iSeeToon will provide 'Korean Web Comic(Webtoon)' for iPhone / iPad appstore.
I tried to use the word 'Webtoon', but I was told to use 'Web Comic' instead. 'Webtoon' might mislead readers, as I heard. So I might use 'Korean Web Comic(Webtoon)'.
However, as 'Manhwa' & 'Manga' are so different, 'Webtoon' & 'Web Comic' are very different. It's same for using Internet to publish. Except for that, really different.
I will post more detail about 'Webtoon(Korean Web Comic)' by mirugi(Korean manhwa columnist) in the future. For now, I would post about what is so different from 'Web Comic' by myself. (If I get wrong about 'American Web Comic', please share the idea through e-mail or Twitter.)
Don't forget to check 'An introduction to Korean webcomics' at Manhwa Bookshelf by Hana Lee.
1. Scroll based. : Web Comics are fit into 1 screen usually. Even if scroll needed, not so much.
Most 'Webtoons' are very long in height, people must scroll a lot to read. It is essential for Korean Webtoon, compared to any other kind of Comics / Manga / even Manhwa books. (Scroll changed everything!)
I checked some 'Web Comics' recently. I found many of them fit into screen. And even some Web Comic has scroll, they are not so long as Webtoon. For example, this [Magician] sample is small part (under 1/10) of whole chapter.
2. Dependent on Portal Website. : Most Web Comics are hosted personally. Even if hosted by some other site, not so big as Naver.
First of all, you might understand Korean Internet environment, Portal-based.
In Korea, 'Portal site(Naver / Daum)' is really big. From some news - rumors, around 70% internet bandwidth (for homepage) are used in Naver. 15-20% are used in Daum. Naver & Daum are so big, gets 85%-90% of Korean Internet bandwidth. All other websites shares the left, 10-15%.
Portal Websites has almost everything for internet needs, Korean could do almost everything in Portals. Search / Community(cafe) / Mail / Blog service / Q&A / Map / Real Estate / Comparing Prices / ... and Webtoons. Portal hosts many Webtoons to get visitors & gain pageviews, pay to artists to draw.
Of course, there are some artists who are independent of Portal. They just release for their blog / homepages. But it's really hard to gain enough visitors, because Portals gets almost every page views / visitors in Korea. (Most of their blogs are hosted by Naver!) Portal hosts bulletin board for amatures, for whom wants to be Pro artist.
Portal gets almost everything, including Webtoons.
3. 'IL-Sang Toon(Plain Life Toon, Diary Toon)' & 'Byung-Mat Manhwa' : Not sure such a 'Web Comic' exists.
Not so easy to introduce, esspecially in English. Anyway I'd try.
And... iSeeToon might not publish these, except for some goodies.
'Il-Sang Toon' could be translated into 'Plain Life Toon' or 'Diary Toon'. Name says it all. It is like 'Diary' about 'Plain Life' of artist.
It's like Diary. There are some main Characters (based on real life & artist themselves), storylines are all divided into Omnibus style. Most of them have cute drawing & calm situation, but not all of them.
'Il-Sang Toon' is very difficult to be released outside Korea. It's almost personal Diary, very limited to special timing. (About 'New Years Day', released in September?) Readers must know Korean life & culture(subculture) to enjoy, another barrier.
'Byung-Mat Manhwa' is really hard to explain. (I don't know how to translate 'Byung-Mat', Korean word made at Internet.)
Weird or Experimental?
Underground or Poor Drawing?
Full of Parody or just Sick Jokes?
They could be too radical in Storytelling / Drawing style / Object. Some Korean youngsters are mad at reading them, while others are not. Most of them are released in DC Inside(similar to 2ch 4ch, very Korean style) BBS. Some artists as 'Masa' became Pro after got fame from them.
I could call it 'Korean Independent Experimental Underground manhwa for internet'. But that covers only small part.
Posted by mrkwang
