Kakao goes global with webtoon features

Pictures of food featured in the “Omurice JamJam” web cartoon are seen in this file photo. / Courtesy of Kakao

Already a huge success in Korea, Kakao’s online comic service eyes global market

By Kim Yoo-chul

At the Webtoon Art House in Samchungdong, Seoul, visitors can find an exhibition by artist Cho Kyeong-gyu featuring original prints of his popular “Omurice JamJam” comic.

Since debuting on Kakao’s Daum Webtoon in 2010, Cho has produced nearly 150 stories for “Omurice JamJam,” with each focusing on a popular everyday dish.

His personal yet informative storytelling style and mouth-watering drawings have garnered a major following, and helped popularize the “muk toon” genre of online comics.

The exhibition features some of Cho’s most appetizing food drawings, and he will appear in person to meet fans and sign autographs.

Comic artists like Cho are now bona fide mainstream celebrities in Korea thanks to the booming success of the Webtoon industry.

In addition to “Omurice JamJam,”Kakao's webtoon currently features over 590 titles, with nearly 300 of them expanding to secondary markets including movies, TV series, paperback publications, emoticons and character items among others.

A scene from Tapastic, operated by Tapas Media in the United States, is seen in this file photo. Kakao formed an alliance with the U.S. company to help raise awareness of its content in the North American market. / Courtesy of Kakao

This is part of Kakao’s efforts to create an ecosystem focusing on webtoon content on its platform, a move aimed at finding next revenue channels.

Kakao believes it should be adaptive in expanding beyond conventional business models. Still, it is relying on a few business models as its growth engines, a major concern to investors and resulting in a discount in corporate value.

In a statement to The Korea Times, Kakao, the operator of the country’s dominant messaging application service ― Kakao Talk ― said it plans to push the its webtoon-originated businesses outside Korean in a diversification strategy.

The company set China, the United States and Japan as its target markets. If necessary, the content provider is planning merger and acquisitions (M&A) for external growth and to cut investors’ worries over its sustainability.

Webtoon-film adaptations gain traction

The company said its webtoon-to-film adaptations, such as “Moss” (Iggi) and “Secretly, Greatly,” have set box office records, and the hottest TV drama of 2015 “Misaeng” (Incomplete Life) also originated from a Webtoon title.

Offering strong storylines with fully-formed characters, many Webtoons translate well to the big screen, and this has led to increased interest from overseas markets.

Kakao formed a strategic partnership with U.S.-based Tapas Media, which operates Tapastic (www.tapastic.com), an online comic portal where thousands of artists currently share their work.

The partnership is the first instance of Korean Webtoons being officially distributed in North America, and is expected to help a number of artists gain valuable exposure with global audiences.

Five Daum Webtoons, ranging in genre from sci-fi to horror, are scheduled to be featured on Tapastic: Lee Se-hyung’s “Like a Wolf,” Koh Young-hoon’s (Nastycat) “Trace 2,” Lee Jun’s “Season of Su,” Lee Eunjae’s “Subway Line 1” and Han Jihye and Ahn Jung-eun’s “Jack, The American Ghost.” All five are proven hits in Korea, and should also appeal to foreign comic fans due to their engaging storylines and vivid imagery, according to the company.

Koh is also the artist behind “The Avengers: Electric Rain,” the first Webtoon featuring Earth’s mightiest heroes.

“Following collaboration with Disney Korea and Marvel Entertainment, Daum Webtoon brought its readers Koh’s unique take on the Avengers milieu, featuring original storylines and characters. There are even plans to add White Fox, the character created by Koh, to Marvel’s comic book continuity,” said Kakao spokesman Buster Suh.

The spokesman said ― Star Wars ― another major global franchise with a massive fan base, has also been modified through Daum Webtoon and artist “Hongjacga.”

“Star Wars: Story Before the Force Awakens” presents Star Wars’ most iconic characters through the detailed and delicate drawing style that Korean Webtoons are renowned for.

In addition to the U.S., Daum Webtoon is looking to enter other markets with a high demand for online comics.

Starting last April, fans in China could enjoy some of its best titles, as Kakao begin offering fully-translated versions through four major content platforms.

Currently, dozens of top titles are available on Tencent’s QQ.com portal, online comic site U17.com, China Mobile’s Mobile Reading Base platform and the Miram Manhua comic app.

The company will also expand its business in Japan to prepare for Japanese operations in the second half of the year, promising an ambitious overseas expansion related to cartoon content.

Kakao is also expecting to take advantage of new opportunities in the production of movies, games and animations based on its webtoons, aiming to be a leader in the webtoon “Korean Wave.”

“Daum Kakao will continue to pursue partnerships with top content providers from around the world as a means of developing high-quality content tailored to the tastes of international readers,” said Suh.