To celebrate the arrival of a new year, I thought that I would feature a story about celebrating the brand new year and the hope that comes with it.
Of course, before we go ahead with this story, there are a couple of things you should be aware of.
First, this is one of those stories that was the brainchild of Archie artist Al Hartley. Therefore, you can expect some decent artwork, but some panels that seem a bit preachy. He was the brainchild behind the Spire Christian Comics, after all.
And thirdly, I actually don't have a copy of the original story, so the scans that I have located are from "Laugh Digest #51". So, instead of 1972 that the characters will be ringing it, it has been changed to 1984. I mean, it's only twelve years difference. How much could fashions have changed in between, right?
At least the title of the story is an appropriate one.
It's another two part story called "Happy New Year". And is it just me, or do all of the hottest New Year's parties take place at Veronica's house? I mean, granted, her home is larger than Archie, Betty, and Jughead's houses combined, but still. Was Pop's Chocklit Shop booked?
Anyway, Veronica is not impressed by the guest that Archie has brought with him. Veronica is worried that this old man will cramp her party's style, but Archie has guaranteed that this mystery guest is going to make this the best party that they've ever had. And Veronica, upon closer inspection, realizes that the man is Father Time - and that he represents the last few hours of 1971. Or, 1983, depending on what book you read this story in.
Anyway, the other guests at the party are mesmerized by their strange guest and they seem even more shocked when he says that he can tell them every single thing that happened to them during the last year, and in this next page, we see some of the gang's happiest moments.
Betty sits down with the man and asks him what his favourite moment of the year was, and the man smiles and says that no matter what the time is, his favourite moment is always the present because it is part of his divine plan. Archie wonders how he can be so happy about the coming of a new year when it means that upon the stroke of midnight, he will be dead. Ah, but death is nothing when a person comes from the land of eternity...
At some point, Moose enters the party late and asks everybody who the hippie in the white sheets is - probably one of the sure indicators that this story doesn't really reprint well, as the term hippie was more commonly used in the late 1960s and early 1970s. And with Moose completing the group, Father Time offers some final words of wisdom...
Okay, so now I issue a challenge to all of my readers out there. Does anyone have the original story from Laugh Comics #251? And if so, can you provide the scans that show what the real speech balloons say? It's one of the things I dislike about reprints, as sometimes entire speech bubbles are changed.
And once the clock strikes midnight, Father Time fades into the cosmos, the balloons and confetti fall all over the group, and many kisses and hugs and choruses of "Happy New Year" fill the room all set to the music of "Auld Lang Syne". 1972 has arrived at last...or 1984 depending on what book you read it in.
And just as the old year leaves, a brand new year debuts! Cute little guy, isn't he? Hard to believe that come December 31, he'll be an old man too. But for now, he's a cute toddler. And a rather insightful and intelligent one at that. This, of course, is Baby New Year, and he provides a brand new start to a brand new year.
But of course, much like real life, it takes a lot of nurturing and discipline to make sure that a child grows into a successful adult, and Dilton wonders why the baby is so happy when there seems to be a lot of turmoil and suffering in the world. As it turns out, Baby New Year is just as prophetic as Father Time was just mere minutes ago.
...wait. It's 2019. Okay, let's make 2019 the best year ever!!!
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