Kevin Keller, Gay Archie Character, Getting Married

A little over a year after his introduction to Riverdale, Kevin Keller, the first gay character in Archie Comics history, is getting ready to tie the knot.

Having been introduced in April, 2010 in "Veronica" #202, the character has gone on to become one of the franchise's most popular, with his own miniseries this summer and a subsequent regular series planned for February of next year. With nuptials mentioned back in July, the series' publisher announced on Wednesday that Keller will wed in an issue out January 4th.

A press release from Archie Comics announced:

The amazingly popular Kevin Keller is featured in the twenty-something world of 'Life With Archie.' Kevin followed in his father's foot steps and is returning to Riverdale as a war hero, but that's not all - It's Kevin's wedding day! The whole gang turns out for Kevin Keller's wedding as we discover how Kevin met "Mr. Right." It's not all hearts and flowers, however. Unfortunately, this all occurs during the separation of Archie and Veronica. Archie Comics presents the wedding event of the year ... again!

Back when the mini-series was announced, its author, Dan Parent, told the AP, "The world of Riverdale has to reflect contemporary culture and to show it is an accepting, diverse place. And that's why Kevin is important, to show that everybody is welcome in this all-American town we've embraced for over 70 years."

The announcement comes months after the series "brought" President Obama and Sarah Palin to Riverdale to bring together a fierce student council election, injecting politics into the generally non-controversial series. Back in December, HuffPost blogger Bryan Young interviewed John Goldwater, the publisher's Co-CEO, who said, "Even people on different ends of the political spectrum have some common ground. At their core, their values, Both Obama and Palin want the same thing: what's best for America. What better place to find it than Riverdale?"

Comments

[PLeighG]

10:30 AM on 09/25/2011

Good job, Archie Comics, for using children's comic books to promote your agenda. Let's not forget to include transgenders and pedophiles!

[ramsca]

12:27 PM on 10/17/2011

Being gay and being a pedophile are two different things. Thanks for showing your ignorance. Also what does being a transgendered person have to do with anything?

[rMatey]

07:57 PM on 09/18/2011

I figured that Jughead was gonna get tailpiped.

[Gas-Bag]

10:59 PM on 09/18/2011

Ha ha ha haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[KenMoore]

02:53 PM on 09/18/2011

From the picture in the headline, it looks as if Archie is giving him the eye, too.

[PatAb]

01:32 PM on 09/18/2011

How sick is that !!!!

[Ray Russelburg]

11:48 AM on 09/18/2011

It's a comic. You aren't required to read or watch it. There are other comics and channels out there without this in it.

For all the males prior to this point that have bashed this I have 1 (ONE) question:
IF the gay character had been FEMALE would you still have bashed this? I bet not.......

In fact. I bet that 99.9% of the posts on here by guys that bashed this would have been about how HOT this magazine has become since adding a GAY FEMALE character.

[ghorialtaf]

11:42 AM on 09/17/2011

Comedy is best and easy way to enjoy and Kevin Keller, Gay Archie Character is best comic by providing new feature in comedy.

[onionboy]

03:00 PM on 09/16/2011

Comics have always been progressive on gay issues. Marvel has had major characters come out. DC did a series in the early 90s called Enigma that ultimately was all about...well, I don't want to give it away.

It's an under-known series. I encourage comic fans to check it out...written by Milligan.

[chesscub]

10:57 PM on 09/16/2011

Enigma was an amazing story, but definitely not something I'd give to anyone under 16.

[onionboy]

01:57 AM on 09/17/2011

I might say closer to 14, but I totally agree with the sentiment. I've been doling out comics to my oldest son and that series is in a box that's hermetically sealed until he's ready. I think it's a great coming-out story. What amazed me about it is that if you read the reader letters, which I was geekily want to do in those days, people criticize the homophobia in the early issues. Which, in retrospect, after reading the whole thing, just goes to show what brilliant bit of writing it was with regard to characterization arcs.

It meant a lot to me at the time. I was in my mid-twenties. I was in favor of gay rights intellectually, but I really didn't know that many gay people. I really didn't understand, at an emotional level, the kind of crap and hoops that had to be jumped through just to "be". Since then, I've lived in Studio City and West Hollywood and I know oodles of gay people and have heard all of the amazing coming-out and hiding-in stories. Many break my heart, many make me laugh, but Enigma I'll always remember as that first emotional enlightenment for a hetero who just never even had to consider dealing with such things and didn't realize how easy he'd had it growing up.

