Chapter 38: Expansion Underway
The busy Saturday became yesterday's matters and Alexander greeted the Sunday with much more strategic planning in his schedule.
Being caught up in his own world and projects are no longer an option as every move he makes needs to consider the new team he is handling.
It isn't to say that he is burdened by the expectation, in fact, it is the opposite. He can do more things than when he was alone and Alexander is set on using such assets to the best he can.
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Sullivan was now recruiting people responsible for the packaging and the distribution of the comic books at this time.
The old man was expanding his grandson's personnel ahead of time before he gets busy with film production.
Zemeckis' movie is nearing its full theatrical release and pre-production would be taking up most of old Creed's time.
Expanding artists was considered but hiring comic industry insiders that would serve as his grandson's advisers and delegations would help out in the long run.
Sullivan was even considering hiring a professional assistant to help and aid the boy. The old man was also having the lightbulb idea of hitting two birds with one stone as a professional assistant could also function as the babysitter that he was previously in a dilemma with.
The second floor of that rented warehouse would be utilized to its fullest while the first floor would be filled with the gaps that Creed Comics needed.
Catering service is within the options while the rest of the second floor is the important legalities and marketing department of a comic book company.
His grandson needs a legal consultant to give the legal precedents of comic scenarios and character situations. Copyright registration and all that is important for comic book companies after all.
Market people are to correlate the performance of the comic book in the market and to make necessary adjustment strategies to keep the comic titles flowing.
Advertising and communicating with other publishers and the direct market would also fall for the marketing people.
Compiling, branding and printing also need a correspondent and that has to wait until Sullivan could concentrate his contacts on the needed facilities and professionals to make that happen.
Dragonball issue no. 1 that was finished just yesterday is already being analyzed and compartmentalized by Sullivan's contacts so Creed Comics is already nearing the opening ribbon to signify their debut.
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While Sullivan was making such plans in his home office, his grandson decided to join the plotting and positioning to get the gist of the entire operations that would happen.
He is the little boss after all and being involved in such matters is important for conducive control of the entire operation.
Alexander decided to put his input in that because he was now expanding the title line even before they can test the market.
He also proposed limiting the copies to be printed to the market and the use of Baxter paper and printing advantages.
Baxter paged comic books would only set storm in the late 1980s and it would be stupid not to capitalize on it. The page qualities and the enhanced print of color would go a long way to make Creed Comics stand out.
The Baxter comic printing still hasn't been popularized so its disadvantage is the lack of a printing press company to make it happen. Sullivan was much adventurous and had the means to try and make it happen. Hence, Creed Comics might have just secured that advantage in the bag.
Limiting copies to 150,000 or so is also a strategy to increase the value of the comic books and set the stage for the 'true' comic book that Alexander proposed.
Sullivan's eyes lit up at the fact to bind and package ten issues into one volume book. This was also something that he found doable from his Japanese manga industry research and his grandson's suggestion just strengthened his decision to greenlight it.
He could already imagine the packaging service he is going to offer. The limited single issue would be cheap just like any other comic in the market but its 'limited' deal would make it sought after to guarantee sales.
150,000 units being sold is already a staple in the comic industry and completing such a quota is already a guarantee of profits.
From Alexander's standpoint, the 150,000 unit limit is also his method of withstanding the speculator market that would ravage the industry in the future. It is better to be prepared years ahead after all.
The volume package is the real hook to all of it. To those that won't be able to acquire any of the single issue units would feel that they get a bargain from having ten issues in one.
Its slightly high pricing is a risk but the advantage of its spine and bookishness is enough for people to try and collect it to show for shelves.
Creed Comics would then capitalize on the yet to be popularized OCDs of nerds as a volume 1 book isn't enough to complete the story.
Nerd OCD would also guarantee the longevity and hype of the series as the concept of collectibles and rarity is the perfect combo to drain their savings.
Of course, the story and art quality need to be up to par and Alexander is present to make sure of it.
The grandson and grandfather duo also talk about expansion options with toy figurines as the highlight. Animation and games are next on the agenda with them exploring every option that could be considered.
Alexander also has to talk about his complications of being a grade schooler and being a little boss of a comic book company. They have to find a sweet spot in time management to make it happen.
Sullivan simply proposed taking regular leaves to the school using his money and influence, kind of like how child actors would have their school time merged with their work.
Rich and actor privileging isn't really something Alexander would be proud of but the circumstances leave him no choice.
For other households, Sunday must be a time for the church and relaxing before the workdays. For the Creeds, the business discussions might just be starting to become a tradition.
While others were readying for workdays, they were setting the workdays of others.
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After Sunday lunch, Sullivan set the afternoon to contact whomever he could to make their plans happen. The telephone was used to its fullest and a lot of people may have been inconvenienced by the ringing on their side.
Alexander had not much input in this side of things as only his grandfather could utilize those connections for now.
He has his own input to consider and his room was the perfect place to do his side of things.
Papers and pens were set and the expansion of Creed Comics is underway.
It isn't the franchise stabilizing kind but the expansion of the comic titles and riskily plagiarizing other franchise titles beforehand.
Alexander's enhanced memory was already churning as he picked up a pen to fill the blank pages in his table with what he knows was doable.