Someone in Riverdale is Gay (No, Not Jughead)

by Tom Henderson (Subscribe to Tom Henderson's posts) Apr 23rd 2010 1:00PM

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Hey, Veronica -- don't drop Archie so fast. Credit: Archie Comic Publications, Inc.

Archie and the gang are about to find out there's a gay student at Riverdale High School.

No, it's not Jughead. It's not Big Ethel or Dilton Doiley either.

Stop guessing. It's no one you've met before. His name is Kevin, and he'll be showing up in Veronica comics later this year as as the would-be object of her affection.

That's right. The seductive Miss Lodge is finally going to encounter a Riverdale boy she can't make weak at the knees.

Hilarity reportedly ensues.

"The introduction of Kevin is just about keeping the world of Archie Comics current and inclusive," Archie Comics CEO Jon Goldwater tells the Washington Post. "Archie's hometown of Riverdale has always been a safe world for everyone. It just makes sense to have an openly gay character in Archie comic books."

Goldwater's father, John L. Goldwater, founded MLJ Comics (later known as Archie Comics) with Maurice Coyne and Louis Silberkleit in 1939.

The elder Goldwater created the character of teenager Archie Andrews in 1941 -- inspired by the Andy Hardy character Mickey Rooney played in a series of movies.

Ironically, during the mid-1950s, Goldwater was a major industry force behind the comic book censorship guidelines known as the Comics Code Authority.

The code initially banned references to homosexuality. However, it was amended in 1989 to allow non-stereotypical depictions of gays and lesbians.

Enter Kevin.

However, he's not the first gay character in mainstream comics. The Rawhide Kid rode out of the Old West (and the closet) in Marvel Comics in 2003.

The lesbian character Batwoman debuted in DC Comics in 2006. Her appearance was a bit of poetic justice for the gay community.

Batwoman (and her alter ego Kathy Kane) were originally introduced in comic books in 1956. She was created mostly as a love interest for Batman to disprove allegations that he and Robin were gay. The allegations were made in a general attack on comic books by Dr. Frederic Wertham in his 1954 book "Seduction of the Innocent."

Many other characters, mostly in the world of superheroes, have come out of the closet in recent years.

Still, a gay character in Archie Comics is nonetheless groundbreaking. The mere suggestions that there might be homosexuality in Riverdale was the stuff of comedy in director Kevin Smith's 1997 movie "Chasing Amy."

"Archie and the Riverdale gang were a pure and fun-loving bunch!" Jason Lee's character Banky rails indignantly to the idea that Archie and Jughead were lovers. "You can't find dysfunction in those comics because they were just flat-out wholesome!"

Times have changed in Riverdale. Archie has given up on Betty and Veronica and is currently dating Valerie Smith, the African-American member of Josie and the Pussycats.

Dan Parent, a writer and artist for Archie Comics for more than 20 years, says in an interview with the website feastoffun.com that nothing ever gets too risque in Archie Comics. Most of the readers are still between the ages of 8 and 12.

Washington Post reports the storyline featuring Kevin debuts in September in Veronica Comics No. 202 in a story titled "Isn't it Bromantic?"

"Everyone seems to know where Kevin is coming from except Veronica," Victor Gorelick, editor-in-chief of Archie Comics, tells the Post. "They don't tell Veronica. They let her stew in it for a while. But he hangs out with Jughead. They seem to have a connection as far as food goes."

And no, for the last time, Jughead is not gay.

"I think Jughead is more into food," Dan Parent says in the feastoffun.com interview. "He's straight. He's more interested in being with food."

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Comments (125)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 7)

Nancy Shaum 4-23-2010 @ 4:50PM

This is nothing short of very sad!

Ann 4-23-2010 @ 9:09PM

I agree...it is sad. A teeny percentage of our population has dismantled a wholesome, funloving, only slightly mischievous reflection of my young life, and now there is nowhere and nothing left of the world I grew up in. I am a displaced person when it comes to today's mores, morals, and attitudes. I have 16 grandchildren and great-grandchildren who will never know what it was like to be a kid/teen in a kinder, gentler world, where they were could be carefully shielded from violence, perversion, addiction and "alternative" lifestyles.
How cruel that so much changes because of a few.

Rebecca 4-23-2010 @ 9:17PM

Finally new age, and more great comic books. It is about time Archie has come into the new year of 2010. I love Archie comics now and will love it even more for being one of the brave comics to not give in to the stereotypes of today's society.

Rebecca 4-23-2010 @ 9:23PM

Such hypocritical people, saying you grew up in such a kind, gentle world. Nothing has changed. Gays, lesbians, bi-sexuals, and transgenders were all there back then and they are still here now. Nothing in this new Archie comic is different than any other one. They are just simply adding a new person who has different views on life.

meiguoshiye2 4-23-2010 @ 9:34PM

The plot suggested is a woman being attracted to a gay guy and him spurning his advances, which is no more revolutionary than Three's Company at most. Should Riverdale instead pretend there are no gay people? Most people do encounter them from time to time. Do you want Archie and Veronica to throw a rally to eject him from town? Send religious figures to his house to convert him? That'd be a lot more subverting the light-hearted Archie world than mere mention of a gay person existing.I'm a doctor,31 ,rich but still single.It's hard to get a girlfriend in my town ,most of them like my money more than like me.I just want to find my true love.so i uploaded my hot photos on meetwealthy.c o m under the name of hot561.u dont have to be a millionaire,but u can meet one there. ..if you girls see this comment,i hope you will check my photos out there.maybe you are the one who i'm looking for!!!

susan 4-23-2010 @ 10:20PM

Times have changed. If you think that your kids don't know the facts of life, swearing and sexuality..You haven't been on a school bus lately!! Your kids know more than you think and maybe something like these would open up a dialect between the two for discussion. You might learn something and your kid might learn something about you!! Usually the types that go around screaming about this are the ones that are extremely opinionated and inflexible and their kids know this and wouldn't bring the conversation up at all..I think every parent of a middle school kid should be able to hear what is discussed on a school bus..There toes would curl..but then again they would say "not my child."

