Kevin Keller gets his own series beginning June 2011...

From the USA Today article: Kevin Keller despises musicals, loves comic books and adores eating challenges. Oh yeah, and he's gay. The new Archie comics character also happens to be the biggest thing to happen to Riverdale High in quite some time. Kevin first appeared in Veronica issue 202 in September to a good bit of hubbub, and he proved so popular that not only is he coming back to hang with Archie and the gang in issue 205 (out March 2), but he's getting his own Kevin Keller ongoing series beginning in June.

Kevin, the first openly gay character in Archie's 70-year history, has made a splash in the non-comics world, too. His debut and his creator, writer/artist Dan Parent, were nominated for a GLAAD Media Award last month. "When you're at different shows and conventions, and people come right up to you and talk to you about it," Parent says, "that's when it really hits you how much the character has affected people. It's all fantastic. "I'm surprised how positive it's been," he adds. "We knew going into it we were doing the right thing. You're always prepared in the back of your mind for some backlash. Not to say there hasn't been some. Not everybody's particularly happy about it, but from where I'm sitting it's been about 98% positive."

The character came out of a number of Archie editorial meetings where the company wanted to add a little diversity to the mix. Parent was an ideal guy for such a job — in his 24 years with the company, he has added many students, from Hispanic girl Ginger Lopez to the overweight Brigitte Reilly. Parent had been kicking around the idea of having Veronica, who's always chasing Archie or some other dude, develop on a crush on an unattainable guy. (Veronica) Being so self-absorbed and narcissistic, this would really drive her bonkers, Parent says, and not even seeing the guy is gay and chasing him anyway added a certain comedic element. Kevin strikes up an immediate friendship with Jughead over a mutual admiration for comics and eating the most burgers in one sitting. He comes out to Jughead, who's totally OK with his new pal's sexuality. "That's what we wanted to show: that Riverdale is tolerant and accepting," Parent says. "We didn't want him to come in with some big speech. We just wanted to say that Kevin's the new guy in town, he's gay and they accept it — sort of what is reflected in schools today. There are many out teenagers now who are open about it, and they've accepted it." Parent wanted Kevin to have interesting traits — such as a passion for eating so he'd have an instant bond with Jughead — but eschewed stereotypes. For example, in Veronica issue 205, Veronica assumes Kevin's a big fan of musical theater, and he sets her straight. The writer does allow that Kevin's metrosexuality could be taken as a stereotype of sorts. "None of the Archie characters are really ugly," Parent says with a laugh. "It wouldn't really suit the purpose to create a really ugly character, either." Parent had been hoping for a series for Kevin, and he got his wish when that first comic sold so well. The Kevin Keller title will introduce Wendy and William, friends of Kevin's he has been texting in his appearances thus far, and shine a light on what the fledgling writer was up to before moving to Riverdale. "We see him as a little kid growing up, through flashbacks and him talking with the characters, and we learn mor

e about his family life," Parent explains. "We learn he's an Army brat. Mostly, you'll see him struggling in junior high with his friends."

With bullying in the headlines and teen suicides on the rise, Parent sees Kevin as being more important now than he might have been 10 years ago. He has received phone calls from gay teenagers simply expressing their thanks for introducing the character. "Mostly guys, because Kevin's a guy, have come up to me at shows and said, 'Something like this would have made a really big difference growing up,' " Parent says. "From my point of view, the selfish creator point of view, I wanted to create a good character to make the Archie universe a little richer. But from a gay person's point of view, especially a lonely younger gay person, it can mean a whole different thing." Kevin Keller is slated to be one of the major books that Archie will promote when its comics go day-and-date digitally to its smartphone and tablet apps starting in April, so even more kids will be exposed to him. Add to that Archie's first interracial romance with Valerie Brown, the African-American bass player with Josie and the Pussycats, and Archie Comics is proving to be pretty hip for being 70 years old.

"That's important because we have a young audience and we're still producing family comics," Parent reasons. "Just because we're introducing more diverse characters and gay characters, we're still a family company. We proved that when the Kevin Keller issue came out."A few people didn't know what to expect and where we were going with it, and when people saw the issue, they were like, 'That's cool. It's still Archie.' "