A Kickstarter campaign has launched to celebrate Kevin Keller, Archie Comics' first LGBTQ+ character.
Titled Kevin Keller CELEBRATION!, the omnibus is dedicated to the character and his greatest stories from the publisher. Kevin Keller first appeared in the pages of Veronica #202 over ten years ago, with the collection seeking to commemorate his introduction into comics and the world of Archie. Archie Comics legend, writer and artist Dan Parent was thrilled to help bring the Kickstarter into being.
"For the past 35 years, I've had the pleasure to work on multiple characters and titles for Archie," said Parent. "But my heart always comes back to my heart and soul, Kevin Keller. Being able to spearhead this campaign, with the support of Archie Comics, is the perfect way to continue the legacy of the character as well as celebrate the 80th anniversary of Archie Comics."
The Harvey Award-nominated and 2013 GLAAD Award-winning Parent created Kevin Keller back in 2010. Kevin began as a love interest to Veronica Lodge, who fancied dating Riverdale's latest newcomer. However, Kevin did not reciprocate these feelings, revealing later on that this was because he is gay, marking a milestone for the imprint as its first character to identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Since then, the character has also moved from the comic page to the television screen as he was adapted for Riverdale, the CW series based on the Archie comics. Portrayed by Casey Cott, fans were first introduced to Kevin in live-action during the series premiere, seen as the best friend to Betty Cooper (Lili Reinhart). Kevin is depicted as being openly gay in the series as well, forming relationships with other characters such as Moose Mason (Cody Kearsley) and Fangs Fogarty (Drew Ray Tanner).
Archie Comics CEO and Publisher Jon Goldwater is happy to be celebrating Kevin Keller with his own omnibus, believing the character was a major step forward for the label. "When Dan came to me with the idea of introducing Kevin to Archie Comics ten years ago, I knew we were on the precipice of a huge cultural shift for our brand and for that reason, among many others, is why we fully support Dan's campaign efforts," Goldwater said. "The introduction of Kevin, Archie Comics first gay character, ignited readers and fans across the country and it's a testament to Dan's creative work that Kevin is such a positive and everlasting fixture in the world of Riverdale."
The omnibus will feature over 700-pages of stories about Kevin Keller, including the character's first appearance, four-issue miniseries, the 15-issue Kevin Keller series, the Life with Kevin graphic novel and more, as well as bonus content for readers to enjoy. Full details can be found on the Kickstarter page.
Source: Archie Comics