Chapitre 60: Chapter 60: Unfathomable Strategy
It wasn't possible that no one was paying attention to William White's actions. The Hollywood big shots were keeping a close eye, and naturally, William White's comic company caught their interest.
Hollywood and comic companies have always had connections. Warner Bros. holding DC and Marvel's dealings with Hollywood, not to mention the giant Disney, which built its success on comics and animated films.
But really, it's puzzling how the harmful effects of comics argument reached even Disney.
What's the harm in Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck? How did it twist into issues about race? You can't just say Mickey's black color makes him a black guy! How did Donald Duck get linked to something else?
People's thought control was pretty far-fetched. After experts' interpretations, parents across the country burned any comic they could find.
It was understandable that William White saw potential in the comic industry. The CCA clearly showed signs of loosening control, allowing werewolf and vampire stories, though government criticism was still off-limits, bad cops were allowed to appear.
Drug themes could also emerge but had to be used for antagonists.
Why on earth would America forget education work and leave it all up to comics? Isn't that supposed to be the school's job?
Comics sold in the U.S. had to bear the CCA mark. Otherwise, they were considered underground.
The underground comic market was huge, seemingly there to oppose the CCA. Anything the CCA prohibited was fiercely supported by the underground scene.
This was pure chaos, indeed affecting a lot of teenagers' worldviews. Americans of this era were often later called a wasted generation, and there was some truth to that.
Frederic Wertham was partly responsible. His intentions might have been good, and he was undoubtedly an idealist, never doubted for his motives and integrity.
Unfortunately, as a psychologist, how could he forget the ironclad rule of reverse psychology?
Saying the guy was fully responsible might be a bit much, but claiming he bore some responsibility wasn't disputed.
So, idealists can be dangerous. Such people are best left to scholarly work and should never be handed any power; otherwise, it could spell disaster.
William White registered his comic company overseas to avoid these risks. Having headquarters in Australia puzzled folks.
In Australia, how many people are there, actually? The entertainment industry relies on population support; good economy or not, you need enough consumers.
The major players debated a while and then set it aside. Comics were already a sunset industry, with Marvel at the top. Could you hope to surpass Marvel?
Marvel clearly didn't care. They were dominating, with DC being trounced.
In fact, a few years later, Warner Bros. didn't even want DC anymore. The profits from movies didn't cover the losses; another Superman movie wouldn't draw crowds. They hoped to sell to Marvel if the price was right.
This was the only chance in history for a merger: Justice League versus Avengers, essentially this potential acquisition.
Unfortunately, Marvel dismissed DC's value, thinking $100 million was a fantasy; even $10 million was steep.
Ironically, though DC struggled, Marvel's self-destructive ways meant that when they reluctantly sold their company, it fetched only $80 million.
What an ironic price, as Disney later acquired them for nearly $5 billion.
Back then, Marvel was missing the Fantastic Four, X-Men, Spider-Man, and Blade. Marvel still sold for $5 billion, hinting at what those IPs were worth.
Was $5 billion too expensive?
Later it proved that Disney had a keen eye; Marvel was indeed a bargain, $5 billion was a steal, showing how much Marvel blundered in the past.
If you sought Hollywood movie investments, even cab drivers would advise you to invest in superheroes; you couldn't go wrong with profits. But that's a story for another day.
Viking Comics might have been new, but they offered good pay. America didn't lack artists; comics were sluggish for years, and someone finally came along waving big money, so hiring was no problem.
The comic industry grew more baffled. William had this many people in an LA studio; was he planning to challenge Marvel?
The headquarters setup in Australia's boondocks looked like a move to operate underground comics.
That thought was quickly abandoned, as he was a person of status who wouldn't breach laws.
To dodge taxes?
Don't be foolish; America taxes globally. Their tax authority carries guns; if the president doesn't pay taxes, he goes to jail. What's an overseas company compared to that?
Avoiding taxes wasn't feasible, but delaying payment was. This method was overused in later times, where overseas companies reported huge losses, no profit came back, just constant reinvestment.
The U.S. tax system was comical, with the tax pain index highest for the middle class; the wealthy always found ways to dodge.
Estate tax? Unless it's an accidental death, it's hard to collect taxes. Their charity foundations were a joke. Do you truly think Gates and Buffett donated all their assets?
Take a closer look -- it's in their own foundations, spending as they decide.
What do the wealthy most wish for?
To live long, a hundred years if possible.
Research for humanity?
Don't kid yourself.
Will Smith's I Am Legend talked about this kind of thing. The so-called virus was actually a result of the wealthy's attempt to achieve immortality, or at least live more decades.
How long has that old Rockefeller lived? Swapping body parts by now.
Wasn't The Island saying that?
A great movie, but what happened? It got squashed flat by deliberate suppression, almost unable to release. Even that was a good outcome.
There were plenty of movies mocking the old wealthy, most vanished in history, a headache beyond control.
The power of capital was truly terrifying; the movie's flop wasn't the end. The writer would be out of work, the director facing nearly the same fate, with the film company deliberately suppressed, closure nearly inevitable unless you gain these old folks' forgiveness.
William White was a beneficiary; he wouldn't touch these taboos. After all, there were many fearless folks bound to irritate these old boys.
There was a scene in Underworld, right?
The elder vampire climbing out looked a lot like some of these old immortals. William White couldn't grasp the point; is it worth living this way?
Alchemy should have been passed to these folks. Medical resources belong to those in need, and such misuse, frankly, should not happen.
*****
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