WEBTOON Basic Independent webtoon other than webtoon platform
GCC Academy
Learning Goals Be able to distinguish independent comic and diversity comic Explain the material of comic Explain the expandability of market and working guideline in accordance with media
Learning Contents Independent comic and diversity comic Discovery of material Expandability of market and working guideline in accordance with media
Seong Insoo CAREER CEO of sideB Running classic of comic pod cast Multiplayer who runs comic, criticism and pod cast WORK Webtoon Excuses of dangoe
Hello, my name is Seong Insoo, and I am CEO of sideB
who does many different jobs related to comic
you hear names such as independent comic, diversity comic certainly
when you do the market research to do things related to comic
every time you get it into your head that you want to do it
but then you could be confusing what independent comic is and what diversity comic is
Today, starting from these terms
exercise discernment regarding independent comic and diversity comic
discovering material, direction in accordance with media and how to work
and what support and what point you should agonize and try to develop
I will put together one by one in detail
In this sense, learning goals we're going to cover in this course are
First, understanding independent comic precisely
Second, understanding diversity comic as well
Third, what materials you can use and work at the market
and how you can take the expandability
and what points you need when you work
And finally request I want to tell
Independent comic and diversity comic
First of all, what independent comic is
First, independent culture is
originally means making art alone without the help of capital
In this point of view, independent comic is simply
doing plan, making, distribution, promoting of comic all alone
When we make a comic, first, writer sketch the plan
and discuss it with producer of production studio
or producer of platform
In this process, make logline, Synopsys, character design
some amount of treatment in accordance with each episode and continuity of 1st episode
And if writer gets platform or publishing is decided
then start making draft of 1st episode and real production
and along the conditions of making
and distribute through platform and promote
on main banner of platform gradually
But independent comic means, as the word itself, do all the work alone
and rather than publish on comic specialized platform
but publish on the SNS platforms writer is using
such as instagram, facebook, tweeter
or on open platform where all the comic, novel, illustration
essay, video clips are published
We call these writers as independent cartoonist in Korea
In this point of view, independent comic is rather than in accordance with
form of market but form of writers activity could be the right definition
But in this manner
These days, even all the plan and production are done by writer alone
publishing itself is on various SNS platform running by large capital
as I mentioned earlier, facebook, instagram, tweeter
or open platforms
Theoretically it's hard to exist perfect independent comics
but there are people who has opposite opinion
and I'm one of them
Now in 21st century, using platform
has reached same level of basic rights or welfare
such as protest, rally, publication liberty
Therefore using big platforms to use work
or publishing work using platforms
running by capitals are
if everything else is don alone except that
then it can be seen as independent comics
or it has to be seen as independent comics
These definition changes every time according to the times
I would be grateful if you consider there is a bit of retouching of times
and I very much agree with opinion I mentioned earlier
Because as time changes
market changes
and media and culture change
we need a new regulation
Therefore in these days
independent comic means plan and produce work by writer alone
and publish freely through platform
and use the word that way
Then you would start to doubt one thing
Then even if comics is published on comic specialized platforms such as Naver webtoon or Kakao webtoon
but writer makes it all alone
Then can it be called as independent comics?
Can it be same type of comics?
