Haverhill’s Archie Indirectly Inspires Anti-Gun Violence Comic Book

The cover of a new eight-page comic book, “See Something, Say Something.”

Nancy Silberkleit, co-CEO of Archie Comics, left, speaks with Haverhill License Commissioner Gerald A. Sewell at Buttonwoods Museum.

Nancy Silberkleit, co-CEO of Archie Comics, left, speaks with Haverhill License Commissioner Gerald A. Sewell at Buttonwoods Museum.

Archie, the iconic comic book character inspired by Haverhill figures, may indirectly help stem the tide of gun violence.

Nancy Silberkleit, co-CEO of Archie Comics, said she has been shaken by recent shootings and fast-tracked the launch a new eight-page comic book, “See Something, Say Something.”

“This escalation in folks going out and shooting one another has left us all saying it must stop. I feel conversation in an education environment may just plant the seed for one to handle their internal conflicts in a peace manner,” said Silberkleit, who has visited Haverhill twice in recent months. A four-page teaching guide is in development and will be offered free to teachers with the $1.99 purchase of the comic book. Proceeds benefit Silberkleit’s non-profit Rise Above Social Issues Foundation.

“I feel we all should always do more with the time we all have. The best I can do is use the comic book platform. I feel graphic literacy will present difficult topics with some ease and spark conversation,” she told WHAV.

The comic book tells the story of a new student who is shunned and bullied at school. “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,” a statement said.

“I began working on this project at the beginning of this year,” said Silberkleit, but “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.”

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. “See Something, Say Something” has a script by noted educational consultant and scriptwriter Peter Gutierrez, with pencil illustrations by Loyiso Mkize.

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.

To pre-order the comic book, email [email protected] or call (914) 450-9880.

3 thoughts on “Haverhill’s Archie Indirectly Inspires Anti-Gun Violence Comic Book

  1. “may indirectly help stem the tide of gun violence…This escalation in folks going out and shooting one another has left us all saying it must stop.” –

    What needs to stop is the rhetoric and deceit by people like Nancy Silberkleit, ideological politicians, and the media. Murder and injury by firearm (ex-SUICIDES) have been in decline for over 25 years. Active shooting scenarios are relatively uncommon, about 1%, but hypocritical ideologues would rather see you or loved ones die instead of having a chance at defending your right to life.

    If you don’t want to own or carry a firearm fine, don’t. Those of us that do won’t bother you and chances are very high you will never know we are carrying a firearm.

    Thankfully, The United States Supreme Court agrees with firearm owners, and while firearm rights are not unlimited, The Court still respects to a some degree at least one of The Bill of Rights as written…for now anyway.

    https://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/crimestats

    Maybe energies spent on taking a lawful right away from The American People could be better spent on getting funding for those at a ridiculously high risk of suicide; Veterans. Anti-liberty Massachusetts Legislators are hypocrites when they claim how much they support Veterans, since they instead allow social welfare and other fiscal resources be sucked dry from those they claim to support (Veterans), and give it to people that shouldn’t be here in the first place, illegal invaders.

    • I sure wish I bought SWHC a year ago….even 2 weeks ago.
      The greatest gun salesman in history is Obama. His rhetoric is the best thing that has ever happened to that industry.