Since this is the "Jughead The Lover" topic, I'm a little surprised I haven't seen more talk about one of the most recent and popular Jughead pairings which was featured on the Riverdale show: BUGHEAD. (Betty and Jughead). I admit that I have never seen the show, but I did read their romance was a big hit with many fans. Supposedly, some fans also expressed they would like to see these two become a couple in the comics also. The reason? Archie takes Betty for granted and that's something Jughead would never do. Betty would finally have a guy who appreciates her. Jughead has even confronted Archie about the shabby way he treats Betty. I did read something where Archie comics have said that a Jughead/Betty pairing could destroy the 80 year old ABV love triangle and that's why they keep these two as close friends even though there is some romantic tension between them.
      My feelings about these two becoming an item? They look great together, but it would end badly. All that has to happen is Archie having a breakup with Veronica and he'll go back to Betty and tell he that he loves her. Betty's heart will melt and she'll end up giving Jughead the "I'm sorry, Juggie, but my heart belongs to Archie." It's never a good idea to date the best friend of someone you love. It never ends well. And Jughead will go back to hating girls again!

These are most likely all corporate decisions to shelve some characters in favor of others. But I wonder how much influence do fans have in either the company doing away with a particular character/storyline, or, even bringing them back. For instance, as I said earlier, Trula Twyst is making a comeback. For the longest time, there were no Trula stories. But she's been brought back and the explanation was she was in school overseas. Of course, the first person she wants to see when she gets back is Jughead!! I'll take Jughead/Trula over Jughead/Ethel every time. She's much more interesting. But I wonder if the was solely a corporate decision to bring her back, or did the readers have also something to do with her return?

I have also noticed some of the promotionals for the new Archie releases I see on Facebook and other sites have excluded Reggie. It's even referred to as the "Core Four" with Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica. Is Reggie getting cancelled also?

Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on June 20, 2022, 02:54:21 PM

Yep! I remember reading this one. I  also remember a storyline where Archie has a dream where he meets up with a rich, middle aged, hamburger chain mogul (sound familiar?) Jughead. And, Jughead tells Archie that he married Betty Cooper!!

Jughead was always about untapped and unlimited potential. He could be the star athlete or the Riverdale Romeo if he wanted to be. Him losing eating contests to new characters, Kevin and Toni, wasn't a necessary storyline. I like Trula Twyst and I see she's making a comeback. She doesn't always win in the battle of wits with Jughead. He throws her a curveball now and then when she goes to far with her schemes. But, it's pretty obvious to me that she was created to be a potential love interest for Jughead since she only tries her schemes on him.
As far as last decade's LWA Married Life stories I felt all of the characters had matured (especially in the Betty-verse) since the stories take place 6 years in the future, So, I can see where Jughead "outgrew" his fear of girls here.
I haven't checked out much of the rebooted stories. But, what I have seen of them, to me anyway, Jughead just seems weird and not as likable.
The old Jughead may have been snarky and indifferent, but you liked and rooted for him.

I had interpreted what Uslan meant in the interview is he had written an actual ending showing only one of the "Archie Marries" timelines will be "canon" and the other one is a "fantasy".  And like a lot of other fans of these stories, I tried to find any clues that Mr. Uslan may have left. Like, why did Archie look so distraught near the end of the Veronica timeline when he went for his Christmas Eve walk? He had money, family and his marriage to Veronica seemed pretty solid. We'll probably never know the answer and maybe we're not supposed to.

Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on June 02, 2022, 10:33:05 AM

Quote from: beatman10 on May 28, 2022, 01:56:44 PMIn my opinion, Jughead is the most versatile character in the Archie universe. You can put him in any storyline and he will fit in. Here are some of the qualities I most admire about him.
1. Although he'd perceived as being lazy, he is very helpful when a friend or someone is in need.
2. Food makes him nearly superhuman. There are stories where Jughead becomes Riverdale's star athlete when food is used as motivation. In one story , he pitches a perfect game for the Riverdale baseball team but then quits when he finds out Coach Kleats only has his players eat "health food". Food is to Jughead what spinach is to Popeye.
3. He likes animals (dogs especially)
4. In the rare stories where Jughead DOES show feelings for a girl, it means more to me than Archie unable to decide between Betty and Veronica, or, Reggie trying to steal someone else's girlfriend to satisfy his ego. The whole Jughead/ Debbie/ Joanni love triangle story failed because  Jughead became too much like his best friend.
5 He's Team Betty. Jughead gives Archie an earful when he takes Betty for granted. And it was obvious that Jughead was happier when Archie came to his senses  and married her.

