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| ▲ This cover image of cheerful comic strip character “Kkeobeongi,” known for his half-closed sleepy eyes and a round bald spot on his head, is provided by content company KCD Company. Kkeobeongi is set to make a comeback after 55 years in a short-form animation. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- The cheerful comic strip character “Kkeobeongi,” known for his half-closed sleepy eyes and a round bald spot on his head, is making a comeback after 55 years.
Content company KCD Company said Thursday it will launch an intellectual property (IP) expansion project to reinterpret “Kkeobeongi” for modern audiences in celebration of the character’s 55th anniversary.
KCD Company, founded last year, operates its business based on the copyright of the late cartoonist Gil Chang-deok (1929-2010), the creator of “Kkeobeongi.” The firm is headed by Gil’s daughter, Gil Hye-yeon.
The centerpiece of the project will be producing “Kkeobeongi” as a short-form animation. The four-panel comic character will be brought to life through artificial intelligence (AI) technology, with the completed animations to be released via Naver Webtoon Cuts.
The company has also recreated Gil’s playful and lively handwriting into a new typeface called “Gil Chang-deok Font,” which will be used in the short-form animation and other “Kkeobeongi” IP extensions.
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| ▲ This image provided by content company KCD Company shows new typeface “Gil Chang-deok Font,” inspired by the playful handwriting of Gil Chang-deok, the creator of 55-year-old comic strip character “Kkeobeongi." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
The Gyeonggi Content Agency will support the project alongside a short-form animation adaptation of cartoonist Go Woo-young’s “Journey to the West,” with Seoul Webtoon Academy (SWA) Chairman Park In-ha serving as project director.
Separately, the company plans to publish a complete edition of “Kkeobeongi,” compiling its runs in Manhwa Kingdom magazine, Boy’s Joongang newspaper and Boy’s Chosun Ilbo. Complete collections of Gil’s other well-known works, such as “Soon-ak-jil Lady,” “Jae-dongi” and “Go-jip-se,” will also be reissued.
“Kkeobeongi” first appeared in Manhwa Kingdom in 1970, ran in Boy’s Joongang from 1973 to 1977 and continued in Boy’s Chosun Ilbo from 1980 to 1990 with a total of 1,584 episodes.
“Gil Chang-deok is one of the most beloved cartoonists in Korean comics history,” Park said. “The various characters in his comics reflect the childhood memories of all of us.”
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