Webtoons were created in 2005 as a digital version of comics.
A webcomic format ( comic that can be read on the Internet ) that emerged in South Korea and is characterized by being developed in a single vertical image is known as a webtoon . In this way they are ideal for consumption on mobile phones (cell phones).
A prolific industry
The webtoon became popular thanks to portals such as Daum and Naver . Unlike the traditional manhwa (South Korean comic), the webtoon stands out for its thematic breadth and for generally developing in colors .
Hand in hand with the so-called Korean wave , which is associated with the popularity of products of South Korean culture around the world, many webtoon works that were translated into other languages. Even webtoon writers who are not originally from South Korea began to emerge.
digital comic
The concept of webtoon, in short, is associated with the digital comic that is read by scrolling vertically through the same image. Another possibility is to link the notion to the online service that allows you to read this type of comics.
To facilitate reading, the webtoon usually presents the dialogues away from the characters. The vignettes, meanwhile, are also frequently somewhat separated from each other. As for the most popular genres of webtoons, we can mention action, drama, romance, suspense and comedy.
WEBTOON
The website that used to be called Line Webtoon is known as WEBTOON and was launched in 2005 by the aforementioned company Naver . It initially emerged in Korea as Naver Webtoon , and almost a decade later it reached the rest of the world, adopting a name that was easier to understand for the international public, who were generally unaware of the South Korean firm . In fact, in China it is known as Dongman Manhua and in Japan, as XOY .
Going back to its beginnings, it was founded by Junkoo Kim, in an attempt to revitalize the manhwa industry, which had suffered a decline in popularity in recent times. His main motivation was to create completely original stories and characters, something that in his opinion was in short supply at that time. It should be noted that his influence was not only Korean, but also Japanese.
One of his great successes was understanding the difference between the written magazine and the Internet format : for this reason he leaned towards pages that were taller than wide, and that could move around the screen. Although it was an excellent idea, at first it made it difficult for him to find artists who could adapt to these new proportions . However, other manhwa lovers did not want their favorite art to die either, and thus little by little the webtoon was born.
Repercussion
Beyond access to a new version of the comic world in digital media, the webtoon also opened the doors to other activities, such as the various contests that have taken place since 2015 by the Naver Corporation itself, called Challenge League . Simply put, anyone can submit their creations and the winner receives money and a job at the company.
Comics, in any format, are an unmistakable art form
It is common for webtoon portals to include creations by professional authors and also allow their users to share their own works . Over the years since its origins, the webtoon became a million-dollar industry and several of its comics have had adaptations as films and animated series.
In addition to these adaptations, we must mention those that reached the world of video games, an area even more suitable for their impact. In this way, an art form that seemed to be in decline regained popularity in its nation and later crossed national barriers to reach many countries and transcended its own format .