This is not
While preparing to be a writer
one of the mistake commonly we make
is that thinking comics published on platform
are made by writer all alone
Absolutely not
As I explained earlier, each platforms
have their own basis of work goes well with platform
and specialized producers who are well-informed of that basis
are make comics with writers
Already on this level, writer is working with editor
to seek advice and check the things need to be revised
so we can't say that they are doing this work completely alone
In this manner, comics publishing on this platform
even if it is open platform
Comics that are made with producers of the platform
would not be suitable for the word
independent comics
Then what is diversity comics that are being mentioned a lot
with independent comics
I think it's easier if you think it
as personality of comics
For instance, writers working as independent comic writer
publish genre comics on open platform
this is hard to be considered as diversity comics
Because genre could be a sum of data for a long time
that what kind of technique and settings
need to be in romance, thriller, horror comics
to make readers like it
It could be sum of those proved data
Therefore if there are writers
who make comics alone with these data
they could be making independent comics
But if that genre is producing and consuming by many people
then it's hard to call it as diversity comics
Then what the diversity comics is
Every time I think about diversity comics
In my opinion, it's hard to define
I think it's the subject, settings, characters, direction
that are not used these days
In wider view, I think it's other genre comics
that its profits can not be expected
as content it self in market that time
And because the things that I listed before are changing through time
the nature of comics that is mainstream is changing through time
In accordance with lack and desire that occurs from that
therefore the regulation of diversity comics changes through time
For example, when the webtoon appeared first time as the form of official platform
the mainstream was mostly about daily life and comedy
It started as sharing funny story from daily life
and emphasize on board of community
was one side of webtoon and it was transplanted to platform
At that time, well drawn and well directed published comics
were a mainstream
Unlike the comic books compete using high quality paintings and direction
the life toon compete using simple paintings
and fast production and emphasize
was on the place where it can be called as diversity comics at that time
Then when the time the life toon such as the Sound of your heart, Closet fantasia,
Prestigious private jungle high school became general trend and so many life toon was published
No longer the life toon was on the place
can be called diversity comics
Then these days, most comics from studio are made as work of drama
only few of life toons are publishing on platform
Most of others moved to Instagram
and settled down as the form so called instatoon
Meanwhile you can see the status of lifetoon changes
at the beginning, middle and the end
This is what I mentioned earlier,
diversity comics with contemporary characteristic is changing along the times
In that manner, comics in the category of diversity comics are
keep changing
If you're making diversity comics
in the independent comics market
then you need to agonize about the category every time
And to use the word such as supporting business
or exhibit related to diversity comics
we need to think about the category and criteria of diversity comics again
before proceed is good to lower misleading
In summary, independent comics is the word prescribed
in accordance with the form of working of writers
consider independent comics as a criteria
divides the personality of comics along the time
Discovery of material
Now we have to think about what comics would we make
on this kind of basis
As for diversity comics could be a bit different from other genre comics
or independent comics that made by alone
have which kind of personality and which kind of material is used to plan
Let me explain it in detail from now
The first thing we should talk about
is discovery of materials for independent comics and diversity comics
It's same for planning of all kind of comics
Do not forget that we make comics
to deliver a message eventually
And the form of expression to deliver a story entertainingly
are various such as novel, movie, fairy tale, illustration, comics
And using what you can use best
or what you want to use
is general
On the contrary, artist who can use various form of expression
select the form in accordance with story they want to deliver
And if the form has been chosen
we make works using the tools of comics
novels are novel-like, movies are movie-like and comics are comic-like
But there are a material number of usage is increasing
the majority in the market of independent comics
It is self confession epic
which is telling a story based on a unusual experience
that writer had
Self confession epic is what expressing to people with narration
special experience they had
or things could be understood unusually
As for this type of story, we can not say all of them are
but since most of them have low market potential
it has low possibility to be published on specialized platform
the work can not be predicted the star potential of characters
Therefore comics with a story of self confession
are hard to be accepted to existing platforms
Writers are gathering to the market
of independent comics or diversity market
where this type of comics are publishing regardless of profit
and that is what still happening in Korea too
In that manner, for those who want to make comics
in the form of delivering story to the writers quietly with narration
not the one assuring intense commercial potential
Then I recommend to make a story of
your own life and thoughts first
Because all readers read most interestingly
when writers are telling their own story
As for this part, I can not tell exactly on the theoretical way
but readers notice it weirdly
unbelievable but true
And we can think of the reason
why they notice weirdly
and like it differently
The thing that I can tell you certainly among them is
that writers saw themselves for the longest time
and understanding 3 dimensional
and making a character behave based on the act
and conclusion they actually made
those depth are unique compare to
the character by the creation that's my opinion
By that point, I think It has high possibility to persuade
character to readers
And another point that it is not only writers
experienced in real life but also
appealing the point that it is confession
Confession usually is telling stories
or saying words that they never could
In that case, it has high possibility
that it is special thing people usually can't have
And once they decide to tell that story to people,
writers will be excited
to focus on the creation
no matter it was good or bad
And readers watching that got excited as well
Therefore the possibility to be read that work increase
In summary, it's hard to assure high commercial potential in independent comics market
but self confession epics
that writers can do best and handle it excitedly exist as majority
If you are thinking of making something
in the independent comics market for the first time
then it would be good to find
that material among your own story
But there is a problem here as well
That self confession epic, once you make 1 or 2 stories
maybe up to 3 then after that
no more of special things left people would interest in
Therefore most of independent comics writers are
debut officially on the comic specialized platform
or if they can't find material for their comics
many of them change their job style into different business through outsourcing
This point is the repeating state
keep circling similar cycles in korean independent comics market
for several years
Then the way of solve this problem
When my self confession epic has ended
Where should I go next
If I don't want to go into commercial market
stay in the independent, diversity comics market
and do something I want to do more
On which point can I find the subject of next one
There is next road on the deficiency commercial writers are making
and lack of contemporary characteristic
So what is contemporary characteristic
The question see through true nature regard of this is
Why should we read this comics?