Joel Lafargue 4-23-2010 @ 11:00PM

Archie and the Gang may not rally to have the new guy Kevin run out of Riverdale, but I'd wager that we'll hear of some real-life Christian groups rallying to have Archie Comics cease publication.

As for myself, I don't read Archie Comics magazines, only the newspaper strip, so it doesn't affect me, therefore, I will not offer my opinion.

JT 4-26-2010 @ 10:22PM

Ann, I don't mean to be rude, but are you serious, or just plain delusional? If you honestly think gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender people are such a "teeny percentage" of our society, you are in serious denial. The gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender community is much larger than a lot of people think, or want to think. Whether you agree with them or not is your choice, and you have every right to that choice, but it's very naive of you to think their numbers are so minimal. As for you being brought up in a "kinder, gentler world", you're in denial again. In your day, people often had the daylights beat out of them if it was known (or just thought, sometimes) that they were gay, and nobody said much about it. That was true with being gay, or black, or any of several "minorities". A kinder, gentler world? Bull.

Glenn 4-23-2010 @ 5:04PM

It makes me very concerned how for the past twenty years or so that society has been blurring the lines on decency and indecency. The way that gays now are practically in most aspects of our society is mind-boggling. People just don't get as offended to that as they used to. But they will be offended if you speak against it. Now it's completely backwards. Even a comic like Archie is surrendering to "political correctness". Christians [real Christians] should be very concerned about this non-stop trend.

Dennis 4-23-2010 @ 5:21PM

Would you please give your definition of a "real Christian?" Thanks!

Belle 4-23-2010 @ 5:39PM

I don't know about the real Christian part but I was hoping to share Archie and the gang with my daughter and now won't be able too unless its the older version. I find it truly sad, I'm constantly hearing the ACLU and others speak about how we shouldn't flaunt Christianity in front of them or even say the word Jesus cause it offends them. But what about how I feel??? Why should this constantly be pushed down my throat, used to watch Grey's Anatomy all the time but not no more. Here goes another great product.

So tired of this PC thing. People need to toughen up.

crabbyj 4-23-2010 @ 9:00PM

Belle 4-23-2010 @ 5:39PM
I don't know about the real Christian part but I was hoping to share Archie and the gang with my daughter and now won't be able too unless its the older version. I find it truly sad, I'm constantly hearing the ACLU and others speak about how we shouldn't flaunt Christianity in front of them or even say the word Jesus cause it offends them. But what about how I feel??? Why should this constantly be pushed down my throat, used to watch Grey's Anatomy all the time but not no more. Here goes another great product.

So tired of this PC thing. People need to toughen up.
**************************************************************************
1. You've never heard the ACLU say that, because they haven't.
2. No one is "pushing" anything down your throat...and why do conservatives always use that phrase when there's a story involving gays/gay issues?
3. How can you, in one breath, say that people shouldn't complain when they feel you're forcing an issue on them...then, in the next breath, complain that they're forcing an issue on you?
4. Since you're tired of the PC thing, and say people need to "toughen up", perhaps you're referring to yourself? Otherwise you risk being called a hypocrite...unless you mean that you shouldn't have to take it when something displeases you, but if something bothers someone else, then they need to shut up?
5. As a Christian, perhaps you can use this moment to teach your daughter how Christ loved for all, and his admonishments that judgement was reserved for God...you could also teach her of his disdain for hypocrisy, like that practiced by the Pharisees. I'm 100% certain that teaching her about tolerance and love, won't turn her gay...I'm also 100% certain that, what I suspect you're teaching her now, won't turn her into a Christian...not a good one at any rate.

I'm straight and my wife is straight...we taught our kids that there are different kinds of people out there, and no one turned gay, and news like this doesn't bother us. The fiercer the opposition to stuff like this, the stronger the latent homosexual tendencies, I susect.

rochesternative 4-28-2010 @ 7:58PM

Glenn,

I agree. As Christians we need to take a stand for decency in our culture. In so doing, however, we also must make a clear stand for and of the gospel. We must not respond with hate of the sinner ...just hate of the sin

We (Christians) are no better in Jesus' eyes. We should remember that. Gays/Lesbians and others are just in need of Jesus.

Roxanne Harvey 4-23-2010 @ 5:12PM

This is great! Finally, homosexuality is being accepted as a "wholesome" topic. Thumbs up, Archie! Maybe I'll start picking up those comics again. :)

jerry 4-23-2010 @ 8:09PM

There is nothing wholesome about homosexuality. It is a sickening practice.

Sifrina 4-27-2010 @ 7:48PM

Agreed. Homosexuality is nothing new - it existed "back then" too (despite what sand older generations have stuck their heads in). We are finally becoming more tolerant as a society, as less tolerant generations die off and a younger, more open minded generation sees "no issues" with any of this and are accepting people for what really matters.

John 4-23-2010 @ 5:04PM

"Groundbreaking" more like "Heartbreaking".

Roxanne Harvey 4-23-2010 @ 5:19PM

What's heartbreaking is the amount of homophobia in these comments!

csi8299 4-23-2010 @ 5:35PM

Nothing "phobic" about it. I just disapprove of this lifestyle choice and don't want my kinds burdened by perversion before they're old enough to decide for themselves how to deal with it. If this is your choice, I respect it and will give my life to defend your freedoms, just don't throw it in my 6 year old's face like he's expected to understand.