3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Classic comic 'Kkeobeongi' to become short-form animation
Beloved four-panel newspaper makes AI-powered comeback on Naver Webtoon, 55 years after debut
Long before webtoons became Korea's cultural export powerhouse with their vertical scrolling format, kids in the '60s and '70s got their daily dose of comics tucked into newspaper corners.
They would flip straight to the four-panel strips featuring a goofy kid with perpetually droopy eyes and a bald patch on the side of his head.
That character was Kkeobeongi, created by the legendary cartoonist Gil Chang-deok (1930-2010). Fifty-five years after his debut, this lovable goofball is being reimagined with artificial intelligence and turned into short-form animation for a brand-new generation.
Content company KCD Company announced Thursday its reboot project for the classic character. Founded last year by Gil's daughter Gil Hye-yeon to manage the late cartoonist's copyright, the company is breathing new life into the old strips as part of a wider intellectual property expansion.
The company said it is using AI technology to transform the static four-panel comics into moving animations. The updated shorts will roll out on Naver Webtoon's new Cuts platform.
The project is backed by the state-run Gyeonggi Content Agency, with Seoul Webtoon Academy Chairman Park In-ha serving as project director.
Kkeobeongi had quite the run as a fixture of children's comics — starting in Manhwa Kingdom magazine in 1970, moving to the children's edition of The Joongang Ilbo from 1973 to 1977, and then running in The Chosun Ilbo's children's section from 1980 to 1990. All told, the mischievous kid appeared in 1,584 episodes over two decades.
The series doubles as a snapshot of Korea's scrappier years. Episodes capture milestones in the country's development, like the opening of Seoul's first subway line in 1974. In one strip, the kid's aunt splurges on exotic treats—pizza and bananas, both considered luxuries back then — but poor Kkeobeongi is too sick to eat them.
In another, he sneaks a sip of his dad's prized Coca-Cola, also a rare indulgence at the time, only to get busted. These little vignettes offer glimpses of a country far removed from today's prosperity.
The revival also includes publishing complete collections of Kkeobeongi's newspaper and magazine runs, along with reissues of Gil's other beloved works like "Lady Soon-ak-jil," "Jae-dongi" and "Go-jip-se." The team is even recreating Gil's playful handwriting as a custom typeface called the "Gil Chang-deok font" for use in the animations.
'Gil Chang-deok is one of the most cherished cartoonists in Korean comics history,' said Park. 'His characters capture the childhood memories we all share.'
