New Delhi, Nov. 22: Amar Chitra Katha comics — often a child’s first introduction to Indian folktales — will go online soon.

“We hope to launch a game along the lines of the world of Amar Chitra Katha,” said Samir Patil, CEO of ACK Media, an entertainment and education company that acquired the brand from India Book House.

The game is expected to be ready by the next quarter.

“Our research shows that children often want more information on the people featured in the comics. There will be a website with additional information,” he said.

Amar Chitra Katha comics are the highest selling titles in the children’s section of Crossword, a bookstore with branches all over the country. Very popular with NRIs, they sell about 2.6 million titles a year.

Often, this is the only version of the Ramayan that Indian children grow up reading.

The problem, however, is that many titles have been unavailable for 10 years, Patil said. These will be made available soon.

“We have opened an online store for NRIs. In addition, the comics will be available in 500 stores across the country.”

Known for their detailed illustrations, it sometimes took animators two years to complete one title of Amar Chitra Katha. This attention to detail and quality has ensured that the brand is still vibrant, Patil said.

Tinkle, a children’s magazine also from the India Book House stable, is already online. Tinkleonline.com was launched on Wednesday.

A child-friendly version of Orkut, Tinkleonline will allow kids to make friends, but all messages will be monitored.

“It will be the spot for kids. But it will be a safe environment,” said Patil. “Kids can play, earn virtual currency and buy stuff from the online store.”

Children can earn points by writing stories, solving puzzles and participating in quizzes, which can then be used to buy books, toys and posters. Kids also get to make friends with their favourite characters like Suppandi, the village simpleton, and Shikari Shambhu.