A poster for ‘The Skeleton Soldier Failed to Defend the Dungeon’ at the busy Hongdae Station in Seoul. Photo: Courtesy of Ant Studio
An image from ‘The Villainess Turns the Hourglass.’ Image: Courtesy of Ant Studio
Webtoons are either free or priced very low. According to a 2020 report from the KOCCA, more than half of respondents who pay for webtoons said they spend less than 5,000 South Korean won ($4.5) per month, a fraction of the average movie ticket ($11.50). According to Lee Hyun-chul, chief operating officer of Ant Studio, producing a webtoon episode only costs around 2 to 3 million South Korean won ($1,767 - $2,651). “This relatively low cost of production allows us to be experimental in our work and gives our writers freedom to do what they want,” he told VICE. “If the domestic movie industry has been characterized by a focus on films that make the most money, we are attempting to stay away from this mindset.”“I usually like to end my days with webtoons. … They provide an escape for me.”
A customer reads webtoons inside a busy cafe in Paju. Photo: David D. Lee
An illustrator works on adding expressions to a character's face. Photo: David D. Lee
But he said it’s now much harder to make it on your own, like he did, as the webtoon industry becomes increasingly complex and competitive.Ant Studio has a “no overtime” policy meant to encourage employees to go home after eight hours on the job, yet writers and illustrators work nonstop. The studio is currently working on 30 different webtoon titles and 15 to 20 episodes are published weekly.“All you really need is a pen to become a webtoon writer or illustrator.”
Seok Ji-hwan directing his team at Ant Studio. Photo: David D. Lee