Or what meaning this comics have for us
answering those questions
The true nature of commercial comics we commonly say
is how much money can we make with this comics now
No investment for comics
are made if this is not assured
But not all of the comics in the world
are made making profit as their greatest purpose
Because independent comics, diversity comics are
the market where readers can meet the comics
that needs to be published now
even if profit regarded purpose is not first priority
Of course there are many comics publishing
without assuring this contemporary characteristic
Self confession epic that I told you earlier is one of that
But in this case, as I mentioned earlier
Make 1 or 2 comics maybe up to 3
then it's hard to maintain the continuous respond and popularity
and profit if the writers or the comics they write
don’t have incredible attraction to people
Because readers would read 1 or 2 times
out of curiosity
about new writers and their stories
But if the stories are repeated
then readers get sick about it
and new writers are keep appearing
therefore not looking for that writer continuously with interest
Eventually what people want is beyond the writer's personal confession epic
comics containing our story, even include readers
the one we all want to emphasize
That's what they want to see
This is the contemporary characteristic comics needs to have
But at this point, Korean independent comics market is experiencing the biggest dilemma
Which is that writers who have finished their confession epic
are seeking out actively worries about contemporary characteristic next
there are some doubtful points
It's because once after their own story ended
not connecting to worries about
making independent, diversity comics
with contemporary characteristic and debate naturally
If I speak bitterly at this point
Of course independent comics market is the place where writers make what they want
But if they just want to make comics they want
Then they can write it on their diary
Eventually comics are making a conversation with people
talking to them because writers have stories want to tell them
Meanwhile if they are writers
aiming to make comics that categorized
in independent, diversity comics
Ultimately after they introduce themselves to people
use the energy that made through communication with each other
and make readers sink into the stories
what writers want to tell
and make reasons why do we have to read this comics together now
that is my opinion
Whatever the content is, when those comics are piled up
critics will have things to say about that comics
Critics having things to say is
being in the spotlight of the media
Then there will be more people,
more readers to know, buy and read it
Which means there will be more people to have conversation with
If so, independent comics market
will take a leap forward and maintain rich system at last
In this sense, telling our story with contemporary characteristic
This is important thing for independent,
diversity comics market as well
This means, I do not know
what you would do in the future
But if you are preparing to work in the independent comics market
of course you have to go through studying and developing your work with personality
and showing it to people and letting people know who you are
But with that, keep communicate to understand the nature of this period
Then you could be a writer who makes conversation with more readers
and you could make comics which will be in more spotlight
I'm sure of that
Another important thing is that observe and use deficiency
from the commercial market
For instance, the cycle of publishing of existing webtoons are very short
Therefore in a lot of instances, becomes studio style production through division of labor
or writer gets assistance
or collaborate with enterprise to make comics
In this case, work partner always can change
And there is a risk to maintain the quality of comics as same as before in short amount of time
Therefore in a lot of case, they produce comics
using some characteristic of the shape of frame or speech bubble in turn
But frames and speech bubbles are only exist in comics
As important tools to make you feel the state
of main character with looks
I think it's pity for you who is consuming webtoon
in many ways that its design has resolvability
because of various reasons
But if we use this issue on the independent comics market
where having spare time and planning many part alone
and show the fun of various frames and speech bubbles
Then surely we can make rare diversity comics
or even the artistic comics
I think this example is one of the way to give fresh fun with contemporary characteristic to readers
using the things getting forgotten when we can do it on comics
And the things we are failing to do when we can do it on comics
while observing rigidity and the deficiency of tools of comics
Of course, personal study and practice is very important when you work in the independent comics market
But if you keep an eye on these points through the communication to the world
then you could be a writer who makes much more attractive comics
Expandability of market and working guideline in accordance with media
Now for the next, we talked about independent and diversity comics
and the deficiency of commercial comics
and contemporary characteristic which would be good to be included
Let me tell you something related to media
which can contains independent, diversity comics
And it would be good for you to listen carefully
since it can be used even if it is not for
independent, diversity comics
It's easier to think media as a tool for delivering
Simply there are books or newspapers which contains comics with page
and monitor of pc or smartphone
which is able to contain comics with scroll
However now time has changed and there are several medias
which can contain both comics with page and scroll
For instance, as for comics with page
people not only consuming on physical books
but also on monitor of pc,
smartphone, tablet pc through e-book already
As for comics with scroll, most of readers read on smartphone
