Korea comics market faced big turning point with webtoon known as
new type comics, when Soonjungmanwha (Kang Pul) was published
serially at portal site 'Daum' in 2003. Since 2003, webtoon has
established itself as the standard of online comics duri...
Korea comics market faced big turning point with webtoon known as
new type comics, when Soonjungmanwha (Kang Pul) was published
serially at portal site 'Daum' in 2003. Since 2003, webtoon has
established itself as the standard of online comics during 10 years.
However, webtoon are approaching the breaking point. Because webtoon
is based on free service, it hasn't clear business model. when a new
alternative was needed to solve this problem, an innovative new type of
comic appeared in digital comics platform with smart phone in 2009. It is
application comics. The study of application comics is incomplete yet in
Korea.
This paper studied application comics that is new digital platform have
appeared due to changes in the age and proposed development potential
of domestic application comics. First, this paper organized digital comics'
concept and digital comics platform classification to define application
comics. Comics that published by printed paper needed new definition in
new digital era. The definition of digital comics has to be considered
series of digital process "creation, distribution, consumption". Digital
comics is created by digital tools, or comics that is changed and saved
as digital data. It is defined as comics type that is sent to reader by
digital data in storage tool and network. To find current state of
application comics, Concept of digital comics platform was defined and
classified. Digital comics platform is defined the huge place that
suppliers and consumers of digital comics meet. Based on defined
concept, digital comics platform was divided into six kinds, viewer
comics webtoon e-book mobile webtoon application comics
other platform. As a result, border between Platform is dimming and
integrating, application comics is leading this trend.
Advanced study can derive a clear definition and characteristic of an
application comics. Application comics is defined as comics operated by
application that is sold software market and installed consumer' tool.
Application comics has set own state and make profit in America, but is
located the growth stage in Korea.
Compared to webtoon, characteristic of an application comics has
noticeable differences. First, characteristic of an application comics has
discriminatory comics direction.
Direction of application comics consider monitor as window, and has
unlimited canvas concept that unlimited time and various types exist.
Scene can be switched by touching scene by scene gently, and music &
video can be inserted. Second, application comics has easy business
model development structures. Because webtoon could not make clear
business model, webtoon faced limitation of growth now. However,
application comics has clear business model that consumer buy supplier's
contents in application market. consumer can choose free, paid,
part-paid option, part-paid option is popular recently. Using this option,
supplier can make clear business model. Third, characteristic of an
application is the possibility of one person publishing and scalability of
multi-platform, because of trend that has open market structure and
combination of digital platform. Everyone can be suppliers that sell their
contents directly in application market. Contents in market has the
scalability of multi-platform.
Based on the previous study, I studied cases of application comics that
are on service. I researched Comics and Marvel Comics that is ranked
1,2 for a long time in the U.S. App Store for abroad cases, and Naver
webtoon, Smarttoon and Padtoon in Daum, and Today comics in
Cacaotalk for domestic cases. Most published comic format that cut
techniques in the space used to create the scene is popular in U.S.
However, sometimes lyrical direction for digital comics is finded. Because
webtoon is main service in market, application comics were produced
based on webtoon in domestic case. However, I could find the trend that
application comics were produced for smart tools recently.
I found that application comics has very large growth potential and
marketability in this paper. Various study and effort is needed to make
application comics as new alternative in downturn Korean comics market.
The study to fine the methods for development of creative comics
direction and profit structure of the comics industry is new task.