Seoul's popular ghost tour comes out with Korea's first comic book based on Korean folk tales. For the first time in English, spooky Korean folktales have been realized in comic book form. The independent comic "The Dark Side of Seoul: Weird Tales from Korean Lore" published in August, debuting at Not Comic Con at Dice Latte comic book and board game cafe in Seoul.
50-page tome is the brainchild of folklorist Shawn Morrissey and lay historian Joe McPherson. Morrissey, who has seriously studied Korean folklore since 2000, has had experience writing stories for horror genre comics. "Korea possesses a rich folklore legacy that the rest of the world hardly knows," said Morrissey. "We want others to pass through this secret doorway to Korean folk tales."
Korean-American artist Tim Bauer illustrated the work in a unique style that breaks the mold of traditional comic styling. Three full tales inhabit the comic, each having a tone similar to classic volumes of Tales from the Crypt while staying firmly rooted in Korean folklore, each with surprising twists endemic in both genres.
The comics complement the Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk and can be purchased on their website at darksideofseoul.com. The digital version costs $3.99 while the print version costs $4.99 plus shipping, only available inside South Korea because of COVID-19. Two more volumes are planned to be published in 2021 and 2022.
The Dark Side of Seoul is part of Korea Food Tours, an enterprise of ZenKimchi International. The Dark Side of Seoul has been in operation since 2012 and was created by Korean historians and folklorists to showcase meaningful and overlooked aspects of Seoul's history.
Shawn Morrissey — Writer
Heritage interpreter and guide for Dark Side of Seoul Ghost Walk. He's been living in and studying Korea for 20 years. Shawn is also a writer with publishing credits that include comic books.
Twitter @SJMorrissey
Tim Bauer — Artist
Professional comic book artist and teacher. He is half-Korean and lived in Korea for years. He writes and illustrates his own indie comics and, currently living in Vancouver, is active in the Pacific Northwest comic book convention scene.
Instagram @whoamancomics
Comic details:
Title: The Dark Side of Seoul: Weird Tales from Korean Lore
Volume 1
Format: Digital (PDF/CBR), Print (available in South Korea only at the moment)
Genre: Horror
Rating: 15+ (some gore, violent themes)
Publisher: Story Trove Comics
Copyright: 2020 Shawn Morrissey
On Sale: August 7, 2020
Availability: DarkSideOfSeoul.com, GlobalComix, Comixology (pending)
Social Media & Contact:
Facebook: facebook.com/darksideofseoul
Instagram: @dark_side_of_seoul
Email: Joe McPherson [email protected]