Data courtesy of the Grand Comics Database under Creative Commons license.

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.