Things are always cooking around Dark Horse HQ--new projects, new creators, and, in this case, a whole new line of titles! This fall, Dark Horse will kick off the very special, highly anticipated Dark Horse Manhwa line! We sat down with DH Editor Philip Simon for a sneak peek into all things manhwa.
Horse Power: Okay, Philip--let's start this off with a "lighting round" . . .
Philip Simon: Lightning round?
HP: Manhwa?
PS: Korean comics and cartoons. They're--
HP: (interrupts) Manga?
PS: Japanese comics, but--
HP: Okay, we'll get back to the lightning round later. So tell me a little more about manhwa? I love manga, but will I love manhwa?
PS: You'll love manhwa. The Korean comics industry has been vibrant for many years and has recently earned a rep for producing visually rich epics. If you dig lush art and solid storytelling, you'll love our manhwa titles. You'll find both European and Japanese influences in Kim Young-Oh's Banya: The Explosive Delivery Man and in Park Joong-Ki's Shaman Warrior, and both artists have a wide artistic range--from expressive, action-filled flurries to detailed, pensive moments. Banya and Shaman Warrior differ in mood, but they both succeed in delivering harrowing skirmishes, engrossing, unique characters, and delicious visuals. We picked these two titles because they're high-quality stories from two of Korea's most popular creators.
HP: What has Dark Horse done to set apart its brand-new manhwa line from the manga line?
PS: Our first step was to create a unique logo for our manhwa line, and we decided to pull the center symbol from the Korean flag and place it behind the Dark Horse company logo. The royal blue and red yin yang symbol from the flag is distinctive and striking. Also, while most manga titles on the market today share an "industry standard" trim size for bookstore shelving, we'll be publishing our manhwa titles in a variety of sizes--using the same dimensions as their Korean-language counterparts.
HP: I got a sneak peek at the first Dark Horse manhwa title, Banya: The Explosive Delivery Man-wow! I love how visceral and exciting the story was . . .
PS: Full of action and swordplay-but with a complicated, larger plot that unravels slowly. At the end of the first volume, readers will see a nod or two to Lone Wolf and Cub.
HP: I notice that the translation team for both Banya and Shaman Warrior is the mother/son team of Taesoon Kang and Derek Kirk Kim. Why was this team chosen for Dark Horse Manhwa's first two releases?
PS: Derek Kirk Kim came to mind right away because I consider him an important Korean-American writer/artist who's at the top of his game. Derek's story collection, Same Difference and Other Stories, blew me away years ago, and I've always wanted to work with him. He has a knack for snappy, witty dialogue and is brimming with the youthful determination of Banya himself! Working with his mother, Taesoon, this translation team brings cultural accuracy and Korean authenticity to the table, while also infusing the language with a hip, modern flair.
HP: What does the future hold in store for Dark Horse's Manhwa line?
PS: Our next manhwa release will be XS Hybrid, a high-concept sci-fi romance. I'm really looking forward to reading it, along with our fourth manhwa title, Chunchu: Genocide Fiend. Tim Ervin is editing both of those, and he came up with the "Genocide Fiend" subtitle, which pretty much sums up this tale of demonic mix-ups and apocalyptic fantasies. We have a fifth manhwa title on the horizon called Hanami: International Love Story, which is very similar to shojo manga and is a huge hit in Korea. It's really a treat to be a part of Dark Horse Manhwa, as we introduce English-language readers to Korea's most brilliant creators for the first time ever. Are we out of room? Haaa! No time for another "lightning round" . . . !