[Danielle Catherine Sanda]

02:50 PM on 09/16/2011

Well, that happened.

[betteporter68]

01:11 PM on 09/16/2011

Reading a few of the comments, it seems that the gay bashing has infiltrated the comic book world too. It's not enough that you demonize human gay and lesbian people, is it? If you aren't interested in the comic, don't buy it. But don't get your nickers in a twist because a comic book character is getting married to his boyfriend. Get use to it.

[MikeXRyan]

12:44 PM on 09/16/2011

I'm a big Archie and Kevin Keller fan and subscribe religously to Life With Archie and to the Kevin Keller special issues. The authors have handled the whole gay thing exceedingly well. As a kid my best friend and I were huge comic book fans - everything from Superman, Batman - you name it we had a well organized basement of great comics. As a kid I would have given anything to see a real gay character in a comic book - there was always a character that was alluded to but never directly decreed as gay. Now kids like me will find acceptance and friendship but most of all, know that they are no different then anyone else. That's the one thing I always felt wierd about - that I was different and I had to hide that - and I hated doing so. Kudos and congratulations to Archie Comics. Great job! BTW, I really look forward to Kevin's wedding!

[UserNameJane]

02:28 PM on 09/16/2011

I could not agree more, I enjoyed comic books too as a kid. I dont think I had as many as you. but anyway. I wish there had been gay charactors in comics, TV, Movies, when I was a child, I think it would have made me come out a lot sooner.. But that being said. I am so happy for the kids today. they dont have it as bad as I did growing up..

[dre31]

12:09 PM on 09/16/2011

Work it Archie...

[qwicken]

11:09 AM on 09/16/2011

I think that in these difficult times, it is not easy for people to distinguish the difference between good and bad when its comes to such moral issues as premarital sex, drug abuse, gay rights, abortion, euthanasia, etc.
I consider myself very lucky because I practice Falun Gong, which allows me to know the difference between right and wrong and Falun Gong has answered and is still answering my many questions about life.
It is a free practice with tens of millions of practitioners Worldwide. Thank you.

[Jason N]

12:05 PM on 09/16/2011

A bigot from a different religion is still a bigot....

[aspertame2]

01:35 PM on 09/16/2011

Even on a site like HP where many readers are interested in world events, I imagine not many people have heard of Falun Gong. It's a pity that China's government still reacts brutally against any kind of organized religion, but it's the flip side of social ills that occur when societies allow religious interests to influence government. A fine line to walk, I guess.

I presume you mention the religion here because Falun Gong preaches against homosexuality. Figuring out right and wrong can indeed be difficult, but ceding that moral authority to a religious creed is just relieving yourself of the burden of having to make and live with your own decisions. Peace if it works for you, but there's a huge irony in a suppressed and persecuted faith that itself singles out a segment of the population as morally unacceptable. Tragically often and throughout history, the persecuted prevail only to become the persecutors, sending "sinners" and non-conformers to their fates in the name of decency.

[jabb5076]

03:57 PM on 09/16/2011

Very good point. It's important to remember that the religious separatists we call Puritans came to this country for religious freedom, and then promptly established a theocratic government that was very intolerant of anyone who thought or behaved differently than them.

[Vicky AndersonOltmanns]

10:34 AM on 09/16/2011

Gay? Really? I think they are just doing this to sell alot of comic books. Collectors will buy it and stick the comic away. Gay people they are not doing it for you.. only to fill their wallet.

[Sheldonrs]

11:23 AM on 09/16/2011

While that might be true, it does say a lot about how far we've come that a profit CAN be made from a gay themed storyline in a long-running comic book.

[UserNameJane]

02:34 PM on 09/16/2011

I agree, however I think the above poster is full of "IT" seeing that they comic was not FREE before the gay charactor came on board. There pockets was getting full before and after the scary gay guy was written..

[Euphoria123]

12:01 PM on 09/16/2011

I'm buying one anyway, this is great!

[rawresolve]

10:13 AM on 09/16/2011

So sad that art reflecting life continues to be less accommodating to bigots.

[MirnaM]

09:52 AM on 09/16/2011

I'm glad they introduced a gay character and even happier that it has done so well.

Someone in the thread mentioned that it would have created an outrage if Archie had dated a Black girl back in the 50's (much like when Kirk kissed Uhura on Star Trek later on), so, yes, this is annoying and frightening to some people. However, I'm sure we will get to a point in this country where people will be accepted as they are and these types of classifications/discrimination will not exist anymore. I hope I live to see the day.