A few months back I was fortunate enough to have a friend give me an "Archie...Archie Andrews Where Are You" digest. 
 
    This digest started with an absolutely hilarious story, called "The GENTLEman" involving Archie, Moose, and Midge with a brief cameo by Reggie.  I'm not sure exactly what era it's from, but I'd guess some time in the 60's.
 
    This review may contain spoilers: 
 
    The story begins with Reggie flying through a wooden gate.  Archie, in a rare moment of empathy for his usual rival yells, "Hey, Moose!  Cut it out!"
 
    Big Moose appears from the other side of the fence and says, "Duhhh!  How's ya know I wuz here, Archie?"
 
    "Just a lucky guess!" Archie replies.
 
    Moose explains that he punched Reggie because he "looked on" his girl.  Archie and Moose then get into some hilarious dialogue about how Moose gets mad if someone looks at Midge and insulted if someone doesn't.
 
    Midge comes along and angrily tells Moose that he is "acting rougher and more uncouth every day!"
 
   "Duh-h!....I ain't couth?" Moose replies.
 
    "No, you 'ain't couth!'" Midge chides.
 
    Archie then asks Moose if he wants to learn the "rules of proper conduct...of social behavior." 
 
     "If Midge wants I should."  Moose replies.
 
    "I want!  I want!" Midge exclaims.
 
    Moose then turns to Archie and says, "Okay, Arch!  Learn me the rules of them things wutcha said." 
 
    "Ho, boy!"  Archie replies.
 
    Archie then tells Moose to smile and acts out a scenario where he is coming up the street and sees Moose and Midge.  Now, up until this point, it seemed like Archie was really trying to help.  But, now Archie appears to be exploiting the situation a bit so he can flirt with Midge.  It's all Moose can do to keep his self-control and remain smiling.  However, he does so (sort of).  Moose goes to thank Archie, shakes his hand and then crunches it.  He tells Archie how much he appreciates what he did and gives him a "hug" that goes "Snap! Crackle! Pop!"  Finally, Moose tells Archie what a good job he did and pats him on the back so hard, he crashes to the ground.  Archie is now lying on the ground, all beat up as Moose and Midge walk away.
 
    Moose says to Midge, "Boy!  It's great knowin' all about social behavior!  Didja notice how I kept smilin'?  How'd I do, huh?"
 
    Midge is in shock, her head spinning as she says in an exasperated way, "Fine, Moose!  Just fine!"
 
    Now, THAT'S a funny story worth reading again and again!   Such a story would probably never be written today (and may not even get reprinted) on the grounds that it's too violent, too sexist, makes fun of mentally challenged people, etc.  Today, a story with Archie, Moose, and Midge would probably be some piece of fluff with soap opera dialogue about Moose's dyslexia and Midge's divorced parents.  But, back in the day, it was just a good belly laugh.
 
    The digest is packed full of hilarious classics such as this.  Good stuff!
 

This is the kind of Archie Comics story I like!  Archie and the gang are essentially classic cartoon characters in it.  Like Bugs, Popeye, Red And The Wolf, etc., they can engage in slapstick mayhem and sexually-tinged hijinx without any lasting consequences.   And they set up the writer's jokes and get a lot of play out of stereotypes - the big strong dumb jock, the way a guy acts around a pretty girl - without any character ending up in the hospital or permanently disabled, or sued, or being arrested and sent to a juvenile detention center, or having to change and become a role model for kids today.  The story is without any redeeming social significance.  It's value is that it is pure entertainment.

The older Archie stories understood the abandon and fun and anarchy of humor.  The newer ones, to me at least and I know I'm making a generalization here, worry too much about playing it safe.