Archie: The Whimsical and the Edgy
BENGALURU: Growing up, Dan Parent was one among the millions of admirers that Archie Comics has worldwide. While he always aspired to get into the comic book industry, little did he know that he would end up being one of the most significant figures in the beloved comic franchise’s history. Last week, Parent, along with dozens of his fellow creators descended down to Bengaluru for the 11th edition of Bengaluru Comic Con, held between Nov 17 and 19 in Whitefield.
Over 80 years old, Archie Comics has long been a staple of American comic book culture, with its portal of everyday teenage life. One of the allures of the franchise has been its ability to evolve with the times, according to changing social perceptions and attitudes. One such evolution was the introduction of an openly gay character – one of Parent’s creations – in the early 2010s that brought Archie Comics back into relevance among young readers.
“It was a time when we needed Archie to move into the 21st century. We created Kevin Keller because there are a lot of young gay kids in the world, and we needed to bring representation and thought that LGBT characters would be popular and worthwhile. And we were right. He clicked with the readers. It’s been a good contribution to society and to Archie world,” says the 59-year-old American.
His second visit to Bengaluru in nearly a decade, Parent was amused by the enthusiasm that fans in the city have for comic books, particularly Archie Comics. And with a re-imagined Archie film, set in 1960s India, set to be released next month, Parent feels it would make the world of Archie even more
accessible to everyone.
“The enthusiasm for Archie in India has always been good. So far I’ve only seen clips of the film, but I’m excited. It will be great, possibly opening up the world of Archie to even more people,” he shares, adding, “It will be different even for Americans to watch it and get a glimpse of the 1960s India.”
From doodles to digital fame
Meanwhile, another highlight of this year’s Comic-Con was Zach Stafford, the creator of the raunchy and raw comic series Extra Fabulous. While Parent stands for the good-old tradition of comic books and comic culture in general, Stafford is among the most admired new-age artists, whose works are primarily consumed through social media.
Known for relatable comics that blend everyday scenarios with a surreal and often hilarious twist, Stafford has garnered a significant following across social platforms. Yet his first visit to Bengaluru took him by surprise.
“It has been the single greatest experience of my life. I’ve never had as many kind people come to my booth, or even recognise my art anywhere else. I never expected that from India. I didn’t think anyone would know my stuff here. I really want to come back again,” he says, adding, “The comics I had here were some of the popular ones. They were not really the usual, more raunchy ones. Yet, people would come up to me and tell me that they know the real comics I do!”
Stafford’s foray into comics was anything but straightforward. Fed up with working odd jobs, he decided to try making a living out of the only thing he claims he was good at growing up – doodling. “Drawing funny, silly things, for my friends, was the last thing that I could remember that actually made me happy. And I was like, ‘There’s got to be a way to be able to make a living off this. So I started drawing goofy things and putting them online and started to earn a meagre revenue. It was enough to buy a cheeseburger and it just grew from there. And I was so lucky,” he says.
While Stafford’s comics are relatable, what makes them so popular is his often macabre sense of humour. So, how does he come up with his wacky ideas? “Earlier I used to wait for inspiration to strike. But it’s very unreliable. Now I do improvisation, where I’ll just draw a single panel with whatever situation or random thing I can think of and I will try to make a joke. It’s always something awful and not funny! But every now and then, maybe like 10 or 20 attempts later, I get something that’s good,” he shares.
Comic artists Dan Parent and Zach Stafford of the Archie and Extra Fabulous comics fame, respectively, were in the city. While Parent chats about the upcoming film The Archies, Stafford shares insights into his quirky comic strips