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It just makes sense to have an openly gay character in Archie comic books". “You get to meet new people and really hear from fans.”

The best way to keep up with Parent’s upcoming projects and future appearances is to follow him on Instagram. Why?
Well, that’s my style, and I’m sticking to it. And it opened doors that would lead to the Riverdale TV show and beyond. Veronica #202 featured the full-issue story, "Isn't it Bromantic?" that introduces Kevin as the new hunk in town who defeats Jughead in a burger-eating contest at Pop's Chocklit Shoppe and for Veronica to desperately latch onto him…

And in 2025, Veronica #2025 is getting a facsimile edition for Pride Month, as part of Archie Comics' June 2025 solicits and solicitations.

VERONICA #202 FACSIMILE ED

ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS
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(W) Dan Parent (A) Rich Koslowski (A / CA) Dan Parent
LANDMARK FIRST APPEARANCE OF KEVIN KELLER!

The nice thing is that none of our books look like this, so it really stands out.

See Pages from Archie’s New Kevin Keller Series

Kevin Keller

View Key Issues

Creation & Design

Kevin Keller was created by writer Dan Parent and first appeared in 2010. Company/Archie Comics

In the past few years, Archie Comics has undergone an ambitious effort to reclaim relevance in the comic-book market, and you can argue that its resurgence began with Kevin Keller.

Re-live history in VERONICA #202, faithfully reprinted in a full-facsimile edition!
In Shops: Jun 04, 2025

ARCHIES PAL JUGHEAD #78 FACSIMILE ED

ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS
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(W) Seymour Reit, Various (A) Various (A / CA) Samm Schwartz
Celebrate Halfway to Halloween with Jughead!

We caught up with Parent to talk a little about the series, and have exclusive pages from its debut installment.

What appealed to you about revisiting Kevin in a new series?
I got involved with the project because I created Kevin, and have been so involved with Kevin from the beginning that I wouldn’t know how not to be involved with a Kevin project!

And he’s not that far from Riverdale. “It’s the same Archie Comics everyone knows, just one of his friends is gay.”

Parent said early on in his career when he struggled to introduce diversity into the comics, the ownership didn’t want to “rock the boat.” But when Jon Goldwater bought the company 15 years ago he was immediately receptive to Parent’s plan and told him to write the first comic featuring Kevin.

Archie Comics’ Gay Character Kevin Keller Moves From Riverdale to New York in Exclusive Preview Pages

Excerpt from Life with Kevin No. 1. We’re here for everybody. It moves away from Kevin’s usual depiction as a teen in Riverdale, instead showing him as a young adult who’s just moved to New York City.

His accomplishments championing diversity in the medium is heralded by fans at large conventions, but he's just as fond of more intimate appearances.

“Conventions are great but comic book stores are more laid back. Photo: Dan Parent and J. Bone. The series, which begins with a first issue that gets released June 22, is a self-contained story, separated from the shared universe of the Archie and Jughead reboots.

It’s so cool there,” Parent said. Kevin was the Archie universe’s first openly gay character, garnering mainstream headlines when writer/artist Dan Parent introduced him in the pages of Veronica in 2010. He’s probably the most centered of the Archie characters.

That said, how much of a role will his sexual orientation play in the series?
A big part, because Kevin is dating a lot.

Sure, it may only be June, but Archie and the gang are already in the full spirit of the spooky season!
In Shops: Jun 04, 2025
SRP: 0

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Character Details

Affiliations:

Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge

Abilities:

Intelligence, Charisma

Archie's Kevin Keller Gets Facsimile For Pride In June 2025 Solicits
Posted in: Archie, Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News | Tagged: kevin keller, pride
Archie's Kevin Keller's first appearance gets a facsimile edition for Pride Month in their June 2025 solicits and solicitations
Article Summary
Archie celebrates Pride Month 2025 with a facsimile edition of Kevin Keller's first appearance.
Kevin Keller debuted in Veronica #202, marking a historic milestone for LGBTQ+ inclusion in comics.
Archie's June 2025 solicitations feature iconic stories including Jughead and the Halloween spirit.
New stories showcase Riverdale adventures with favorites like Pureheart and Wilbur Wilkin.
In 2010, Archie Comics introduced Kevin Keller, their first openly gay character.

“The people that didn’t embrace it didn’t read it anyway.”
At Megabrain, which prides itself on being a hub for open expression and inclusivity, Parent will be signing comics and talking with fans in the store and arcade.
“I feel like the comic's longevity speaks to the want and need for more stories and characters like Kevin,” said Megabrain founder and co-owner Jean Michel.

The new Galaxyman movie is having its world premiere in Riverdale! I’m even coloring it in a simple, monochromatic style. “It was a big step for us and we didn’t want it to be a stunt.”
Last month, during a special pride issue, Summer Lovin', Parent, who has worked at Archie Comics for 35 years, introduced another new character.

Actually, I’m pretty versatile, so I’m tweaking it a bit to give this book a fresh look.