Archie Comics Co-CEO Jon Goldwater Talks Death of Beloved Character Archie Andrews

By: Jul. 25, 2014
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As BWW previously reported, the legendary comic book character Archie Andrews died saving the life of friend and newly elected Senator Kevin Keller in the pages of LIFE WITH ARCHIE #36, which went on sale earlier this month.

Kevin Keller's character was introduced in 2010 in the Archie spinoff "Veronica." The character went on to have his own 4-part miniseries, and eventually got Married to his partner.

This month, Archie Comic co-CEO, Jon Goldwater spoke exclusively to Herocomplex about the decision to end the life of the beloved character. "We first discussed the death of Archie over two years ago, following the success of Issue No. 16 - the wedding of Kevin Keller," reveals the exec. "We knew that the series was really gaining momentum sales-wise and creatively. But at the same time, we wanted to make sure we didn't overstay our welcome."

He continues, "We took this very seriously, and were very much aware of the implications a story like this would carry - but we also knew that it wasn't a gimmick. This was based on the overarching story we had been telling in "Life With Archie," and it was an organic part of that narrative."

Goldwater shared that there were no reservations as to how fans may react to the news of Archie's death. "We'd planned it so carefully, put together such a wonderful product that I knew fans would read the book and understand that it was a fitting and deserved tribute to Archie."

The publisher tells the site that he was excited about the positive response they received over the comic strip's first gay character. "It was great. Kevin was the first, huge step for Archie to show that Riverdale was a welcoming town that represented the world. It was accepting, diverse and a safe place for everyone. For the seven people that asked for refunds on their subscriptions, we gained thousands of new fans."

Read the interview in full here

Photo: The cover for "Life With Archie" No. 36. (Archie Comics)



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