Bab 58: Chapter 58: Viking Comics
After careful consideration, William White decided not to base the headquarters of the comic company in the United States.
The biggest market for comics was definitely Japan, but they were notoriously exclusive. Despite their advanced economy, you wouldn't see many international company headquarters in Tokyo, not even many Asian branches.
Another suitable location was Australia, with convenient transportation and its close proximity to Japan.
William White wasn't concerned about American comic characters; the U.S. comic scene was already well-established, with a universe framework that all characters could fit into.
Why weren't Japanese manga-based movies successful?
First, there was no dominant company, so manga characters naturally didn't have connections. It's fine for animation, but movies made the scope seem too small.
The plots were also quite simple. Ultraman fighting little monsters seemed a bit silly, and they never explained how Ultraman came to be. It was always about fighting until he ran out of power. Why couldn't they swap for a better battery?
The only one remotely successful was Godzilla from 1998, which had nothing to do with comics and had been changed beyond recognition.
The movie was quite well-made, even left a teaser for sequel, but unfortunately, 9/11 happened, and to continue demolishing buildings in New York was inappropriate. This darn sequel got delayed and delayed, exhausting public interest.
What about the Godzilla and King Kong movies, you ask? Well that was Warner Bros. making a monster universe, not Japanese movies.
[T/N: Godzilla Minus One was not made at the time of writing.]
At this time, Japanese comics hadn't yet taken off. Many famous IPs were still unknown, representing easy American money. If you couldn't make a fortune, you'd feel like you'd wronged everyone.
To avoid high taxes, William White set up a complex structure for his comic company. It was registered in the Virgin Islands and headquartered in Darwin, Australia, with studios in Japan and Los Angeles.
William White wasn't a big shot yet, and neither was his comic company, named Viking Comics. No one really paid attention to it.
Having money made things easier. A nearly bankrupt printing factory in Darwin turned into the comic company headquarters.
Australia had big companies, but they were all in Sydney or Melbourne. Darwin was subtropical, with little industry beyond some tourism projects.
However, there was a unique aspect: a lot of Japanese immigrants.
If you didn't want your comics to be mistranslated, it was best to find Japanese people living abroad.
Darwin was great; many Japanese had been there for over ten years and could efficiently handle translation work.
You could also hire Japanese workers for the printing factory; they were much more industrious than Australians.
Australia's not short on resources. Do they have any thriving industry? In a country with no interest in mining, do you expect them to work?
Australia wasn't like America; they had great social welfare. Though not as extreme as Northern Europe, the basics were well-covered.
Fortunately, Darwin was unique, with many Asian immigrants, mostly Japanese.
You didn't need much manual labor in the printing factory; the work required some skill.
In the 1980s, comic-colored pages were few. Machines like Heidelberg printing press were luxurious, and the quality of coated paper was concerning, looking like stuff from a junkyard.
Fine, you might say printing wasn't important, that content was king in comics. That's not entirely wrong, but if your content and printing are both top-notch, consumers will gladly open their wallets.
Like all American industries, comics had entered a decline, just as Japan's industry was booming. The comic industry was about to reach a golden era.
At this time, Japanese comics were still at the Astroboy and Gundam level. From the 1980s onwards, various classic comics started emerging.
On the eve of Japan's comic boom, William White decided to make a quick profit. He felt no guilt exploiting Japanese creativity; every time traveler was a rascal, or they'd have already been sent back.
The rich had many advantages. He just needed to make plans; others would handle the details. Otherwise, running a single farm would be trouble enough, leaving no time for anything else.
William White's actions didn't surprise Fulton much. He thought the young master aimed for underground comics anyway, which shouldn't be based in the U.S.
Frederic Wertham wanted to destroy all comics, blaming them for all societal discord.
He did manage to ruin 75% of them, as parents burned their kids' comics. Yet, even with these achievements, crime rates didn't drop, seemingly only linked to the economy. When the economy worsened, crime rates rose.
Now, times were different. Kids once influenced by Frederic Wertham grew up, holding a grudge for their beloved burnt comics, and resolved to seek revenge.
*****
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