Chương 110: working day.

The following morning continued with a detailed study of the first title of Shaman King. After all, focusing on work is always one of the best options to consider. He wants to edit some small scenes to reinforce the story with more logical continuity from the beginning to the end of the series. Stories are typically not fully detailed and sometimes tend to fill in the story gaps with some follow-ups that may make sense as the story progresses, but it's not entirely harmonious, and plot holes emerge.

The company's main series are Slam Dunk, Yu Yu Hakusho/Ghost Files, Evangelion, Rurouni Kenshin, and now Shaman King. The latest story will be published once a month, and there are already 23 volumes for the next fourteen months, in which several ongoing storylines will conclude.

He hears the loud sound of the meeting next door. Jim Lee and his team are starting on the WildCats story, and it will be finished by the end of this year or the next. The life of comic book artists is almost a life of semi-annual or annual payments that team members receive once the project is completed. Comic companies typically pay their employees, but they keep the copyright and give people a share of the profits.

However, some freelancers work without a fixed salary, but they have better copyright agreements and percentages. Only the big authors and some lucky ones can work under this model. For example, Dark Horse Comics usually operates under this model, but they distribute the profits fairly, or as much as possible, and benefit from commissioning series to freelancers.

Billy just has to edit this title while Terry finishes his work in the coming months. This small detail has saved almost four hours of his time per title, enough to draw an entire sketch. He will be in charge of editing this new series, Shaman King, along with Ghost Files. Billy left his office to play some video games but found Raimon playing Samurai Jack in the game room and remembered the conversation with his father. He was so engrossed that he didn't even notice Billy's presence. He saw that he was in part 3 of the game, Aku's Eternal Hell, with only two more parts to go: the city of the year 4000 and the ancient era.

-Raimon, - Billy said, startling him, but Raimon kept his eyes fixed on the console; the game was gloriously crafted.

-Ahh, Billy, what a surprise to see you, - Raimon said, still not looking away from the screen.

-I see you've been playing up to the third part. Why don't you go to the blacksmith to improve the sharpness of your sword so you can break the steel at the boss's entrance? - Billy suggested.

-How do you know that? - Raimon said, surprised. He left the screen and looked accusingly at Billy.

-I created the game, I have all the knowledge in my head, - Billy said, pointing at his head.

-That explains everything. Only you would create such a devilishly complicated game. I've been working on it for a month, but it's difficult, it has complexities that I still don't understand. It's made me think too much, and I'm not as good as my friends at video games,-- Raimon said, approaching Billy's legs and hugging them. -- No one wanted to tell me how to pass the levels, and my friends had already finished the game and made fun of me. Help me finish it, Billy," he pleaded.

-I'll help you, but there aren't many difficult things after you upgrade your sword. In part four, you have to look for the Technological Master's guide. I'll help you get into the central building, but you can also search for the secondary mission in part 3, where you travel through Tartarus to Gray Island, paying five copper coins. There, you'll find the swordmaster from eras who died fighting Aku; he'll teach you the charged laid strike, - Billy explained.

-Wait, I only have three copper coins. Where can I get the other copper coins? - Raimon asked.

-You'll have to defeat the final boss first; the copper coins will be scattered in the arena, just like in parts 1 and 2. Stay on the third floor and complete the side missions, - Billy replied.

-Great, I'll do my best,- Raimon said with renewed energy. "By the way, all my friends have given you applause for your game. They say it's the game of the year. For me, it's been amazing too. I hope you take it to the August Comic-Con in Chicago. I'm sure many people would love to buy some special toys.

-It's good to know. Changing the subject, I have to go to a meeting with some friends. Can you give me a ride? - Billy asked.

-Of course! I'll take you. Now that you've given me the key hints to solve the game, I can only repay my debt by taking you to that special meeting. It's a nice way to cover up the fact that you're going to a party without your dad's knowledge. Raimon always gets into trouble because of others, - Raimon said.

-He's aware of it. I just hope you get ready in an hour; I have to arrive early, after all, - Billy said.

-I'm ready already; I finished working about two hours ago. I stayed here because I wanted to play some Samurai Jack, - Raimon said, getting up and grabbing a bag of gummy bear candies from his backpack. He started eating them while looking at Billy.

-Do you want some gummy bears? - Raimon asked.

-No, - Billy replied.

-Raimon, do you have any smart friends who are good at programming? - Billy inquired.

-Sure, I know two or three guys, but they all have jobs. It won't be easy for them to quit their current jobs. However, you can go to Stanford and hang around the hallways. If you have some cash and a few beers, anyone will work the night shift, - Raimon suggested, munching on gummies.

-I see. See you in an hour. I hope you've sharpened your sword for when I arrive. The final boss of this level is quite challenging to defeat, - Billy said.

-Everything's ready; I'll do my best, - Raimon replied, exaggerating his gestures and performing a dance that even the '80s had forgotten.

Billy walked over to his workstation. Anne was busy and didn't pay him much attention. He continued polishing and fine-tuning the Shaman King comic. Unlike the original, he changed certain aspects. For example, the protagonist of the series is Irish, and his family lives in Ireland. Instead of being thirteen years old, he's sixteen, three years older than shown in the original work. He modified some dialogues that needed better development, and voilà, the next installment was ready.