So what happened to him to make his popularity slip to the point where he lost his own digest title?
 
I mean, not even one where he shares the billing with Archie?

Not even a bi-monthly...?

Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on June 02, 2022, 10:33:05 AM

Quote from: beatman10 on May 28, 2022, 01:56:44 PMIn my opinion, Jughead is the most versatile character in the Archie universe. You can put him in any storyline and he will fit in. Here are some of the qualities I most admire about him.
1. Although he'd perceived as being lazy, he is very helpful when a friend or someone is in need.
2. Food makes him nearly superhuman. There are stories where Jughead becomes Riverdale's star athlete when food is used as motivation. In one story , he pitches a perfect game for the Riverdale baseball team but then quits when he finds out Coach Kleats only has his players eat "health food". Food is to Jughead what spinach is to Popeye.
3. He likes animals (dogs especially)
4. In the rare stories where Jughead DOES show feelings for a girl, it means more to me than Archie unable to decide between Betty and Veronica, or, Reggie trying to steal someone else's girlfriend to satisfy his ego. The whole Jughead/ Debbie/ Joanni love triangle story failed because  Jughead became too much like his best friend.
5 He's Team Betty. Jughead gives Archie an earful when he takes Betty for granted. And it was obvious that Jughead was happier when Archie came to his senses  and married her.

So what happened to him to make his popularity slip to the point where he lost his own digest title?
 
I mean, not even one where he shares the billing with Archie?

Not even a bi-monthly...?

To be honest, I don't know the reason. So, I can only make some guesses.  Maybe younger fans of Archie feel Jughead and his characteristics are from a bygone era and they want stories with more recent characters like Kevin Keller. Or, they want to see more of secondary character stories (i.e Big Ethel Energy). And don't forget all the darker stories that came out over the past decade. Many of the older Archie fans  who followed Jughead as kids may have given up comics when they became adults, or unfortunately, they are no longer with us. But again, these are only guesses.

