For years I'd been wondering where/when this plot wrinkle originated, and I recently discovered it all began in JUGHEAD (1st series) #283 (Dec. 1978). The Grand Comics Database offered the following information about that issue:

QuoteThis issue introduces one of the most unusual continuing storylines in Archie comics history: an unseen, mysterious force finally makes Jughead attracted to girls, and gives him a new, supernatural pin on his hat. The storyline was strung through stories in "Jughead," "Archie" and "Betty and Veronica" around this time. After reader reaction was not positive, the story was dropped without explanation. However, Jughead's attraction to girls, as well as his magic pin, were briefly brought back in 1982 during another attempt to make Jughead more of a ladies' man.

The stories in this issue also try out a new design for Jughead, more conventionally handsome and with a square jawline. It was dropped along with the storyline.

I'd love to read all of the stories involved in this experimental phase of Jughead's evolution. Does anyone have a complete list of the various stories that touched on this plot device, and where they first appeared?

I don't have a complete list of these stories. But I did own an Archie Giant Series issue #531 from 1983 which I no longer have. The pin made Jughead irresistible to girls, which now I think was kind of weird. Before, Jughead never needed a pin to get girls to chase him. Anyway, I found the 531 story online. Jug and Archie go to the beach, but Archie won't go unless Jug is NOT wearing the pin. Archie claims the pin will have all the girls noticing only Jughead. Jug is somewhat insulted thinking that Archie is telling him "he's the ugly duckling without the pin".
At the beach, Jughead gets hurt by 2 mean girls who make fun of Jughead's nose and he now thinks he really is ugly. A third girl tries talking to him and he tries to shoo her away saying "he doesn't her pity and he can live with his ugliness". She claims that he's "magnificent looking" and she is drawn to him "like a moth to flame"  The story ends with Archie seeing them romantically together and he realizes that his buddy has more magic than any pin does.
Two things stood out to me in this story.
1. This must have been one of the rare times that girls were turned off by Jughead's appearance. Usually, girls chase him (not just Ethel!) and try to get him to date them. They won't do that for an "ugly" guy.
2.I have noticed that in many of the stories (not all) where Jughead finds romance, most of the girls have this one physical trait: Short Hair!!! Anyone else pick up on this? Not there's anything wrong with that!!
Hope this helps!!

In hindsight, I would have liked to have seen added a couple more panels to this story. The 2 mean girls spot Jughead with his new girlfriend and they realize they now see him as being rather cute. They go over to apologize for the way they treated him earlier. But their objective is to steal him away from the girl he is with. However Jughead wisely tells them "Sorry, she saw him first". The 2 girls leave angry at themselves and with each other, and the girl Jughead is with now sees Jughead as "virtuous" as well as "magnificent" looking.

Quote from: beatman10 on June 04, 2023, 08:43:32 AMI have noticed that in many of the stories (not all) where Jughead finds romance, most of the girls have this one physical trait: Short Hair!!! Anyone else pick up on this? Not there's anything wrong with that!!

I've never been able to tell just how long or short Big Ethel's hair is, because she seems to pin it up. Debbie Dalton and January McAndrews had short hair, but Joani Jumpp didn't. Jackie Frost and Trula Twyst didn't have short hair. In "Freshman Year", Sadie Cameron from Silby, Montana had short hair. In "Farewell, Betty & Veronica", exchange students Violette (from France) and Banni (from India) were both attracted to Jughead; Violette had short hair, but Banni had long hair. Midge Klump has the shortest hair of all of them, and in "The Married Life", Jughead married her!

I'm sure the short-hair thing is just a coincidence, though.

Now I'm wondering if there was a story where the magic hat pin worked its magic on Betty and/or Veronica. I seem to vaguely recall there was a story where it worked on Cheryl -- but Jughead rebuffed her.

Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on June 05, 2023, 06:15:03 AMNow I'm wondering if there was a story where the magic hat pin worked its magic on Betty and/or Veronica. I seem to vaguely recall there was a story where it worked on Cheryl -- but Jughead rebuffed her.

I thought that Jughead/Cheryl story was Jughead used the pin to to lure her away from Archie as a favor to Betty. 

Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on June 05, 2023, 04:56:37 AM

Quote from: beatman10 on June 04, 2023, 08:43:32 AMI have noticed that in many of the stories (not all) where Jughead finds romance, most of the girls have this one physical trait: Short Hair!!! Anyone else pick up on this? Not there's anything wrong with that!!

I've never been able to tell just how long or short Big Ethel's hair is, because she seems to pin it up. Debbie Dalton and January McAndrews had short hair, but Joani Jumpp didn't. Jackie Frost and Trula Twyst didn't have short hair. In "Freshman Year", Sadie Cameron from Silby, Montana had short hair. In "Farewell, Betty & Veronica", exchange students Violette (from France) and Banni (from India) were both attracted to Jughead; Violette had short hair, but Banni had long hair. Midge Klump has the shortest hair of all of them, and in "The Married Life", Jughead married her!

I'm sure the short-hair thing is just a coincidence, though.

Early Big Ethel DID have short hair at first, but eventually, her hair got longer which was probably done to make her a bit more attractive. She was hideous at first. And a single guy's worst nightmare. An ugly, aggressive girl who doesn't take "no" for an answer when it comes to getting a date. Although that whole bit of her chasing Jughead was done for laughs, I always rooted for Jughead to escape her grasp. There are some other short haired girls that Jughead has either dated or shown interest in. In the 50's I believe, he dated a girl named Gloria. Then there was a story where he dated a girl named Gladys, who worked at an ice cream shop and was a fan of teen vampire movies. And in a recent B/V issue called "What If?" Jughead and Lodge's chef Gaston's niece, Monique, seem to hit it off after she cooks him an amazing hamburger!

The short hair thing is probably just a coincidence though. It just seemed that every time I bought an Archie comic which had a Jughead romance story, the girl always had short hair and was only used for the one story. Usually, the story ends with either Jug or the girl having to move away. Or, some other "out of their control" roadblock prevents them from taking their relationship further. I do like the occasional Jughead romance story as long as he's not made to look like another Archie (can't decide which girl he wants). I'm still considering writing a Jughead/Trula story as a spinoff to the "Married Life" Veronica universe.    

I'm still considering writing a Jughead/Trula story as a spinoff to the "Married Life" Veronica universe.

Trula at Jughead/Ethel wedding at Pop's.....

Quote from: Mr.Lodge on June 17, 2023, 04:15:26 PMTrula at Jughead/Ethel wedding at Pop's.....

I did see Trula's cameo at the Jughead/Ethel wedding. I also saw cameos by Sabrina and Josie And The Pussycats at the wedding. I felt those cameos gave the wedding scene a surrealistic vibe since these characters were never part of the storyline.
The original "Archie Marries" stories didn't reveal much about what happens to Jughead on the "Veronica" side.  So, that's why I want to do a story where he follows his other passion beside food, which was music. Most of the other characters in"Life With Archie" had different careers in the different universes. And that's why, in my story I would have a grown up Jughead become a world renowned studio drummer working in New York.