Short answers, pulled from the story.
Archie Comic Publications began in September 1939 as M.L.J. Magazines, Inc., founded by Maurice Coyne, Louis Silberkleit, and John L. Goldwater. The company name came from the initials of the three partners' first names. It renamed itself Archie Comic Publications in 1946 after its most popular character.
Archie Andrews was created by publisher John L. Goldwater and artist Bob Montana, with writer Vic Bloom, first appearing in Pep Comics #22 with a cover date of December 1941. Goldwater based the concept on the Andy Hardy film series starring Mickey Rooney, seeking a relatable ordinary teenager for comics.
The Shield, introduced in Pep Comics in November 1939 and created by writer Harry Shorten and artist Irv Novick, was the first patriotic superhero in American comic books. He reached newsstands 13 months before Joe Simon and Jack Kirby's Captain America appeared.
Kevin Keller was Archie Comics' first openly gay character, debuting in Veronica #202 in September 2010, created by writer-artist Dan Parent. The debut issue sold out at the distributor level, prompting the first second printing of a single Archie Comics issue. A bimonthly Kevin Keller series launched in early 2012 earned a GLAAD award for Outstanding Comic Book the following year.
Afterlife with Archie, launched in October 2013, depicted a zombie apocalypse beginning in Riverdale that also incorporated the occult, demons, and Cthulhu. It was written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and illustrated by Francesco Francavilla, and was the first Archie Comics title sold exclusively to comic shops and the first to carry a Teen+ rating.
Riverdale ran for seven seasons from January 2017 through August 2023 on the CW network. The show was developed by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, who described it as "Archie meets Twin Peaks," and was picked up by the CW on the 29th of January 2016.