Dilton Doiley
Encyclopedia
Dilton Doiley is a fictional character
in the Archie Comics
universe. He is the smartest teenager in Riverdale High School.
#27, a Dilton prototype was named Theodosious, and one named Dilbert was in Archie Comics #34. On February 16, 1948, Dilton Doiley proper first appeared in the Archie newspaper comic strip
. The name Dilton was first used in a comic book in 1950's Pep Comics #78.
He carries with him all the stereotypical
nerdy teen attributes. He is very studious, interested in all academic subjects especially science, speaks high flown language, wears glasses, and is shorter than his friends. It is also stated that he has an IQ of 198 when Archie and the gang all take part in a class IQ test. Yet while he is not particularly interested in dating, he is widely admired by Archie and the gang. Dilton uses his garage as a science laboratory. He is a skilled amateur inventor, but many of his creations do not work out as planned. His intelligence has also won him numerous science awards, and his teachers, particularly Professor Flutesnoot
are very proud of his achievements.
Though Dilton often spends much of his time in his lab, he has a secret ambition to be a Riverdale High athlete. Coach Kleats rarely has confidence in him, so Dilton more commonly ends up showing his school spirit by wearing the team mascot costume. However, he has been shown to be able to use his mathematical ability to pitch baseballs like a professional, and in one story, the new cross-country coach claimed Dilton was a natural distance runner. Even when he is relegated to being Riverdale High's baseball team scorekeeper, he is still a valuable asset even though he once disappointed a girl interested in him who thought he was a regular player. This happened when he noticed that a team winning against Riverdale had committed a batting out of turn
error, told Coach Kleats, who then informed the Umpire as required in the rules for a judgement and the umpire declared the offending player was out, which allowed Riverdale to win with the opportunity.
In one story in the 1970s, it was revealed that Mr. Doiley is actually Dilton's stepfather. None of Dilton's friends know this except for Chuck Clayton
. Dilton, not feeling that he could deal with the shock after it being kept a secret all this time, almost ran away from home. However, after confiding in Chuck about his problem, Chuck made Dilton realize that Mr. Doiley cares about Dilton like a real father and that he would be heartbroken if Dilton ran away from home.
Moose Mason
is Dilton's closest friend. Despite their completely different personalities, their closeness stems from a mutual understanding and how well they complement each other. Moose considers Dilton his "little buddy" and will do anything to protect him—anyone bullying Dilton would face Moose's wrath. In current stories, this relationship is increasingly being portrayed as symbiotic, with Dilton standing up in favour of Moose—in one story, he even pounces on Reggie Mantle
in defense of Moose, when the latter was insulting Moose.
Dilton's other close friends include Archie Andrews
, Betty Cooper
and Jughead Jones
. He has helped the gang many times with his various inventions or with his vast knowledge when they are faced with a problem. He is also willing to help his friends if they have difficulty in school. These are just some of the ways that Dilton manages to fit in with the gang.
stories, involving their inventions.
Dilton features in a recurring one-page gag in the comics called "Open the Door, Dilton". There are three gags on a page, each covering two panels. On the first panel, Dilton approaches a door with a label saying what is inside. However, the words have a double entendre
. On the second panel, looking into the room, he finds that the words do not refer to their usual meaning, which is what he was really looking for. For example:
Dilton also appears in other spin-offs with the rest of the gang, serving as the "brains" of the group as he does in the main series. He was a member of Archie's racing team in "Archie R/C Racers", and featured in "Explorers of the Unknown" as team inventor Gizmo. He rarely appears in "Archie I" or "Archie 3000", but in the former, he makes prehistoric discoveries, while in the latter, he makes use of the highly-advanced technology.
Many girls are turned off by Dilton's nerdy traits and lack of athletic ability, which Dilton is quick to assume about any attractive girl. Some girls find his above average intellect appealing, though, often due to sharing their interests. He has also been seen in numerous stories where he tries to invent a female robot for himself with hilarious consequences. Also, in various stories, Dilton has been shown in relationships that poke fun at his below-average height, either being paired with a very tall girl or a girl as short as him.
In some cases, however, his relationship with girls is portrayed in a more serious light. Besides the aforementioned Danni Malloy, Dilton has been known to occasionally date Big Ethel
. In one story, the two revealed that they were targets for mockery (Ethel for being tall, Dilton for being short). They understood each other's feelings, and decided to go to the dance together.
