Comic book hero will perish saving a friend, says publisher.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: Archie Andrews, the famous, philandering comic book redhead who debuted back in 1941, is about to die.
Well, not exactly – a version of Archie is going to die in an upcoming issue of “Life With Archie,” a limited series comic book run that details what Archie’s life is like after his time at Riverdale High School. The title originally ran in a continuous form from 1958 to 1991, but was revived in 2009 in a decidedly more dramatic fashion, focusing less on the series’ trademark humor and taking it into a more soap opera-esque direction.
Now, this iteration of Archie will die in the series’ upcoming July 2014 issue. According to teases given out by the publisher, Archie will die while trying to save a friend from some sort of life-threatening situation, and his death will ultimately lead to the series concluding in the following issue.
“We’ve been building up to this moment since we launched “Life With Archie,” said Archie Comics publisher and co-CEO Jon Goldwater in a statement. “[We] knew that any book that was telling the story of Archie’s life as an adult had to also show his final moment.”
In the US, Archie’s death has elicited some strong reactions from celebrities. “The Price is Right” host Drew Carey tweeted “You can’t kill Archie! Arrgghhh.” A slew of fans have taken to Twitter, using the hashtags #Archie and #ArchieRIP to express their remorse and resentment that the beloved character will finally meet his end.
“This story is going to inspire a wide range of reactions, because we all feel so close to Archie,” said Goldwater. “It’s the biggest story we’ve ever done, and we’re supremely proud of it.” Goldwater also told CNN that he, the writers, and publishers expect a large amount of backlash regarding the death, but feels that the story and quality of writing will win people over.
“I hope fans will be intrigued by this news, pick up the issues in July and realize they’ve been given one of the best comics on the stands,” Goldwater told CNN. “They’ll be handed a piece of comic book history, featuring some of the most well-known characters in the world saying goodbye to an icon. We want fans to talk about this for years to come. We think this story is bigger than anything we’ve ever done — it’s bold, dramatic and best of all, a fitting end to the life of Archie.”
The controversial issue is written by Paul Kupperberg, and will be drawn by artists Pat and Tim Kennedy, with contributions by Fernando Ruiz. There will be editions of the issue: a double-length “magazine edition,” according to the Hollywood Reporter, and the standard issues #36 and #37, the latter being the series’ final issue that will track the lives of all the main characters, sans Archie, one year after his death. Long-time comic book artists Alex Ross, Cliff Chiang, Fiona Staples and Adam Hughes will draw the covers for these editions.
Originally created 73 years ago by artists Vic Bloom and Bob Montana, Archie and his shenanigans at Riverdale High School quickly won over the teenagers of the 1940s, and became an American icon over the subsequent decades. They caught in India, too, becoming one of the most cherished comic book series alongside fellow imports Tintin and Asterix. In recent years, the Archie comics became known for pushing the boundaries and for introducing potentially controversial elements, including a homosexual character named Kevin Keller.
Celebrities across India have used Twitter to mourn the passing of such a beloved youth icon. Archie has always been a big hit in India, as the subcontinent has followed the exploits of him, Betty, Veronica, Reggie, and (of course) Jughead for the better part of several decades. Having him dead, at least in some form, is a tragedy that has left some sad, angry, or just plan indifferent.
“Are they serious???? How can Archie die???? With him, another part of my already fading childhood will die :-( ,” said actor Ronit Roy (Student of the Year).
Actor/comedian Vir Das (Delhi Belly) speculated that Archie’s death may be a result of his past days, switching between Betty and Veronica, finally catching up with him. “Archie Andrews was a bit of a compulsive womaniser for over 40 years. This might be Karma,” tweeted Das.
Bollywood star Imran Khan, who also starred with Das in Delhi Belly, said that he doesn’t believe Archie will really die. In a statement to The Hindustan Times, Khan said that comic book characters like Spider-Man are routinely killed, only to be brought back later on – which is pretty much the case here, as Archie will continue to be a living, breathing, high school student in the normal Archie series.
Other Bollywood actors and actresses, such as Aditi Hydari Rao, Richa Chaddha, Pritish Nandy, and Kavita Kaushik have also taken to social media to express their sorrow and even petition for Archie to be brought back. The whole incident is very similar to what happened when the animated Fox TV show “Family Guy” announced that they would kill off their Brian character several months ago, leading to an outcry from the public. The character was then brought back after only a few episodes.
Dead or alive, Archie’s fan base will still have thousands of comic books they can pore over to re-live the good times with the loveable, somewhat daft high schooler. The penultimate issue of “Life With Archie,” issue #36, will hit shelves on July 16.