Chapter 177: Trouble Comes Knocking
In any case, old Sullivan's worries were just a brief interlude but also a session with many lessons for Alexander to take from it.
For one, old Sullivan seems to be quite a comic book reading adept now.
Alexander knew that his old grandfather was quite a fan of JoJo but it would seem that he was quite invested in many other Creed titles that he knew the implications of Watchmen just by reading the outlines and manuscripts of it.
Finding parallels in every picture book and comic book that he made was quite a weird quirk though but it was an interesting change nonetheless.
It had to be said, that past-future Sullivan was all about film production and coping with his over reclusive weirdness.
At least, Alexander got to see and influence some stuff now that he saw his 60 plus old grandfather be a comic book adept.
All that lighthearted Sullivan changes aside, the overly mature and sensual writing did have some much more serious troubles.
If it isn't handled well, major complications and leveled troubles could arise from it.
Alexander knew that his old grandfather was right in the many things he had been reprimanding about. Fortunately, as they discussed those problems, they also thought of solutions as well.
All that was needed was to implement it and make sure that it was pulled through to the most effective means.
In any case, arousing the worries of Old Sullivan was something that Alexander hoped to not go through again.
His inner soul was within the 47-48 age range and being lectured was not a breeze to go through. The Sullivan lecture made sense and meant well but it was an awkward but nostalgic process.
It had been a long time and Alexander had already lost his childhood innocence. This re-life weirdness just had to put him through a weird assembly of emotions as well.
Anyways, the plundering of Watchmen came with many lessons for Alexander and it was best to not repeat the mistakes and the awkwardly-nostalgic Sullivan reprimands that came with it.
The plundering plan of R-18 Korean manhwas and Japanese super-ecchi mangas could only be in stasis for the decades or so to come.
Perhaps, at that point, they might not have to be plundered by him as publishing such content may just do more harm than good.
Those shaky future prospects of "ultra-adult" stories just goes to show that the Creeds might drift farther and farther away from their semi-San Fernando Valley roots as the business grows.
In any case, the pondering and ruminations of the Watchmen mishaps can be ended there. Alexander had pretty much gotten his fill on it.
10-year-old and sex stuff don't go very well and he needed to act somewhat reasonably within his age... albeit still maturely business-minded.
From this, Alexander could pretty much say that the ups and downs of March were done.
He had themed his publication to be as bizarre as JoJo but it would seem that the response of his environment was a bit bizarre as well.
At least, he could move on to the next months with ease...
It was all just his wishful thinking though...
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Just as Alexander was just looking forward to the upcoming April and its corresponding step forward to his eventful re-life, it turns out that his competitors didn't want him to have his rest yet.
The last week of March was still long and a lot was still bound to happen.
The big problem was that a lot of those happenings seem to be troubles that are directed towards Creed Comics and himself.
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Exposing JoJo's Bizarre Adventure for What it Truly is.
This was the super exposé that got comic-reading people talking.
An anonymous analyst's analysis was published as an article in a comic book specialized magazine and "enlightened" a lot of closed minds.
Jojo was not the evil scheme story of evil versus good that everyone thought it was. It was, in fact, an entire set-up by Creed Comics to keep people invested in a simple tragic romance story that takes inspiration from an existing story called 'The Phantom of the Opera'.
A few comic readers gasped at this revelation but a lot of them were just completely baffled by it.
For some reason, the 'Exposing' or the exposé is insinuating that Creed Comics is committing a great sin and the anonymous analyst is the bright mind that made their evil come to light.
However, what's wrong with JoJo being a tragic romance story? Aren't reveals supposed to come when the story gets there? Why is some genius analyst trying to mess up Creed Comics or specifically JoJo's groove?
It was quite the weird spreading hype as the clueless people never really understood its purpose. Perhaps only the mastermind behind the exposé was clear on their goal.
Their smart attack was the damage that should hopefully crumble JoJo down. Spoiling the plot twist before it can develop should be enough, isn't it?
Of course, Creed Comics correlated this supposed scandal. The relative personnel could only palm themselves at the mastermind's foolishness and delusion.
JoJo as a tragic romance story? Were they trying to be funny?
Alexander could only applaud his competitors for the crazy extents they would go to mess with him.
Anyways, that was just the start of the trouble as others followed in droves.
Alexander could still be amused with the silly JoJo theory but the same could not be said for the rest.
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JoJo's Bizarre Adventure infringes on DC Comics' Bizarro Superman and Bizarro World.
DC Comics calls foul on the entire Watchmen roster. They claim that the title is close to their Watcher character and the omnipotent Dr. Manhattan is an undeniable copy of 'The Watcher' himself.
Dr. Manhattan is bald and somewhat omnipotent while Watcher is bald and somewhat omnipotent as well.
Charlton Comics and DC Comics team up to claim that Rorschach is an outright copy of 'The Question'.
Comedian is not a funny version of DC's Joker.
Silk Spectre is an infringement of Zatanna, Black Canary, Wonder Woman, and etc. Basically, DC Comics is calling out a woman character for being a woman similar to their other women characters.
Nite Owl infringes on their night-fighting heroes such as Batman and the likes in the Batman family.
Of course, Ozymandias wasn't spared as they claimed that Ozymandias is a copy of whatever genius archetyped hero and villain they could find.
DC Comics even went as far as saying that they are angry at Creed Comics for putting back the hair on Lex Luthor's baldness or humanizing Grodd.
Alexander already knows that all that JoJo silliness wasn't that far from DC. After all, it was in their previous M.O. to do these sorts of stuff.
However, he came surprised that it wasn't just DC this time around.
Marvel sues Creed Comics for TMNT being a blatant rip-off of their Daredevil. The Foot Clan and the Hand; and Splinter-sensei and Sticks should be enough to prove their evidence.
The TMNT trouble didn't stop there as a duo from the small Mirage Studios has enough evidence to say that the Turtles are their own. Alexander Creed was just faster in publishing.
IPC Magazines sues Creed Comics for RoboCop as it doesn't pay homage to Dredd.
Screenwriters Neumer and Miner say that RoboCop is their brainchild since 1982.
Predator is hunted to return as the screenwriting Thomas Bros. says that they have drafts of a hunter/monster script.
Surprising! Toy industry's Hasbro joins in on the Creed Comics pile up as their Transformers plan has been blundered by Cybertronian Chronicles.
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These sorts of headlines and lawsuit articles popped up in many waves and Alexander didn't need to be told that some organized movement was out to get him.
As they say, when it rains... it pours. Trouble did come knocking and it knocked quite hard.
It was quite a spectacle nonetheless as Creed Comics was back to the demonized spotlight once again!