January 2, 1989

— Wake up. —

-Today is the big day. We have a meeting in San Jose, which is an hour and a half away by road, -said the man in the blue apron and business suit.

-Dad, just five more minutes. It's too early, and the meeting isn't until 10:00 a.m. -

-I'm sleepy, - I replied.

-I told you not to stay up late watching movies, - Thomas Carson mentioned.

-Billy said, -Father, I needed inspiration, and what better inspiration than watching cartoons that have filled countless children's lives with happiness? Besides, I couldn't sleep; I was a little nervous.

-Well, get up, take a shower, and meet me in the kitchen in thirty minutes, - he said, leaving the room.

-Okay, -stretching in the morning is always a cumbersome task.

In recent years, my father has been improving his cooking skills. He usually prepares simple dishes. He dated a woman from Peru for a few years, and ever since, his dishes have had an indecent amount of curry or pepper in them. With the warning, I don't understand where his curry obsession comes from.

Today is the day we have a meeting with Dark Horse Comics about the production of our comics. According to my previous negotiations, Mr. Mike Richardson and Neil Hankerson are the two main managers of the company. They have a newly established distribution chain and are looking for new artwork for publication. They have had a dispute with Marvel Studios over the licensing rights for Star Wars comics.

According to my father, the acquisition of Charlton Comics is a joint venture. We will become partners with Dark Horse Comics and establish a second headquarters in San Francisco and another one in San Jose.

Dark Horse Comics (DHC) already has a distribution chain throughout the United States through a logistics company that charges them a shipping percentage nationwide. However, they don't have their IPs. Their sales development is based on licensed properties such as "Terminator, Aliens, RoboCop, and Predator."

With that in mind, the idea is to acquire Charlton Comics, the remnants that couldn't be sold. The comic giants ate up everything, but the printing machines are still alive.

We made a joint purchase of a special typographic printing department for color comics for $80,000.

Charlton Comics was founded in 1945 and had main headquarters in Connecticut, New York, and Derby. They had a massive printing press that allowed them to survive during their dark years until their total dissolution in 1984. After several negotiations, they handed over some special machines purchased in 1980 before the market collapsed.

My father decided to invest in my designs, and now I am part of a partnership with Dark Horse Comics. We created Lux Animation, a comic company that will be under the care of Dark Horse Comics for marketing and distribution throughout the United States. As a LUX imprint of DHC, we share 30% of the operational accounts on sales.

Today's interview with Charlton Comics is about Captain Atom. The Captain Atom IP is not highly valued now, but it will gain value after the acquisition by DC Comics. Currently, the purchase of Captain Atom is valued at $15,000, and the character was not handed over to Warner Comics due to the separate sale of the copyright. Despite using his last savings to buy the Charlton Comics series, my father Thomas took out a loan for the purchase of Captain Atom, which he would have to repay with future earnings from the upcoming series.

Although he earns a generous living as a lawyer, I have realized that he is just as strict as his father, my grandfather. They don't give anything without imparting a lesson, in this case, about the dangers and costs of a business. $15,000 currently is a ridiculous price; in 20 years, the purchasing power of these $15,000 is half of what it is today.

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Before meeting with the CEO of Charlton Comics, my father invited Mike Richardson to discuss his interest in collaborating with Captain Atom to strengthen the alliance between Dark and Lux.

-What is the purpose of the meeting with Mr. Richardson? - I asked.

-It's about the titles you're willing to publish, your Slam Dunk and Ghost Report/Yu Hakusho series. Initially, they will be published in black and white due to our limitations with color printing. However, according to your ideas, they won't follow the same pattern as Samurai Jack and Hellboy, which will be your upcoming first works in color, - Thomas Carson said.

-I still don't understand. Wasn't it about joint development? - Billy said.

-You're right, but it's also a meeting of recognition between the parties. It's good for Mike to know who you are and who is behind Slam Dunk, - Thomas said.

