the big meeting

Billy adjusted his tuxedo in front of the hotel room's mirror. It seemed that more than an official meeting, this was a gathering of friends who sat down to share anecdotes about daily life. They had been doing this for nearly 30 years, starting when all these folks began meeting once a year. Now, it looked more like a special event where many people participated to discuss their work and get to know each other. It appeared that the comic book community was small, and only a few stuck around long enough to exist in this community for over a decade, which brought more headaches than anything else.

Among the most important people he wanted to meet were those involved in the operations of Marvel. The discontent among artists regarding Marvel's activities had created discomfort among the top artists. Marvel had caused havoc for over 10 years, and even the fantastic DC had recently entered into discussions with its top artists. It was all due to the disastrous handling of the comic book companies toward these artists, whose incomes had dwindled due to the small percentages the comic book companies were willing to share.

Billy checked his suit one last time before leaving the hotel room. Room 803 was right next to his room.

He knocked on the door with enough force for it to be heard over the loud music. Raimon appeared, dressed in a slightly tight-fitting Batman shirt. Water droplets ran down his hair, forming small curls.

--Hey, I'm ready. Just give me a second, -- Raimon said, rushing to grab a long jacket that reached almost to his knees. -- All set. -

The hotel was one of those elegant ones that his father had reserved well in advance, close to the venue where the meeting was taking place. The meeting was a few streets down in a press room of a New York newspaper, borrowed for this special gathering. These individuals had a special relationship with New York newspapers, and it could only suggest some new ideas for sales. The Sunday newspaper along with a Slam Dunk issue or Ghost Reports.

Billy and Raimon arrived on foot after getting some directions. The newspaper's headquarters was a large, old building with gray bricks and angular edges.

-This is your big debut, - Raimon said, opening the wooden entrance door. The building exuded architectural elegance that Billy decided he'd recreate at some point.

-That's what I hope for, - Billy replied.

They climbed up the rather narrow stairs, much worse than taking the elevator. The stairs were very cramped and enclosed. On the third floor, they found a sign that marked the welcome meeting.

-Comic Creators' Meeting! -

Billy entered through the main door and was somewhat disappointed to find it fairly quiet, with only a few people sitting at a corner table. They were older gentlemen, quite elderly, drinking some liquor, as evidenced by the glasses and the bubbling liquid.

They were speaking in hushed tones, and Billy felt a momentary insecurity inside. However, drawing on his upbringing, he approached the men at the table. When he got close enough to hear their conversation, they stopped talking and turned their gazes to their new arrivals. Almost everyone thought about a young man in a very handsome suit straight out of a Variety magazine and a fan in his tight Batman shirt.

-Pleasure to meet you all. I'm Billy Carson, and I was invited by Mike Richardson to the annual creators' party, - Billy said, extending his hand to shake hands with Steve Gerber, and everyone else at the table.

His words woke up the adults at the table.

-Nice to meet you too, young man. Steve Gerber, - said the man in a black leather blazer and a checkered shirt, wearing jeans. His most characteristic feature was his thick glasses.

-A pleasure to meet you, sir, - Billy replied.

-David Corckrum, - said another man, a bit bulkier, with a thick beard that resembled a biker's beard often seen on highways. He got up from his seat and gave Billy and Raimon a hearty greeting.

-This is the legendary Joe Kubert, Dwayne McDuffie, and Stan Lee, - David Corckrum said.

-It's a pleasure to meet all of you, - Billy said.

Raimon, who was behind him, was in a catatonic state. His heart was pounding. He was at a table with phenomenal creators, and they hadn't even had the first toast yet. He had to take a breath. Fortunately, he had his backpack with some of his best specimens ready to be collected. Working with Billy was the best decision of his life.

-I'm Raimon, - he said, almost shouting. Everyone's attention turned to the young man who looked like a die-hard fan, from his nervous posture to the colorful redness in his cheeks.

-Pleasure to meet you, Raimon, - Steve Gerber said, appreciating the young man's energy.

He was interrupted by Joe Kubert, who fixed his gaze on Billy. His hawk-like, squinted eyes, and characteristic face gave him an air of wisdom.

