Korean illustrator brings Marvel characters to life
A cover spread of issues 1 to 3 of Marvel Comics' "Spider-Geddon" illustrated by Lee In-hyuk / Courtesy of Lee In-hyuk
By Jon Dunbar and Jung Eun-saem
jdunbar@koreatimes.co.kr
Marvel and DC are best known in Korea for their blockbuster superhero movies, featuring popular characters like Marvel's Avengers and DC's Justice League, rather than their comic books which aren't as widely available here.
Koreans are increasingly taking notice of the capes and tights in American comic books, and illustrator Lee In-hyuk has been lighting the way with his stunning artwork for almost a decade.
“My first favorite cartoon was Dragon Ball. I also liked Korean comics, but now I can't remember any of them,” Lee, an illustrator for U.S. publisher Marvel Comics, told The Korea Times. “When I visited my friend's home, I happened to see a book about Spider-Man. Unlike Asian comics, I was very surprised by the realistic painting in full color, and free composition.”
He started drawing at a young age, mainly as a pastime while his parents left him home alone and went to work. He started off drawing manhwa-style illustrations, and as he grew up he developed a more realistic art style. After graduating from art school, he became a full-time illustrator, working in various fields including movie production, advertising, publishing, gaming and more. Lee has worked on character design with various game companies including NEXON and Netmarble Games in Korea, as well as Blizzard in the U.S.
Then in 2012, he had an opportunity to experience working for the U.S. comic market. His portfolio got the attention of Marvel Comics, and he's been with them ever since. He's also worked with various other publishers including DC Comics, Boom! Studios, Dynamite and IDW.
Illustrator Lee In-hyuk holds a signed copy of Marvel's "The Amazing Spider-Man" / Courtesy of Lee In-hyuk
“When I started working with Marvel in 2012, whenever I told my friends, they thought of the Korean board game Blue Marble,” he said. “Even when movies like Iron Man and Avengers were released in Korea, people knew the titles, but they still didn't know Marvel. Likewise, most older people knew Batman but didn't know DC. Due to the success of Marvel movies, media have now come to talk about Marvel and the characters of Marvel Comics are known to the public.”
There have been several Koreans working in the U.S. comics industry, most famously Jim Lee, the publisher and chief creative officer of DC Comics ― but Lee claims to be the first Korean national to illustrate for Marvel.
He's developed an impressive portfolio in eight years working mainly as a cover illustrator, a highly prestigious job that requires especially attractive character art.
“What I think is important when doing any illustration, including comic book covers, is the story contained in them,” Lee said. “It is good to understand the situation of the characters that appear and their personalities and to assimilate and express emotions. I think it's better to draw a picture with a story rather than just a good picture.”
His portfolio includes artwork showing popular Marvel characters including the Hulk, Spider-Man, and Wolverine, DC characters like the Flash, Harley Quinn and the Joker, and various other characters as well, including Darth Vader, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and He-Man.
Marvel Comics' "Star Wars Darth Vader" issue 1, with Lee In-hyuk's signature visible / Courtesy of Lee In-hyuk
“I have a lot of favorite characters. I like the delightful and familiar Spider-Man, Hulk with his overwhelming power, the solitary immortal Wolverine and Magneto with his fascinating magnetic powers,” he said. “But I especially like immortal characters. I like painting and I would like to draw longer. So I like Wolverine and Deadpool. But my favorite is Deadpool, because he's easier to draw than Wolverine.”
His tools include pencil, ink, watercolors and Photoshop. His pieces are vivid, almost photographic, staring back at the reader with lifelike eyes ― at least the ones not zombified or shooting eye lasers.
“Superheroes are just like us. Being a superhero doesn't always mean wearing a costume, helping people and protecting the world all day long. The heroes also could be hungry, sleeping, misleading, angry or jealous. Heroes in American comics have a lot of empathy and persuasive origin stories because they are closely relatable to the real world we live in.”
The U.S. comics industry offers many advantages for Lee, over working in his homeland. The market is stable and large, and many of the characters already have decades of history. And despite some fantasy elements, U.S. comic books are more closely related to the real world than East Asian comics which he says emphasize emotional expression over realism, citing “Dragon Ball,” “Naruto” and “One Piece” as examples.
“Asian comics are intended for storytelling, so the quality of the art is not as high. Of course, illustrations are important, but in comics, illustrations are primarily for delivering a story. So there are many omissions and exaggerations. It has the advantage of easily conveying emotions rather than realism,” Lee said. “Unlike American superheroes, they have a completely different perspective from the reality we live in. So they are considered to exist in a completely different fantasy world.”
He sees the value in both U.S. and Asian comic book styles, but personally he prefers working with the U.S. style.
“I enjoy webtoons but they don't match the style I like,” he said.
While he isn't working in Korea's comics industry, where many of his friends are active creating and illustrating webtoons, he has been watching developments in Korea's webtoon market, which has seen rapid expansion as more and more titles are adapted as TV dramas and movies.
“Recently, the webtoon market in Korea has expanded rapidly, and the perception of comics has improved. But it's still not as big as in the U.S. I think it is related to the size of the country's economy and the resulting cultural life level,” he said.
DC Comics' "Flash Forward" issue 1 illustrated by Lee In-hyuk / Courtesy of Lee In-hyuk
“I have the advantage of understanding the styles of both Asia and the U.S. I will continue to make illustrations that give joy in both Asia and America for a long time.”
Lee will be appearing at
in northeastern Seoul on Sept. 6 for a
event for a fan meeting and to sign books. Free Comic Book Day is an international event that was scheduled for early May, but it has been delayed to September due to COVID-19. It's the first of its kind at Dice Latte and possibly in Korea.
Follow him on
, visit
for his portfolio, or
to watch his online art lessons.