http://www.newsarama.com/comics/Archie-Gay-Character-100422.html

I'm surprised it's taken them this long.

So they're finally giving Jughead a chance at romance. He deserves it, he's a swell guy.

In all honesty when I first read the title I thought they were introducing a new gay midget character.

I hope Reggie is totally homophobic until he realizes that he is being that way because he is afraid of his true feelings. The new guy is a sexy piece of meat, for sure.

comicgeekelly wrote:In all honesty when I first read the title I thought they were introducing a new gay midget character.

When I read the title I really just thought it was going to be just another episode to add on to the gay that is Archie. I mean, the guy is surrounded by 3 flavors and he acts all reluctant. What the nuggets?

BlueMaxx wrote:So they're finally giving Jughead a chance at romance. He deserves it, he's a swell guy.

Did he finally come out of the closet? I have not been keeping up with Archie and friends.

News-

Archie, Betty, Veronica, and Jughead have been going to Riverdale High School for a loooooong time (Archie Comics was founded in 1939). But throughout the gang's illustrious academic career, they have never had a classmate who was openly gay. Until now. In a move that is generating a lot of buzz on the Web, the publishers of Archie Comics recently announced that they are bringing in an openly gay character, Kevin Keller, starting with the September issue. What's the plot? According to CNN, new-guy Kevin beats Jughead in a burger-eating contest. For whatever reason, this act of intestinal fortitude impresses the raven-haired Veronica. She begins to pursue Kevin, who, for obvious reasons, isn't interested. Kevin must find ways to deflect her affection without being mean, but Veronica, used to winning, doesn't give up easily. Hilarity ensues, until Kevin finally confides in Jughead that he is gay. Archie Comics co-CEO Jon Goldwater remarked, "The introduction of Kevin is just about keeping the world of Archie Comics current and inclusive. 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." The announcement inspired an influx of searches. Web lookups on "archie comics" soared 82% and related lookups on "archie comics gay character" surged 125%. And don't look for Kevin to show up for just a few issues and then never be heard from again. The New York Times reports that Kevin is more than a one-off character. There are future stories already mapped
out.

Cover-

lol. nice sourcing!

My new avatar is Kevin! This is great news, and I've already been in a couple of heated discussions over this on the Archie Facebook Group.

superdoug wrote:My new avatar is Kevin! This is great news, and I've already been in a couple of heated discussions over this on the Archie Facebook Group.

I personally like this idea. Look at Kurt from Glee-he's contributed a lot to the show and I wonder what Kevin will do. Will Veronica and Betty hit on Kevin? Will Kevin hit on Reggie and Archie? Will there be an awkward moment when he announces he's gay? This will be interesting.

superdoug wrote:My new avatar is Kevin! This is great news, and I've already been in a couple of heated discussions over this on the Archie Facebook Group.

Heated? There are people opposed to this? Why? In any case this is nice and surprising that they did not do this sooner. Personally, I hope that the character has an active part in stories, notthat I read Archie anymore.


And, start the merge chant:
http://panelsonpages2009.forumotion.com/comics-in-general-f6/archie-gets-a-little-gay-t3495.htm?sid=9533de6726b58de7dd8cedc529a06e40

MERGE MERGE MERGE MERGE MERGE MERGE MERGE MERGE MERGE ....

Oh, alright-lets merge.

Dr. Wade Fucking McNasty wrote:

superdoug wrote:My new avatar is Kevin! This is great news, and I've already been in a couple of heated discussions over this on the Archie Facebook Group.

Heated? There are people opposed to this? Why? In any case this is nice and surprising that they did not do this sooner. Personally, I hope that the character has an active part in stories, notthat I read Archie anymore.

Just go to the Archie Comics Group on Facebook, and read the comments under the various links they've posted. You'd think they were going to show full-on butt sex the way people are reacting to this news.

My favorite are the people who cry that this is ruining the otherwise moral and innocent Archie comics. Excuse me? Archie comics has broached a wide range of teenage-level subjects, from drugs and getting drafted to teen drinking, erotic dreams, and indecent exposure (Cheryl Blossom attempts to take off her bikini top at the beach, only to be stopped by a mortified Betty and Veronica, who decide that someone who does that sort of thing really isn't the sort they want to hang around). To say that Archie comics has a wholesome image is correct, but it's complete ignorance that says that Archie comics hasn't delved into a controversial subject or two.

I also love that everyone has conveniently forgotten that Archie Comics were one of the first 'youth entertainment' franchises to produce an AIDS/HIV awareness poster campaign in junior high and high schools. (You ever see one of those in the nurse's office?)

"Holy Jesus in heaven! Archie is kissing a black skinned girl!? The horror!!!!"

They should really let Warren Ellis guest-writing an issue that focuses on this new character (Kevin?) and show them what controversy really means. Those people are stuck in the late '50s, apparently.

So Archie Comics finally has a new character who can muscle more meat down his throat then Jughead...in a burger eating contest.

Oh, and he's gay, too.

I think there's little difference between Kevin and how Aquaman looks.