but being consumed through monitor of pc or tablet
That's because time has changed that much
and this is not a change only for independent, diversity comics
but the change of media for comics itself
Important thing is that depending on where we contains the work
we have to work thinking of the changes about amount of information
flow of the eyes and tools for feeling
That is what I'm going to tell you a bit today
Let's say comics you want to produce is
the form of comics with scroll we usually call webtoon
then you don't have to worry about flow of eyes on your comics
Webtoons in the past was affected on comic books
therefore flow of eyes is hardly happens on the webtoon reading through smartphone
that the width is similar or shorter than the distance between eyes
Only endless scroll is exist
Therefore as for webtoon with scroll on smartphone
You just work on it rhythmically thinking of vertical flow
only through frames, speech bubbles, onomatopoeic and mimetic words
This is pretty difficult, of course
And the easier it has been, more fun about
solidity of characters or details of story readers want
therefore you should agonize this point
Also if your work is comics with page
you should acknowledge the change in accordance with media
if it is published in book or as e-book
or on smartphone where readers read page by page
For instance, on the book size of Japanese comic book we enjoy
size of most Korean books
when you show comics on the new country version size of book
it directs in the structure of 3 columns and 3rows
and have small space of text and paintings
and we can see well even if it contains a lot of information
But if this comics directed in structure of 3 columns and 3 rows
showing on the smartphone, the size of text becomes poorly readable
Therefore if your comics with page
is shown in the form of turning pages one by one on smartphone
then it would be good for typographic readability
and amount of information to not use existing 3rows 3columns structure
but use paintings designed the shape
with outside line as 3 rows 2 columns structure
Unlike reading on the monitor of PC or book
spreading direction or piercing out on the center direction of comics with page
can not be used on the comics with page
reading page by page on smartphone
This is not confined to independent or diversity of comics
but also affects on all comics with page
it will be good to think of when you work
For the point I have been emphasized several times on direction of comics
I usually say that amount of information in accordance with media,
flow of eyes that makes you read as writer intended and various symbols
to make you feel the state of character are the most important things
If you make comics using what I just told you
would not make outcome rare and weird
so it would be good for you to use it well
And these independent and diversity comics are
usually published randomly
on open platform or instatoon these days
As for diversity comics, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is
and as for diversity comics, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is
of webtoon and comic book through diversity comics supporting business
If you use it well, then it would be helpful for you writers
who is going to show comics with contemporary characteristic
which was listed before to the world even if it is less commercial
The support fund of this supporting business is
minimum of 1.4 million won to maximum of 2.3 million won
You could be paid pretty high for your comics
So I recommend you to participate it
It announce every February
and close at the beginning of March and announce the result on April
so I hope it helps you to work
Before such writers start to work
there are 3 things you should think of
First is profitability
Second is continuity, third is
ability to promote yourself
As for profitability
independent or diversity comics are
sometimes make a fortune
but most of working doesn't guarantee profit immediately
And if you have personality something different
then it could take much longer time
for readers to discover you
Readers discover you, become familiar
and have a good feeling
It could take few months in short
but it could takes few years in long
Therefore do not think of making money from comics
or making it work in short term
and make profit with comics
it's great for you to make other way
to earn money so that you can last
until that day comes
But one thing you need to be careful
I hope the way of making money
is not drawing
Because there's certain amount of energy person can put into paintings
and if you use it to private institute of art or comics
some where like that
then when you come back home for your private work
there is high possibility to not having energy to draw
and I saw those people quite a lot
Therefore as long as you are planning to show diversity comics
as a independent comic writer and want to make a place
to earn money until readers find you
then it will be good to find other way than drawing
No one know how long it would take
how many years it would take on this point
So I want to emphasize you not to underestimate
Let me tell you one more thing for caution's sake on this point
Thoughts of I won't make any money, I'll just focus on works
or if you don't get more sensitive but duller
about coming money in periodically
Then you will lose your social skills
and lose ability to get information
of deficiency of tools and contemporary characteristic
explained earlier and discuss and think as well
If so, then you would face difficulty in many point
when you make good independent comics
Therefore make sure you have place to make money
and communicate with many people with that money
Second is the continuity of work
This is very important as well
When watch variety show or drama or webtoon
if we got behind in a week makes you anxious
and irritated
It's same for readers who read our comics
In that sense, if you have a cycle to publish
then you should keep it that cycle with readers
and keep update comics in accordance with that cycle
If this continuity is not guaranteed
then you will lose reader's trust
Then readers wouldn't read your work a lot
