An anniversary salute to one of the Archie Comics greats…
By PETER BOSCH
Buried deep within Wilbur Comics #5, which went on sale June 7, 1945 — 80 years ago — there was a six-page story that introduced a new character, model Katy Keene “the Pin-Up Queen.” At the time, MLJ Publications (later Archie Comics) did not seem to pay much attention to her… even listing her name in that issue’s table of contents as “Katy Kean.” Before long, though, she became one of the company’s biggest stars.
Katy Keene’s first appearance. Wilbur Comics #5 (Summer 1945).
The creation of cartoonist Bill Woggon, Katy Keene was soon appearing everywhere. In addition to Wilbur Comics, her stories could be found Pep Comics, Laugh Comics, and Suzie Comics. And then in 1949, she received her own title.
(Note: All writing and art pictured above and below is believed to be by Bill Woggon.)
Included in the first issue’s opening story, Katy receives telegrams of congratulations from other strip creators and actual movie stars of the era. The high point, though, comes with this:
One of the factors that made Katy a hit was that almost every page of every issue had her in glamorous poses. Other pages had cut-out paper dolls of Katy, along with fashion to fit over them. However, what truly led to the series’ success was that Woggon encouraged readers to submit fashion designs for Katy and gave them credit and, sometimes, even prizes for them.
Issue #1
In the first issue, there is a designer credit for the last story’s splash page that comic fans will recognize — E. Nelson Bridwell. Signing himself as “Nelson (Madman) Bridwell,” he also gives a hilarious description of the outfit he designed for Katy to wear. Bridwell was still in his late teens at the time but would soon go on to a glorious career writing for Mad (which had not yet been created when he used the “Madman” nickname) and for DC Comics:
In addition to Katy’s own regular series, there were many spinoffs, including Katy Keene Three Dimension Comics, Katy Keene Spectacular, Katy Keene Glamour, Katy Keene Fashion Book, Katy Keene Pin-Up Parade, and Katy Keene Charm.
Katy Keene Three Dimension Comics #1 (1953)
Katy Keene Spectacular #1 (1956)
Katy Keene Glamour #1 (1957)
Katy Keene Fashion Book Magazine #19 (Winter 1958)
Katy Keene Pin-Up Parade #15 (1959)
A stunning splash page from Katy Keene Annual #6 (1959-60)
After 62 issues, six annuals, and myriad specials, the Katy Keene comics series came to an end in 1961.
Forbidden Planet, anyone? Katy Keene #62 (Oct. 1961), the last issue.
In 1983, Archie revived the character for 33 issues, ending in 1990. Then, in 2005, in a Free Comic Book Day issue, Katy got a new start.
Betty and Veronica Free Comic Book Day #1 (June 2005)
While the comic book Katy Keene has always been great, the Katy Keene TV series on CW in 2020 was anything but. In the series, Katy was an aspiring fashion designer (played by Lucy Hale), not the glamorous model fans have loved for decades, and she and three friends tried to find success in New York City. Unfortunately, the characters were all stereotypes and the series could be described as Sex and the City without the good writing. The program ended after three months.
While Ms. Keene seems to have gone into retirement after the TV series was not picked up for a second season, it is a foregone conclusion she will return because the world will always be – please excuse the pun — keen on Katy.
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13th Dimension contributor-at-large PETER BOSCH’s first book, American TV Comic Books: 1940s-1980s – From the Small Screen to the Printed Page, was published by TwoMorrows. (You can buy it here.) A sequel, American Movie Comic Books: 1930s-1970s — From the Silver Screen to the Printed Page, is due in 2025. (You can pre-order here.) Peter has written articles and conducted celebrity interviews for various magazines and newspapers. He lives in Hollywood.
June 8, 2025
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