Picture this. The Indian American Raj Patel, who made his debut in Archie comics in 2007, decides to come to India with Archie Andrews. It could be the beginning of a series of Archie-esque slapstick adventures, albeit with an Indian twist. So, we could have Raj and Archie getting overwhelmed by the chaotic Mumbai traffic and poor Archiekins getting lost in the city. And in his effort to find his way, just imagine the innumerable adventures Raj and he could encounter. Nancy Silberkleit, co-CEO of Archie Comic Publications, who was recently in India, could just hold the magic wand to make all these true. Surprised by the response she got from people in India to Archie Comics, Silberkleit revealed that she could soon make this a series. She was here as an INK Fellow to speak at the Ink Conference 2012 at Pune.

She says almost every other person she met at the INK conference had an Archie story of their own to tell. Many told her that Archie Comics were part of their growing up years, for a few Archie Comic books were rewards for doing well in school or as birthday gifts while another person told her??Thank God for Archie. I was prepared for college in the US. Otherwise it would have been a cultural shock for me?. The founding fathers should have been here to see the kind of happiness the characters in the comic has given to so many people in India, says the preserver of the Archie legacy. ?We all relate to it differently. I feel emotional. I am going to come back soon,? she promises.

If the publication were to work on an Indian story, it would take a minimum of three months. Archie looking all lost and having funny experiences while exploring India would be an interesting read. But a presence of India or an Indian character was never needed for Archie Comics to have cult fans in India. Generations have been fans of the lovable character that Archie Andrews is and his world revolving around the Riverdale High School, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Jughead Jones, Reggie Mantle and, Moose, Midge, Mr Lodge, Miss Grundy and Riverdale principal, Waldo Weatherbee. The fans Silberkleit encountered during her visit were from seven to 70 years? old, she says. In the real world Archie himself would be an 80-year-old. But he has remained eternally young. People sometimes relate so much to the character that they forget that it is a comic creation and there is no real person, points out Silberkleit. Even after decades of publishing, the Archie Comics brand is one of the most successful and longest running comic book series and also among the most popular in the humour comics genre. Originally in English, Archie is translated into dozens of other languages and even in Indian languages?Hindi and Malayalam.

Lakshmi Pratury, host and curator of the Ink Conference, introduced Nancy Silberkleit as the ?accidental boss at Archie?, a title she borrowed from a Fortune article about Silberkleit. An art teacher for 25 years with no business experience or business training, she has taken over the Archie legacy. The first issue of Archie Comics appeared in 1942 and was published by MLJ Magazines?formed by Maurice Coyne, Louis Silberkleit and John L Goldwater. Following the popularity of Archie, MLJ became Archie Comic Publications. Louis Silberkleit?s son Michael became chairman and co-publisher and John Goldwater?s son Richard became president and co-publisher. Michael and John?s death led to Nancy Silberkleit and John Goldwater?s son, Jonathan, becoming co-CEOs. An elementary school art teacher, Nancy Silberkleit had to come into the business after her husband?s death and she hasn?t had it easy. Jonathan, and Silberkleit have been engaged in an ugly spat for the control of Archie Comics. The New York Times called this war between the duo as ?the battle for the empire that Archie built?. But the battle notwithstanding, the comic series has managed to survive these skirmishes.

Archie Comics came to India thanks to Om Aurora of Variety Book Depot, who Silberkleit says, just walked to the publication office three and a half decades ago, asking rights to distribute the comic books in India. None of the founder members had even travelled to India but gave the young man the exclusive right to distribute Archie Comics in India and he has been doing it till date. Nancy Silberkleit is among the first of the family to come down to India to get a feel of the Indian market and soaked up all the attention she got at the Ink Conference in Pune. She reckons comic books are a great bridge to reading and can be used as a tool to encourage reading. They hold comic book fairs just to place comic books in the hands of children. She discovered how Archie has been a very big part of the culture here. ?India is an important market. An Indian (Raj Patel) was introduced into Archie?s world because we felt the need to bring in diversity in characters. We wanted to reflect a culture that is not just American but a blend of cultures as it is today,? says Silberkleit.

Silberkleit is also the founder of Rise Above Social Issues, a non-profit organisation that addresses challenging social issues such as child obesity, chronic medical conditions, bullying, discrimination and environmental concerns through comic books. She is passionate about using comic books as a tool for increasing literacy and making reading material easily available for them. ?We can present serious issues in a format welcomed by students. The power of visuals in a comic book makes it a resource for the community,? she says.

As the world moves from the printed world to the digital world, Archie Comics, too, has had a digital makeover and was made available on mobile devices, tablets and social networking sites and continues to sustain reader interest. The Archie apps have been a hit and have been engaging new-age readers. For those who have grown up on Archie and would like to continue engaging with a grown up Archie, the publications started a magazine version called Life with Archie. This magazine created a continuity for the story and was aimed at a more mature readership, says Silberkleit. ?Ask Om when that will come to India,? she says.