Comic books for most generations in Goa, or
for that matter, across the country, have comprised one or both of the
following: Tinkle and Archie. However, one series of the Archie franchise has
gone on to devastate fans. The famous freckle-faced comic book icon will meet
his demise in today’s edition of ‘Life with Archie’ as he intervenes to thwart
an assassination attempt on Kevin Keller, the first gay character to make an
appearance in Archie Comics.
Archie Comics publisher and co-CEO, Jon
Goldwater, shares his views on the decision to terminate the character that has
garnered millions of fans worldwide.”The way in which Archie died is everything
that you would expect of Archie. We wanted to do something that was impactful,
that would really resonate with the world and bring home just how important
Archie is to everyone. It’s what Archie has come to represent over the past
almost 75 years.”
Many fans have waited in anticipation of a
hoax, as the last thing anyone wants to see is their childhood companion being
killed off a series. One such follower of the series, Vilma Silva, who spends
her time equally in Goa and Mumbai, says “I grew up with Archie Comics through
the 1960’s and 1970’s. I would travel from Dhobitalao to Mahim, where I would
pick up a copy or two from Victoria Library.
More often than not, I would have finished it by the time I had
completed the return leg of my journey. This news is most distressing.”
The final moments of Archie Andrews will be
detailed in the edition of ‘Life with Archie No. 36’. The subsequent issue,
will leapfrog one year as Riverdale honours the icon who first appeared in
comics in 1941. All is not lost, as other avatars of Andrews will live on in
the Archie Comics series.
