The popular Netflix series Riverdale is the subject of a conference this week at the Abbotsford campus of University of the Fraser Valley.

The second annual 鈥淭he Riverdale Universe: A Semi-academic Conference鈥� features 16 presenters, a full day of panels and a choose-your-own-adventure-style interactive project.

It wraps up with a milkshake social at Rocko鈥檚 Diner in Mission, where parts of the Riverdale pilot were filmed.

The name of Netflix鈥檚 reimagined Archie Comics universe is familiar to just about everyone in the Fraser Valley.

It鈥檚 not only a binge- and cringe-worthy fast-paced teen drama with questionable plot points, but a show that has become well-known for filming in and around Aldergrove, Vancouver and Langley.

As conference coordinator and associate professor of English Heather McAlpine can attest, Riverdale is capable of sparking a vibrant conversation at the crossroads of fandom and academia.

鈥淲hen I made my opening remarks at last year鈥檚 conference, I think I said something like, 鈥榃elcome to what we believe to be the first, and very likely the last, academic conference about Riverdale.鈥� The whole thing seemed so impossible, and equally as wonderful,鈥� McAlpine laughed.

The whole thing started as an inside joke on Twitter, when McAlpine and several other UFV professors, graduates, and students started comparing their experiences of binge-watching Riverdale in 2017.

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鈥淲e were cracking jokes about it, and someone made a joke about starting a conference,鈥� McAlpine said.

And then, suddenly, it wasn鈥檛 a joke. It blossomed into a full-fledged conference, drawing presenters from around the country.

鈥淗ere we are, a year later, and it鈥檚 still gaining momentum. We have more presenters, some of them coming from as far away as Ottawa and Montreal.鈥�

It鈥檚 something she finds hilarious but also amazingly gratifying. And while sometimes she gets odd looks when she lists Riverdale alongside her other research interests 鈥� which largely focus on Victorian poetry 鈥� she sees it as all related.

鈥淭his conference shows how the tools and techniques that you learn by studying the humanities can enrich your experience of everyday life and the culture that鈥檚 all around you,鈥� McAlpine said.

鈥淭he humanities, and English, are not just about studying 鈥榞reat works鈥�. They鈥檙e about making sense of the culture we think of as ordinary, too 鈥� understanding how it鈥檚 doing what it鈥檚 doing, whether you love it or hate it.鈥�

Registration and the full schedule are available online at .