Issue Details

Issue	#217
Published	February 1974
Frequency	Jan., Feb., March, April, June, Aug., Sept., Nov., Dec. and twice in Oct.
Cover Price	0.25 USD
Pages	52
Editing	John L. Goldwater (editor); Richard Goldwater (managing editor)
Notes	Copyright © 1973 by Close-Up, Inc.

Cover Details - "Betty and Veronica Christmas Spectacular"

Characters	Archie Andrews; Betty Cooper; Veronica Lodge
Synopsis	Veronica objects to the gifts Betty is giving Archie.
Genre	Teen
Pencils	Dan DeCarlo
Inks	Rudy Lapick
Colors	Barry Grossman
Letters	Bill Yoshida

6 page Betty and Veronica story "Christmas Season with Betty & Veronica"

Characters	Archie Andrews; Betty Cooper; Veronica Lodge
Synopsis	Betty and Archie each sacrifice something precious to them in order to buy gifts for each other.
Genre	Teen
Pencils	Bob Bolling
Inks	Rudy Lapick
Colors	Barry Grossman
Letters	Bill Yoshida
Notes	This plot is very similar to the O. Henry short story "The Gift Of The Magi".

2 page Li'l Jinx story "That Covers It!"

Characters	Li'l Jinx; Hap Holliday
Synopsis	Jinx loves the idea of snow; Hap, not so much.
Genre	Humor
Script	Joe Edwards
Pencils	Joe Edwards
Inks	Joe Edwards
Colors	Barry Grossman
Letters	Joe Edwards

6 page Betty and Veronica story "The Bee and the Bird"

Characters	Archie Andrews; Betty Cooper; Jughead Jones; Principal Waldo Weatherbee; Veronica Lodge; Julius (a turkey)
Synopsis	Mr. Weatherbee wins a turkey in a holiday raffle. Then he finds out it's a live turkey.
Genre	Teen
Pencils	Stan Goldberg
Inks	Jon D'Agostino ?
Colors	Barry Grossman
Letters	Bill Yoshida

1 page activity "Useless Gifts"

Characters	Betty Cooper; Mr. Weatherbee, Hot Dog; Moose Mason; Jughead Jones; Reggie Mantle; Hiram Lodge
Synopsis	Puzzle where the contestant must match the gift to the person who needs it least.
Genre	teen

1 page Betty and Veronica story "Tree Triumph"

Characters	Archie Andrews; Betty Cooper; Jughead Jones; Veronica Lodge
Synopsis	Betty manages to outdo Veronica's earrings, with a little help from the Christmas tree.
Genre	Teen
Colors	Barry Grossman
Letters	Bill Yoshida

1 page Betty and Veronica Pinup story "Reggie is skating on thin ice!!"

Characters	Archie Andrews; Betty Cooper; Reggie Mantle; Veronica Lodge
Synopsis	Veronica spots Archie flirting with another girl at the skating pond.
Genre	Teen
Pencils	Dan DeCarlo
Inks	Rudy Lapick
Colors	Barry Grossman
Letters	Bill Yoshida

1 page Betty Pinup story "Hi, Mr. Andrews!"

Characters	Betty Cooper; Fred Andrews
Synopsis	Betty offers a barter with Mr. Andrews for Archie's availability as a dance partner.
Genre	Teen
Pencils	Dan DeCarlo
Inks	Joe Edwards
Colors	Barry Grossman
Letters	Bill Yoshida

1 page Betty story "Nifty Gifty"

Characters	Archie Andrews; Betty Cooper
Synopsis	Betty gives Archie a suggestion box for Christmas, complete with a suggestion in it.
Genre	Teen
Colors	Barry Grossman
Letters	Bill Yoshida

2 page Dear Betty & Veronica letters page "Dear Betty & Veronica"

Characters	Betty Cooper; Veronica Lodge
Synopsis	"Betty" and "Veronica" answer reader letters.
Script	Eda Edwards [as Betty and Veronica]
Pencils	Joe Edwards
Inks	Joe Edwards
Colors	Barry Grossman
Letters	Joe Edwards

1 page Veronica Pinup story "--Er, Ronnie, do you have to wear all that jewelry"

Characters	Archie Andrews; Veronica Lodge
Synopsis	Veronica's jangling jewelry is interfering with Archie's enjoyment of the skating rink.
Genre	Teen
Pencils	Dan DeCarlo
Inks	Rudy Lapick
Colors	Barry Grossman
Letters	Bill Yoshida

6 page Betty and Veronica story "Helpless Helpers"

Characters	Archie Andrews; Betty Cooper; Hot Dog (a dog); Jughead Jones; Reggie Mantle; Veronica Lodge
Synopsis	Jughead intends to play Santa (with Hot Dog as his reindeer) for the children at the local hospital, despite the derision everyone in the gang is giving him.
Genre	Teen
Script	Frank Doyle
Pencils	Stan Goldberg
Inks	Rudy Lapick ?
Colors	Barry Grossman
Letters	Bill Yoshida

6 page Betty and Veronica story "In My Father's House"

Characters	Betty Cooper; Hiram Lodge; Veronica Lodge
Synopsis	Mr. Lodge lectures Veronica on being grateful for their family's advantage, particularly around the holidays.
Genre	Teen
Script	Al Hartley
Pencils	Al Hartley
Inks	Joe Sinnott
Colors	Barry Grossman
Letters	Bill Yoshida
Notes	Mr. Lodge claims in his lecture that the Lodge family wasn't always well off, an assertion that flies in the face of most Lodge family appearances before and after this story.