Archie Comics' First Gay Character Debuts!
It's been several months since Archie Comics announced that they were adding a gay character to their cast of characters and today he officially makes his debut in Veronica #202, available in comic book stores across the country. Chances are that because of the advance publicity these stores have ordered extra copies but if you're interested we suggest calling up a local store and newsstand to reserve a copy. This comic is getting a fair amount of press and our experience has been that when this happens you best act early.
As we mentioned before before the gay character who is joining the cast in Archie Comics is teenager Kevin Keller. Kevin is new to the fictional town of Riverdale where Archie, Jughead, Betty, Veronica etc have been attending high school since the 1940s. In his debut story "Isn't It Bromantic?" Veronica is immediately smitten with the good-looking newcomer and is relentless in her flirtatious pursuit. Kevin explains in a matter-of-fact fashion to new pal Jughead (the bromance in the story's title) that he's not interested because he's gay and he should tell her. However Jughead wants to have some fun with this knowledge and prank Veronica, who is oblivious to Kevin's sexuality (an homage to Clueless perhaps?).
Happily this is not a one-time appearance for gay teenager Kevin Keller. He'll be appearing in various Archie comic titles as his story unfolds and he will be one of the regulars. Apparently longtime artist Dan Parent has wanted to use a gay character for awhile and he got the go-ahead after a story conference meeting with John Goldwater, one Archie's top executives who was very supportive of the premise.
You'll be happy to know that reaction to the introduction of Kevin Keller has mostly been very positive and encouraging to Goldwater & company. They were prepared for some backlash and canceled subscriptions but reportedly NEW subscriptions have far exceeded this number. Plus in an article at The Daily Beast Goldwater says that this really is an non-issue for those under 25. After seeing polling data on shifting attitudes on gay marriage especially on voters as they come of age, this doesn't surprise us in the least.
Many of you may be surprised to learn that Archie Comics have tried to stay relevant for decades, often reflecting pop culture of the day and keeping up with ever-changing times. Of course the company tries to keep it very light & humorous so don't expect the story of Kevin Keller to become angst-driven teen drama.
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