East meets West: Manhwha talents in London for Comics

By John Freeman on November 2, 2012

If you’re free on Sunday 4th November and live in London, you may be interested in this event – Korean Manhwa and British Comics NetWorkShop – at Foyles Bookshop in Charing Cross Road.

Five top comics creators from Korea and five from the UK meet and share their projects and experiences in an interactive cultural and creative exchange, hosted by Comica Co-Director Paul Gravett and organised in association with KOCCA and a major manhwa exhibition at the Korean Cultural Centre in London.

Min-Woo Hyung, super-star creator of the international best-seller Priest, adapted into a Hollywood movie starring Paul Bethany, meets David Hine, writer of The Darkness and creator of Strange Embrace.

Respected pioneer Doo-Ho Lee, who contributed to the Korea: As Viewed By 12 Creators comics anthology available in English from Fanfare/Ponent Mon (below), will be meeting British comics virtuoso Ilya, creator of Skidmarks, End of the Century Club and and widely published in the UK, USA, Europe and Japan.

Other modern manhwa masters coming to London include Jeong-Taek Chae (Mr. Kimchi), Jung-hyun Suk (The Ghost) and popular webtoonist Jude Friday, along with another great British talent, Ed Hillyer.

The event will be followed by a signing event of by five Korean artists, with 100 free copies of manhwa books to be handed out to the audience.

Postcards of original artworks from prominent Korean illustrators will be sold in aid of charity.

Entry is free, but do e-mail comicafestival@gmail.com to let them know you’re coming.
Free panel, free comics, free drinks and snacks. Foyles, 113 – 119 Charing X Rd, from 2 – 4.00pm.

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.