**Chapter 42: Clues**
2023-05-02 Author: Yue Shang Xintou
It wasn't hard to tell from Piero Siegel's words.
Before meeting with Colin, Famous Comics had already been in contact with several comic artists, even finalizing publication matters.
The reason they specifically sought him out was clear.
Naturally, it was for the *Superman* Comic in Colin's hands.
Currently, the *Superman* Comic serialized in The Messenger Newspaper was one of the most popular comics of the time.
Since Famous Comics aimed to make a name for itself by reprinting comics, it naturally wouldn't miss out on the popular *Superman*.
"Regarding the *Superman* Comic serialized by you, Mr. Collin Roper, our Famous Comics is very sincere. After internal discussions, we are willing to offer a manuscript fee of 50 dollars per issue…"
Inside the Newspaper Agency, upon hearing the price from Piero, Old John's fingers trembled slightly on the typesetting machine.
50 dollars was no small sum during The Great Depression.
It's important to note that during this period, the average American weekly wage was only 17 dollars, and it was common for poorer individuals to earn just 7 dollars a week. Old John and Little John's wages at The Messenger Newspaper were only 10 dollars per week, and even doctors, a symbol of high-paying professions, only earned around 60 dollars a week in this era.
Of course, prices were generally much lower in this era, especially under the impact of The Great Depression.
Regardless, Famous Comics' willingness to offer a manuscript fee of 50 dollars per issue to acquire the publication rights for the *Superman* Comic in a magazine was clearly a sincere gesture.
If I recall correctly, the first manuscript fee received by the two original *Superman* creators was only 20 dollars.
If Colin were just an ordinary comic artist, he would likely have been moved by the generous offer from Famous Comics long ago.
Just like the comic artists of *Dick Tracy*.
Unfortunately, besides his identity as the author of *Superman*, he was also the owner of The Messenger Newspaper.
And The Messenger Newspaper had long since escaped its initial difficulties.
Therefore, after hearing Famous Comics' offer of 50 dollars per issue, while Colin felt a slight stirring within, he showed no outward reaction.
And then, the condition proposed by Piero, the editor of Famous Comics, caused that slight stirring within him to vanish without a trace.
"Of course, Famous Comics' willingness to purchase the reprint rights for *Superman* at such a manuscript fee is not without conditions. We hope to acquire the exclusive reprint rights for the Comic. That is to say, apart from the *Superman* Comic that continues to be serialized in The Messenger Newspaper, the *Superman* Comic can only be serialized in Famous Comics from now on."
Piero believed that the condition proposed by Famous Comics was not too harsh.
After all, they had already allowed *Superman* to be serialized simultaneously in newspapers and magazines, meaning Colin could earn two incomes from the Comic.
The reason for this demand was influenced by the past page layout competition between World Daily News and New York Journal. In the era when the two major newspapers competed most fiercely, they even poached each other's staff. The New York Journal went so far as to poach the entire Sunday edition team from World Daily News, leading to comics originally serialized in World Daily News brazenly appearing on the page layout of the New York Journal, sparking fierce conflict between the two newspapers.
The 1899 Newsboy Strike was also a social event that occurred during the fiercest period of competition between the two major newspapers.
"I apologize, Piero Siegel."
After hearing the subsequent demands made by Piero, Colin had already made his decision.
He shook his head, subtly expressing his refusal to the other party.
"Currently, I have no intention of serializing *Superman* in other magazines."
"Alright."
Understanding the refusal in Colin's words, Piero Siegel, the editor of Famous Comics, did not press the issue further.
From this, it was clear he was much more polite than the people from World Daily News.
Putting his flat cap back on, Piero adjusted its brim and said to Colin, "Mr. Collin Roper, if you ever decide to serialize the Comic in a magazine, you can have someone notify me. The Famous Comics publishing house is located near Sixth Avenue, not far from the Newspaper Agency. Our offer will still be valid."
"Alright, I'll consider it."
Colin didn't say much in response, simply smiling and nodding to acknowledge he had heard.
…
Over the next few days, publishing houses continued to come calling.
They asked Colin if he would be willing to serialize *Superman* in the magazines under their publishing houses.
The conditions they proposed varied; some were comparable to Famous Comics, while others were significantly worse.
Among them, the most sincere was a company called Humor Publishing House. Not only did it offer a 'staggering' manuscript fee of 60 dollars per issue, but it also didn't have the exclusive reprint rights requirement that Famous Comics had.
However, regardless of the conditions offered by the publishing houses, Colin rejected them all.
He had already discerned a hint from the actions of these publishers.
Indeed, not long after Colin rejected the proposals from these publishing houses to serialize *Superman* magazine,
Related news reports were published in the newspapers.
"…The Senator accepted petitions from local religious groups, expressing concern about vulgar magazines and promising to actively promote relevant legislation to ban the sale of these vulgar magazines, stating that publishing houses that publish and sell violent pornography in magazines will face due punishment, possibly even…"
It was clear from the report that the Federal Government intended to crack down on these so-called vulgar and criminal magazines.
Religious groups had always been known for their conservatism, so their opposition was not surprising. When the new wave of Yellow Tabloids emerged, it was they who stood alongside serious newspaper media to launch boycotts, which eventually led to the decline of that type of newspaper media.
The Senator's willingness to make a statement on this matter clearly indicated an official stance. Trapped by the impact of The Great Depression, the general situation of publishing houses was far from ideal. Therefore, to boost sales, they would more or less incorporate some vulgar content into their magazines to attract readers' subscriptions.
Now, this situation seemed to have caused dissatisfaction and backlash among certain segments of society.
To avoid imprisonment, these publishers quickly changed course, shifting their focus to content other than vulgarity.
Comics, under these very circumstances, entered their field of vision.
(end of chapter)