Kevin Keller Gets Married; Life With Archie More Progressive Than Many States

Although I was wondering about the future of Life With Archie magazine, it looks like they’ll be around for at least four more months.

Archie has just announced that an older version of their popular Kevin Keller character will be appearing in Life With Archie, and in issue #16 (due out January 2012), Kevin’s getting married to his “Mr. Right”. As suggested in the currently running Kevin Keller miniseries (in the Veronica comic beginning with issue #207), Kevin joined the military and “is returning to Riverdale as a war hero”.

Written by Paul Kupperberg, the 64-page comic retails for $4.99 US. As with all the LWA characters, he’ll be drawn (by some combination of Fernando Ruiz, Pat Kennedy, Tim Kennedy, Al Milgrom, and Bob Smith) as twenty-something, not teenaged. Surprisingly to me, the Fox News website posted some relatively even-handed coverage. Contrasting quotes from their article:

“I think it’s great that the reality of America’s loving couples are being portrayed in as many places as possible,” said Evan Wolfson, the founder and president of Freedom to Marry, a national movement for marriage equality. “We all want to be part of family and community — that’s what marriage is about,” he said.

“It’s unfortunate that a comic book series usually seen as depicting innocent, all-American life is now being used to advance the sexual revolution,” said Peter Spriggs, a senior fellow at the Family Research Council, a Washington, D.C.-based lobbying organization promoting Christian views. “I think whatever boost in sales might come from the novelty or curiosity factors will be more than offset by the number of both kids and parents who will be turned off by this storyline and its obvious social and political agenda,” he said.

Wow, who would have thought art, even commercial art, would have an agenda? Note that Mr. Spriggs has obviously never read an issue of Life With Archie, which is far from innocent. It’s currently tackling rumors of marital infidelity, for one thing. And I do wish that such people wouldn’t claim the label “Christian” only for their limited, intolerant views. It gives the caring believers a bad name.

One last thought: I’m assuming that that cover shown, distributed with Archie’s press release, is a temp one, since I would hope that Kevin and his husband would be shown on the cover of their issue.