Nancy Silberkleit, daughter-in-law of Louis H. Silberkleit one of the founders of Archie
Comics Publications, stepped into her role as Co-CEO of the company in 2009 with a
vision that the comic book as a graphic novel is a valuable tool for developing literacy among first-time readers and instilling a love of reading for everyone. As a former public school educator, homemaker and mother, she knows the importance of learning to read and coined a personal motto that “Children + Comic Books = Reading, Knowledge and Confidence.”
She is the wife of the late Michael Silberkleit, who was the son of Archie Comics founder
Louis Silberkleit, who with his partner John L. Goldwater founded Archie Comics in 1942.
She furthers her agenda of why comic books are needed in classrooms and libraries with her fervent belief that comic books can be used to engage a variety of learners, while promoting literacy and a love of reading. She feels strongly that the graphic comic book format helps to enrich and develop the creative mind.
She taught art for over 20 years and has seen the power of comics to encourage
literacy and creativity in children. Children love to read comic books and graphic novels
and often endeavor to mimic the format with their own creations. Comics teach children
about storytelling and exploring their artistic abilities through illustration. It is a natural
progression for children, as a bridge to reading from the picture books of their younger years.
“Reading Archie Comics for 30 minutes is what I like to call ‘Archie Therapy,’” says
Nancy Silberkleit, Co-CEO of Archie Comic Publications. “The light-hearted, humorous
stories have appealed to readers for generations thanks to the talented writers and artists who make Archie a never-ending story.”
“By enhancing literacy and encouraging self-confidence and knowledge through age-
accessible, non-threatening reading materials, such as specially created, topical comic books, we strive to stimulate creativity and tolerance in young people, giving them the tools to become a positive influence on their peers through overcoming social challenges,” adds Ms. Silberkleit. Nancy Silberkleit innovative idea of using the comic book in working along with educators has paired special comic book stories with teacher study guides that assist in using the graphic panels to their best ability and
established suggested ideas to engage children in this format of literacy.
The Archie Comics line of comic books is one of the most successful, longest-running
brands in the history of the comic industry. Archie Comics have sold over 5 billion comics
and are published in a dozen different foreign languages and distributed all over the
world. Archie Comics has spawned characters whose popularity has spilled over into
other media and who have become part of popular culture.
