by Mike Krumboltz
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.
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