Occupy Riverdale

From slate, Gay marriage, Obama, and the Occupy movement come to Archie’s wholesome hometown.

Sorry, Elizabeth Warren. Valiant effort, Paul Krugman. Good night and good luck, Keith Olbermann. There’s a new progressive hero in town, and his name is Archie Andrews.

Yes, that Archie Andrews. The freckled all-American comic-book teen, his frenemy Reggie, love interests Betty and Veronica, and the rest of the gang who have been the embodiment of middle-American, midcentury values since they first appeared on comic book stands in 1941. Archie and friends celebrated their 70th anniversary in the fictional town of Riverdale last year, where they remain wholesome 17-year-olds frozen in time. But just because they haven’t aged doesn’t mean they’re not evolving. Within the last several years, Riverdale has quietly become a progressive paradise.

The comic’s most public step to the left was the introduction of a new gay character named Kevin Keller in 2010. The blond, blue-eyed Army brat—his look was inspired by Justin Timberlake—fits in so quickly at Riverdale High that popular brunette Veronica announces her intention to date him. Soon enough, however, Kevin bounds happily out of the closet and is again embraced by all. Kevin was conceived as a permanent character in Riverdale, and Archie Comics gave him his own standalone comic series in February.

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