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Forsythe Pendleton "Jughead" Jones III is a fictional character in Archie Comics, first appearing in December 1941. He is the son of Forsythe Jr. and Gladys Jones. He has a white sheepdog named Hot Dog, and occasionally has a younger sister, Forsythia "Jellybean" Jones.
History and character
Jughead very rarely uses his full name, and is better known by his nickname, Jughead Jones, or simply as Jughead or Juggie to his friends. Archie Andrews tv series began on the Blue Network on May 31, 1943, switched to Mutual in 1944, and then continued on NBC from 1945 until September 5, 1953. Archie was first played by Charles Mullen, Jack Grimes and Burt Boyar, with Bob Hastings as the title character during the NBC years. Hal Stone, then known as Harlan Stone, portrayed Archie's pal, Jughead, known for the catchphrase, "Aw... relax, Archie, re-laxxx!" Jughead was also played by Cameron Andrews. Alice Yourman and Arthur Kohl, among others, played Fred and Mary Andrews.
In live-action Archies television program, Archie and Reggie attempt to find out Jughead's real first name. They go to the school office, and a woman there tells them that Jughead's real first name is Steve. After Archie and Reggie leave the office, the audience learns that the woman is actually Jughead's aunt and that she has just lied to Archie and Reggie as a favor to Jughead to help him cover up the fact that his first name is Forsythe.
Jughead, who is almost always seen wearing his trademark crown-shaped gray felt beanie, is Archie's best friend and the "weird one" of Archie's social circle. Though he's rarely pursued by any girls other than Big Ethel, Jughead usually does his best to avoid girls — unless a free meal is involved.
Appetite
Other than hassling Reggie Mantle and sleeping, eating is Jughead's number one hobby. Though he sports a pot belly after particularly large meals, Jughead remains as skinny as a twig. As a consequence of his eating habits, Jughead is also a preferred customer of most of Riverdale's food establishments, especially Pop Tate's Chocklit Shoppe, except when he is unable to pay his very large tabs. He is a respected food critic who is said to have perfect taste, in that he can taste a dish and tell you exactly what's wrong with it. In one issue, in which a gym hired him to show people how to stay as fit as he was, it was revealed that Jughead has a very rare and amazing metabolism, which accounts for his ability to eat so much and not gain weight. He once claimed that he weighed 300 pounds after a meal.
In one story, students from an adjacent town's high school challenge Riverdale to an eating contest, pitting their chubby undefeated champion against Jughead. Jughead handily beats the other guy, but won't stick around to celebrate: he wants to stock up on munchies for watching TV that evening.
Love interests and relationships
Although Jughead usually has no interest in girls, there have been several strips where he semi-enjoys himself with Ethel, and one strip where he professes an interest in Betty.
One of the common misconceptions about Jughead is that he is a misogynist. This has been disproved many times. In several stories in some of the Jughead digest magazines, several girls are after Jughead (not just Big Ethel), probably attracted by his aloof and disinterested attitude toward them. Big Ethel has been chasing Jughead for decades in the comic, but recent storyline finally decreasing her obssesion with him, and even make her dating other guys. Something that make Jughead, surprisingly, jealous. In current issues of the comics, a brown-haired girl named Trula Twist appears to drive Jughead crazy with her ability to predict his next moves. In the early 1990s, Jughead had three girlfriends: Debbie, Joani, and January McAndrews (The latter is Archie's descendant in the future, who starred with Jughead in Jughead's Time Police, a short-lived spinoff comic about their adventures travelling through time).
In another story, he describes that the reason why he does not chase after girls is because of a childhood heartbreak, sustained before he moved to Riverdale. Before he moved to Riverdale, little Jughead befriended a girl named Joani. Both of them had a puppy love. Joani moved out with her parents, and little Jughead was heartbroken. He keeps little Joani's picture in his wallet to reminds him about his heartbreaks, and vows never to falls in love. That changes when Joani suddenly appears on his door step. Joani is a young woman now, and she tells Jughead that she never forget him and still have a crush on him. The two shared their first kiss together. Before Jughead decides whether he wants to pursue a relationship with Joani, she leaves him again -- but with a promise that they will be together again.
Fans reaction are divided with this storyline. It was a fresh look for Jughead character, showing that he is a "normal" boy who has crushes and love stories too. Others think that making Jughead having crushes on girls makes him no different with Archie and the rest of the character. One thing that makes Jughead unique is his reluctance to get involved in a relationship, and his gluttony towards food. Apparent to this critique, the comic strip even had Jughead said, "After all, there are so many things more interesting than food and music." Besides being best friends with Archie, he also has a soft spot for Betty Cooper. Betty is a great cook, and it is one of the reasons that he loves hang out with her. There are many fanfictions dedicated towards Betty and Jughead, because many people see that Jughead seems more comfortable around Betty, and always confides in her with everything. Jughead also provides a shoulder to cry on whenever Betty has trouble with Archie or Veronica. Even writers of Archie comics sometimes make comments on how they want Jughead to hook up with Betty, but that would ruin the formula of love triangle between Archie, Betty and Veronica that has been going on for decades.
