Dan Parent has drawn and written Archie Comics for three decades - that’s more than half his age, 53 years. He’s also, perhaps, the best known of the Archie artists - yes, there’s an entire stable of them churning them out - having conceived of the Riverdale universe’s first openly gay character. Parent was in Delhi over the weekend to take part in the Maruti Suzuki Delhi Comic Con.
Dan Parent has drawn and written Archie Comics for three decades - that’s more than half his age, 53 years. He’s also, perhaps, the best known of the Archie artists - yes, there’s an entire stable of them churning them out - having conceived of the Riverdale universe’s first openly gay character. Parent was in Delhi over the weekend to take part in the Maruti Suzuki Delhi Comic Con.
Gargi Gupta caught up with him for a brief chat. Edited excerpts:
Q: Archie is so American - why, then, is he so big in India? What is his appeal?
The people who love Archie here, or in Canada or the US are basically into the characters and the characters are relatable. That’s because in every culture there are characters like Archie, like Betty, Veronica, or goofy Jughead.
I think it’s the love triangle - Archie, Betty and Veronica. That’s the core - even with the zombie book, or TV show. There have been many variations on that triangle - they’ve set up Archie with different dates, Betty and Veronica date other guys - but it always goes back.
Q: You’ve come up with an exclusive issue for the Delhi Comic Con. Tell me about it.
This is the first time I have done a Comic Con exclusive for India. But it’s only the cover - the story is not exclusive. It’s the first issue of Your Pal Archie, a new series that began in June. We’ve done India stories for Archie in other books.
Q: The graphic artwork of the Archie Comics has undergone many changes - from the early cartoony look to a more realistic one, and now back to the classic.
Yes, the artwork in the recent ‘Your Pal Archie’ goes back to the classic, but we’ve tweaked it a little bit, so the characters look a little bit like the Riverdale TV show cast. The colours, too, are a little muted, serious.
Q: Is there a house style for the Archie Comics?
Not so much anymore. There used to be a time when they drew Archie in one way. And then in the last 10 years or so they just let us artists do our own thing. And now there are so many styles of Archie. I think they’ve realised that people respond well to different styles. Besides, the characters translate into different genres; they work in whatever medium you put them in - whether it is zombies, or as kids (Little Archie)...
Q: The Afterlife series - what has been the response to that?
The Zombies is the most successful of the recent series - it’s their biggest seller.
Q: What kind of impact has the TV series had on the comics?
A lot of kids today watch TV and don’t read. But once they know that the show is based on a comic book, they go back and try and find out what the books are all about. Ironically, sales of classic Archie have gone up because of that - people want to find out where Archie started from.
Q: You created Kevin Keller, the Archie Comics’ first openly gay character, back in 2010. How did it happen and how did people respond?
We’d been talking at Archie about bringing in more diverse characters, more ethnicities, etc; my boss suggested a gay character and I was like yeah, what have we got to lose? He clicked with the fans right away.
Q: Name some of the series you’ve worked on over the years
So many...I just wrapped up the Kevin Keller series, called ‘Life with Kevin’; I’m working on another series, and a Betty and Veronica book that’s coming out next year. Over the years, I have worked on the Cheryl Blossom series, Archie & Friends; I did the Veronica comic book for 200 issues - I’ve pretty much drawn every character.
Q: Is it hectic?
I work from home, so it’s crazy hours. I have to turn in around five pages a week of drawings and script, and I also do covers. At the same time, I’m juggling other projects - freelance jobs. There’s also my own book, 'Die Kitty Die' - I have to keep up with that.
Q: You’ve been with Archie for three decades now. Do you sometimes get bored with him?
Yeah...No I’m not (smiles). They allow me to do different things throughout the year, so I’m challenged.
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