Dan Parent

Creator of Archie Comics’ Kevin KellerDan Parent is scheduled for Planet Comicon Kansas City 2016

Dan Parent is writer/artist best known for his work for Archie Comics. Parent introduced the first openly gay character in the Archie gang, Kevin Keller. In 2013, he received a GLAAD Media Award for outstanding comic book.

Parent was nominated for a 2013 Harvey Award for Special Award for Humor in Comics

In 2015, Parent illustrated the comic Archie vs. Sharknado, a tie-in to Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! written by the film’s director, Anthony C. Ferrante.

Parent studied cartooning at The Kubert School. In addition to his work on comics featuring Archie, Parent has also worked on Felix the Cat, Barbie, and Disney Adventures.

Media Bistro asked Dan Parent about the LBGT community’s reaction to Kevin Keller:

“We’ve gotten a great response from the LGBT community; I think because we didn’t skirt around the issue. Kevin openly comes out as gay, unapologetically. And his homosexuality is accepted by the Riverdale gang, just as they would accept someone with a different ethnicity.”

Publisher’s Weekly gave the Kevin Keller graphic novel a positive review:

This volume is rounded with considerable back-story explaining just who Kevin is, where he comes from, and what he’s endured up to this point in his life, and that makes all the difference in getting readers on the guy’s side. He is simply a nice kid, and at its heart that’s what this story is really all about, rendering the whole gay angle clearly present but a decided non-issue. Fun from start to finish, this volume is highly recommended as a gateway into the contemporary world of Archie for newcomers and the returning curious.

More about Dan Parent

Website: www.danparent.com
Twitter: twitter.com/parentdaniel