BENGALURU: Archie Andrews and his Riverdale High School friends Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge were introduced in the 1940s to a different generation. Still, after serving the reading interests of several generations of young, they are anything but retro. For Archie Comics CEO and publisher Jon Goldwater, “Riverdale is a city that exists today”. That meant diversity, a bit more conflict and real-world drama.
Archie Comics are published in over 17 languages in more than 55 countries, including India, where their merchandise is licenced by Animation International India. Do the addition of characters like Kevin Keller (a gay character), Valerie (African-American), Raj Patel (Indian-American) and Harper (a disabled teen) make the comics more relevant today?
“Definitely. One of my first moves as CEO of the company was to pull the brand out of its ‘retro’ vibe. I didn’t want the comics to read like something that happened in the 50s,” Goldwater said in an email interview.
“Riverdale, as far as I was concerned, is a city that exists today, in the present. That means the people populating the town have to feel like today’s world. That means diversity. That means a bit more conflict and real-world drama.
“To answer to your question – yes, all these characters are relevant, as the new ones that come next will be relevant. Archie has to continue to expand, diversify and engage with the modern world to stay relevant, and that’s something I’m very mindful of.”
This probably explains why Archie Comics will have a Bollywood-style movie.
Asked about the film’s progress, Goldwater said: “We’re in the early days, but it’s a hugely exciting idea and we’re so lucky to be partnering with such a wonderful team at Graphic India. The Archie characters are insanely popular around the world”.