Archie Comics Co-Ceo Launches New Comic To Deal With Gun Violence

Graphic Novel Puts Teens’ Focus on Dealing with Gun Violence; Free Teaching Guide Available for Teachers

PELHAM, NY / ACCESSWIRE / November 24, 2015 / The Co-CEO of Archie Comics, whose iconic characters Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica have lived in the hearts of many people around the globe for decades, is using the power of comic book stories to open a dialogue on gun violence. Nancy Silberkleit, through her Rise Above Social Issues Foundation, has just launched a new comic book under the title “See Something, Say Something.”

The eight -page comic book tells the story of a teen who is new at a school and is shunned and bullied by a group of students. He struggles with the turmoil and cannot find inner peace, which causes him to bring disharmony to the school. He tells another student of his plan to get even, which involves violence to others.

“I began working on this project at the beginning of this year,” said Silberkleit, whose Rise Above Social Issues Foundation has published comics on bullying and self-esteem. “After the horrific shooting in a church in South Carolina last winter, I put the project on fast-track. Never could I have thought it would be coming out just as our nation is devastated by yet another mass shooting, this time at a community college in Oregon. It underscores the need to take action to bring about change, in this case to educate young people about dealing with anger and the need to say something if you see or hear something that could portend a problem.”

“See Something, Say Something” has a script by noted educational consultant and scriptwriter Peter Gutierrez, with pencil illustrations by Loyiso Mkize. The story will soon have a four-page teaching guide, free for teachers who purchase the comic book.

Silberkleit, a former teacher, said the new book is designed to provide teachers with a platform to spark discussion among young people on the issue of keeping their educational environment safe.

“Like all of us, teens are looking for ways to explain and understand episodes of mass violence that too often capture the headlines,” she said. “The text and rich graphics of the comic create a stage for students to think creatively, internalize feelings and share them through open discussions in a classroom setting.”

Silberkleit speaks to teachers and young people nationally and worldwide on a variety of issues surrounding bullying, and her talks have been well-received by audiences as far as the African continent and India.

Copies of “See Something, Say Something” will soon be available digitally for $1.99. To pre-order, contact Nancy Silberkleit at Riseabovesocialissues@gmail.com or call 914 450 9880.

Contact: David Reich, david@reichcommunications.com, 212 573-6000

SOURCE: Rise Above Social Issues Foundation

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