LINE Webtoon at NYCC

LINE Webtoon, the popular digital comics platform that is revolutionizing the distribution and consumption of comics worldwide, is heading to New York Comic Con with a lineup of panels, autograph signings, portfolio reviews, and more. The highlight of the weekend will be on Friday evening at the LINE Webtoon – Monetize YOUR Comics! panel featuring the founders of LINE Webtoon, DeviantArt, and Patreon in a discussion on the history and future of creator-owned content along with superstar creators Kaitlyn Narvaza (Siren’s Lament) and Tracy Butler (Lackadaisy). As sponsors of Artist Alley, LINE Webtoon will be set up at booth #N101 in Artist Alley for portfolio reviews and creator signings each day of the convention. All signings are free and all who attend will get a free mini-poster. LINE Webtoon will also host a Draw Along vertical storytelling contest at the booth for a chance to win a $300 gift card each day.

Panels

Comics & Politics

Thursday, October 6 – 8:00PM-9:00PM (Room 1A24)

Over the years political cartooning has taken an increasingly important role in the public discourse, amplified by social media. The panel will focus on the role comics and art play in politics, specifically during election cycles, and how they can influence, inform, or enlighten the public on topics that they might otherwise have had a hard stance on or limited exposure to. Featuring Consume artist Hal Hefner, Polidiocy creators Eric Mahoney and Ryan Dunlavey, and other noted political cartoonists. Hosted by LINE Webtoon Head of Content Tom Akel.

LINE Webtoon – Monetize YOUR Comics!

Friday, October 7 – 6:30PM-7:30PM (Room 1A02)

Making comics and you can too! LINE Webtoon has been breaking new talent for over 10 years. LINE Webtoon’s Tom Akel will walk you through how to publish and promote your own IP on the Discover platform and talk about LINE Webtoon’s partnerships that are focused on creator growth with Patreon Founder Jack Conte, DeviantArt Founder Angelo Sotira, and LINE Webtoon Founder Junkoo Kim. Come hear from creators who have published their work through Discover while building huge audiences, including Kaitlyn Narvaza (Siren’s Lament, Where Tangents Meet) and a creator of the hit series Lackadaisy, Tracy Butler.

Webcomics on LINE Webtoon

Saturday, October 8 – 6:30PM-6:45PM (#NYCC Live Stage - Show Floor)

LINE Webtoon Head of Content Tom Akel  hosts hit webcomic creators Shen (Bluechair), Andy Stuart (Behind the GIFs), Ryan Dunlavey (Polidiocy), and Eric Mahoney (Polidiocy) to talk about creating social currency and relevance in a crowded webcomics world. Fans can also watch this panel live on Twitch here.

LINE Webtoon – The Future of Comics

Sunday, October 9 – 12:00PM-12:30PM (#NYCC Live Stage - Show Floor)

Join LINE Webtoon Head of Content Tom Akel as he speaks with an all-star group of creators including Katie Cook (Nothing Special), Colleen Doran (Finality), David Tischman (Heroine Chic), Zach Howard (Buck), and Dean Haspiel (The Red Hook) about their current and upcoming titles, leading the charge in creator-owned content, and the future of digital comics. With a first look at Colleen Doran and Warren Ellis' Finality. Fans can also watch this panel live on Twitch here.

Throughout the weekend LINE Webtoon will also be hosting a series of autograph signings with top creators and portfolio reviews where creators can drop by for constructive feedback on their comics. The signings and portfolio reviews will take place at Booth #N101 at the following times:

Autograph Signings & Portfolio Reviews

Thursday, October 6^th:

• 1:30PM-2:30PM – Portfolio reviews with LINE Webtoon Head of Content Tom Akel and DeviantArt Creative Strategist Hal Hefner
• 4:00PM-5:00PM – Signings with Shen (Bluechair), Andy Stuart (Behind the GIFs), Eric Mahoney & Ryan Dunlavey (Polidiocy), and Dami Lee (As Per Usual)

