WEBTOON is on the hunt for its next webcomic legend with the announcement of its “Webcomic Legends” contest, set to launch in spring 2025
The contest is open to CANVAS and ORIGINAL creators, the latter so long as their Original series has concluded, who don’t currently have a series in progress. Creators can submit stories in four different genre categories: Most Epic (Action/Fantasy); Most Feels (Romance/Drama); Most Laughs (Comedy/Slice of Life); and Most Gripping (Horror/Thriller/Mystery/Supernatural). A panel of judges comprised of WEBTOON’s in-house editorial team and select WEBTOON Originals creators will score the stories with audience appeal and engagement playing a role in the judgement.
“WEBTOON is home to a new generation of superstar creators who have built a global audience and fandom for their stories on our platform,” said David S. Lee, Head of US WEBTOON. He isn’t wrong as their CANVAS contests have kick-started the careers of numerous creators such as uru-chan (unOrdinary), LambCat (Cursed Princess Club), and Ingrid Ochoa (The Kiss Bet). “We are constantly on the lookout for incredible stories to celebrate and elevate at WEBTOON, and ‘Webcomic Legends’ will continue our tradition of creating opportunities to spotlight diverse new series and talent.”
One Grand Prize winner will take home $150,000, while three Genre winners will each earn $100,000. Finalists and runner-ups won’t walk away empty-handed—12 Genre finalists will receive $35,000 each, and 24 runner-ups will win $5,500 apiece.
Aside from the cash prizes, perhaps the biggest draw to the contest is the opportunity to join the WEBTOON Originals program where the 40 winners can pitch their title to join the lineup.
What sets Originals apart from Canvas, you may wonder? Canvas creators have the luxury of having their own uploading schedule and have more control over their series whereas Originals creators have to adhere to an uploading schedule. But the biggest perks to being an Originals creator are having an editor or editing team, being paid directly by WEBTOON, having more features and receiving more marketing support.
“Webcomic Legends” launches in March 2025, with submissions closing in May and winners announced. However, these dates may be subject to change, so stay tuned for more details!
Source: WEBTOON
