Hollywood Art: System of sunnys

drawing room.

Disney's latest project was nearing completion, led by two individuals, Ron Clements and John Musker, a dynamic animation duo that Disney had enjoyed working with for a long time, delivering fantastic work like "The Little Mermaid" in 1989 and the upcoming "Aladdin" in 1992.

-Hehehehehe. - John Musker chuckled.

-What's so funny, John? - Ron Clements asked, adjusting his glasses. John had been laughing all morning.

-It's this new comic series, Slam Dunk. It's quite entertaining and funny. What do you think? Maybe for our next film, we should do a basketball-themed one. - John Musker suggested.

-These are interesting drawings. Let me read it a bit more. - Ron Clements said, curiously examining the quality of the artwork.

-There's no use reading that one; it's a long story, 66 volumes in total. The next one comes out on April 2nd, as it says in the programming calendar. So, you have until April 2nd to catch up. - John Musker replied.

-66 volumes? That must be quite the task! Is it by Ronney this time or maybe the brothers? - Ron Clements inquired.

-Not at all. It's not from any well-known publisher; it's from a new one, Dark Horse Comics. This particular one was created by Bill C. Y., and he hasn't shown his face, but he's produced some excellent works. Just look at these details. - John Musker said.

He flipped through the pages, stopping at one that displayed the school backdrop in a sequence with Sakuragi/Wilt and his friends, different shots, meticulously covering every part of the story.

-Magnificent work. I doubt anyone could produce something like this without putting in a lot of effort. - Ron Clements remarked.

-Oh, you could do it; it's just that you'd have to work hard. I recently talked to Jim Lee[1], and he told me about a technical drawing workshop he's taking. Many artists are realizing that if they don't learn from these comics, they'll fall behind in the market. It's a small company without much publicity, but they've entered the market to compete and have established their position in just three years, thanks to the quality of their artwork and fantastic stories. They're refreshing the comic landscape of this decade, and their fan base keeps growing day by day. - John Musker explained.

-He's quite serious! -

-Of course, even the best Marvel series are trying to give their animations a more realistic approach nowadays. "Sin City," the masterpiece, was expected to premiere in April, but its release date has been set for August. It turns out that children prefer copies from this company with better technical qualities. Frank Miller himself has mentioned that the studio uses comics to enhance their technical drawing skills for their new series. - John Musker said.

John couldn't help but be impressed by the quality of the artwork and the stunning storytelling. Renowned figures in the art world have found inspiration in this kid's drawings.

-We should ask management to allow us to make a movie based on this comic. - John Musker thought to himself.

-I'll buy some; I'm curious about the book that has you recommending it. You can see the author's effort, and for someone as strict as you, it must have its charm. - Ron said aloud.

-Well, you're in for a surprise. - John replied.

-Why's that? -

-There are more series, I'd say five others. I like the Samurai one, although "Samurai X" is set to premiere in April. Another samurai story, but there's no doubt the kid has talent. - John said.

-Six series, we'll have to see the quality of each one. - Ron commented.

-Oh, you'll be surprised. They're all fantastic, with many incredible elements, covering entirely different themes. There's no repetition, and the most incredible thing is this. - John Musker said.

He flipped the comic and turned the page, revealing the last images of the book, as well as the front cover.

-I still don't understand what's so important about it. - Ron said.

-Neither did I at first, but now that I realize it, it's hard to discover on my own. But my conversation with Jim Lee, made me realize that there are no credits to different individuals. You know, by law, artists must be credited, even if they don't receive a penny for their work. It's important to give credit. So, if there are no credits to anyone, it's because this person works alone or two people who work alone and share credits as one. - John Musker explained.

-That means it's likely that the creator of this entire series is a single person. - Ron Clements said, quite impressed.

-It is! That only leaves me even more intrigued by the creator of this comic series. - John Musker replied.

-Hasn't he participated in the San Diego Comic-Con? - Ron asked.

-Not at all, my friend. It's all been under the radar. The last time they sent the administrator to attend Comic-Con, but they didn't win anything. Although it's quite unusual for a company like this; awards should be as plentiful as Halloween candies. - John Musker said.

-Well, I think our next film could be about sports. - Ron Clements said, now imagining the connection between a girl who joins a boys' basketball team and ends up making many friends.

-That's fantastic. - Ron exclaimed.

-I know, although I doubt we'll have a chance with management regarding anything related to this company. I've sent two requests, and they've both been rejected. - John said.

-Why didn't you tell me? - Ron questioned, abruptly standing up from his seat. - We could both go. -

-We were busy with the creation of Aladdin; we're still in the process, but our workload is mostly done. I forgot about it amid all the work. - John explained.

-Come on, we can go and ask Jeffrey. He's in his office right now. If we're lucky, we might have a chat with him. It's better than sending a letter to the requests department. - Ron suggested.

-Wait a second, I need to finish sending some emails. We can go at lunchtime before Jeffrey's lunch with an executive probably begins. - John said.

-Agreed. But let's not waste this opportunity. Have you reviewed the latest changes in the production? - Ron asked.

-Of course, I have. - John said, drafting some letters to be sent by mail.

Jeffrey Katzenberg is none other than the CEO of The Walt Disney Company. His films have been acclaimed by the press. He is in charge of the company's film divisions, particularly for animated movies.

-Mr. Jeffrey, it's a pleasure to see you. - John Musker and Ron Clements said at the office door.

-John, Ron, what brings you here? It's good to see you. - Jeffrey replied.

-We want to talk to you about a project that has been on our minds for some time. - John Musker said, showing the Slam Dunk comic.

-Oh, I know this company. Tell me, what questions do you have? - Jeffrey Katzenberg asked, more intrigued than usual.

-Look at this; it's simply one of the best comics in the market. I've talked to some friends at Marvel, and they expressed a positive opinion that the artwork is top-notch. - John Musker said.

Jeffrey looked at the images and reviewed the entire script of the book.

-It's volume 66 of the series, and I have almost all the volumes. The quality never drops, and the artist can compete with the best. - John Musker added.

-I see! - Jeffrey Katzenberg said, realizing the trick they and Warner as a company are pulling. The problem was that they never thoroughly reviewed the artwork from Lux Comics; they were solely focused on Pixar. Now he understands why Warner is capable of playing dirty with their partners. This is pure gold.

-Sir, if we could request a license, we could create a television series or, even better, a movie based on one of these series. The artwork is fantastic. - John said.

-Thank you; I'll make time to discuss it at the next meeting. - Jeffrey said.

The stakes have changed, and it's likely that now they'll have to reevaluate their strategies. This level of artwork, even with the various problems that have come to light, would be too valuable to ignore.

Jeffrey Katzenberg bought all the books he could find from Lux Comics and started reading the stories with dedication. Even the store clerk mentioned that some volumes were sold out. Later, his children asked him why he bought all the Informe Fantasma comics, which surprised him even more because of the fondness his kids had for the series. He would have to reevaluate his conversation with the research geniuses.

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[1] A comic book artist who has worked on various comics, from DC series to creating characters in the Marvel universe.

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