I have been working on a new fan fiction story featuring my favorite character, Jughead, Hopefully, this is the place to add it and, hopefully, you will all like it.
(the story takes place at the Riverdale Spring Fair, 2 months before Archie and the gang graduate from high school. Archie and Reggie are hanging out by the food stands watching Jughead do what he does best...EATING!!
Archie: Jug, that's the 5th time you got something to eat since you got here. And you've only been here for 10 minutes!
Jug: Sorry guys, but we were so busy at the Chock'lit Shop with the breakfast rush. I didn't get a chance to eat anything. (Chomp! Munch!)
Reggie: I hear everyone is raving about your cooking there since you started. You're like the Gordon Ramsey of the grill.
Archie: Yeah, dude, maybe you found your calling in life.
Jug: Well, I do enjoy cooking and coming up with new recipes. But, Pop told me he wants to retire in 6 years. And that may be the end of the Chock'lit Shop.
Archie: Maybe you can buy it from him then.
Jug: Where would I get the money for that?
Archie: Just a thought, Jughead.
Reggie: Alright Jug, since you're done stuffing your face, can we now go check out the scenery here?
Jug: Ahh Reg! "Check out the scenery"! That must be code for "We want to meet girls"!
Reggie: Yeah man. Why else would we be here? Oh, I forgot, Jughead doesn't notice girls!
Jug: I notice them! But I don't lose my head over girls like you 2 saps do!
Reggie: Hey Arch, "Lose my head over girls". That must be Needlenose's code for "My name is Jughead and I'm terrified of girls"
Archie: I think you're right, Reg. Hey Jug, when are you going to stop being afraid?
Jug: I'm not afraid of them.
Archie: Really? When was the last time you had a girlfriend?
Reggie: Or took one out on a date?
Archie: Or kissed a girl? And your Mom doesn't count!
Jughead: Guys, you know I'm way too smart to fall into that love trap. So, what I do is simply be friends with a few girls. We hang out, talk, walk around. And there's no romance, no pressure, no breakups. None of that complicated dating stuff!
Reggie: And who, pray tell, are these girls that you are "friends" with?
Jug: Hmmm. let's see. Betty, of course. Who would not want to be her friend? Also Ronnie, Nancy, Cheryl, Ethel, Trula, when she's not making me one of her experiments.
Archie: Wow, pretty impressive list there.
Jug: Oh, I forgot Midge.
Reggie: WAITAMINUTE!! You're friends with Midge? And Moose doesn't beat you to a pulp?
Jug: Moose trusts me, Reg. He knows I'm not out to steal his girl.
Reggie: Okay Jones. What do you and Midge talk about?
Jug: Just stuff. Like last week she told me she got a full scholarship to State U and she wants to own a business after college. I said I was happy for
her and told here she would make a great business woman. That's all.
Archie: Don't you worry one of these girl "friends" of yours may one day want more than just friendship with you?
Jug: Nah! All the girls are in love with someone else. Even Ethel has a new love. So I'm safe!
Reggie: Bah, I still think you're just chicken!
Jug: Ahh! I just saw a sign for Chicken tenders! Thanks Reg! I'll be right back guys! (Jughead runs back to the food stand)
Archie: He's hopeless!
Reggie: And whenever we talk about girls, he runs for food! He's 100% chicken!!
(Archie and Reggie hear a familiar girl's voice calling out to them. Betty Cooper)
Betty: Yoohoo, guys!
Archie: Betty! What's with the cheerleader outfit? Not the I don't like seeing you in it. Was there a game today?
(Betty runs up to Archie and Reg)
Betty: No, silly. Didn't I tell you about the fundraiser the cheerleaders are doing for the Riverdale Animal Shelter? For a 5 dollar donation you get to "kiss a cheerleader". All the cheerleaders are taking turns in the booth. It's over on the other side of the park.
Reggie: You mean like an old fashioned kissing booth? I thought those went out with pet rocks and mood rings!!
Betty: Nope!! And they work! We cleaned up moneywise last night. And it all goes to a good cause. And Archie, I'll be in the booth in a couple hours. And I'll be happy to give you some free samples!!
Archie: Yeah! I'll be there Betts!
Reggie: Who else is working the booth?
Betty: Well, Ronnie is the next hour and....
(Jughead is back without his tenders)
Jug: Can you believe they ran out of tenders? Oh, sorry! Hi Betty. Where's the cheerleading competition?
Archie: There isn't one. The cheerleaders are doing a fundraiser for the Animal Shelter today.
Jug: Well, I'd like to contribute.
Archie: Sorry Jug. It also involves kissing a girl which terrifies you!!
Betty: So, as I was saying, Ronnie's up next hour. And Midge is there now.
Jughead: Midge? How is Moose dealing with her kissing other people?
Betty: Not very well, Juggie. They had a big fight. Moose stormed off; said he be back in an hour and threatened to punch any guy he sees kissing her.
Reggie: Man, a chance to kiss Midge without her big, dumb boyfriend hovering over her? I'm going over there right now!
Archie: Right behind you, Reg.
Betty: (nervously) Juggie, I know this isn't your thing, You can stay here if you want.
Reggie: Oh no! Chicken Little is coming too! It's about time you learn about the facts of life, Jughead!!! Arch, you get one side, I'll get the other!
Jug: HEY! LEGGO OF ME!!
Reggie: Stop squirming, Jughead. This is for your own good!!
Betty: (hand over her mouth) Oh Dear! This is not going to end well!!
(The 4 friends walk over to the "Kiss a Cheerleader" booth with Jughead reluctantly being pushed along)
Betty: Hey Midge, Ronnie, how are things going since I left?
Veronica: Not good, I'm afraid. Nobody wants to make a donation with Midge in the booth. I think Moose drove everyone off with his rant.
Betty: Well, I brought a couple guys who will change that. What do you say, boys?
Reggie: Yeah! You go first Archie, then Mr. Chicken next. And I'll go last.
Archie: (suspiciously) Why are you going last, Reggie?
Reggie: Hey, because before me, Midge kissed the rest. With me, she'll be kissing the best!
Archie: Reggie, your modesty is overwhelming! Okay, I'll go first. Hey Midge, I'm here to make a donation. (Drops 5 dollars in the jar)
Midge: Awww! Me and the animals thank you, Archie! Mwwwahh! (kissing sound!)
(Archie walks back to Jug and Reggie)
Archie: See, Jughead? Nothing to it!! You're up, dude!
Jug: M-m-me?
Reggie: Yeah you, Chicken Boy! Get up there! It's time for you to man up!!
Jug: Okay! Okay! Quit pushing!! (Jughead walks up to the booth)
Midge: I don't believe it! I'm actually getting to kiss Jughead Jones?
Jug: Hey Midge, anything I can give to help unwanted pets get adopted I'll be more than happy to. Here you go. (Jughead puts a $20 in the jar)
Midge: Wow, Juggie, that is so sweet and awesome of you. Wait, were are you going? I owe you something.
Jug: You mean the kiss? That's okay Midge. We don't have to go through with it. I'll pass.
Midge: You don't want to kiss me, Juggie? I'm hurt!(pouty face)
Jug: It's not that I don't want to kiss you. I'm just.....
