Dan Parent is currently in the midst of stage of his long career where his hard work is reaping substantial reward. In addition to his great gains in the Archie Universe, Dan has a Kickstarter (Die Kitty Die) along with Fernando Ruiz that asks: “What happens when a longtime comic book character has come to the end of her run? You kill her! But how? That’s where the fun begins…”
Tim O’Shea: After a couple of years is it good to no longer be pigeonholed as the resident expert writing GLBT characters?
Dan Parent: Well, I don’t really mind. I mean, I do a lot of other work, but my work with Kevin Keller is probably my most important, so I’m happy to be pigeonholed there!
What are you most proud of in terms of your storytelling dynamics for the Archie Universe?
In addition to Kevin, my Archie/Valerie storyline was something I was proud of. And I’m happy that I’ve been allowed to take the Archie characters into more progressive territory than was allowed in the past.
Who do you regard as rising stars among the current roster of Archie creative talent?
Well, Gisele Lagace is great, but she’s a rising star with her own webcomics. And Fernando Ruiz is doing the best work of his career!
In what ways have you honed your storytelling skills in recent years?
More realistic dialogue, less slapsticky.
Am I right in thinking you take a great amount of effort in fostering a rapport with fans at cons. How critical has that been for your long-term success?
I have a great relationship with the fans at cons. They give me a lot of insight about what they like and what they don’t like. And they’re the people you want to listen to, because they’re the real fans and they know what they’re talking about.
Anything we should discuss that I neglected to ask you about?
Hmm.. you didn’t ask me…Betty or Veronica….and of course, it’s Veronica!
