Bab 107: Chapter 107: Bestselling Comics Outside of America
Since neither side was willing to compromise, they simply dragged the case through the courts to buy time. The CCA's reputation was already in tatters, so winning a lawsuit didn't hold much value.
It was hilarious to insist that Batman and Robin were close buddies.
William White once said, "If your mind is dirty, every book seems dirty. Even the Bible, if you cover the title, wouldn't pass."
This wasn't nonsense. If you insist on finding faults in such a thick book, there's no way it would get published.
...
Everyone around the world watched America's drama, and the general consensus was that it was industry giants suppressing each other. Of course, they trusted their review departments.
The pre-launch hype was very effective. In Japan, fifty thousand extra copies were printed, but in other regions, there was no change. After all, scarcity increases desire -- when something's unavailable, people want it more.
Japan was the first to release it. With continuous news and ad campaigns, many Japanese wanted to check out this magical comic weekly. They'd heard America didn't allow it because of its risque style, but fortunately, Japan had no such issues.
The bookstore owner was bewildered seeing the long line outside.
"What are you lining up for?"
"Hey, you out of your mind? Don't cut the line, old man. Of course we're lining up for the comic. You don't know? Get in line."
Lining up to buy a comic? I must be dreaming. This can't be possible.
"Ouch, it really hurts. They're really buying comics? I'm gonna get rich!"
"Tanaka, what are you doing? You fool, hurry up and open the store. Why are you making customers wait? Baka!"
"Right!"
Japanese comic sellers were collectively stunned. According to reports, except for a few remote areas, all bookstores experienced a buying frenzy. Many bookstores even started limiting purchases to two copies per person.
In less than a day, two million copies of the comic weekly were sold out. What an astonishing number!
...
Europe saw the same demand. Some bookstores even hid a few copies away secretly since many Americans placed orders, and they didn't want to lose credibility.
In all parts of the world, they were sold out within a day. For two American dollars, it was still a bit pricey.
Zero copies in America.
It was a globally successful comic, with sales exceeding five million dollars on the first day, yet it was irrelevant to America because of their strong CCA.
There were rumors that a Los Angeles comic studio planned to move to London because America was unsuitable for comics, practically a desert for them.
The frenzy even overshadowed the Star Wars mania. People watching movies were discussing this comic.
What met the Americans was mockery from around the world, along with domestic skepticism. Everyone understood William White's plan now.
Reducing tax expenditures was just part of it; avoiding being singled out was the main reason.
What if the company's registered address was in America?
It'd end miserably.
As events unfolded, people marveled at William White's foresight while suggesting various conspiracy theories.
Marvel and DC got caught in the crossfire.
Being the biggest players, especially Marvel, they seemed the most suspicious.
...
Even though Star Wars was popular, William White's movie didn't fear competition because their promotion was aggressive, on a completely different level from Star Wars.
The American movie market was mature. Many liked Star Wars, but many didn't. The true gauge of North American box office potential was E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, which outperformed Star Wars by a significant margin. That was a true reflection of American movie-going habits.
Hollywood was genuinely curious. Star Wars was undoubtedly a hit, yet with a film starring a Black lead, William dared to push forward boldly. What confidence he must have had.
In William White's view, unless E.T. appeared, there was nothing to avoid. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back wasn't even a two-hundred-million-dollar affair. He'd given a month's head start; what was there to fear?
Unless it was Titanic, everyone's box office would shrink after the first week, halving after the third. Movies of that scale usually had a half-year theater run, so you couldn't hide anything.
White Pictures continued confidently, while Warner struggled to keep up.
"Star Wars is a great movie. I can't beat it, but I'd like to try. Everyone needs a dream. What if I succeed?" William White said playfully in response to a reporter's query.
"Besides, Lucas is my senior. Losing to him is normal. Next time, I'll ask my teacher. Then, I'll surely win. Please, folks, I'm just a newbie. Don't fuel the talk about beating Star Wars. I can't fight Lucas's fans."
"What? Comics?"
"Trust me, they use standards similar to the Soviets. It's a disaster."
The reporter was satisfied with the answer. William's sharp tongue never disappointed them.
...
Of course, reporters could access the comics, and they didn't believe CCA's explanation. If it was really that bad, how did other countries pass it? The logic didn't hold.
Someone must've stepped on someone's toes and made a rushed move in anger.
Oh, this Resident Evil is interesting.
Umbrella Corporation?
So that's it.
The so-called Resident Evil was actually families seeking immortality, and the innocent public was their victim.
Thinking they'd pinpointed the issue, the reporters' imaginations ran wild. Serious media still had some hesitations, but gossip tabloids didn't care; they exaggerated to the fullest.
Such a stark difference made citizens confused. They wondered if such families really existed in America.
Driven by curiosity, many began to seek answers. Viking comic weekly quickly spread underground, selling over fifty thousand copies in a few days.
At this point, the CCA's stubbornness was meaningless; it only worsened the situation.
For the "land of liberty" to be compared to the Soviets was an unimaginable embarrassment!
When the head of the CCA received the notice, he was in total shock. Their review standards needed to be public, and a grading system had to be introduced.
As for his case?
Unfortunately, he had to resign.
*****
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