Chapter 62: Reader Interaction
Regarding the publishing house's acquisition, Harry's attitude had changed from initial resistance to acceptance, and now, to relief.
Just as Jack had said, they were just one insignificant publisher among many unlucky ones.
Even if Colin hadn't approached them, another publisher would have taken their place.
During the Great Depression, there was no shortage of bankrupt publishers.
For just a little money, these guys were more than happy to work for someone else.
"So, what's the print run for the new issue of *Messenger Comics*?"
Pushing the thought aside, Harry looked at Colin and asked tentatively.
"Three hundred thousand copies."
Facing Harry's question, Colin replied straightforwardly.
"Only three hundred thousand copies? Isn't that a bit too few?"
Hearing the number Colin gave, Harry's expression was one of disbelief. He couldn't help but say, "Last month, we sold nearly three hundred thousand copies of the first issue of *Messenger Comics*. If you include the pirated copies, the total might have already exceeded four hundred thousand. Such a massive circulation has fully proven the potential of *Messenger Comics*. For the new issue, even if we don't print five hundred thousand, forty—no, three hundred and fifty thousand copies would be the logical next step."
Initially, Harry thought Colin's decision to print an extra two hundred thousand copies was too aggressive, but now he felt Colin was being a bit too conservative.
The market had fully proven the immense potential behind *Messenger Comics*. Now was the time to press their advantage.
Colin quietly listened until Harry finished his analysis.
Undoubtedly, the publisher's perspective was largely correct.
In fact, even without being told, Colin knew that three hundred thousand copies were far from the limit of *Messenger Comics*.
And knowing all this, yet still choosing to print only three hundred thousand copies of the comic book, he naturally had his own reasons.
"Besides reprinting the three chapters previously serialized in *The Messenger*, I also plan to add a reader interaction section on the last page of the comic. On that page, I will create a new villain. Readers who purchase *Messenger Comics* can participate in this event using the content on the last page."
"Readers who buy the new issue of *Messenger Comics* can cut out that page, write down a name and backstory for the villain, and send it in. If their submission is selected, the villain they created will appear in an upcoming *Superman* comic strip in *The Messenger*."
In an era where newspaper comic strips were transitioning to comic books, the "reader interaction" concept Colin proposed was undoubtedly a highly progressive idea.
Even a well-informed publisher like Harry Donenfeld couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.
"So, your goal is to combat the bootleggers?"
At the same time, he also discerned the underlying intention of this move.
As mentioned before, the *Messenger Comics* printed by bootleggers were generally of inferior quality compared to the official release.
Colin's move not only increased the buzz around the comic but also indirectly addressed the piracy problem.
Once readers discovered that their pirated copies of *Messenger Comics* couldn't be used to participate in the event, they would naturally buy fewer copies from the bootleggers, or abandon them entirely.
"That's just one of the goals."
Colin didn't deny Harry's guess, admitting it frankly.
Although he had previously tried to console himself about the piracy issue, if there was an opportunity to strike back at the bootleggers, he certainly wouldn't show any mercy.
With the "Faith" he was harvesting, he wouldn't end up losing both his audience and his profits over piracy.
As an adult, he wanted it all—the fans and the money.
...
With the print run for *Messenger Comics* decided, the factory immediately began printing at full tilt. To ensure the quality of the new issue, Harry stayed at the printing plant almost twenty-four hours a day.
Meanwhile, Jack took the first issue of *Messenger Comics* and traveled to the various states near New York City to expand its sales channels.
The two publishers devoted themselves wholeheartedly to *Messenger Comics*, aiming to build it into a new genre of publication with its own independent readership.
On Colin's end, the comic strip's serialization in *The Messenger* didn't stop either.
Wednesday morning.
The latest installment of the *Superman* comic was fresh off the press.
It was quickly delivered by newsboys into the hands of eager readers all across the streets and alleys of New York City.
In the new issue's plot, a brand-new villain debuted.
Toyman, a man who invented all sorts of strange and peculiar toys to fight Superman.
At the beginning of the comic, the newly introduced Toyman hadn't yet revealed his identity. He was low-key, reserved, and humble. Even when cursed at by a passerby, he remained exceedingly polite, leading readers to mistake him for a timid, good-hearted man. They speculated that the story would involve Toyman falling into some kind of trouble and being rescued by Superman.
However, the comic's subsequent development greatly exceeded the readers' expectations.
After returning home, the man who had appeared gentle and even timid immediately tore off his kind disguise, revealing his evil and insane nature.
He controlled the toys he invented to exact crazed revenge on the passerby who had cursed him. A comical-looking toy monkey launched a fatal attack. Just as the person was in critical danger, Superman appeared, saved them from the attack, and smashed the toy monkey with a single punch.
While Superman's action saved the passerby, it completely enraged Toyman.
He resented Superman for being a busybody. Why hadn't Superman appeared when he was being cursed at? Why did he only show up to destroy his creation when he started to get his revenge?
In the subsequent plot, Toyman controlled his army of toys, using a wicked toy ray to turn everything in Metropolis into toys. Anyone or anything hit by the ray would transform into a toy. Faced with the crisis engulfing Metropolis, Superman appeared once again, successfully saving the people who were about to be hit by the beam.
Seeing the situation turn against him, Toyman hid himself among his vast toy army, attempting to evade Superman's sight and escape. At that critical moment, Superman used his x-ray vision, saw through Toyman's disguise, and plucked him from the middle of the toy army.
In the end, Superman destroyed Toyman's ray, and everyone and everything affected by it returned to normal. Toyman himself died in the explosion of his own toy army.
(end of chapter)