WIRE Buzz: Archie Comics National Coming Out Day series; Dario Argento TV show; more

Archie Comics legend Dan Parent is celebrating National Coming Out Day in a way that would make the inclusive and modern teens of Riverdale proud. Parent, the creator of the town’s first openly gay resident, Kevin Keller, collaborated with the It Gets Better Project to facilitate conversations about queerness.

This manifested in a new five-part series depicting the various ways that LGBTQ+ people can come out, and featuring Archie Comics characters in the accepting role opposite those coming out.

“At Archie Comics, being inclusive and welcoming is a major part of who we — and Riverdale — are. It's a place where friendship and unity are essential, integral elements,” Archie Comics Co-President Alex Segura said in a statement. “Archie Comics legend Dan Parent — who introduced Kevin Keller to the world, years ago — was the first and only person for this, and he did an amazing job crafting these meaningful vignettes featuring Archie and his friends at Riverdale High.”

The series features fan favorites like Betty, Veronica, and Kevin in coming-out stories featuring trans, bisexual, gay, lesbian, and nonbinary classmates. The It Gets Better Project offers resources for LGBTQ+ youth across the country.

Next, Dario Argento is bringing his legendary spin on horror to the small screen. Variety reports that the giallo mastermind behind Suspiria and more has signed onto direct Longinus, a show “suspended between the real and the supernatural” whose title seems to reference the spear-wielding Roman soldier who wounded the crucified Jesus.

While plot details are nonexistent, the series will reportedly include “mysterious murders, esoteric elements, and ancient enigmas” during its tenure “between the French Alps of Grenoble and the Siena of the Palio.” Basically, this is going to be a vague and strange European trip—and fans of Argento should not be surprised.

No word on where Longinus hopes to land, though it promises to be an international production.

Finally, another horror legend is shifting media. Classic Count Dracula actor Bela Lugosi will have his likeness appear in a new vampiric comic coming from Legendary.

According to a release, Bram Stoker’s Dracula is getting the graphic novel treatment with art from El Garing — and the Lugosi estate is allowing the iconic actor to once again wreak bloodsucking havoc on England.

“There have been great Dracula graphic novels, but to unite Bram Stoker’s novel in a faithful adaptation with the definitive Dracula in the form of screen icon Bela Lugosi is a dream come true,” Robert Napton, senior vice president of Legendary Comics, said in a statement. And yes, Van Helsing will still show up. But mostly, this is a marriage of the best-of-the-best when it comes to the vampire progenitor.

“Bela Lugosi created his unique portrayal of Count Dracula on the Broadway stage and has become a cultural icon for his performance in the 1931 film,” Lynne Lugosi Sparks said in a statement. “This graphic novel beautifully answers the question: What would Lugosi’s performance look like in a direct interpretation of Bram Stoker’s novel?”

Bram Stoker’s Dracula gets a graphic novel release in 2020.