Reggie: He's a chicken, Midge! Always has been when it comes to girls! Haha!!
Midge: Leave him alone, Reggie!! Juggie, I get it. You're very shy which I find is so cute! But, I told you I want to own my own business one day and the number #1 rule is to "always give the customer what they have paid for". It wouldn't  be right for me to not give you what you paid for. So, you would be helping me out by kissing me. I know you're my friend and you do want to help me, don't you, Juggie? Look, all you have to do is close your eyes and pucker up. It's quick and painless, I promise!
Jug: Ah! What the hay! I'll help you out, Midge.
(They both move closer to kiss)
Betty:(Hands over her eyes) I can't watch!!
Archie: Betty, what's wrong? You're acting more nervous the Jughead!
(Jughead and Midge kiss. After the kiss....)
Jug: Hey Midge, that was kinda nice y'know? (Jughead turns to walk back to the others)
Jug: See guys? I didn't chicken out.
(Jughead feels a hand pulling him back) Where do you think you're going, Mr. Jones?
Jug: Huh? Midge? Is there something wrong?
Midge: Yes there is! You're going to kiss me like that and then just leave? I can't let you do that. (She wraps her arms tightly around the totally confused Jughead), You're not getting away from me this time, Sweetheart.
Jug: Midge, what are you doin,,,, MMMMFFT!!
(Midge kisses Jughead passionately before he can finish his sentence)
Midge: I've waited a long time for this moment,  Honey. (and continues to kiss Jughead all over his face)
Jughead: Midge, please!! I don't have enough money to pay for all these kisses!
Midge: There are on the house, Babydoll!!
Jug: Midge, don't you remember"? YOU'RE MOOSE'S GIRL!!!
Midge: I only want to be your girl. Yours alone, my love!
(Archie, Betty, Reggie and Veronica are all stunned by what's happening in front of them. Betty tries to calm Midge down)
Betty: Midge, please let go of Juggie. You don't want Moose to see this, do you?
Midge: Betty, you of all people know about my feelings! JUGGIE IS MINE NOW!!
Midge: Juggie, my darling, let's go where we can be alone and we can talk about our future together!
Jug: (Still being held tightly by Midge) If Moose sees us like this, I WON'T HAVE A FUTURE!!
(As fate would have it, Moose shows up and sees his girl with her arms wrapped around Jughead)
Moose: Ah ha!! So it's you, Jughead, trying to take my Midge away from me!! You know what this means?
Jug: EEP!!! (Midge immediately lets go of Jughead and pleads with her boyfriend)
Midge: Now Moosie, please! Juggie's innocent! It was me! I came on to him. I-I couldn't resist him!
Moose: Oh yeah, Midge? You couldn't resist him?
Midge: Please don't (POW!!! Moose sends Jughead flying end over end with his patented knuckle sandwich) hurt him (sigh)!!
Moose: Well, I couldn't resist punching that girlfriend stealer!! Come on, Midge, we're leaving! (He grabs Midge by the hand) And Jones, don't let me catch you 20 feet from my girl from now on, or you'll get worse! (He leads a tearful Midge out of the park)
Midge:(as she leaves) I-I'm so sorry, Jughead. (Sobs)
(The gang gathers around Jughead, who is still down)
Archie: Are you okay, dude?
Jughead: (sounding irritated) I'm fine!
(Jughead surprisingly springs back up and puts his cap back on and immediately runs over to Reggie)
Jug: You set me up, you jerk! You and Midge both did!!
Reggie:  Huh?
Jug: Don't play dumb with me. You've always had eyes for Midge and you figured the best way to cozy up to her it to get Moose to suspect someone else is trying to take her away instead of you. So, you and Midge must have come up with this plan to make me the culprit. I was a sucker to think Midge was my friend.
Reggie: Dude, I don't know what you're talking about. I had nothing to do with this.
Veronica: How can you accuse Reggie of coming up with such a ridiculous plan?
Jug: Because, he's an excellent prankster. But this time you've gone to far.
Betty: Jughead, listen to me. Reggie's telling the truth.
Jug: Come on, Betty,  you believe him?
Betty: Yes, I do.
Jug: Then why would Midge get all crazy on me like she did? Who made her do that?
Betty: YOU DID, JUGHEAD!!
Jug: Me? But I never tried to, y'know, get with her.
Betty: You didn't have to. You gave Midge something she's never had with any other guy....FRIENDSHIP.
Jug: Okay, so I'm her friend. I still don't get why she acted like that.
Betty: Because, dear Juggie, when you are with her, you treat her like she's a person and not a possession, or a trophy to be won from a rival. You've encouraged her to follow her dream of going into business. She was going through a rough time with her parents separation and you were there for her. She would have never applied for her scholarship if you didn't tell her to "go for it". Juggie, you were there for her when she needed you most.
Jug: But that's what friends do, Betty.
Betty: I know, Juggie. But I also know that true friendship can blossom into true love. Jughead, I'm not supposed to tell you this. But, Midge is crazy about you! (Reggie walks up to Jughead)
Reggie: Dude, after what I just witnessed, I have one thing to say. She's all yours, Jughead.  Hey Ronnie, can I help you get set up in the booth?
Veronica: You're a dear, Reggie. Let me give an early sample!! Mmmmnnn!! (Reggie and Veronica kiss and walk  toward the booth with arms around each other)
Betty: Juggie, you weren't supposed to know how she felt about you. She was afraid it would destroy the friendship and you wouldn't want her. I guess it doesn't matter now. She probably thinks you hate her.
Jug: I don't hate her.
Betty: Then you need to tell Midge your feelings. You and her would be perfect together. Jughead, Midge needs a guy like you.
Archie: Yeah, man. What do you say? I was just teasing about the  earlier "friendship turning into love" thing happening, but it really did.
Jug: Guys, I'm a realist. I'm not her type. Despite what happened, Midge has been with Moose throughout high school. She's Moose's girl and always will be. So, any chance that Midge and I would become an item now or in the future, is never going to happen. Never in a million years.
Betty:(dejected) I thought you would say something that, Jug. I'm just y'know...disappointed.
Archie: Hey, I'm getting hungry. Anyone else want to come with me to the food stand?
Betty: I'll go with you!
Archie: Jughead?
Jug: Naw. I'll stay here. For some reason, I'm not hungry now. (Jughead hangs his head low as if he lost his true love. Archie and Betty start walking to the food stand)
Archie: Man! Jughead turning down food? What's that all about?
Betty: I think I know, Archie. (Betty looks back at Jughead, who now has a tear running down his face, She smiles because she knows why Jughead is teary eyed) Jughead finally realizes when it comes to true love, he can NEVER SAY NEVER!!!
(The End)
I just wanted to have fun with these characters and write a prequel to the Married Stories which after 30 years, are what got me back into reading Archie comics again.

