Gay Archie Comics character Kevin Keller gets into a controversy over kissing his boyfriend in an upcoming issue, in a storyline that satirizes real-life objections to Kevin's presence in the comics world.
In Kevin Keller issue 10, out August 7, Kevin kisses his boyfriend, Devon, in a diner, and another patron "gets very offended and kind of pitches a bit of a fit," author-artist Dan Parent told the Associated Press. Kevin's friend Veronica captures the incident on video, which she puts online, leading to more debate.
Parent said he came up with the idea for the story after the right-wing group One Million Moms objected to a comic depicting Kevin's future same-sex wedding. The group lobbied Toys "R" Us to not display the issue prominently, but the retailer refused, and the issue eventually sold out its print run. The kiss plotline is a "playful poke" at the Million Moms action, Parent told the AP.