My message about the future potential of the global comics market is quite simple. Currently, the global comics market is estimated to be around $16 billion. (Well... there is no perfectly precise data, but according to reports that Steve and I have reviewed, this is a reasonable estimate.) Within this: American comics account for about $400 million, North American manga about $1.1 billion, The total North American comics market about $2 billion, The global manga market about $11 billion, And the Japanese domestic market about $5 billion. Wth a few successful efforts—and a certain amount of luck (which is necessary for anyone building the future)—this market can grow to the following scale: North American manga: $10 billion Total North American comics: $20 billion Japanese domestic market: $10 billion Global comics market overall: $50 billion I believe that at least this level of growth is achievable as a short-term goal within 5 to 7 years. However, the domestic markets for Korean webtoons and Japanese manga face long-term challenges due to declining birth rates. In Korea, the impact is likely to begin in the education sector within the next five years. That said, both markets still have the potential to grow up to twice their current size before that happens. This growth is not just about increasing revenue—it is a crucial tool for preparing for and mitigating future challenges. To reach this scale and achieve these goals, one thing is essential: the growth of the North American market. For that to happen, at least 10,000 manga artists must be cultivated in North America alone. Do you think that number so large? Korea has a population of about 50 million, yet it already has 16,000 to 20,000 active serialized artists annually. North America, by comparison, has a population of around 650 million. If the North American market grows, investment will begin to circulate, and with that capital, we can design and support the global ecosystem. This will enable us to achieve another important goal: to create manga markets and industries in regions where publishing-based comics industries have not previously existed. To create a manga market—and a manga industry—in places where none currently exist. I truly believe this is a “something wonderful” idea. There may be countries with small film industries, but there are almost no countries without a film industry at all. However, there are many countries without a comics market. This does not mean limitation—it means limitless potential. For example, in Africa, there may not be a strong publishing-based comics market, but there are already 650 million mobile phone users—and likely even more today. If those 650 million people freely read comics on their phones and each spends just $3 per year, that alone would create a $2 billion annual market. That’s only $0.25 per month. In fact, readers wouldn’t even need to pay directly—just watching a few ads per month would be enough to make this model work. If users were to spend just $1 per month, the market would grow to $8 billion— that’s 1.6 times the size of Japan’s manga market. This would mean the creation of jobs for as many as 400,000 people. That is why investment into the African comics market is not only justified—it is necessary. It is a continent of immense potential. And I would also like to emphasize that there are already many talented comic creators there. Recently, I received an African comic book as a gift, and I showed it to many manga editors in Japan, as well as editors in the United States. They all said it was excellent work—and some responded with even greater enthusiasm. "Do we really need any more proof?" 4/5