But seriously speaking as an international webtoon reader and creator of comics I think the problem may be not so much the format but the actual content, if you play to short form, thirst trap, will they won’t they (they definitely will!) stories then you end up with an audience who aren’t interested in staying except to get a quick fix. The most memorable stories that bring people back are those that make people go “ah man! That got me really in the feels!” Like heartstopper and Romeo and Juliet. Or bring you into something bigger like lord of the rings and one piece. I think if webtoon wants to expand they have to take the content seriously, really elevate those creating something special, like I only found out about heartstopper through the Netflix promotion for the tv show, when I read the webtoon I finished all the published episodes in a day. Had that been pushed at me more than just a thumbnail, god I would have clicked it sooner. In fact circling back to short form videos, maybe webtoon needs previews in the form of animatic teasers in the sidebar showing a slow scroll of promoted stories as currently all we have to go on is the thumbnail which can be good but not always effective. But maybe I’m just yapping.
Heartstopper is definitely one of those binge-able titles. But individuality should be at the core of storytelling, for sure. Something that’s different from the story you read before and (hopefully) the story that comes after.
My biggest side-eye when it comes to short-form isn’t the quick and easy nature of the medium, its the lack of protections in place for creatives which leave it open for exploitation.
I think exploitation is the biggest thing facing creatives now, particularly with ai and its indirect impacts. As I understand it webtoon originals take a bit of the advantage of the creator wanting/needing money/recognition for their work but burning them out in order to produce the comic to webtoons expectations and then further perhaps past its ideal end date in order to ride the gravy train. Which is another detriment to expansion I’d say where cultural norms of working differ.
Short form videos!
But seriously speaking as an international webtoon reader and creator of comics I think the problem may be not so much the format but the actual content, if you play to short form, thirst trap, will they won’t they (they definitely will!) stories then you end up with an audience who aren’t interested in staying except to get a quick fix. The most memorable stories that bring people back are those that make people go “ah man! That got me really in the feels!” Like heartstopper and Romeo and Juliet. Or bring you into something bigger like lord of the rings and one piece. I think if webtoon wants to expand they have to take the content seriously, really elevate those creating something special, like I only found out about heartstopper through the Netflix promotion for the tv show, when I read the webtoon I finished all the published episodes in a day. Had that been pushed at me more than just a thumbnail, god I would have clicked it sooner. In fact circling back to short form videos, maybe webtoon needs previews in the form of animatic teasers in the sidebar showing a slow scroll of promoted stories as currently all we have to go on is the thumbnail which can be good but not always effective. But maybe I’m just yapping.
Heartstopper is definitely one of those binge-able titles. But individuality should be at the core of storytelling, for sure. Something that’s different from the story you read before and (hopefully) the story that comes after.
My biggest side-eye when it comes to short-form isn’t the quick and easy nature of the medium, its the lack of protections in place for creatives which leave it open for exploitation.
I think exploitation is the biggest thing facing creatives now, particularly with ai and its indirect impacts. As I understand it webtoon originals take a bit of the advantage of the creator wanting/needing money/recognition for their work but burning them out in order to produce the comic to webtoons expectations and then further perhaps past its ideal end date in order to ride the gravy train. Which is another detriment to expansion I’d say where cultural norms of working differ.