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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September 2, 2025
Something that might be of interest to old-time Katy Keene fans or their children and grandchildren: the Grand Comics Database (“GCD”) has the goal of cataloging every comic ever published and crediting its contributors, including fans who’ve had letters published, and, in the case of Katy Keene comics, fans who were credited with fashions published in her comics. If someone wants to find a particular Katy comic in which their name and fashion was published, all they have to do is search for the Grand Comics Database, enter the site, and then enter the name of the person you want to find in their search window, and then the title and issue of the comic you’re looking for should appear. Click on the comic/title/issue, and an image of that comic’s cover will appear. Click on the cover image, and an index of the comic’s contents will appear, including a section with the names of fans who contributed fashions. (I had a letter published in a Marvel comic in the late 1960s, and found the issue it was published in searching for it this way.)
Arthur C.