In my opinion, Jughead is the most versatile character in the Archie universe. You can put him in any storyline and he will fit in. Here are some of the qualities I most admire about him.
1. Although he'd perceived as being lazy, he is very helpful when a friend or someone is in need.
2. Food makes him nearly superhuman. There are stories where Jughead becomes Riverdale's star athlete when food is used as motivation. In one story , he pitches a perfect game for the Riverdale baseball team but then quits when he finds out Coach Kleats only has his players eat "health food". Food is to Jughead what spinach is to Popeye.
3. He likes animals (dogs especially)
4. In the rare stories where Jughead DOES show feelings for a girl, it means more to me than Archie unable to decide between Betty and Veronica, or, Reggie trying to steal someone else's girlfriend to satisfy his ego. The whole Jughead/ Debbie/ Joanni love triangle story failed because  Jughead became too much like his best friend.
5 He's Team Betty. Jughead gives Archie an earful when he takes Betty for granted. And it was obvious that Jughead was happier when Archie came to his senses  and married her.

I did read a 2009 NYT interview with Michael Uslan where he said he wrote "Archie's Fate in one of the two storylines". He said this after being asked about "which girl will Archie be destined to spend his life with". Of course, that will end the love triangle, but I'm curious to see which girl ends up being Archie's true wife.  I think I know who it is......

Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on May 23, 2022, 11:57:00 AMI suspect there are NO legal issues. Archie Comic Publications owns the work-for-hire produced for them by both Uslan and Kupperberg.

