I have to agree with Atom Freeman and expand on it.  Doubling orders of mass market/merchandise related cartoon comics doesn't work for me either.  I do find the Archie line, though, to be more non-cartoon, non-gimmick-related than its competitors such as Marvel and DC.  The variety is way better in that age group.  Less restrictive too.  No PG etc. to bind the sale to kids.

There's no need for a toy line on published comics if the comics are strong enough such as the Archie line of comics.  I'm happy with sell-through on many of the Archies.  Can't say the same about other non-Archie titles.  I still remember the 99 cent Marvel line that didn't work for long either.  Good price, lousy variety.

If retailers do not have a kid section, start one.  Add a good mix of male and female related titles.  While the female audience of that age group tags along with their little brothers or fathers, they soon become knowledgeable of where the comics for them are kept.

Funny, after 30 years of selling comics, I still see the same debates every 5-10 years resurface.  Hence, enter our audience the female shopper.