http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/archie-comics-signs-development-deal-warner-bros-tv-975805
The pact follows the success of the CW's 'Riverdale' and could see more of Archie's pals and gals heading to the small screen.
Everything's coming up Archie.
In the wake of the launch of Riverdale on the CW, Archie Comics has signed an exclusive deal with Warner Bros. Television to develop more of the publisher's properties for television and original content.
As Archie CEO Jon Goldwater tells The Hollywood Reporter, the deal extends beyond the traditional Riverdale crew of Archie, Betty and Veronica as seen in the current CW series. It could include lesser-known properties including "America's Queen of Pin-Ups and Fashions" Katy Keene, as well as the superheroes of the company's Dark Circle imprint.
"Archie is unique in that we have a huge library of characters that are not only recognizable, but theyre successful and entertaining," Goldwater says.
Riverdale creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa told reporters last month he was interested in creating a whole Archie world. The series, with its dark tone and sexy new murder mystery plot, has been a critical hit. The deal is similar to Warner Bros. TV's pact with DC Comics, which has seen it put a whole stable of series on the air, including CW's Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl, as well as Fox's Gotham and NBC's Powerless.
Riverdale's success and the TV pact marks the latest stage in Goldwater's push to modernize Archie as a company, which started with the 2010 introduction of Kevin Keller, the first openly gay character in the publisher's long history, and continued with the launch of a series that featured an adult Archie struggling with life post-marriage.
Coinciding with news of the Warner Bros. deal, Archie revealed that Mark Waid, the writer of flagship comic book series Archie, will be expanding his relationship with the company later this year by signing up to co-write a number of series, as well as mentoring upcoming writers, with the overall aim of growing the current stable of talent at the company.
"This opportunity is exciting to me for a number of reasons," Waid says about the new deal, which takes effect in May when he takes over writing the Jughead series with new co-writer Ian Flynn. "First, the chance to expand my role as a writer at Archie is terrific as we all share the same storytelling goals. Second, it allows me to exercise my editorial muscles, which surprise is why I got into comics in the first place. But most of all, the opportunity to help build a more diverse staff of writers, younger, eager to learn, and eager to teach me."