is a shame because besides being a cute as a button redhead (which never hurts) Ginger tended to be more emotionally mature than either Betty & Veronica. Betty Cooper was undoubtedly the nicest nice girl in American comics, but it’s hard to imagine even her going out with Ickky. Someone who, besides being seriously height challenged looked like Wash Tubbs grandson and was named, well, Ickky.

Here’s a story drawn by the great Harry Lucey.