Archie Comics. Remember that red-headed boy with the two girls fighting over him? Remember that song “You are my candy girl, and you got me wanting you(sugar, sugar)”? Melissa Joan Heart as Sabrina the Teenage Witch? Yes, that Archie. Well, his comics have grown up when no one was watching.
This week Archie Comics announced that Lena Dunham, creator(and star) of HBO’s Girls will write a four issue arc next year. “I was an avid Archie collector as a child- conventions, first editions that l kept in plastic sleeves, the whole shebang. It has so much cultural significance but also so much personal significance, and to get to play with these beloved characters is a wild creative opportunity,” Dunham said. Now, a crossover probably is not in the works, however, Archie has crossed over with The Punisher, Jersey Shore, and Kiss in the past. What does Dunham have to say about boy crazy Veronica and Betty? Only time will tell; but it was sure strange to see Archie’s twitter promoting Lena hosting Saturday Night Live: a bold new era for the publisher.
The first sign of this new era was when Kevin Keller debuted in Veronica(the dark-haired rich girl) in 2010. Created by serieswriter Dan Parent, the character rocked Riverdale as Veronica’s gay friend but more than that…he fit in. He ate burgers with Jughead and made Archie jealous. Keller is a military brat, giving him a unique slice of Americana that Archie is famous for. Of course, gay characters in kid friendly comic books caused One Million Moms to call to boycott Archie Comics and their partner, Toys R Us. How did Archie react? In the August issue of Kevin Keller(first gay male to get his own solo comic series), Kevin kisses his boyfriend angering an uptight woman in the process.
Introducing Kevin as just one of the gang was huge. Dan Parent states: “The kids are pretty much on board with Kevin. We don't have to worry about their opinions. They haven't formed any prejudices yet. But they've always been on board with Kevin. Usually, any negative reactions we get are from older, more conservative people -- a lot of people who don't read Archie but just read about the stories somewhere else.”
Like most comic book characters, Archie recently decided to explore the future with two possible alternate realities. Life With Archie details The Married Life: “Two Worlds. Two Loves. Two Destinies.” Paul Kupperburg explores this with surprising drama and intrigue. In Archie Married Betty, Archie (and Betty) deal with unemployment, Cheryl Blossom gets cancer, and Midge is having Jughead Jones’ baby. On the other side of the coin, when Archie Marries Veronica, Veronica faces extortion charges and has a tracking anklet, Betty and Reggie are on a newlywed reality show, and the out (and married) Kevin Keller is running for office. The audience isn’t all ages. Some of the stuff might come off as preachy but others, like Betty moving back to her hometown begrudgingly, speak specifically to the twentysomething of today.
Who would have thought Archie would go well with zombies? While many disregarded the announcement of Afterlife With Archie as a publicity stunt, the new series is anything but. With writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and pulp artist FrancescoFrancavilla the comic has all the throwbacks to the horror genre with truly chilling results. Aguirre-Sacasa takes all the classic catalog of characters and throws them into a blender…nothing is off-limits. Zombies, gay romance, gore, incest, witchcraft…my only gripe with this comic is the wait time between issues. The first trade paperback,collecting the first five issues, is on sale at your local comic book store April 23rd. You won’t be disappointed. Kevin Keller makes his first appearence after the zombie apocalypse next issue(April 16).
While taping primetime and the comic book market, Archie Comics decided to try their hand at gaming. They made a Sims-like app with the characters of Archie. “Riverdale Rescue” is now available on Apple devices and PC for free! It might seem like no big thing, but talk to me in a month and tell me how many hours you’ve wasted. Kevin Keller is part of the unlockable content.
So with zombies, girls, boys, and adulthood, Archie is exploring life in ways other publishers haven’t. Sure, there are Marvel Zombies and The Walking Dead has that TV show…And Northstar married his boyfriend while Batwoman initiated a company-wide ban on marriages. But Archie has always been a slice of life comic, a part of growing up. You don’t have to stretch the imagination to read these comics. Maybe that is what is so cool about seeing so much representation. Girls has been called the TV show of the twentysomething generation anyone can find SOMETHING to relate to. I believe Archie is becoming more and more relatable to today’s cuture with each release.
