MICHAEL SILBERKLEIT: Archie’s TV career

“Archie: To Riverdale and Back Again,” the first live-action movie based on the characters from the popular Archie comic books, airs Sunday at 9 p.m. on KNBC. The movie also marks the first time in the 49-year history of Archie Comics that the wholesome teen-agers Archie, Jughead, Veronica, Betty and Reggie will be depicted as adults in their 30s and facing such adult problems as divorce, careers and single parenthood.

Archie Comics has been privately owned by the Silberkleit and Goldwater families since the first comic appeared in 1941. The families live in Mamaroneck, N.Y., not far from Riverdale. Chairman and publisher Michael Silberkleit talked about Archie’s and his colorful history with Susan King.

Why has it taken so long for Archie to become a live-action film?

We started on TV in 1969 for seven years with the animated show, and we have tried over the years to get people interested in doing a live Archie show.

Unfortunately at that time, there were other properties that were hotter. There was more interest in adventure characters. But it’s our turn. There’s a movement back to nostalgia and away from violence.

Two TV pilots were made, one I remember specifically. The ratings weren’t good because it appeared against a major football game, and I don’t think it was done well. It was a bunch of vignettes and too slapsticky for me.

Were you reluctant to have Archie and the gang depicted as adults in their 30s?

It would be silly for me to say that I wasn’t. To me and to my partner (Richard Goldwater) and my son and people who work for us, Archie is a real live human being. He really exists. Archie’s all I have ever known my whole life. When I was a kid, my father was publishing Archie with Richard’s dad.

But people do grow up. This is a “Big Chill’-type of movie, and Archie is a 33-year-old and he’s going to do certain things 33-year-olds do. If you look at it that way, then there’s nothing wrong with it. Obviously, he’s not going to take drugs, get drunk, break the law or molest children. It’s still true to the Riverdale motif. It’s still the same old Archie. So we are not going to do anything to screw up the character.

Do you think “Archie” will become a series for NBC?

I think it’s a done deal, but they have to see how the movie does.

Why has Archie maintained its popularity over the past 49 years?

Archie is everyman to everybody. He lives in middle America. Archie is who you wish you were but aren’t. What could be better for a guy than to walk down the street with a beautiful blonde and brunette on each arm? How many times will Betty talk to Archie as a best friend, and there’s nothing between them other than they are two good true friends? Friendship is what growing up is all about.

Have you kept Archie contemporary?

By all means. All of our writers are instructed by our editors to constantly read the latest magazines-fashion and news magazines. Whatever is going on in the world at that time will find itself into a story in some degree. All of the magazines carry public service messages on “Say No to Drugs.” The Archie “Say No to Drugs” message is on over a billion and a half milk cartoons. We have addressed the AIDS situation and missing children in public service announcements.

How many copies of Archie comics are sold yearly?

We sell about 15 million a year. Some come out monthly and some come out every other month. We have about 40-50 different titles. We are constantly expanding our line. We have Archie 3000, which is Archie in the year 3000. We have Jughead’s Diner,which is a fantasy magazine. We even have a book called “Hot Dog,” which is about Jughead’s dog. It’s cute and aimed at the smaller child.

Kids really believe Archie lives because they call here and ask to speak to Archie. Sometimes I am Archie, and sometimes Richard is Archie, but we talk to them. We have an answering machine on the weekends, and then you can see how many kids call from all over-I’m talking from South Africa, New Zealand and Japan. We have a little recorded message, and we send them Archie Club buttons and newsletters.

How was Archie born?

John Goldwater created Archie. He was my dad’s partner at the time, and the two of them were publishers - magazine and comic book publishers. My dad started the old pulp magazines in the U30s. John came to my father and said, “What do you think about this?” My father said, “Great.” They found an artist named Bob Montana who drew it.

Servicemen wrote us during World War II that they dove into a foxhole during a battle and when the smoke cleared, they found an Archie comic at the bottom of the foxhole, and they sat there and read it because it reminded them of back home.

Has Archie reached the Soviet Union yet?

One of our comics is called Veronica. In Veronica’s first comic, she went to Paris, Hollywood and Australia. In her current issue, she is going to Russia and meeting President Gorbachev. The theme of the comic is freedom. We have sent it to the Russian Embassy, and there’s interest in having this comic sent to Russia.

Are there any other Archie projects in the offing?

I am working on an Archie fast-food restaurant. I want it to be healthy, low cholesterol, low-fat food. We have signed a major licensing deal for a line of clothing for adults, and we signed an agreement with Warner Bros. to do a live feature like “Batman,” but without the violence. The director will be Joel Schumacher who did “The Lost Boys.” He’s crazy about Archie.