Friday, October 7^th:

• 1:00PM-2:00PM – Portfolio reviews with LINE Webtoon Head of Content Tom Akel
• 3:00PM-4:00PM – Signings with Tracy Butler (Lackadaisy) and Megan McKay (Doodle for Food)
• 4:30PM-5:30PM – Signings with Matt Doyle (Dents), Karl Altstaetter (Mirror) and Matt Hawkins & Bryan Hill (Cyberforce)

Saturday, October 8^th:

• 12:00PM-1:00PM – Portfolio reviews with LINE Webtoon Head of Content Tom Akel and Zach Howard (Buck)
• 1:30PM-2:30PM – Signings with Colin Lawler & Joe Grabowski (Spirits) and Kaitlyn Narvaza (Siren’s Lament)
• 3:00PM-4:00PM – Signings with Colleen Doran (Finality) and David Tischman (Heroine Chic)
• 4:00PM-5:00PM – Signings with Dean Haspiel (The Red Hook), Vito Delsante & Ricardo Venâncio (The Purple Heart), Shamus Beyale & Jason Goungor (The Brooklynite)

Sunday, October 9^th:

• 1:00PM-2:00PM – Signings with Katie Cook (Nothing Special) and Zach Howard & Austin Harrison (Buck)
• 2:30PM-3:30PM – Portfolio reviews with LINE Webtoon Head of Content Tom Akel and Dean Haspiel (The Red Hook)

Warren Ellis & Colleen Doran Reteam for Digital Comic Series Finality - Exclusively on LINE Webtoon

LINE Webtoon (http://www.webtoons.com), the popular digital comics publisher pioneering the development and distribution of comics worldwide, announced today a new comic series from legendary comic duo Warren Ellis (Red, Iron Man: Extremis, Gun Machine) and Colleen Doran (Sandman, The Amazing Spider-Man) entitled Finality. Finality is a heightened crime drama about Felicity Rockall, the world's greatest criminal investigator, and Amy Ash, the young DCIS special agent assigned to try and control the eccentric genius as they deal with a frightening murder mystery that may prove to be Felicity's final case. The series will launch in 2017. The series reunites Ellis and Doran after more than a decade since they first worked together on the acclaimed graphic novel series Orbiter for DC Comics’ Vertigo banner. Ellis, one of the true legends in graphic fiction, is best known for RED – which was adapted to a hit feature film franchise, and graphic novels Transmetropolitan, Fell, Planetary, and Global Frequency, as well as Iron Man: Extremis, which the film Iron Man 3 is based upon. Doran is amongst today’s most decorated comic artists with a wide range of credits including unforgettable runs on DC’s Sandman, Marvel’s The Amazing Spider-Man, her ambitious space opera Distant Soil, and her illustration work on Stan Lee’s New York Times bestselling graphic memoir Amazing Fantastic Incredible. Doran has been awarded the most prestigious accolades in comics including the Eisner and the Harvey awards.

“We are thrilled that Warren Ellis and Colleen Doran, two comic legends, are launching their new crime drama series on LINE Webtoon, and we know that our readers are going to be waiting in suspense each week as the mystery of Finality unfolds”, said JunKoo Kim, Founder and Head of LINE Webtoon.

Finality will follow Rockall, an eccentric recluse and fiercely intelligent woman, and Ash, a young agent reluctant to take the case, as they’re thrown into an appalling series of complex murders that seem to be linked to Felicity’s mysterious past. Finality will leave readers on the edge of their seats as they follow Rockall and Ash’s journey from beginning to end. Told from Ash’s perspective in the present as she tries to make sense of the events passed in a series of flashbacks, readers will be dying to know what comes next as the story navigates through suspenseful and thrilling unexpected plot twists.

“Colleen is one of the greatest talents in the artform, and it's a rare pleasure to get to write for her again, as well as to be working in digital-first comics again, thanks to LINE Webtoon,” said Ellis.