In the late 1990s, Dilton began dating Cheryl Blossom
. They were paired together online, without knowing each other's true identity, fell in love, met in real life, and decided to continue their romantic relationship, though this is rarely shown. Another relationship, formed a few years later, was with Brigitte Reilly, a talented young singer at Riverdale High.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the Archie Comics
Archie Comics
Archie Comics is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the Village of Mamaroneck, Town of Mamaroneck, New York, known for its many series featuring the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Jughead Jones. The characters were created by...
universe. He is the smartest teenager in Riverdale High School.
History
Characters resembling Dilton (in appearance and personality) appeared quite early in Archie stories—one can be seen, unnamed, in Archie Comics #1. In Pep ComicsPep Comics
Pep Comics is the name of an American comic book anthology series published by the Archie Comics predecessor MLJ Magazines Inc. during the 1930s and 1940s period known as the Golden Age of Comic Books...
#27, a Dilton prototype was named Theodosious, and one named Dilbert was in Archie Comics #34. On February 16, 1948, Dilton Doiley proper first appeared in the Archie newspaper comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
. The name Dilton was first used in a comic book in 1950's Pep Comics #78.
He carries with him all the stereotypical
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
nerdy teen attributes. He is very studious, interested in all academic subjects especially science, speaks high flown language, wears glasses, and is shorter than his friends. It is also stated that he has an IQ of 198 when Archie and the gang all take part in a class IQ test. Yet while he is not particularly interested in dating, he is widely admired by Archie and the gang. Dilton uses his garage as a science laboratory. He is a skilled amateur inventor, but many of his creations do not work out as planned. His intelligence has also won him numerous science awards, and his teachers, particularly Professor Flutesnoot
Flutesnoot
Mr. Flutesnoot is a fictional character from the Archie Comics books.Mr. Flutesnoot is a chemistry professor . Although to a lesser level than Hiram Lodge and Mr. Weatherbee, he is sometimes the victim of Archie's ever-present accidents .Occasionally, Mr...
are very proud of his achievements.
Though Dilton often spends much of his time in his lab, he has a secret ambition to be a Riverdale High athlete. Coach Kleats rarely has confidence in him, so Dilton more commonly ends up showing his school spirit by wearing the team mascot costume. However, he has been shown to be able to use his mathematical ability to pitch baseballs like a professional, and in one story, the new cross-country coach claimed Dilton was a natural distance runner. Even when he is relegated to being Riverdale High's baseball team scorekeeper, he is still a valuable asset even though he once disappointed a girl interested in him who thought he was a regular player. This happened when he noticed that a team winning against Riverdale had committed a batting out of turn
Batting out of turn
In baseball, a sequence of nine players come to bat according to their team's batting order, taking turns in an attempt to become a runner and reach base or to help preceding runners to score. Occasionally, one or more batters may bat in the incorrect order, thus violating rule 6.01 in the...
error, told Coach Kleats, who then informed the Umpire as required in the rules for a judgement and the umpire declared the offending player was out, which allowed Riverdale to win with the opportunity.
Family and friends
Dilton's parents appear from time to time, but almost never play a significant role. Both are typically depicted as dark haired and bespectacled like their son. His mother who is both proud of and perplexed at her son's inventiveness, appears more often than his father. Like the teenaged characters, many of Dilton's relatives were simply created for one particular story and were never seen again.In one story in the 1970s, it was revealed that Mr. Doiley is actually Dilton's stepfather. None of Dilton's friends know this except for Chuck Clayton
Chuck Clayton
Chuck Clayton is an African-American teenage fictional character published by Archie Comics. Chuck lives in the fictional town of Riverdale, and is the friend of Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Jughead Jones, and other students at Riverdale High School....
. Dilton, not feeling that he could deal with the shock after it being kept a secret all this time, almost ran away from home. However, after confiding in Chuck about his problem, Chuck made Dilton realize that Mr. Doiley cares about Dilton like a real father and that he would be heartbroken if Dilton ran away from home.
Moose Mason
Moose Mason
Moose Mason is a fictional character in the Archie Comics universe. He attends Riverdale High School where he is typically depicted as the best athlete but the poorest student. His difficulties with school were later attributed to dyslexia...
is Dilton's closest friend. Despite their completely different personalities, their closeness stems from a mutual understanding and how well they complement each other. Moose considers Dilton his "little buddy" and will do anything to protect him—anyone bullying Dilton would face Moose's wrath. In current stories, this relationship is increasingly being portrayed as symbiotic, with Dilton standing up in favour of Moose—in one story, he even pounces on Reggie Mantle
Reggie Mantle
Reggie Mantle is a fictional character in the Archie Comics book. His full name is given as Reginald Mantle, but he is usually called by his nickname Reggie, and sometimes refers to himself as "Mantle, The Magnificent." The character was introduced in 1942...
in defense of Moose, when the latter was insulting Moose.