But what I want to tell you on this point
is that you don't have to overstrain to make the continuity tight
I see a lot of case of promising
one episode a week to follow the cycle
of general webtoon and couldn't keep it
That is rather an injury to the communication between readers and writer
Therefore, for instance, you will upload one episode every two weeks
Two weeks are 14 days
If you say one episode per 14 days then stick to it
Or once every 15 days then keep it
Or make it longer to a month
or publishing or showing according to your schedule and condition
will be more efficient
If you open your work on cycle
then readers wait for you enough
So to keep the continuity like this
you shouldn't stay at home among the working days
This is the point I keep emphasizing
Make sure you come out and spend time with colleagues
who can have a conversation about comics often
Then you will gain new energy
If so, it is much easier to keep upload cycle
But you would probably have
an impression around this point
that you don’t know if you could make it on cycle
even if you keep stay in home and make comics
so why are you telling me to go and meet colleagues
The reason that I keep emphasizing several times
is that you can gain new energy of creation
while discuss with colleagues or from new information
Colleagues that I'm mentioning is not friends
Friends are people who can have a conversation about this and that with friendly in private
But colleagues are in your profession, comics in this case
People sharing fun and each other's troubles
having conversation about or related to comics
Of course, colleagues can be friends
but all the close friends can not be colleagues
In that sense, keep good colleagues around
and do not communicate on-line
meet offline to share various stories
Clearly this is very precious refresh
and it will return as the important energy
It will make you an environment to make money from various place
And through this energy will help you to make up your mind that I'll try hard
and it will help you more to keep the update cycle you promised
Lastly, it's self promotion
As for this point, I know there are
many of you who says I don't know how to promote
It's really hard for me to go out and speak
in front of someone
What I emphasized earlier is important
but work as independent comic writers
this promote takes really big part
Because independent comic writers have to do all by themselves
So there are a lot of thing to do
But on the contrary, if success
there are difficult part since doing it alone
but if success then they can have all the profit
to be successful or get a lot of profit
Being successful here means
you can eat and live only by making comics
hundreds of thousands of copies
won't be sold
just like we think unless we promote
on SNS constantly
Especially on these days, when there are so many things to read in this world
and to make my work
close to little bit more of people
you should promote your work
to people constantly for not getting forgotten in various way
Well, you can promote with illustration
or with vlog
And should keep promote like this
do not forget this point since it is very important
There is a thing you need to think over at this point
If you think about it, supported by large enterprise
idols having incredible charming
visit variety shows to promote album
make fun of themselves and have fun
And on evening of the day they recorded great quality of performance
record vlog and live stream
to communicate with fans
Otherwise, they also will be forgotten at once
So are we
If you disappeared quietly to make comics for quite long period and come back
or ask people to buy your work which is great
but there are too many things to see and enjoy
And there are so many contents and artists needs to remember
readers always look on your work indifferently
Therefore constant promotion in any forms
in any ways are very important
So there is a phrase that I happen to keep say in the business world
Keep stack all the way of promotion you can neatly
as you breathing, do viral marketing a lot usually
Then when you publish your work It returns as big effect
So do not forget and make how to promote yourself
Thus, we took a look at independent and diversity comics simply
and to work in the independent comics market
discovery of material that I felt it needed
and the contemporary characteristic and deficiency and the elements need work and direction
in accordance with media
First, you know the basic concept and which point is important
then go make your work and communicate with other colleagues
and get as much information as you can
Always take in novelty and with new idea comes out from there
and discovered contemporary characteristic, make great works
That's it for today's course
Thank you
SUMMARY Independent comics and diversity comics What is independent comics shape of activity planning and making and publishing freely through platform by individual of writer
What is diversity comics Other genre of comics that its profits can not be expected with subject, setting, character, direction that are not used well in commercial market
Discovery of material Self confession epic Work expressing to people with narration about special experience or things can be understood unusually that happened to writer
In a lot of case, it described as work in independent or diversity comics Profit regarded purpose is not first priority
Contemporary characteristic Work describe our story includes reader beyond the self confession epic of writer Needs communication to understand the character of the time that we live in
Direction guideline in accordance with media Direction of comics with scroll Keep the flow of vertical in mind through frame, speech bubbles, onomatopoeic and mimetic words
Think over solidity of characters and details of story Optimized reading form size of vertical rectangle smartphone
Direction of comics with page on smartphone 3 rows and 2 column of structure Paintings designed the shape with outside line Spreading direction or piercing out on the center direction of comics with page can not be used