USA: Comic book character Archie dies protecting his gay friend

Record ID: 278453

  • Title: USA: Comic book character Archie dies protecting his gay friend
  • Date: 15th July 2014
  • Summary: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (JULY 15, 2014) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) JON GOLDWATER, PUBLISHER / CO-CEO JON GOLDWATER OF ARCHIE COMICS, SAYING: "Maybe what Archie Comics is saying is that in order to get the world you need sometimes you have to sacrifice something of the world you have. Archie Andrews is a very iconic all-American hero. To have him litera
  • Embargoed: 30th July 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Usa
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz
  • Reuters ID: LVADF54UGDGK6ORWAUTD81DEC25S
  • Story Text: Archie Comic book fans are battling mixed emotions as their beloved Archie is killed.
    Archie Andrews, the fictional red-headed, American teenager in the popular "Archie" comics, will die at the conclusion of a flash-forward series.
    The company's CEO Jon Goldwater is full of optimism as the issue is set to go on sale Wednesday (July 16).
    "It's really not sad, actually it's inspirational. Because Archie does what you would want Archie to do. He takes the bullet for his friend, and he would do that for anybody. Not just for his friends, he would do it for his family, he would do it for his teachers, for his community. Frankly I think he would do it for a stranger," said Goldwater.
    "Life with Archie #36" will detail his final moments, while "Life with Archie #37" will show how his friends are coping without him a year after his death.
    While it is a shock to some, the company said this storyline has been in the works for a couple of years.
    "This really came about as the story evolved and were we saw things going with this book. And we've been talking about this now for a little bit north of two years. So it's really been a long time and carefully thought out. This isn't something we randomly just came up with," said Goldwater.
    Jono Jarrett from Geeks OUT, a New York based organization that supports gays who enjoy comics, was among those amazed by the death.
    "I was very surprised. I was impressed by the boldness in the storytelling. 'Life with Archie' doesn't pull it's punches. This seem like a real American story, a very now kind of story. And I think that's really exciting for a character that's 75 years old. I find that very refreshing in terms of a real all-American kind of pop culture medium," said Jarrett.
    In the series of his adventures after high school and college, the comic character will die while saving the life of his gay friend Kevin Keller, who was introduced in 2010.
    "Archie took the bullet for Kevin and the assailant who actually pulled the trigger didn't agree with Kevin's personal point of view, his personal life, didn't agree with his political stance. And Archie taking the bullet really is a metaphor for acceptance. Accept people for who they are and Riverdale as a town and as a community is all about acceptance. So yes, he takes the bullet for Kevin, but like I said, he would have taken it for you or for me as well," explained Goldwater.
    Jarrett feels the death of Archie will help the world get one step closer to acceptance.
    "Maybe what Archie Comics is saying is that in order to get the world you need sometimes you have to sacrifice something of the world you have. Archie Andrews is a very iconic all-American hero. To have him literally take a bullet for the ideas of diversity and equality in a comic book is a very powerful statement. And a much more powerful statement than is usually made."
    The events in the flash-forward series will not affect Archie in the present-day series. His adventures and stories as a teenager will continue.
    The story will be available in multiple formats, including magazine size, two comic-size issues #36 and #37, and a paperback of the entire story.
    The Archie series, with characters such as Jughead, Betty and Veronica, have been running for decades. Archie Comics is published around the globe and has sold 2 billion comics worldwide.
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