-Are you the young man who's been causing a stir in the world of comics, Bill C. Y., the creator of Lux Comics? - Joe Kubert said.

Billy was surprised by the depth of the speaker's voice. He had been recently called a legend by some comic creators, and that meant tremendous respect among people who shared the same profession.

-That's right, sir. I'm the creator of Lux Comics, - Billy said.

-You heard the lad, give him a seat. We're looking at the future of comics," Joe Kubert said, pointing to Raimon, who was still trying to process the greeting. "Son, find two chairs; we have some questions for this young man, - the deep-voiced gentleman continued.

Raimon could only nod. It was Joe Kubert who was talking to him.

-You start, Joe. You must be quite eager, - Stan Lee said.

-Let the young ones wait, Stan. We old folks have to seize the moment, - Joe Kubert said.

Raimon arrived with two chairs, one for Billy and one for himself. He sat between Billy Carson and Stan Lee, making a calculated move to ask for Stan Lee's autograph.

-I've heard that you're the sole producer of Lux Comics at the moment. How do you do it, young man? You've created 96 different publications in just two and a half years. That's almost a lifetime's worth of work, - Joe Kubert said.

-, Mr. Kubert, I've been drawing for seven years, and I've spent another three designing comics. Some of the more caricatured characters are ones I created in my childhood. But I have a strict schedule, - Billy replied.

-Hahaha, that makes more sense, don't you think so, Joe? - Stan Lee said. - You've been drawing since you were five? -

-Yes, sir, even before that. I've been drawing for as long as I can remember, - Billy replied, which was both a lie and the truth. He had been drawing his whole life. But now, in front of these stars, he never thought he'd meet, he could only loosen his tongue a bit about his status as a comic book author.

-A whim that has brought you great benefits. Mike himself calls you the genius of comics. The kid who competes with Marvel and DC in series surpasses them in quality, and amazes with his ingenuity, - Joe Kubert said, almost as if he were reciting a slogan.

-I do what I can, sir, - Billy said.

-Well, you've slapped those young artists who were content with their half-baked stories. I like your work, son, - Joe Kubert said.

-I do too. I'm happy that, most importantly, your company is yours. All your work is free from idiotic pressures and bosses who have no clue about comics, - Stan Lee said.

The other members of the table watched the conversation like a tennis match. These two weren't very talkative and tended to be more like judges who remained silent and only spoke when necessary.

-I owe that to my father, who is a very serious businessman. He had hoped to invest in me just because I was his son, - Billy said.

-Don't belittle yourself, young man, - Joe Kubert said, pounding the table.

-I say the same. Your father could see what anyone with two fingers in front of their face would see: a star, - Stan Lee said.

Steve Gerber was sipping a drink and whispering to the others.

-Thank you, sir. It's greatly appreciated, - Billy said with embarrassment. He had only received compliments so far. He had thought that their competitive nature might make them act like wolves among sheep, but they had turned out to be lovely people.

- Oh, my boy, I can only rejoice for all the drawings you've done. I've deeply enjoyed your stories. Young folks these days lack a bit of sagacity, but you've shown me that not everyone does, - Stan Lee said, taking a sip from his glass and toasting with Joe.

-You're right, Stan, - Joe said.

Both industry giants exchanged words without leaving room to understand the true meaning of the words they were now speaking to each other.

-Are you going to create a superhero series? - Steve Gerber asked.

-I intend to create a series in the future, - Billy said.

[1] Steve Gerber: Mostly worked for Marvel Comics and was part of the creative team. He contributed to several interesting titles in the Marvel Universe. In 1970, he started working for DC Comics. Later, he worked independently for both comic companies.

[2] Dave Cockrum: The creator of multiple X-Men characters and had a significant influence on X-Men history with his contributions.

[3] Joe Kubert: One of the earliest comic book artists, highly recognized for his long and influential career.

[4] Dwayne McDuffie: A comic book editor, best known for his work on "Justice League." Notably, he focused on representing minorities in comics. He wasn't very old and could be considered one of the younger members at the table along with Steve Gerber.

good morning everyone, I hope you have a happy week.