The meeting next door seemed to have ended. Billy colored some scenes, completing about 80% of the coloring work. The remaining 20% involved mixing with black and white or blurring to work faster and avoid complications in the printing process, which sometimes struggled with colors like gray, brown, and skin tones due to their varying shades.

Billy finished the last page of the first volume, and it took much less time than expected. He got up from his seat, wearing a bright red shirt, a recent purchase recommended by his grandfather to keep up with the modern style of the time.

-Anne, I'm going to a meeting, - Billy said.

-Sure, before you go, can you talk to your fellow artists about the company's rules? They've been here for almost a month, and they haven't followed any of the rules I mentioned from the beginning. Indeed, they come here at your request, but above all, you're doing them a favor. They don't pay rent, produce comics at no cost, and we still owe them a favor, - Anne said angrily.

The clash between Anne and the new artists had been dangerous. Jim Lee, a hardworking but undoubtedly disorderly and stubborn person, sometimes used the industrial printer to print volumes that had nothing to do with his drawings or the company's work. His team was noisy, and the use of loud music sometimes got on Anne's nerves. They slept in the office, ate in the office, and didn't make sure to clean up properly.

Anne was reaching her limit, knowing that this could only lead to problems. Billy went straight to the artists' room. It's better to do this now.

-Jim, Brandon, Terry. Good morning, - Billy greeted the artists, who were completely focused on their work. The room was cluttered with papers, and there was a timeline taped to the wall for reference. There were two timelines, one for Spider-Man and another for WildCats.

-Billy Carson, are you leaving already? - Brandon Choi asked cheerfully from a long, tilted table.

-That's right, I've finished the comics for the summer season. The next few days will be for updating the deliveries of the new seasons of our main series, - Billy said.

-Amazing. None of us can work as quickly and efficiently as you, - Brandon Choi remarked, casting accusing glances at his team, who seemed to have significant issues meeting deadlines.

-Well, everyone at their own pace. I wanted to let you know that Anne has set aside a machine for you to use, especially if you want to print comics. As long as you do it on demand. There are some special machines, and if they're not handled carefully, they can result in damage,- Billy explained.

-I don't understand the reason, - Jim Lee said.

Despite the damage, Billy thought.

-Well, it's in the past now. You damaged a machine ten days ago. The repair cost $20,000, and it halted production for two days. If we consider the costs that had to be borne, it was $23,000, including employee wages, lost workdays, and machine repairs, - Billy said.

Jim Lee's look of astonishment was evident. - I apologize; I'll cover the expenses, - Jim Lee said.

-It's not necessary. Just follow the protocol. You can print anything you want, but if you want to print, you must talk to the Inspector General, Dave. He'll print everything you desire, but if you only want to print something once, it's much cheaper to buy the comic in the store. It's $40 cheaper. But you can do it knowing these details. Anne says that room cleaning services are on Wednesdays and Saturdays, so in the meantime, you can use a trash bag. Lastly, I'll decide to have the room soundproofed so you can turn up your music at a higher volume. Just try not to disturb the administrative departments in the meantime, - Billy explained, going over the list of tasks that Anne had provided for discussing with the new residents of Lux Comics.

-We'll follow your suggestions with the utmost care. We're used to working at Terry's house, which might cause some issues in this work environment, - Brandon Choi said, fully aware of the implications of everything that had happened.

-Yes, don't worry, - Terry chimed in, holding Jim Lee's head. "We'll do our best to curb Jim's annoying behaviors. I'll be staying until next Thursday, so tomorrow I'll focus on fine-tuning your comics. I've already reviewed the work for ten comics that are waiting for me."

Terry lived in Los Angeles with his wife. For now, he would travel between San Jose and California for two weeks every two months. He only came to review the new workspace and see what kind of editing Billy needed.

-I hope it won't be a problem, - Billy said.

-Not at all. It's just a matter of fixing some lettering, adjusting the colors a bit, and refining the drawings, -- Terry explained. -- I'll be done in a week. -

-I'll leave you to it. I hope you have a productive day, - Billy said.

Billy left the room and gave Anne a nod from the doorway. She responded with an angry gesture. She was entirely right to be upset with the new residents, but they were necessary for his plans. His connections with Jim Lee were valuable, even though he knew he was being used. Once Jim Lee had more money, he would seek to create his own company and likely fail miserably. Billy would buy the WildCats series without remorse. The comic industry had become more competitive since he entered it, and for all comic creators, their work had become more challenging. This could be seen in the displeasure of some fans, such as with Mike Mignola's Hellboy series, which didn't meet aesthetic standards but had an incredible storyline.

This was a demand from the American audience for higher visual quality, stronger storytelling, and consistency in delivery. Additionally, there was a large production of series. Billy had published a total of 14 series and nearly 250 volumes independently. This had caused saturation among small comic companies, as only established groups or excellent stories had managed to thrive in a more fiercely competitive landscape since Billy's arrival.

...

hello, I have written a lot, I have learned many things, I started to read, creative writing books, follow me on Patreon mmmm we are currently on chapter 143, but we are on chapter 150, for the in-betweens I did, keep commenting they have given me many ideas. on Patreon there are images, here it is a mess to upload them, and I could in comments but, it is still a tedious process.

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