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Katy Keene is on The CW tonight after that big crossover with Riverdale last night. It’s been a big week for Archie Comics shows and the CEO thinks it’s a landmark moment for the company. Jon Goldwater talked to Decider about all these developments and told them that this feels like when Iron Man debuted in theaters. Now, that’s pretty bold, but the spinoffs from Riverdale just keep coming. It feels like The CW has room for another entry, especially because some of the streaming services are in need of extra content.
“I think a lot of people took our first two shows for granted – because Archie/Riverdale and Sabrina are our top properties. But Katy Keene is different. I liken it to our Iron Man moment,” Goldwater began boldly. “When Marvel announced plans for an Iron Man movie, a lot of people scoffed. They felt like their best characters – Spider-Man, X-Men, Fantastic Four – were already spoken for. But then they changed the game, and they reinvigorated the brand at the same time. We see a lot of parallels there with Katy Keene, who, look, we love – she’s an icon. But she’s also a deeper cut than Archie, Sabrina or even Josie. We see this as a really pivotal moment for the company and for our media properties.”
He continued, “In terms of new ideas, we’re always reexamining our library and trying to find new ways to reactivate or rework what we have, which includes introducing new concepts and mash-ups – like Afterlife [with Archie], Jughead the Hunger, Vampironica…the possibilities are endless. We have to always remain flexible and open to change, but also honor and respect who these characters are. That’s my guiding light.”
This isn’t the first time that the Archie Comic CEO has been this ecstatic about all of the shows finding homes in various spaces. He talked about this being a huge moment for new fans when Katy Keene’s pilot got picked up.
“It is a watershed moment for the company,” Goldwater told ComicBook.com. “We are called Archie Comics, so most people don’t realize the breadth and depth of our IP. We literally have hundreds of brands, thousands of characters, obviously some way more well-known than others. Comic book people know Katy but the world at large don’t know Katy. And for us to be able to start to mine the depth of our library is a transformative moment for Archie Comics. It’s such an exciting moment in time for the company and it’s as exciting as when Riverdale first came along. It is that kind of seminal moment.”
Katy Keene’s big premiere is tonight at 8p.m. on The CW.
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