"I've seen the cast and clips and it looks great!": In conversation with Archie Comics' Dan Parent on Zoya Akhtar's The Archies at Comic Con Mumbai

When one thinks of good ol' fashioned comic books, the resplendent world of Archie Andrews and Riverdale immediately comes to mind.

Ever since its inception back in the 1940's, not only has the beloved series triumphantly withstood the test of time, but has also evolved beyond and transcended the very realm of comic books as we know it.

Known for their timeless quality, these blissful stories centered around adolescent love triangles, carefree school days, and unabashed youthfulness in a vibrant city ensconced in time have ceaslessly continued to captivate generation after generation.

The lovestruck trinity of Veronica, Archie and Betty (Image via Archie Comics)

Cut to 2023 and the endearingly enduring series is still very much a hot property, with OTT adaptations taking center stage.

With CW set to bring the curtains down on the immensely successful Riverdale, all eyes are now on The Archies, a live-action musical set in 1960's India and helmed by Zoya Akhtar.

And who better to weigh in on the same than one of the series’ most influential comic book artists i.e., Dan Parent himself!

At the recently concluded Mumbai Comic Con 2023, SK Pop had the opportunity to converse with the distinguised artist, who has been hailed for bringing a contemporary vibe to the series through the creation of Kevin Keller.

In a freewheeling conversation with SK Pop's Saahil Agnelo Periwal, Dan Parent shared his thoughts on what makes Archie Comics a cherished entity even today and much more.

Archie comics book artist Dan Parent opens up on Kevin Keller, crossover series and more

Dan Parent at his creator stall at Mumbai Comic Con 2023 (Image via Comic Con India)

Q) How has it been in India so far? How are you liking the Comic Con experience here ?

Dan: So far it's been great! I've done a few India shows and these guys are always great, which is why I keep coming back! I love it here.

It's my first time in Mumbai and the fans are wonderful.

I have been busy constantly, so yeah it always exceeds expectations.

Q) The Archies is such a timeless comic series creation.

Having worked on it extensively, what do you think is the contributing factor that makes it an evergreen read even till today?

Dan: Like you said, The Archies is evergreen.

The things that never go out of style - family and friends and growing up, and wanting to live in a friendly, safe environment, I think that's the appeal of Archie. Archie is sort of like comfort food, people like to go back to that.

They've always been like a real escape for people.

Q) You've also been credited with the creation of one of the most memorable characters i.e., Kevin Keller.

What was your take on his conception and portrayal in the CW Riverdale series ?

Dan: It was exciting because it's fun to see something you've created adapted into live-action. It doesn't happen that often.

I remember when they were casting Kevin, they were showing me the actors that were playing him and they nailed it.

At first they wanted to give him blonde hair like the comics, but I think they didn't really need to as they still captured the essence of the character really well.

I thought he (Casey Cott) was great!

Q) As you know, Zoya Akhtar has adapted an India-centric version of The Archies which is set to drop on Netflix this year.

What is your take on the same?

Dan: I'm really looking forward to it. I love Bollywood and Indian culture and all that, so I think it's going to be a nice mix of the two worlds.

I've seen the cast and clips and it looks great!

Q) In terms of crossover comics, we've had a couple of Archies in India tie-ups.

On that front, would be seeing more of the same anytime soon and what would you say is next on the horizon for Archie?

Dan: We're still doing lot of the classic stuff, we do more of the realistic stuff still, like that's always what I want to work on.

We always do crossovers, we never know what we're going to do, but we are doing more with Archie in India.

There's also going to be like a tie-in with the Archie India movie. It hasn't been fully fleshed out yet, but you're going to see the characters from the Archies movie here in comic book form!

Q) Lastly, if you had to chalk out your dream cast and choose 3 big-budget megastars to star as Archie, Betty, and Veronica in a big-screen adaptation, who would you cast?

Megan Fox, Ron Howard as Richie Cunningham in Happy Days and Reese Witherspoon (Images via Getty/IMDB)

Dan: Ah geez, you've caught me offguard here! (Laughs)

I always thought Reese Witherspoon had like a Betty quality.

Veronica...who would be Veronica...let's see...maybe Megan Fox, I think she would be good!

Growing up you know, like Ron Howard was literally Archie on Happy Days. He was perfect.

Today, you can't go with Brad Pitt, he's too dashing! You've gotta go with someone with a more goofy quality you know.

I've drawn a blank, honestly, I don't know ! (Laughs)

Edited by Saahil Agnelo Periwal