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Lately, I've been trying to dig deeper into how Korea's comics industry transitioned from print periodicals to mostly digital webtoon serialization. Watching K-drama Today's Webtoon on @Viki@twitter.com has been fascinating as a intro to that world. https://www.viki.com/tv/38643c-todays-webtoon
@Viki@twitter.com So Today's Webtoon and another J-Drama I raved about earlier, Sleeper Hit (also on @Viki@twitter.com), are all based on the same manga, Juhan Shuttai! by Naoko Masuda. Watch both to see fascinating differences between the JP & KR comics industry. https://www.viki.com/tv/38709c-sleepeeer-hit
@Viki@twitter.com I watched Sleeper Hit first, plus I kinda know how the JP manga industry works, so some character archetypes felt familiar. But in Today's Webtoon, one key difference btwn the JP version & what's not in the KR version: the publishing salesman & bookstore clerk characters.
The thing that will leave US comix creators gobsmacked in Today's Webtoon and Sleeper Hit is how WEALTHY the successful manga and webtoon creators are. Big, gorgeous condos and home, studios w/ 2+ assistants. huge $$ offers for signing w/ rival companies.
Another wild idea I saw in Today's Webtoon that US comics companies wouldn't even DREAM of doing: a 2-day, all-expenses paid offsite for aspiring webtoon creators to get mentoring, create, then pitch their original stories to publishers.
The crazy thing is, I think a US or FR adaptation of Juttan Shuttai as a look inside the world of US comics/BD publishing industries would be impossible without radical changes to the storyline and characters. Our comics creation and sales ecosystems are just too different.
For one thing, the "assistants" system for comics and webtoon production in JP/KR is quite rare in the US. Also, the sidewalk-pounding that the publishing sales people do in JP to make sure their books are getting visibility in the stores? Not happenin' in US at all.
another fascinating difference btwn Today's Webtoon & Sleeper Hit was the biz structures & monetization pressures. In JP, it's a book/comics publishing co worried about print runs & book sales. in KR, it's a web portal company w/ a webtoon subsidiary worried about engagement KPIs
I'm trying to wrap my brain around the whole tech company funding a whole division devoted to just making comics. yes, Amazon bought Comixology and funded Comixology Originals -- but what I'm seeing in Today's Webtoon seems to be on a whole 'nother scale of exposure & influence
Also, I see a nascent need for production experts who can convert single panel scrolling webtoons to printed graphic novel pages and vice versa. If US and JP comics artists move toward webtoon-style publishing, it'll be a huge change in how they draw stories too.
I had this wild idea that I host a @viki@twitter.com watch party of 1-2 episodes of Sleeper Hit and Today's Webtoon with US comics creators, editors and comic shop/booksellers and we all kvetch about how most of what's in both shows is just unimaginable in US comics and why that's sad
What partly makes webtoons influence invisible to US comics creators/publishers is 1) there's no comparable $$ sales data per chapter/series out there, 2) like all digital comics, its sales aren't measured/tracked via BookScan or Diamond charts & 3) readership is mostly F & young
@debaoki that sounds interesting - like the sort of thing which should be a panel at a comics industry convention if it wouldn’t be likely to run too long. Maybe a Rifftrax-like presentation where it’s like a DVD commentary track people can play as they watch those episodes?
@azabaro i wonder! I might try doing a watch party of sleeper hit episode 1 on friday and see how it goes!