Webtoons and Transmedia Innovations in a New Digital Economy
Description
Webtoons are a new addition to the popular Korean Wave creative industry phenomenon, which includes recent activities involving the supergroup BTS and their webtoon Save Me, as well as digital content created by Marvel superstar Stan Lee and others from the US entertainment industries. Vertically-scrolling webtoons – a term merging “web” and “cartoons,” coined in South Korea in the early 2000s, have become a transmedia phenomenon. They embrace a strong social media and participatory culture, and offer huge potential for transmedia adaptations for a range of legacy and new media enterprises across the globe. To shed light on this exciting new digital arena, this forum brings together several top media practitioners and scholars from Australia and Korea to discuss the future opportunities and challenges of this innovative industry and format. Sponsored by the South Korean government’s Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), the forum talks will expose scholars, practitioners and fans young and old to online and mobile webtoons and their potential for creative innovation in the larger digital media economy.
Program
9:30-10:00 Launch & Introduction - Tae-jin KANG (CEO, WebtoonGuide Co. Webtoon Media & Database, Industry Consulting) and Associate Professor Dr. Brian Yecies (University of Wollongong)
Official Welcome by Professor Tom O'Regan, Media and Cultural Studies-School of Communication and Arts, and Platform Media: Algorithms, Accountability and Media Design, The University of Queensland
Session 1 - 10:00-11:00 Korean Webtoon industry presentations
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Tae-jin KANG: Korea’s Webtoon Industry & Development Status
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PARK Seok-hwan (Head, Dept. of Comic Contents, Korea University of Media Arts): Korea’s Webtoon Policy (with continuous English interpretation)
Session 2 - 11:30-12:30 Korean Webtoon industry presentations
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Sun-Tae HWANG (Webtoon Artist, former Professor at Chung-gang University): Webtoon systems and diverse storytelling creations
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Aaron SAMMUT (Independent Digital Comic Creator of Maurice And The Metal): Finding New Platforms & Audiences
Lunch - 12:30-2:00
Session 3 - 2:00-3:00 Korea’s Webtoon industry and Globalisation with Special Guest LEE Narae
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LEE Jae-Sik (CEO, C&C Revolution Webtoon Agency) and Lee, Na-Rae (creator of the popular & successful webtoon Bloody Sweet) with continuous English interpretation
Session 4 - 3:30-4:30 Potential Australian-International Webtoon Transmedia Adaptations
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Milan Ilich (Ph.D. Researcher, Interactive & Visual Design, Queensland University of Technology): Opportunities for webtoons and vertical scrolling applications
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Dan Gilmore (UX designer and independent digital comic creator of Kun-ghur): A super-solider serum for comics creators
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Dr. Dingkun Wang (University of Hong Kong): From Webtoons to Netflix and Beyond: Reflections on Global Streaming Adaptation
Closing remarks - 4:30-5:00 Brian Yecies and Tae-jin KANG
Enquires: Dr Melanie Piper - m.piper2@uq.edu.au
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