Chapter 103: Building Blocks
As Sullivan moved onwards with his business methodologies from training wheels and motorbikes into the fishing profession.
Alexander had no clue on what was truly going on in his grandfather's silly thoughts. If he did, he would probably ask his grandfather to stick to one metaphor or simile, so confusion would be avoided.
Either way, old Creed didn't want to get shown up by his little grandson. It wasn't a competition or anything, Sullivan just wanted to keep his standing up so that he could wow his handsome but extremely indifferent-faced grandson once again.
The boy has already been relatively surprised by the back-to-back filming plan, so Sullivan wanted to top that off with an amazing box office performance for the trilogy.
Of course, old Sullivan can't just the course of the tricky box office gods, so he could only do his best he could and leverage his advantages.
Old Creed was looking forward to the final effect by then when he plasters the newspapers with box office rankings and then prepare a camera to immortalize the moment where Alex would be wide-eyed with shock.
Of course, that has to wait as there is still surprising news that should be delivered to his grandson.
"By the way Alex. While I was out, I happen to also have worked out on a lot of things involving you." Sullivan hinted out.
Alexander had already thrown the government agency bluff out of the considerations, so he could only ask. "What has the thing got to do with me? However, if it happens to involve toys and animation, then I'm all ears."
In all honesty, he was quite eager for his 'summer expansion plans' that he was hoping that this conversation would lean into those topics.
Sullivan could only laugh at the noticeable flint of eagerness in the boy's normally stable dark eyes. "As a matter of fact, it just so happens that those things are the ones I've worked out on."
"Is it real this time?" Alexander didn't want to fall for any trick so clarifications wouldn't hurt. "I hope you aren't up to the usual weirdness again."
"Kuhum!" Sullivan could only cough. "You know this grandpa of yours is still quite reliable."
It would seem that his 'give Alex expressions through surprise and shock therapy' initiative was now backfiring. Old Creed could not help but sympathize with the boy who cried wolf.
Perhaps he had his own version called the old man who kids... kids-a-lot Sullivan.
Alexander still had his reservations as he looked at his old grandfather with hopes of perceiving his 'sus'.
"This grandpa of yours is serious this time around as I'm quite looking forward to how you make do with those sectors of entertainment." Old Creed could only enforce his truthfulness lest he truly becomes unreliable to his little grandson.
-----
Fortunately, old Creed still wasn't the old man that was always kidding around and his authenticity has been validated.
Still, the good news eventually came to be registered and the Creed discussions commenced.
Alexander truly underestimated the scale of both undertakings. He knew that it wasn't as easy as having a ream of Bristol paper, conceptual stories, and passable art.
As much as how Creed Comics turned out to be an amazing company success, it was still a simple structure company that follows a simple but effective pattern.
Conceptualizing create and affix, print and edit, advertise and distribute, and retail stores will do the rest. Of course, there are market researchers, legal consultants, and other in-company departments to facilitate the delicateness of things.
Alexander wanted Creed Toys and Creed Animations to follow that simple structure. However, the big problem comes to the 'conceptualizing creation and affixing' part... it even extends to the 'printing and editing' levels.
Paper, pen, art, and ideas wouldn't just cut it for toys and animation. It needed comprehensive and conducive expertise to every factor that is needed in each of them.
Multiplying by simply printing copies also wouldn't just cut it for those new departments.
Skills in toy-making and animations are needed, experts in toy-making and animation are needed, equipment for toy-making and animation are needed.
Alexander's 'summer expansion plan' was totally just the conceptualizing and researching on all about factors involving toys and animation.
In the current situation, Creed Entertainment could just choke everything up to follow the Leisure Concepts business module to provide the idea and have established companies do the rest with it.
However, neither of the ambitious Creeds could be satisfied with chugging the work to other companies and having those companies expand the idea while they could just sit around and wait for the dividends.
Said companies could mess things up for the properties and said companies could not truly follow their Creed creeds... eventually resulting in rifts and intellectual properties being the biggest loser in everything.
They had already rejected Stan Weston and all the other wannabe co-contributors, so there was no turning back in all of it.
It would seem that aside from readying for the back-to-back filming procedures of Back to the Future, Sullivan was also working on settling the necessary stuff to make things happen.
Slowly but surely, the foundation of everything was being set up and all that was needed was to work on it further.
Old Sullivan even asked up on poor Mr. Williams who is still carrying a grudge about his failed Troy-jan venture.
The connections and contacts were made and a lot of the equipment and manpower are slowly being built up for Creed Animation. Still, the animation parts would take much longer as it is a more volatile and tricky venture compared to toy-making.
Disney was the greatest winner of animation at the current time but it also had to do with the fact that they mastered the craft for decades.
Creed Animation could not be haphazardly jumped into and old Williams was the biggest example of what not to do.
As for toys and toy manufacturing, old Sullivan's connections to the clothing industry were being worked out and the sneaky adult toy industry he had profited from could be called on for a transformed profit once again.
Of course, as the initiator of all of it, Alexander's participation was crucial. It is an expansion of the story concepts from Creed Comics after all.
------
The grandfather and grandson duo pooled on with their contributions to make things go on as intended.
Some of their initial plans need revising and as Alexander caught up more on what his grandfather had in stall for him, he could only be in awe with the convenience of it all.
Creed Toys and Creed Animations would still follow how old Sullivan left it for him to manage but by the time the entire layout has been prepared, the 2 new companies along with the established Creed Comics could be managed at once and all-together.
As they moved on with their business plans, Alexander's happy smile could be seen throughout.
Old Sullivan who saw this could not help himself but spoil his grandson some more with all the possible companies he could get.
Toys and childish things are clearly not suited for his grandson now, so old Creed decided to gift the boy with building blocks in a form of real-deal companies.
It just so happens that when these 'building blocks' were finished setting up, it might turn into a fearsome company that is much more impressive than Creed Comics when stacked together.