Archie Comic Depicting Title Character Victim of Political Murder Draws Controversy
Archie Comics Publications, Inc. has garnered controversy over its latest edition of the Archie comic series, wherein the title character is killed by politically driven violence.
Released Wednesday, the latest "Life With Archie" comic concludes with Archie Andrews being killed while protecting a gay politician who was trying to advance a gun control measure.
Dan Gainor, vice president of Business & Culture at the Media Research Center, told The Christian Post that the death of Archie comic was "a mix of salesmanship and liberal propaganda."
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"The creators have Archie dying as he saves a gay politician from a shooting. It's the perfect mix of pro-LGBT and pro-gun control – the quintessential PC hero," said Gainor.
"The media, which adore both those issues, are doing their best to help sell lots of extra copies. This stunt might also revive interest in both the classic comic, which is coming up on its 75th anniversary, and one where Archie and his friends fight zombies."
Gainor also told CP that the "Life with Archie" comic's focus on LGBT issues "is part of an ongoing trend in comics" to advance "the gay agenda."
"The Young Avengers won GLAAD awards and other comics from Green Lantern to Buffy the Vampire Slayer have joined in the LGBT push," said Gainor.
"Liberals want to make it impossible to avoid the gay agenda in any form of entertainment – music, movies, TV, even comic books."
The character Archie Andrews has existed in the comics or on television for the past seven decades, starting out as a teenager growing up in the mythical town of Riverdale.
In the fairly recent Life With Archie comic series, the title character and his friends are all grown up, with story lines that periodically touch on modern issues.
For the second-to-last installment of the comic series, Archie is killed while protecting a gay politician named Kevin Keller, reported NPR.
According to the story, Keller was attempting to push a gun control measure for Riverdale, which prompted a violent shooting where Archie saves Keller by taking the bullet.
Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, told CP that the Archie comic was a "disturbing sign of the times" showing that "many elites are obsessed with the politicization of our society and the eroticization of our culture."
"In this regard, the latest Archie comic stands as Exhibit A. Archie has been loved by readers for decades, extending back some 70 years," said Donohue.
"One of the great things about comics, and this certainly includes Archie, is that they allow readers to escape politics and simply enjoy a light moment. That Archie has been corrupted in the end is a sad chapter in our culture."
This is not the first time Archie has been the subject of political controversy. Several years ago Life With Archie featured a gay wedding wherein Keller married his same-sex partner, an Iraq War veteran.
"The introduction of Kevin is just about keeping the world of Archie Comics current and inclusive," said Jon Goldwater, Archie Comics Co-CEO, to CNN back in 2011.
"Archie's hometown of Riverdale has always been a safe world for everyone. It just makes sense to have an openly gay character in Archie comic books."
According to NPR, the final issue for Life With Archie will involve his friends honoring the memories and legacy of the decades-old character.
