Archie Comics to have its first openly gay character.

[pitseleh]

I am a long time lurker and have never posted before oh god, am I doing something wrong, please tell me. However, I have gotten over my longtime fear of ever posting here when realizing in horror that the good folks at s_d have not already posted something amounting to this. That is shocking, what is the world coming to.

Anyway, Archie Comics has announced they will have their first openly gay character debut on September 1st. He is quite hilariously the most 80s metrosexual thing I have seen in a long time.



I like the implication that they don't go the 'oh my GOD you're GAY you kiss BOYS???' route, but rather have all the characters seem pretty okay with it? Though like Scott McCloud has already pointed out, the real tough part will be having their second gay character, not their first.

Tags: char: archie andrews, char: jughead jones, char: veronica lodge, char: kevin keller, title: archie comics, publisher: archie

Comments

[bluejaybirdie]

My god, the world is ending. Also, that was probably the most forced coming out I've ever seen. I am glad they're making an effort to include positive portrayals of gay character, I just think it's hilariously awkward.

Man, this really puts a funny meta twist on those old Spire Archie comics.

[pitseleh]

Forced and awkward it may be, but at least they didn't force him into it; he came out of his own will instead of being dragged out of the closet kicking and screaming. WHICH IS NICE, I THINK. The rest of the issue remains to be seen, of course.

Oh, yes. Oh, yes it does.

[joasakura]

yeah, it's hysterically awkward, but just the fact that the reaction is so blase is awesome.

[flidgetjerome]

That is roughly how almost all my coming-outs have gone, with the exception of the big one with my parents. It's just so much less awkward for it to come up naturally in the flow of conversation than in almost any other circumstance.

[neev]

I thought the point of Archie comics was to be hilariously awkward. :D

[mullon]

Now Archie can have two love triangles!

I do kind of like how Jughead is not reacting in any way to the "news".

[grazzt]

Yeah, an Archie-->Veronica-->Kevin-->Archie triangle would be an amusing addition.

[terrykun]

the real tough part will be having their second gay character, not their first.

Particularly if they don't go with the path of "You're gay. They're gay! You two are MEANT for each other!"

[pitseleh]

Personally I was hoping for a lesbian character, myself.

[darkblade]

First gay charcter? But they've always had Jughead.

[equinox216]

He's a burgersexual, like Popeye's Wimpy.

[auggie18]

Maybe they'll hook this new guy and him up. Or Betty and Veronica will stop using Archie and just admit that they're into each other.

[bluejaybirdie]

Eh, Jughead reads more ace to me than anything else.

[milleniumrex]

I predict an entertaining firestorm from a lot of people who don't read Archie. Or any comics.

[alexanderlucard]

I think this will prove to be a pretty interesting litmus test or the actual readers of Archie comics. Remember when the Archie characters were licensed in the 70s and 80s for some VERY evangelical Christian comics?

[auggie18]

I don't really see what's so awkward about the exchange there. It seems as natural as any other conversation in Archie.

Go Archie! If they introduce a second gay dude, they'll start dating because that's how Archie rolls! (Chuck and Nancy, for example.)

[sistermagpie]

Yeah, I thought that too. I could imagine it happening in real life even. He could just as easily be saying that it's nothing against her, he has a girlfriend.

[katzedecimal]

I can't be the only one who wants to 'edit' Jughead's thought balloons, surely?

[philippos42]

Wow, I love your icon

[foxhack]

What, they're not outing Jughead?

[northstarfan]

I'm just getting a giggle out of something as perma-retro as Archie attempting to be more progressive than Star Trek.

This looks so absurd, but, as above, I do like that it's no big thing. Jughead doesn't bat an eye over the guy being gay, it's just one more thing the world has handed him to needle Veronica with.

[proteus_lives]

I like that too.

It's so true, "How can I use this to fuck with Veronica?" He would thought the same thing if the dude said he was British, a sky-diver or a mutant.

[v_various]

Does anyone over the age of 14 read Archie comics? I loved them when I was kid, but there was never much story.

Though I do know a guy who carries around a clipping in his wallet, he says he has to because people don't believe him. In Archie's fridge, one of the boxes says "Frozen Jew", clear as day. That is some fucked up shit.

[northstarfan]

The folks I know who read it are all 35+.

[jkcarrier]

The real test will be if they let him be a genuine character -- i.e., will he be shown as a jerk or a buffoon sometimes, the way everyone else is? Or will he be this bland perfect role model?

[kenn_el]

That's how Archie comics typically handles minority characters. Chuck is perfect, for example. Only the core characters have negatives.

[wasabi.livejournal.com]

He needs a cohort. Reggie always had a bi vibe to me. Or maybe Big Moose can explain his nickname, bow chicka bow bow.

[dejadrew]

Huh. I hate Archie, and always have even when I was a kid (the dentist just HANDED me the damn things without even ASKING and my mouth was full of fluoride so I couldn't TELL him that I would rather have Ninja Turtles and darn him anyway), but this is... actually kind of a big deal. Kudos, Archie. Kudos.

[mcity]

I love that Juggie isn't telling Ronnie, just to screw with her. It makes it seems more like normal hijinks instead of "THIS IS A BIG HUGE DEAL OKAY!"

PS

[mcity]

Not that is isn't, but I'd much rather have the characters have no problem with it instead of making it melodramatic.

[zordboy]

"What's the deal with those three?"

Honestly, I'd like to hear that one explained to the gay guy.

Agreed that it seems a little awkward, storytelling wise. But the reaction is the important thing -- it's not even an issue with the other character for half a second. He doesn't react at all, and that's a good thing, I think.

[psychopathicus_rex]

He's gay, not stupid. Why wouldn't he comprehend a love triangle?

[tacobob]

Ah and just months after they introduced their first African American character! (J/K)

Good ol' Archie. Slowly lurching towards the early 80's!