It would be somewhat more helpful to know exactly what sort of discussions or notes passed between Uslan and Kupperberg in the handoff between LWA #1 and LWA #2... but with Uslan stepping away from steering the course of the series, Kupperberg may not have felt beholden to follow ALL of Uslan's intended directions. And upon returning to the 10th Anniversary series, Uslan may have felt equally not-beholden to follow what Kupperberg established on his own after Uslan's initial departure from LWA.

I think a couple of the characters Kupperberg created could have been used here in the 10th Anniversary. For instance, Ambrose, who had a somewhat heroic storyline in LWA, was downgraded to being a creep in the 10th. Uslan could have used Moe Miller (the franchise "expert" in LWA) to play that role. Also, Uslan could have continued the Kevin/Clay storyline here. But again, the 10th Anniversary is Uslan's project and he probably wanted to keep it all his own storylines. He did try to pack a lot of story in these 6 issues though. 

Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on November 07, 2019, 12:21:29 AMSeems like it's ignoring everything after LIFE WITH ARCHIE #1 (i.e., all of "The Married Life" stories written by Paul Kupperberg). I like the art (well, except for Dan's decision that an older Archie should have a huge jaw in order to distinguish him from teenage Archie), but it's still too soon for me to pass final judgment on it as a story. I plan to re-read the whole thing in one sitting sometime after the last issue is released (or I might just wait for the TP), and maybe I'll have a clearer feeling about it by then. Clearly it's not a sequel to the run of LIFE WITH ARCHIE as written by Kupperberg, though. Having re-read the whole prior Married Life story fairly recently, both the strengths and flaws inherent in that series became a lot more obvious to me. After reading the whole thing again, I revised my initial opinion downward in terms of plot and story continuity, but felt like where it stood out was in terms of character interaction scenes and dialogue (only possible where you have a lot of pages for that kind of stuff).

That said, the story doesn't have anywhere near the same room to breath as the original LIFE WITH ARCHIE magazine, and the plot is necessarily compacted to fit into six standard-sized floppy comic issues -- which amounts to the same as only THREE magazine-sized issues of The Married Life, so it's hardly fair to compare one to the other as a complete series, either. Then again, I can recall the same sort of complaints about the final B&V story arc by Uslan and Parent. Either one is still miles better than what we're getting in the current ongoing ARCHIE title and miniseries like SABRINA.

Maybe there were some legal issues keeping Michael Uslan from incorporating any of Paul Kupperberg's storylines from LWA and was only allowed to expand on the ones he created. Moose getting into politics, Miss Grundy sick, Archie working for Veronica's father and the other pairings were started by Uslan.

I got a kick out of this story, although I think Reggie would be more the one to refer girls as "Bimbos", since he thinks all girls worship the ground he walks on!!

Quote from: DeCarlo Rules on March 01, 2022, 02:09:26 PMVirtually all of the Jughead-in-love stories date from the late 1980s onwards. You might find some before that where he's finagled into going on a date, but really hardly any where he shows real romantic feelings towards a girl. But still, that's 40-odd years' worth of Jughead stories.

When Archie comics were first created, you can have a male character be a "woman hater" and say things like "Dames, who needs them?" Such a character like this was also featured in films (usually comedies) and musicals, and their sexuality was never openly questioned. Now, there's so much pressure for a young person to be dating or identify whether they're straight, gay, etc. I always thought Jughead simply felt he wasn't ready at age 16-17 to date and that was based on him being an immature teenager. He did claim in the future that he "outgrew" his fear of girls and I found that to be believable in his case.

I found on Tumblr a listing of all the girls Jughead has been romantically involved with over the past 80 years in the comics. The list was put out by someone who goes by the pseudonym "Dirty River". The list is quite extensive and it's obvious they did their research as the girls are listed in first name alphabetical order with a comic showing each girl with Jughead. The writer also admits to having a Bughead (Betty and Jughead) bias but gives each girl's story a fair shot. It's true that Jughead may have started dating a particular girl because of her connection to food (i.e. her father owns a restaurant) but a few of the stories show him having feelings and even falling in love with the girl! I remember reading one where Jughead meets Melanie Morgan, a girl whose father was an army captain.  Both he and Melanie find out they have so much in common. like anchovy pizzas and being able to eat a lot and not gain weight. But their relationship is short lived. When Jughead decides to tell her he loves her, she is crying because her family is being transferred overseas. She leaves him with a kiss and a pot of her chili and Jughead has a tear running down his face. For a guy who is supposed to be asexual and a woman hater, his history proves otherwise.