Graphic novels [manga] and comic books were once a very popular form of entertainment in Korea. Webcomics, however, have changed all that. Digital changeover in Korea tends to happen very, very quickly and webcomics were no exception.
Daum Webtoon, a platform for reading webcomics online and on mobile, was the first platform of its kind in Korea, launching in 2003. The Daum Webtoon platform brings free and paid comic content spanning several genres to devoted and casual webcomic readers alike. Daum Webtoon became available on mobile as of 2013 and readers have quickly adopted the habit of reading their favorite comics via smartphone.
Comics Crossing Over
To those not too into comic books, it may come as a surprise to know that a great deal of the webcomic content out there is high-quality storytelling. Webcomic content has grown wider than a place to find superhero and sci-fi stories; plenty of webcomic series tell realistic stories about everyday people, romances, office dramas and more.
Some series get so big that they outgrow their place on the web. More than a few of the series featured on Daum Webtoons have become so popular as to receive adaptations for TV dramas and major motion pictures.
Current TV craze “Misaeng (Incomplete Life)” is just one example of a successful comic crossover. Both the comic and show follow a prodigal baduk player (the game of “Go” in English) who abandons playing the game professionally to become a contract worker in a large company. The story originated from the comic series “Misaeng” a Daum Webtoon hosted comic series from publisher Wisdom House.
Other Webtoon series work off of existing popular stories. Creator Nastycat [Koh Young Hun]’s “The Avengers: Electric Rain” surrounds Marvel’s steely superheroes with tailoring for a Korean audience. The Avengers’ adventures take place in a Korean setting, and are written, of course, in Korean. The artist also added his own character the series as well.
Introducing Gongview
Until now, Daum Webtoon content was presented in a vertical format that required the reader to scroll down to read each comic. Gongview, launched for both mobile and web versions, will drastically change the way a comic is viewed to give readers a multimedia-infused interactive experience.
Each Gongview comic, marked with a blue label, will offer dubbing, a chatting sequence made to resemble a real chatting UI, or will be labeled as a Reader-Inspired episode whereby Daum Webtoon creators have developed a reader’s idea into a comic
Other Gongview features that enrich the Webtoon experience include music, moving text, and other audio.
You can check out Daum Webtoon on the web or download it for Android in the Google Play Store or for iOS.
Daum Kakao has also partnered with Tapastic, a US-based webcomic content company, to offer popular Korean series in English for American audiences. You can check out Tapastic’s content here.
Daum Webtoon, a platform for reading webcomics online and on mobile, was the first platform of its kind in Korea, launching in 2003. The Daum Webtoon platform brings free and paid comic content spanning several genres to devoted and casual webcomic readers alike. Daum Webtoon became available on mobile as of 2013 and readers have quickly adopted the habit of reading their favorite comics via smartphone.
Comics Crossing Over
To those not too into comic books, it may come as a surprise to know that a great deal of the webcomic content out there is high-quality storytelling. Webcomic content has grown wider than a place to find superhero and sci-fi stories; plenty of webcomic series tell realistic stories about everyday people, romances, office dramas and more.
From "Sarah's Scribbles" available on Tapastic
Webcomics on Daum Webtoon are told in series installments that come out weekly, like TV series. Daum Webtoon readers await the new episodes week after week. Everyone knows someone in their office who, come Tuesday or Friday, will be waiting with bated breath for the newest episode of their favorite webcomic.
Some series get so big that they outgrow their place on the web. More than a few of the series featured on Daum Webtoons have become so popular as to receive adaptations for TV dramas and major motion pictures.
Current TV craze “Misaeng (Incomplete Life)” is just one example of a successful comic crossover. Both the comic and show follow a prodigal baduk player (the game of “Go” in English) who abandons playing the game professionally to become a contract worker in a large company. The story originated from the comic series “Misaeng” a Daum Webtoon hosted comic series from publisher Wisdom House.
Other Webtoon series work off of existing popular stories. Creator Nastycat [Koh Young Hun]’s “The Avengers: Electric Rain” surrounds Marvel’s steely superheroes with tailoring for a Korean audience. The Avengers’ adventures take place in a Korean setting, and are written, of course, in Korean. The artist also added his own character the series as well.
A chatting UI scene in a Gongview webcomic
Introducing Gongview
Until now, Daum Webtoon content was presented in a vertical format that required the reader to scroll down to read each comic. Gongview, launched for both mobile and web versions, will drastically change the way a comic is viewed to give readers a multimedia-infused interactive experience.
Each Gongview comic, marked with a blue label, will offer dubbing, a chatting sequence made to resemble a real chatting UI, or will be labeled as a Reader-Inspired episode whereby Daum Webtoon creators have developed a reader’s idea into a comic
Other Gongview features that enrich the Webtoon experience include music, moving text, and other audio.
You can check out Daum Webtoon on the web or download it for Android in the Google Play Store or for iOS.
Daum Kakao has also partnered with Tapastic, a US-based webcomic content company, to offer popular Korean series in English for American audiences. You can check out Tapastic’s content here.