“It’s been great to be working with Warren again. Drawing digital comics on the vertical format is a new challenge for me that I am excited to be undertaking with him and LINE Webtoon. I think fans are going to be really excited about what we have created with Finality,” said Doran. 

A 26-episode weekly series, Finality will take advantage of LINE Webtoon’s vertical scroll and mobile optimized reading experience to bring Ellis and Doran’s action-packed thriller to over 35 million monthly readers.

Last month LINE Webtoon announced two exciting new partnerships with Patreon and DeviantArt - both of which tie back to LINE Webtoon’s unwavering dedication to discovering, nurturing and supporting emerging talent and foster fresh voices in digital comics.  

Readers can check out LINE Webtoon’s thousands of digital comic series at Webtoons.com and on the official LINE Webtoon app by visiting the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Review: Kill 6 Billion Demons Vol. 1

It’s hard not to get enthusiastic about something called Kill 6 Billion Demons. Originally published as a web comic, this collected edition tells the story about a young woman named Allison who really only wanted to get laid. That is, until a demon hoard broke down her wall, kidnapped her boyfriend, shoved a magic key in her head and launched her into an alternate universe—specifically the universe at the center of all other universes.

I’ve never really gotten into web comics before. Mostly because I’ve never been into infinite storytelling—stories without any plans for a definitive end and that can almost go on forever—but also because I’m bad at keeping up with update schedules.

Kill 6 Billion Demons has completely changed that for me.

This comic could have so easily been another derivative young adult fantasy about some young person thrown into a strange fantasy world but while those elements are there, the creator, Tom Parkinson-Morgan, has created such a visually distinct and lovingly crafted world that makes this book stand above its competition.

I’m finding it hard to talk about what makes this comic work so well when really all you have to do is look. From downright cool looking character designs for each individual creature in this world, to the lush and heavily detailed, dreamlike landscapes that even Moebius and Orc Stain would admire. From the colors to the line work to the intricate and elaborate lore, there’s something to admire on every page.

This comic is an easy recommendation whether it’s for a physical copy of the artwork or as something to check out as an easily accessible web comic but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect.

The series starts out strong with Allison and her boyfriend awkwardly fumbling around before they have sex for the first time. The characterization is funny and charming and even this early on shows the makings of a genuinely great lead. Then, following the striking moment of the previously mentioned demon hoard, the book hits a snag.

There’s a length, introductory segment where Allison is dragged through the world of Throne and explained the elaborate basis of this entire world by her stone angel protector. There is so much exposition dumped on the reader’s lap that there’s a good forty pages that feel like genuine filler before the story really gets going. This might be a result of its web comic origins, which seems like a naturally truncated and dense format, but ultimately it’s mostly due to the nature of lore.

For however interesting a universe is, lore is never the story being told. The story here is Allison trying to save her boyfriend but it feels like we’re getting side tracked with too much information over too long of a period. So much so I felt like the story didn’t really pick up until around page fifty. For any other series, that would be a death sentence but there’s such a wealth and density of visually compelling art that I never stopped reading. Sure I scanned through some characters’ dialogue a little faster, but I never stopped turning the page.

When the story picks up, it picks up hard and, reading the first collection volume of this series, you get see the creator get better—more trusting in their visual storytelling, stronger character writing and even better art consistency. Getting over that lore slump, re-energized my enthusiasm for this comic because even if I don’t entire understand what is going on in this world, every page has its own visual charisma still has me cheering and caring.

Allison is a protagonist I like a lot. She’s a weirdo, she’s relatable and whenever she’s the focus of the page, Kill 6 Billion Demons reads like its found its real heart, the emotional core needed at the center of the elaborate setting. The writing around her feels so much more innately human and somehow infinitely more engaging than the world and the weird creatures and I always wanted to see more of her. She’s sidelined for much of this book and it’s even a problem the book notices and corrects halfway through.

