Oh, no! Comic book character 'Archie' dies in end of series

[April 10, 2014]  NEW YORK (Reuters) — Archie Andrews, the fictional red-headed, American teenager in the popular "Archie" comics, will die in the conclusion of a flash-forward series this summer, according to its publisher.

In the series of his adventures after high school and college, the iconic comic character will die while saving the life of a friend in "Life With Archie #36" in July.

"We've been building up to this moment since we launched "Life with Archie" five years ago, and knew that any book that was telling the story of Archie's life as an adult had to also show his final moment," Archie Comics Publisher and co-Chief Executive Officer Jon Goldwater said on the website www.archiecomics.com.

He added that the story will be available in multiple formats, including magazine size, two comic-size issues #36 and #37, and a paperback of the entire story.

"Life with Archie #36" will detail his final moments, while "Life with Archie #37" will show how his friends are coping without him a year after his death.

A spokesman for the comics said the events in the flash-forward series will not affect Archie in the present-day series. His adventures and stories as a teenager will continue.

The Archie series, with characters such as Jughead, Betty and Veronica, have been running for decades. Archie Comics have sold 2 billion comics worldwide and are published around the globe.

(Reporting by Patricia Reaney; editing by Jonathan Oatis)

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