| Type | Stockbroker Service |
| Location | Riverdale |
| Owner(s) | H. Moe |
| Featured in | Archie |
H. Moe Stockbrokers is a stockbroker service featured in the 1941 Pep comic book series Archie by Bob Montana and John L. Goldwater, having first appeared in the 1947 story titled "Shoot the Works" from Archie issue #29.
Overview[]
H. Moe Stockbrokers was a stockbroker service in the mundane town of Riverdale that served as the personal stockbrokers and financial advisors to Mr. Lodge, head of the Lodge Corporation, the wealthiest industrial powerhouse in town.
History[]
One ordinary day, local teens Archie Andrews and his sweetheart, the daughter of Mr. Lodge himself, Veronica Lodge visited Whetlip's Guns & Pistols in need of a new rifle stock to replace one Archie had damaged during a mishap with the school rifle team's equipment. Mr. Whetlip agreed to make a new one, but with an hour wait, promising to call Veronica at her mansion when it was ready.
Veronica and Archie waited patiently at the mansion's trophy room, but Archie, ever restless, played with a massive elephant gun belonging to Veronica's father, unaware it was loaded, nearly shooting an infuriated Mr. Lodge. However, Mr. Lodge, pressed for time, rushed off to a crucial board meeting about a new business venture, Amalgamated Thermometer. His executives discouraged him from investing further, considering the company worthless.
Mr. Lodge's phone suddenly rang and upon answering he was informed about his "stock" being ready, but Mr. Lodge told the caller he wasn't interested in the "stock" and to sell it immediately and hung up immediately. Unbeknownst to him, it was Mr. Whetlip calling about the finished rifle stock.
H. Moe buying up all of Amalgamated Thermometer
Meanwhile in the mansion's trophy room, Archie, answering another call, spoke to a man from H. Moe offering "stock." Archie, thinking it was Whetlip about his rifle stock, insisted on taking it all, despite the hesitation on the other end. The caller, Mr. Lodge's unknowing stockbroker, agreed and purchased all of Amalgamated Thermometer's stock upon hanging up.
Things seemed dire for Mr. Lodge who remained oblivious to what Archie had done until H. Moe called again, this time reaching the real Mr. Lodge, informing him they had bought all of Amalgamated Thermometer's stock. Confused at first, Mr. Lodge realized what happened and confronted Archie. Archie admitted to taking the stock offer not having known the call was about a financial stock. Livid, Mr. Lodge lunged at Archie and did not hesitate to strangle the hapless teen, but before things escalated, the board of directors rushed in with surprising news: Amalgamated Thermometer's stock had skyrocketed, making Mr. Lodge richer than ever before thanks to Archie and H. Moe's investment.
A sheepish Mr. Lodge apologized to Archie and offered him anything he wanted. Archie, still enthralled by the power of the elephant gun he used before, requested said gun from Mr. Lodge to use on his rifle team, to which Mr. Lodge agreed. Back at school, Archie's new "rifle" caused a disaster during rifle practice. The elephant gun blasted a hole through the gym wall, prompting Principal Weatherbee to shut down the rifle club and convert it into a safer open-air cafeteria.
Mr. Lodge would later consult his firm for further stock arrangements following a false tip given to him by Jughead on paper to prove a point about how people will do whatever is written in print, which convinced Lodge to sell his company "Consolidated Flotsam" and buy up "Syndicate Sludge Inc." along with four other companies, a decision which was his stockbrokers were openly against due to Syndicate Sludge being on the verge of bankruptcy, but ultimately conceded to Lodge's demands, which fortunately ended well for Lodge as Jughead's false tip actually turned out to be correct.