There are parts where Kill 6 Billion Demons stumbles and there are parts where it soars. And I think it is something worthwhile for everyone to at least look at. I know that I’m ready to follow Allison as she rescues her goddamn boyfriend and kills whatever horrifically rad monsters get in her way.

[su_box title="Score: 3/5" style="glass" box_color="#8955ab" radius="6"]

Kill 6 Billion Demons, Book 1 Writer & Artist: Tom Parkinson-Morgan Publisher: Image Comics Price: $14.99 Print/ $11.99 Digital Format: TPB; Print/Digital

[/su_box]

LINE Webtoon's New Brooklyn Comic Universe Launches Next Superhero Title - The Purple Heart

Following the successful debut of the New Brooklyn universe in April with The Red Hook,  LINE Webtoon - the popular digital comic publisher pioneering the development and distribution of comics worldwide - today launched the superhero universe’s second installment and introduced a new hero, The Purple Heart.  Created by Brooklyn writers and artists, New Brooklyn is the first comic universe to truly encapsulate the borough’s spirit with comics starring Brooklyn as their centerpiece. The Purple Heart, created by Vito Delsante, Ricardo Venâncio, and Dean Haspiel, tells the tale of US Navy soldier, Isaiah “Zeke” Nelson who has just returned from war overseas. He is done fighting and all he wants is to return home, but Brooklyn has other plans when her heart is broken and she secedes from America, selecting Zeke to become New Brooklyn's cosmic guardian, The Purple Heart.

"Bringing the New Brooklyn universe to life has been so much fun,” said co-creator Vito Delsante. “As a former long time resident of the “Borough of Kings,” I have loved the opportunity to reinvent one of my favorite places in the world and show it through the lens of a reluctant hero like The Purple Heart." He added, "I've worked with Dean in the past, and it's always a highlight for me, but after years of knowing each other and coming close to working on a comic, I finally get to work with Ricardo, who is a talent like no other."

New Brooklyn follows the adventures of a unique group of heroes who emerge in the fallout from Brooklyn’s decision to secede from New York State. Across each of these comics, Brooklyn is not just the setting, but also a poignant character with a broken heart whose decisions greatly impacts the destinies of its residents. Fed up with the way society has formed around her, Brooklyn quite literally pulls away from New York – its bridges breaking and tunnels flooding – and proposes that humanity return back to days of old where things and people were defined by their ethics, values and contributions; where skills and art could be bartered and traded; where land could be farmed to sustain life and spawn beauty.

"Even though I'm from an ocean away, I grew up reading about superheroes living, loving and fighting in New York City. It's been in my DNA as a reader and as a budding artist since I was 6.” Said co-creator and artist Ricardo Venâncio. To have the opportunity to work on a character and a universe that reflect those inspirations, but with a new and interesting approach like we're doing in the Purple Heart is a great treat. The Purple Heart is a love letter from us to those stories that shaped us, and I hope it shows on every panel of this series."

“The launch of New Brooklyn and The Red Hook has been a tremendous success and we are excited to continue the story with this next title in our first complete comic universe created for LINE Webtoon,” said JunKoo Kim, Founder and Head of LINE Webtoon.

The third installment of New Brooklyn, The Brooklynite, will follow a third hero who is also struggling to make peace with himself and reconcile his redefined home. Launching this Fall from the late Seth Kushner, Shamus Beyale, and Jason Goungor, The Brooklynite follows Brooklyn cartoonist Jake Jeffries, who gets caught in the fallout of two super-humans battling and is accidentally irradiated with superpowers. Fraught with “Superman powers and Spider-Man problems,” Jake learns to fight crime in his secret identity as The Brooklynite, and chronicles his adventures in a comic book series while struggling to lead a dual existence.

Fans can dive into The Purple Heart today and every Wednesday here. For more New Brooklyn, fans can also catch up on The Red Hook here. To download the official LINE Webtoon app, visit the Apple App Store and Google Play.