Archie's Riverdale High School gets openly gay student

[Bluebear]

Riverdale High School, the stomping grounds of comic books' favorite teen and his friends, is opening its doors to an openly gay student - a first in the 69-year history of the character.

"We're trying to reflect society and we're just trying to show Riverdale is a diverse place," says Dan Parent, the artist-writer behind the series.

Kevin Keller makes his debut in September in "Veronica" No. 202, on sale in September, as a hunky new kid who catches the raven-haired vixen's eye. Though Veronica is used to getting her way, she's finally run up against a boy who's immune to her charms. Cue the hijinks.

Parent says he hopes the positive message will offend as few people as possible, but adverse conservative reaction "was not a reason not to do the story."

Archie Comics Co-CEO Jon Goldwater said in the few hours since the official announcement his voice mail has been overwhelmed with messages - mostly in support of the company's decision.

"Riverdale is a safe place for everybody. Everyone's welcome with Archie and the Gang," says Goldwater, "and that's the message we're trying to send."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2010/04/22/2010-04-22_comic_book_shocker_archies_riverdale_hs_gets_openly_gay_student_kevin_keller.html#ixzz0lxI2ZdqY

[joeybee12]

1. Wow! Even Riverdale is more progressive than Oklahoma!

:toast:

[flakey_foont]

2. Archie's still in high school?

and Jughead still wears that stupid Burger King crown!!!

[joeybee12]

3. Yeah, but look at the guns on Jughead, showing them off with that sleeveless shirt! n/t

[brooklynite]

7. Ya know, Jughead never seems to like Ethel's advances much...

[joeybee12]

9. Maybe that could be a storyline...Jughead's "awakening"...n/t

[flakey_foont]

8. yeah, they're some pythons

he must have been training with Big Moose

[meegbear]

4. Homosexuals of the worst kind invading Riverdale??1?

Would someone PLEASE think of the children!

[mahatmakanejeeves]

5. He'll ruin the prom.

.

[Bluebear]

6. +

[eShirl]

10. now I've got the "Sugar, Sugar" song playing in my head

it was my very first record, btw - came as a cutout on the back of a cereal box

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGL4btEIoTo

[Bluebear]

12. Thank you for that earworm...and I remember that cereal box "record"!!!

[monmouth]

11. I used to read Archie, Lulu, Nancy and Sluggo as a kid. I'm sure

Riverdale High and the Archie crew have recently celebrated a 50th class reunion...I wonder if Veronica has aged well...

[ET Awful]

13. Weren't they using Archie for some kind of overly bubbly Christian comic for a while?

I wonder if there's still any connection.

[Bluebear]

14. If so, I would say this will end that lol

[ET Awful]

15. I Googled it . . . look for Spire Christian Comics

Apparently one of the heads at Spire worked on Archie comics and got permission to use the characters.

Look here for some PDF samples :)

http://www.carpsplace.com/spire/spire.htm

All kinds of Jack Chick like adventures starring Archie and friends :).

[Toucano]

17. Now, now.

Not all Christians are narrow-minded bigots.

[LWolf]

16. Wow. I haven't thought about Archie since the early 70s, lol.

Nice to see Riverdale aging so well.

[bullwinkle428]

18. Does this mean they'll do a new episode of the "U.S. of Archie"

revolving around the Stonewall Riots?

OH YES!!!! "WIN" FOR THE MOST OBSCURE REFERENCE IN THE THREAD!! ;)

"The U.S. of Archie was a Saturday morning cartoon show on CBS from September 7, 1974 to September 1976. A spinoff of the popular Archie comic books and television show, it featured Archie, Jughead, and the other Riverdale High student regulars re-enacting famous scenes throughout American history, taking full advantage of the Bicentennial in the months leading up to it. It was produced by Filmation founders and producers Lou Scheimer and Norm Prescott"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_U.S._of_Archie

[CatWoman]

19. But he looks so much hotter in color

:)

[Stinky The Clown]

20. Whoa .... hold the presses ...... wait a sec .......

.... Veronica's a "vixen"?

Really?

Joan Collins as a vixen, maybe.

Theda Bara played a vixen.

Jean Harlow was absolutey a vixen.

Veronica? I dunno ..... I mean ..... its Archie comics.