This year Otakon featured several guests from South Korea. One of them was Moon Inho, a working comics artist since 2004. Moon draws educational manhwa, a genre of comic that is popular in South Korea and across Asia but unknown in the United States. His work includes the likes of Hanja Summoner Jaryung, Story Magic Fighter and the Kid’s Science Magazine: Dong-a Oz’s Alchemist series. He and cultural educator Park Seulki Rhea ran a panel at Otakon about the history of educational manhwa; you can read about it here.
Sister site Comics Beat had the opportunity to interview Moon Inho about their process. We discussed his origin as an artist, the evolution of Korean manhwa, and his work with the organization HM Cooperative, “Korea’s first manhwa Social Enterprise” per his Otakon biography.
How my dream of becoming a manhwa artist began
When did you first become interested in manhwa, and how did you learn to draw?
Like a lot of people, I first became interested in art after being praised for one of my drawings when I was young. My dream of becoming a manhwa artist began when I found Dragon Ball, which was serialized in South Korea via a magazine called IQ Jump.
How old were you when you started drawing?
I was seven or eight years old. It was around the time of the Seoul Olympics. I saw the mascot Hodori and so I copied the character.
Did you spend time as an assistant working under another manhwa artist? If so, which artist?
After I graduated high school, I studied under someone for a while. But it wasn’t a great relationship, so it didn’t last.
The theme of learning
What was your first published manhwa in print? When was it published?
If you don’t include personal works before I went into military service, like webzines or blogs, it would be Delicious Hanja Three Kingdoms which was serialized in 2004. It was an adaptation of Romance of the Three Kingdoms for the purpose of Hanja education.
When were your webzines and blogs published?
2000 to 2001.
Did you read the essay comic series Papepopo Memories?
Yes. Before webtoons became popular, I spent a lot of time online reading this series.
What can you tell us about educational manhwa in Korea?
The Korean manhwa market is very different from the market in America or Japan. Most of the market for children is connected to the theme of learning. Almost all children read educational manhwa. A lot of effort has been made to adapt learning and information for the eyes of child readers through numerous good works that are both educational and fun. Both aspects are needed. Games and animation are also being actively exported overseas and are growing in various fields.
A comic I want to remake
Where is educational manhwa published overseas?
Not in America, but in China, Japan and other parts of Asia.
Is there educational manhwa for adults as well?
They cover many different topics that kids or adults might enjoy, such as sports.
If you could recommend one of your manhwa to a new reader, which would it be?
I would like to recommend a comic I worked on when I was 25 years old. It is called Hanja Summoner Jaryong. I couldn’t finish it because the sales weren’t high enough. The series was suspended after the fourth volume was published. But I made it with a lot of care in terms of the story and having fun characters. If possible, I really want to remake it.
The industry has changed rapidly
How has the manhwa industry changed over the course of your career?
The industry has changed rapidly. Before I went to the military, the comic market was centered on magazines. Since that time, due to various economic and political situations, the publishing market shrank. It was educational children’s manhwa that stepped in to keep the market alive after I was discharged. Then around 2010, webtoons created a new space for artists. The market has centered around that since then. Many new webtoons are being created and developed.
How does the world of print manhwa differ from webtoons in Korea? How does it differ?
Whether print or digital, published via book or vertical scroll, I hope to express dreams and hopes through cartoons regardless of format.
Have you published comics via WEBTOON? Do you plan to do so one day?
I have comics available on the web, but not at WEBTOON.
To grow and develop using cartoons
What can you tell us about HM Cooperative, which aims to “promote regional revitalization through manhwa?” What are your responsibilities there?
The start of it was to make our village better because there is a cartoonist in our village. The company works to grow and develop using cartoons. They conduct cartoon-based education for those who are disabled or in vulnerable positions. They also participate in local festivals and events. Local artists and writers are freelancers who are often not treated fairly. HM Cooperative hopes to provide them with greater stability.
We create characters and cartoons to promote the region. These characters are used in board games and other educational materials. We are also working on a project called the “Senior Golden Age”, which pairs a writer with the elderly. We have them discuss the past of the region and their brightest moments in their youth. These stories are shared in exhibitions. We’ve also been in touch with the Niigata Manga Business Cooperative Association so that we might grow together and develop education.
