The
last (possible) Asexual Sighting I did was Arthur Martin on Six Feet Under, ages ago. Fortunately, I stumbled across this brand-new
(old) discovery at The Mary Sue.
Jughead. Canonically asexual (and aromantic.) That
happened.
Okay,
background information: Archie comics have been around since
1941, and Jughead, Archie’s best friend, has been a key member of the Riverdale
gang from the start. Like any comic
series, Archie has changed and
evolved a lot over its long history. It’s
taken different iterations and acquired offshoots, one of which is the new Jughead comic that began last fall. Penned by comic writer Chip Zdarsky, it’s
here that we get an ace Jughead.
Jughead’s
asexuality was revealed in the comic’s most recent issue, which came out last
month. I love the issue’s handling of it
for several reasons. First, it’s not a
coming-out narrative. Within the
context, it’s clear that Jughead’s friends already know about his aceness, and
it’s brought up casually in conversation.
Second, his character doesn’t revolve around his sexuality. In fact, it’s just a handful of lines on one
page, the epitome of “no big deal” representation. Third, Jughead is a 100% contented
aro-ace. He doesn’t mind being asexual
at all. Quite the reverse – he claims he’s
the only one in school who “can think clearly” because he’s “not hobbled by
these hormonal impulses.” (I can relate
to that; while I don’t argue that being ace is “better” or anything, I
absolutely love being who I am and really wouldn’t have it any other way.) Fourth, it fits surprisingly well into his
characterization from the last 75 years.
This is no retcon situation.
Jughead has never been a big dater, and while he doesn’t hate girls or
think they’re gross, he’s not into them (or boys) in “that way,” and he’d
rather think about cheeseburgers than cheerleaders. It’s just that there was no name for it in
the ‘40s, and now there is.
I’ve
only read the ace-reveal issue (No. 4) so far, but Jughead is enjoyable enough that I’ve ordered the back issues and
plan to keep buying the comic. Jughead
himself is a fun, unlikely hero. A bit
of a slacker, a bit of a slob, but also smarter than he looks and something of
a daydreamer. He’s chill and smart-alecky,
and in moments of stress (like dodgeball games,) he evidently imagines himself
as a pirate named Captain Slackbeard – who doesn’t love that? He doesn’t have the typical social-awkwardness
quirks that frequency accompany suspected aceness (see Sherlock, The Big Bang Theory,
and Six Feet Under.) Rather, the only thing that signals him out
as ace is simply that: his lack of
sexual attraction. Very refreshing, and
I’m looking forward to reading more.
On a
personal note, this is a represention coup that feels really personal to
me. I know that comics tend to play
around a bit more with the LGBTQ alphabet soup than other media do, so I wouldn’t
have necessarily run out and bought any comic starring an asexual
character. But it’s Jughead. I still
have crystal-clear memories of stretching out on the floor at my grandparents’
house, reading and rereading my mom’s old, crumbling Archie comics, and I remember Jughead the funny sidekick. This is a character who’s been part of the
pop culture lexicon for three-quarters of a century, a familiar, beloved
figure, and he’s like me. That’s huge,
and I’m so glad that Chip Zdarsky recognized how Jughead’s history lent itself
to incorporating some sexual diversity into his hero’s characterization. Way to go!
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