Dilton's other close friends include Archie Andrews
Archie Andrews (comics)
Archie Andrews, created in 1941 by Vic Bloom and Bob Montana, is a fictional character in an American comic book series published by Archie Comics, as well as the long-running Archie Andrews radio series, a syndicated comic strip, The Archie Show, and Archie's Weird Mysteries.-Character and...
, Betty Cooper
Betty Cooper
Betty Cooper is a fictional character of Archie Comics, the blonde-haired daughter of Hal and Alice Cooper. Betty likes sports, and is also a cheerleader. Betty was created in December 1941. Her older brother Chic Cooper and older sister Polly Cooper have both moved out of Riverdale, their hometown...
and Jughead Jones
Jughead Jones
Jughead Jones is a fictional character in Archie Comics who first appeared in the comic in December 1941. He is the son of Forsythe II; although in one of the early Archie newspaper comic strips, he himself is identified as Forsythe Van Jones II...
. He has helped the gang many times with his various inventions or with his vast knowledge when they are faced with a problem. He is also willing to help his friends if they have difficulty in school. These are just some of the ways that Dilton manages to fit in with the gang.
Series
Starting May 1989 and ending May 1990, Dilton briefly became the star of his own magazine named Dilton's Strange Science. The magazine featured Dilton and Danni Malloy, a red-haired girl and amateur inventor, who shared his intellect and interests and served as his best friend and love interest. They shared a number of humorous science fictionScience fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
stories, involving their inventions.
Dilton features in a recurring one-page gag in the comics called "Open the Door, Dilton". There are three gags on a page, each covering two panels. On the first panel, Dilton approaches a door with a label saying what is inside. However, the words have a double entendre
Double entendre
A double entendre or adianoeta is a figure of speech in which a spoken phrase is devised to be understood in either of two ways. Often the first meaning is straightforward, while the second meaning is less so: often risqué or ironic....
. On the second panel, looking into the room, he finds that the words do not refer to their usual meaning, which is what he was really looking for. For example:
- Behind a door marked "Hand Bags", someone is selling bags shaped like hands.
- Behind a door marked "General Trucking", army generals are dancing.
- Behind a door marked "Flea Collar", someone is putting tiny collars on fleas' necks.
Dilton also appears in other spin-offs with the rest of the gang, serving as the "brains" of the group as he does in the main series. He was a member of Archie's racing team in "Archie R/C Racers", and featured in "Explorers of the Unknown" as team inventor Gizmo. He rarely appears in "Archie I" or "Archie 3000", but in the former, he makes prehistoric discoveries, while in the latter, he makes use of the highly-advanced technology.
Relationships
Like a stereotypical nerd, he proves to have little success when it comes to romantic relationships. This is largely due to shyness around girls. He also often makes for no competition against other, more muscular boys, who can beat him up or whom girls find more attractive. However, he has had a number of run-ins with girls, usually one-time characters created solely for the story.Many girls are turned off by Dilton's nerdy traits and lack of athletic ability, which Dilton is quick to assume about any attractive girl. Some girls find his above average intellect appealing, though, often due to sharing their interests. He has also been seen in numerous stories where he tries to invent a female robot for himself with hilarious consequences. Also, in various stories, Dilton has been shown in relationships that poke fun at his below-average height, either being paired with a very tall girl or a girl as short as him.
In some cases, however, his relationship with girls is portrayed in a more serious light. Besides the aforementioned Danni Malloy, Dilton has been known to occasionally date Big Ethel
Big Ethel
"Big" Ethel is a fictional character by Archie Comics. She is a student of Riverdale High School, known to her schoolmates by the nickname Big Ethel, though this nickname has virtually fallen out of use since the 1990s...
. In one story, the two revealed that they were targets for mockery (Ethel for being tall, Dilton for being short). They understood each other's feelings, and decided to go to the dance together.
In the late 1990s, Dilton began dating Cheryl Blossom
Cheryl Blossom
Cheryl Blossom is a fictional character of the Archie Comics universe. She is a wealthy teenage girl, the privileged daughter of a software engineer.-History and character:...
. They were paired together online, without knowing each other's true identity, fell in love, met in real life, and decided to continue their romantic relationship, though this is rarely shown. Another relationship, formed a few years later, was with Brigitte Reilly, a talented young singer at Riverdale High.