Jughead seems always having a constant argument or banter with Veronica Lodge. Veronica cannot stand his laid back attitude and witty comments, while Jughead seems to enjoy torturing Veronica with small pranks and clever comebacks. These two reluctantly were put together in a school play, in which Veronica had to kiss Jughead. The two shared a kiss together, and with shocking revelation, Jughead seems depicted as a good kisser. Veronica was caught in a moment and fell in love with Jughead for a while. But she managed to get over her crush towards Jughead. After the initial storyline, there have been many fanfics dedicated towards these two characters.
Musical interests
Jughead is the drummer for the Archies. He has also professed a love for jazz music, once detailed in an issue of Jughead Magazine where he develops an obsession with an obscure jazz drummer named "Crazy" Willie Jim. After collecting all his records, Jughead finally meets Jim (who is at least 80 years old), playing on a street corner with a jazz trio and avoiding social workers. Jughead convinces Jim that he is not out to get him, and they become fast friends. Jughead convinces Jim to play with the Archies at one of their gigs, and he is a hit. Later, Jughead discovers that Jim has died. Jughead takes his place at Jim's drum kit on the corner to play one last, mournful version of "St. James Infirmary Blues".
Special abilities
The rest of the time he is lazy. In one episode, Mr. Weatherbee tries to cut down on his diet, only to realize that Jughead's brain stops functioning. Professor Flutesnoot implies that although Jughead eats a lot, it all goes to his brain and that's why he remains thin.
In several issues, Jughead has demonstrated that his IQ is well above average. In one particular Little Archie story, it was revealed that Jughead was the second-best student in the school, Dilton Doiley being the first. His intelligence is displayed by his sharp wit, the occasional deep insight, and the odd chance he gets to upstage or outsmart Reggie Mantle. He also appears to be possesed with un-paralleled good luck.
Career
In the TV movie and subsequent comic book To Riverdale and Back Again, which portrayed all the characters 15 years after their graduation from high school, Jughead has become a psychiatrist. He has a successful private practice outside of Riverdale, but is divorced and is raising his young son Jordan, who Archie jokingly refers to as Jughead Junior.
Trivia
- Jughead's crownlike beanie is made from a man's felt hat with the brim trimmed in a zig-zag and turned up. In the 1920s and 1930s, such caps traditionally indicated the wearer was a mechanic.
- Jughead is the star of a popular Archie magazine spin-off, Jughead Magazine, and another spin-off, Jughead's Diner, where he runs a diner with an eclectic cast of patrons.
- In the Spanish versions of the comic book, Jughead's name is Torombolo.
- Jughead rarely opens his eyes fully and is often drawn with his eyes shut or lowered. Once Sabrina, the Teenage Witch cast a love spell on Jughead, and then realized it had failed because he'd never actually opened his eyes to see the girl. When she caused him to open his eyes, he was struck blind by the sight of daylight. Also, in one story, convinced by one of his friends to walk with his eyes open, Jughead finds that he cannot avoid obstacles (manholes, etc.) that give him no trouble when his eyes are closed.
- In early comics, Jughead is mostly seen wearing a blue turtleneck with a large white "S" on the front. But it has never been explained what, if anything, the "S" stands for. However, historians of January McAndrews' time (see above) have found out Jughead's secret and, she said, "...they were very shocked when they found out", to which Jughead replied, "...but that's my biggest secret."
- In 2005, it was revealed that Jughead's mother, Gladys, and Bingo Wilkin's mother, Wilma, are sisters, thus making Jughead and Bingo first cousins. Bingo, however, acts more like Jughead's best friend Archie, by virtue of his being girl-crazy and somewhat clumsy. However, unlike Archie, Bingo has eyes for only one girl, his next-door neighbor Samantha Smythe. This doesn't sit well with Samantha's muscle-bound father, Samson, but her more understanding mother, Sheila, is delighted since she is best friends with Bingo's mother.
- Jughead is supposedly Merlin's great great grandson.
- Jughead's baby sister's given name is "Forsythia." She is named after him.
- Since October 1966, Jughead has had a heroic alter ego, Captain Hero.
Reference
External links
Archie Comics characters | Fictional overeaters Fictional teenagers | Lazy fictional characters
"Jughead Jones"