Archie Comics just keeps surprising us these days, so it would probably be better if we just rebooted our image of them as an ancient all-American comics franchise that’s dedicatedly filling the niche it’s always been able to captivate and that other comics publishers have been unable or unwilling to dive into: pre-teen romance comics that parents don’t mind buying because they are tame to the point of absurdity.
After introducing their first gay character to great public attention and a record breaking print run (it’s the only Archie comic that has ever been given a second printing) they didn’t let the haters make them nervous (like some companies I could name) and instead made a very savvy business decision.
They decided to give Kevin his very own four-part miniseries to see if the affection for the character meant that “Kevin Keller [could] carry on with his very own ongoing series in the future.”
Well, the first two issues of Veronica Presents Kevin Keller have been released to stores, and apparently that’s all the testing Archie Comics needs to do: Kevin will join the ranks of Archie, Betty, Veronica, and Jughead as a character with a current ongoing monthly Archie title. He also joins the ranks of a considerable stable of previously published characters like Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Josie (of The Pussycats fame), and Reggie.
You know, Reggie, the guy who isn’t Archie or Jughead.
Anyway, Kevin Keller #1 will come out in February, and according to writer Dan Parent, will be about his life in high school whre he will, among other things, deal with “adversity” in his role a school president. His adult character will be featured along with the other Archie characters in Life With Archie, a series concerned about the continuing adult lives of the Archie characters, and the storyline will feature Kevin’s marriage.
And just FYI, according to C0-Executive Cheif Jon Goldwater, the company has only had seven canceled subscriptions since introducing Kevin.
(The New York Times via Flavorwire.)
