Archie and Veronica Finally Say "I Do!"

After a half-century courtship that became the most famous love triangle in pop culture, inveterate bachelor Archie Andrews finally proposed to Veronica Lodge, shocking fans worldwide. This month, the wedding takes place, and it will prompt changes in the lives of just about everyone in Riverdale and all the characters featured in Archie Comics (www.archiecomics.com).

That's what Michael E. Uslan, executive producer of the Batman film franchise and writer of the epic Archie comic book wedding, said of the landmark nuptials.

"When I first pitched this project to Archie Comics, I wanted to write a story that updated the characters somewhat, but still retained the sense of fun that has always embodied Archie comics," Uslan said. "These characters have been in high school for 68 years, and they continue to resonate with new audiences because of that, but in this series of stories, I wanted to reach out not only to current readers, but also to the people who grew up on Archie Comics. The sense of nostalgia for these characters is strong, so I stayed true to their essence, but I also put them through some changes to demonstrate the level of maturity they've achieved."

Uslan, who began his career in comics in the 1970s writing The Shadow and Batman comics for publisher DC Comics, has made his mark on Americana through shepherding Batman into the movies with films like Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, the second highest grossing movie of all time. His first love, however, has always been the comic book, and his love for American popular culture.

"Comics are more than mythology of our times, and far more than the disposable entertainment they were born as," he said. "They are now the new mainstream, representing the top film franchises around the world. And having had the opportunity to see the genre flourish over the last two decades has been a joy, but I always felt that Archie had been overlooked by the mainstream public now consuming movies, TV shows and video games based on their favorite comics. I wanted to do something different to show people that these characters are still vital, and have more than nostalgic value. We can still learn from them, as we did when we were kids."

The Spring 2009 announcement of the impending union between Archie and Veronica left many fans outraged, because they felt that Betty should have been the one to get the ring. Veronica had always been the spoiled rich girl, while Betty was the girl next door, and favorite of many fans.

Uslan is used to the controversy. In 1988, when Michael Keaton was cast as Batman for the first salvo of the modern film franchise, fans practically took to the streets to protest. When the film opened, fans calmed down, enjoying Keaton's serious turn as a slightly off-kilter Bruce Wayne, trying to come to terms with living a double life.

"This is not unlike the Michael Keaton thing," Uslan added. "I'm sure that people have a lot of questions about the choice that Archie made, and all I can do is tell them to pick up the comic. I guarantee that this story is not finished, and there are still some surprises left in the story to come."

Archie Comics #601 will be in direct market comic book stores September 16, and in book stores and newsstands a week later. To find a comic book shop in your area, visit www.diamondcomics.com and click on the Comic Shop Locater.

With Oscars and Emmys awarded to multiple projects, Michael Uslan (executive producer of the Batman film franchise) is the godfather of the modern comic book movie, and is currently being entrusted with icons like Archie, who he is marrying off to Veronica in September as writer of the comic books. As a speaker, his commencement speech to Indiana University (his alma mater) was named by USA Today as one of the top 10 commencement speeches of all time. Uslan will also add new live action movies such as Shazam! and The Shadow to his resume, which includes involvement in films like National Treasure and Constantine.