Archie Andrews has been marketed as “America’s Typical Teen,” yet it was his quirks and individualized distinctions which allowed him to surpass Wilbur Wilkins, a similarly lovetorn teen who happened to precede Archie in the MLJ comics pantheon by three months, debuting in September 1941 in the 18th issue of Zip Comics. What’s typical about red hair, checkerboard sideburns
Wilbur—who’s blonde and crewcutted, as so many young men appeared to be in the 1940s—is so typical he’s downright dull. Even more annoyingly, there’s a moral quotient to a lot of Wilbur stories that Archie tends to sidestep. Wilbur learns from his mistakes. He regrets hurting the feelings of those he cares for. Archie, on the other hand, is comically oblivious, making the same blunders over and over and not noticing how he’s disappointing friends and family. It’s an extension of his natural clumsiness, making him a full-blown comic character. Wilbur? Wimpy, reliable, self-aware. Typical