A 30% distribution share for Dark Horse Comics and a 70% share for Lux Animation was set with a six-year partnership contract starting in 1989. After seeing the impressive designs, Mike Richardson didn't refuse and assisted us. He is a lover of comics, not just a businessman. All the other companies demanded a forced acquisition of at least 80% of the rights and a 50% market share on sales.

Mike only asks for a 30% partnership share and the exclusive publication of my other comics in his company during the six-year contract. They are the kind of company I knew existed, advocating for creator rights in comics and seeking fair compensation for creators, either through purchasing the work or paying for derivatives.

I suppose that as I earn more money and my comics gain a larger fan base, the merchandise, television, and film rights will generate considerable profits. If there are proposals, which I'm sure there will be, Dark Comics has a relationship with a producer at Fox Network, so visibility is in the air.

That also benefits Dark Comics because if I allow them to sell my comics, they can do certain favors of interest and secure licenses or guarantees once I become famous.

For now, the company has started with the distribution of the Alien, Terminator, Predator, and RoboCop series, as well as some Japanese manga like "Akira." They have gained an acceptable market share in supermarkets and specialized comic stores. But it's not entirely ideal; they haven't exploded like they did back in '94.

-All right, we have arrived at our destination, - my father said.

We arrived almost twenty minutes before the scheduled meeting, and I saw that Mr. Mike was already seated in the café, with a notepad on the table containing some sketched drawings and notes in the margins.

-Mr. Richardson, - Thomas asked.

As the person sitting at the table smiled and stood up, he extended a handshake to both my father and me. His deep, joyful blue eyes made an impression on me. For a man who was almost fifty, there was a freshness about him that was certainly different from many others.

-Pleasure to meet you, Thomas, and Billy. Please, have a seat," he said. "Although the steps have already been taken, it's always good to see my new partner in this venture. I was pleasantly surprised by the drawings you presented to me, as well as the future development of the characters, -he concluded in a rushed conversation.

-That's great. Little Billy has been drawing for a year and a half. I'm eager to see the market boom after the joint release of these series,- my father said.

-I completely agree, especially with the Slam Dunk series. When I read the first two volumes, I couldn't help but exclaim, 'In a country that claims basketball is a cultural sport, there are very few people who try to exploit this franchise as a comic tool,- he sighed. -What led you to come up with such an innovative series? I can see that you incorporate concepts from Japanese manga into your drawings, but the bold and simpler strokes give them harmony,- Mike said.

-Anything to add, Billy?-Thomas Carson asked.

-I agree, sir. I enjoy watching sports with my father, and I'm interested in creating a series about American football as well. The idea comes from how fun it is to play basketball and not perform well,- Billy responded.

"Have you started outlining the upcoming story arcs?" Mr. Richardson asked again.

-Yes, I want to emulate the famous Captain Tsubasa series, also known as Super Campeones, which is Japanese. The concept of achieving impossible feats not yet seen in the world of sports, Mr. Richardson, - he said with a hint of excitement.

-That can only be good news for Dark Horse Comics, - Mike said.

-Thomas, who had been following the conversation eagerly, said,

-Yes, with the contacts provided by you, Mike, establishing our headquarters as a publishing hub in the country is perfect. We have implemented a special design for sales. -

>>We call it Comi-Boon, a special book compilation that contains a unique story arc of the created series. Due to Billy's mention of comic continuity, the idea of bringing together a volume in a single book without limitations for all fans is perfect for the business, - Thomas concluded with joy.

He took a blue folder from his portfolio containing the information and data for approval. The market study had been conducted, and each comic would be sold for $1.99, while the Comi-Boon edition would cost $10.99.

The cost of printing each comic in the garage was 10 cents, and each issue would consist of 30 pages, with a Comi-Boon combining 10 issues.

that´s chapter 4. Have a good week.

disclaimer: This is a science fiction series.