The American Icons

Sitting amidst a legion of extravagantly dressed cosplayers and geeks at Hyderabad Comic Con (HCC), was an elated Dan Parent, comic book writer and author of ‘Archie Comics’ who couldn’t stop gushing about his admiration for the city. “I am in love with the place!” he exclaims.

The downpour took a break and converted into pleasing drizzles over the weekend, making for a picturesque atmosphere for the international author. “I visited the Golconda Fort and even had the Hyderabadi Biryani. Oh boy! That was one of the best dinners I have ever had,” says the unruffled celebrity American writer.

Come December, it will be 75 years for the iconic comic series. “I don’t know how my life would have been without Archie; it’s a part of me, like my second family,” says 52-year-old Parent whose association with Archie is almost as old as he is. During his 30-year-old course with the series he has been involved with numerous collaborations and has penned newer and many intriguing characters.

But the major credit to Parent will always be the introduction Kevin Keller, the first openly homosexual character in the Archie universe. Making his debut in “Veronica” #202 in September, 2010, Kevin was an instant hit with fans (well, 98 percent based on Parent’s calculations). The issue sold out, which led to Archie Comics releasing the first-ever reprint in the company’s history.

The then president of ‘Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation’ (GLAAD) Jarrett Barrios had said that, "It’s thrilling to see Riverdale High welcome its first openly gay student, and give readers a window into the lives of gay youth today. As images of gay and transgender people become more frequent on TV and in film, people are embracing and expect to see images of our community across media platforms, including comic books."

Following this Parent won the GLAAD Media Award Outstanding Comic Book in San Francisco in 2013. Skip to the present, Kevin has become one of Archie’s most popular characters. Earlier this year the publisher launched a digital comic series titled “Life with Kevin,” starring a young adult version of Kevin written and drawn by Parent himself.

Another collaboration that needs to be talked about was the crossover with Sharknado. Geeks around the world know that Archie has met ‘KISS’, the Punisher; he's fought zombies and even a Predator. “But the Sharknado thing was meant to be a joke. At one of the Comic Cons, I met the makers of Sharknado. During a tête-à-tête, we joked about having a crossover.

A few months later, we started working on it and the book (‘Archie vs Sharknado’) hit the stands even before we anticipated,” reveals Parent. The book was well-received, with illustrations from Dan rated four out of five by critics.

It’s Veronica all the way!
But even Dan has his favourite subjects to discuss. Ask him whom he prefers more, “Betty or Veronica”. “Veronica, any day!” he exclaims. “She is rich, stubborn and above all an easy character for the illustrator. And more than that she has that intriguing persona, which I love,” he adds.

“Of course, both Betty and Veronica are very different from each other yet very powerful characters. They are strong, independent women with different perspectives and uniqueness to themselves,” says Parent. And, who does the creator of the series pair with Archie? Much to the disappointment of ‘Archie-Veronica’ and ‘Archie-Betty’ shippers, the author says, “Neither of them.”

“I think he was best with Valerie. They complimented each other like no one else,” he opines. To put what the Archie universe is into three words, Dan calls them “The American Icon.” Undoubetdly, he may be America’s sweetheart boyfriend, but Archie is a heartthrob around the world and arguably, the teenage crush of many girls in India.

By Augustin Kurian