Growing up in Riverdale: Writing for the Visalia (Calif.) Times-Delta, recent high-school graduate Diana Hallare sings the praises of Archie Comics:

"... Comics were a break from reality and partially molded my outlook on life.

"Their best message: Be yourself.

"At my former school, Archie was the adolescent's gateway to teenage life, from fashion trends to romance. It helped us create friendships and promoted politeness.

"Not many people could afford collecting comics, so we always had to say the magic words: 'May I please borrow ... ?'"