[On the Scene] WEBTOON Makes Its Mark at New York Comic Con, Nurtures U.S. Creator Whose Series Has 400 Million Views

Largest-Ever Booth Since Joining in 2024
Autograph Session with Creator of Korean Webtoon "FOG LAND"
New DC Collaboration to Debut on October 19

When I entered the exhibition hall at the globally renowned pop culture festival New York Comic Con (NYCC), held at the Javits Center in Manhattan, New York, on the afternoon of October 10 (local time), a fluorescent green "WEBTOON" sign in the middle of the entrance caught my eye.

Characters dressed in outfits reminiscent of orange prison uniforms stood in a row atop a metal structure, while below, character figures that looked as if they had leapt straight out of a webtoon greeted visitors. It was an immersive exhibition space where Naver Webtoon recreated the world of the popular U.S. webtoon "FOG LAND."

The Naver Webtoon booth at New York Comic Con (NYCC), held in Manhattan, New York, from the 8th to the 11th (local time). New York, U.S. = Special Correspondent Hwang Yoonju.

Upon entering the booth, I saw a long line of more than 100 visitors. They were all fans waiting to get an autograph from the creator of the popular webtoon "FOG LAND." The signing event, initially scheduled to last one hour, continued for nearly three hours as fans flocked to the booth.

At an event attended by major global content companies representing the U.S. comics industry, including Marvel and DC, South Korea's Naver Webtoon also drew crowds of visitors.

At this year's New York Comic Con, which marked its 20th anniversary, Naver Webtoon set up two large solo booths for the first time. After first participating in 2024, it created its largest exhibition space to date.

This year, the company focused on expanding its engagement with local fans. It is also stepping up efforts to tap the local market by expanding collaborations with leading U.S. comics companies, including Marvel and DC Comics.

Expanding the U.S. creator ecosystem... Creator of "SubZero," with 400 million views, takes the stage

“SubZero,” a U.S.-based title that has surpassed 400 million views on Naver Webtoon. Screenshot from Naver Webtoon.

WEBTOON Entertainment, Naver Webtoon's U.S. headquarters, held a panel event at New York Comic Con that day titled "Inside WEBTOON Entertainment: What's Coming Next," and announced new content and collaboration plans.

It was also notable that Naver Webtoon was seeing results from its efforts to recruit local creators, a priority since entering the U.S. market.

Junepurr, creator of "SubZero," attended the panel that day and shared her thoughts on completing the series. Junepurr previously interned at an accounting firm and became a full-time creator after publishing her work on Naver Webtoon.

"I've been working on this series for almost 10 years, and it has literally changed my life," Junepurr said. "I used to work at an accounting firm, and during my internship, I started making stories just because I enjoyed it."

She added, "When Naver Webtoon later offered me an official serialization, I quit my job and became a creator. At first, the webtoon platform itself was unfamiliar, and there wasn't the wealth of information available today. I faced many challenges, but in the end, I was able to overcome them one by one."

Her series has garnered more than 400 million views. It is considered a significant example of how Naver Webtoon can discover new creators in the U.S. through its open creator platform and produce major webtoon hits.

U.S. comics reimagined as webtoons... DC Comics' "Gotham by Daylight" to be released on October 19

Katie Kubert, group editor at DC Comics, answers a question and continues her remarks during a Naver Webtoon panel at New York Comic Con in New York on the 10th (local time). Naver Webtoon

The announcement that drew the most attention was the expanded collaboration with DC Comics, one of the leading U.S. comic book publishers. Naver Webtoon announced that it will release the original webtoon "Gotham by Daylight," co-created with DC Comics, on October 19.

The series is a mystery set in Gotham City, best known as Batman's stomping ground. Its distinctive feature is that it extends the dark atmosphere of the existing Batman universe into Gotham City during the daytime.

Production of Season 5 of the popular webtoon "Batman: Wayne Family Adventures" has also been confirmed. Naver Webtoon's vertical-scroll format has played a part in the steady expansion of its collaboration with DC Comics, which began in 2021, by offering an experience that differs from traditional U.S. comics.

Katie Kubert, a group editor at DC Comics who attended the panel that day, said, "Vertical scrolling is completely different from traditional print comic books. It allows creators to experiment with storytelling in an entirely different space."

She added, "On a smartphone screen, you don't open two pages side by side as you do with a print comic book. By adapting characters from traditional superhero comics to a new format, we can also deliver action scenes in a different way, making them much more immersive."

Naver Webtoon is also bringing "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" to the platform in collaboration with U.S. comic book publisher BOOM! Studios. The key is to reformat the original comic's horizontal panels into a vertical-scroll layout suited to mobile screens.

This collaboration is significant because Naver Webtoon is taking on a role beyond simply distributing content: it is also adapting existing U.S. comic book intellectual property for mobile. Naver Webtoon's role in the global entertainment industry is expected to grow as well.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.