8. yuyu Hakusho.
March 1989.
To my surprise, I found out that the first comic to reach 100,000 copies sold was "Ghost Informant." The sales of comics gradually increased, with Dark Horse Comics gaining prominence, followed by the rise in sales of "Slam Dunk" and the new series "The Terminator," which gained a strong position in the market.
[Reincarnator's Wish:
1. Publish a comic. Sell over 100,000 copies.
To discover your next repressed wish, you must fulfill the first one.
1. ...]
Mission Accomplishment: 160 excitement points.
[Reincarnator's Wish:
1. Sell over 1,000,000 copies with "Ghost Informant" or "YuYu Hakusho."
To discover your next repressed wish, you must fulfill the first one.
1. ...]
The number of sales for "Ghost Informant"/"YuYu Hakusho" is 108,430 copies, closely followed by "Slam Dunk" with 103,480 copies. The sales keep increasing due to the freshness of the comics. With the sales, we were able to pay half of the bank loan and invest the rest in the property in North San Jose. We paid the first and second installments in advance, and there is only one remaining payment of $90,000.
Now, there is little money left, and we project further sales growth. The quarterly tax payment for the company is due on April 15th, and we have $33,545 ready for this quarter.
Our goal now is to make a grand entrance into the distribution market in Canada, which doesn't have the same expense intensity as the United Kingdom. Looking ahead, it might be better to buy or lease a small building in the Manchester Enterprise Zone and establish a Dark Horse Comics zone throughout the UK or start with Ireland. But it's an unknown and challenging market, unlike Manchester.
It's unbelievable that these two series are causing a small sensation in the comic world. According to Mike, in previous years, we would have sold double or triple the amount, but the comic industry is on the decline. Issue number 7 will premiere next Saturday of this month. Reprints are in high demand, and a new print run of 500,000 copies has been ordered. We hired two employees for the entire process.
The first batch of prints, with the help of four employees due to time constraints, took a total of three weeks to assemble 400,000 comics. Now, we started a month in advance, but with two employees, and the progress is at 150,000 copies ready. Next month we may hire two more employees, making a team of five.
The comic industry is not very lucrative compared to other forms of entertainment. It only provides enough to get by. The issue is that it wouldn't be enough if we wanted to build savings in case of a crisis. That's why both DC and Marvel went through periods of recession during the '90s. In both situations, it was due to a lack of innovation and creative stagnation. One was absorbed by the large Warner chain, and the other had to sell its characters and venture into new marketing projects, animated series, and the film industry.
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My next goal is to dominate the world of fantasy and science fiction. Perhaps I can handle different works in literature to create a series of comics that will later be reflected in animated series and comics. This will contribute to a joint idea for a major animation channel like Cartoon Network or eventually a streaming platform like Crunchyroll.
-Mr. Mike, it's a pleasure to speak with you on the phone, - said Axel.
He replied, -The pleasure is mine. In these two months, the sales have surpassed our imagination. I've had a meeting with the sports brand Nike regarding advertising in your comics. I know you've developed the final arc of Slam Dunk, and it has already printed 15 issues. As a starting point for future titles, you can include Nike advertisements in your comics, especially in your drawings, - said Mike.
"- Can you redesign the entire layout to include the Nike brand as a period of advertising throughout the comic?" I asked.
"It's possible, but it would involve revising the design of the books. It's a lengthy and arduous process," I replied.
"From issue 16 onwards, adding the ads wouldn't be a problem. The next printing of all the issues will already include the advertisements, and in the full-color comic books, all the elements will be in place," Billy said.
"How much is the sponsorship fee for the brand?" I asked.
"Billy, you're in luck. I'll call them and discuss the matter. I don't think it will be a problem. The CEO is willing to offer a $2 million advertising payment to include Nike in your books, payable immediately, on the condition that they have the right of exclusivity, meaning they will be our sole sports sponsor for this comic."
If you think about it, it's a net income of over a million dollars. Dark Horse Comics will keep 3% of the payment, and the rest will go into your pockets," Mike said cheerfully.
-I'm delighted to accept Nike's advertisement, - Billy said.
-Good, I'll send the contract to your father. There will be a few loopholes they'll exploit to increase their expenditure. Be careful with these sharks; they can be quite ruthless, and before you know it, you'll find yourself in a disadvantaged position, - Mike said.
Billy thought for a moment. "Well, I'll adjust the volumes, but I want you to hire assistants who can focus on the comic production process. Currently, I only have two people helping me with the volume creation and packaging process. I need a specialized artist who can help me with the smaller time-consuming tasks.
-Agreed, that sounds perfect, - said Billy.
-It's a deal, -Mike replied.
-In that case, I'll start editing the volumes. However, the brand visibility would start in May and pause in June until September when the summer season ends, according to the established plans, - Billy said.
-We'll discuss it. We might move up the distribution of the Slam Dunk series by one month. It depends on the final negotiations your father agrees to, - Mike said.
The company's logistical expansion is not particularly favorable for him, especially considering the time he must draw the existing series. The 90s decade is approaching quickly, and time waits for no one. How will he fare in his acting career? Is it possible to succeed in this new challenge? On second thought, the more distribution points there are, the more likely he will achieve the one million copies sold. Depending on the sales volume, a portfolio of investments could be created, and investing in potential stocks might be his next move.