Hongjacga

In this Korean name, the family name is Hong.

Hongjacga
홍작가
Born
Hong Seong-hyeok

1980 (age 44–45)
Seoul, South Korea
NationalitySouth Korean
Alma materNational Gugak High School
Years active2006–present
OrganizationKorea Cartoonists Association
Notable work
  • Dr. Brain
  • Delusion
Korean name
Hangul
홍성혁
RRHong Seonghyeok
MRHong Sŏnghyŏk
Pen name
Hangul
홍작가
RRHongjakga
MRHongjakka

Hongjacga (Korean: 홍작가; born in Seoul), is a South Korean webtoon artist. Hong began his career as a cartoonist in 2006 with the serialization of the webtoon Dorothy Band. In addition to comics, he works as an illustrator for various advertisements and books. His serialized works include Cat Funeral, Hwa-ja, It’s Not Possible, Aneima, and Dr. Brain. He also worked on Lucasfilm's first official webtoon, Star Wars: The Story Before The Force Awakens. His works have been adapted into film, drama and musical.

Early life and education

Born Hong Seong-hyeok in Seoul in 1980,[1] he majored in daegeum at the National Gugak Middle School and High School in Gangnam, Seoul.[2] Despite his musical studies, he was primarily recognized for his drawing skills.[3]

Career

After graduating from high school in 20002, he was recruited as animator for film My Beautiful Girl, Mari.[2][3]

In 2006, he made his debut as a storyteller and webtoonist with the fantasy occult series Dorothy Band on Daum Webtoon.[1] Inspired from The Wizard of Oz, the webtoon has minimal similarities to the original beyond its character archetypes and adventure structure. It has its own unique characters, including a guitarist scarecrow and a large cat named Tango.[4]

Hong's 2011 webtoon, Hwaja, is set in the late 1980s and centers on Lee Yu. After encountering the mysterious Hwa-ja, Lee Yu is plagued by dreams of her. Years later, a cryptic message from a friend in a car accident draws the adult Lee Yu back to Hwaja's village. Published by Middle House, it received a strong reader rating of 9.7 on Daum.[5]

Hong gained wider recognition after working on Lucasfilm's first official webtoon, "Star Wars: The Story Before The Force Awakens." Serialized on Daum Webtoon since April 2015, it was marketing content created by Disney in collaboration with Daum Webtoon. The webtoon was based on the story of Star Wars Episodes 4–6, released from 1977 to 1983.[3][6]

In 2016, Hong created Dr. Brain. It amassed over 20 million views on Daum Webtoon and Kakao Page.[7] The series centers on Se-won, a gifted brain scientist who, after a family tragedy, performs "brain syncs" with the deceased to access their memories and uncover the truth behind the mysterious accident.[8]

Director Kim Jee-woon expressed interest in adapting the webtoon shortly after its completion. In May 2019, he officially began the development on the series with YG Studioplex,[9] initially under the working title Mr. Robin.[10] The project gained momentum, and by March 2021, actor Lee Sun-kyun was confirmed to star. This also marked a significant milestone as Apple acquired the series for its streaming service, Apple TV+, making it their inaugural Korean-language production.The six-episode series debuted on November 4, 2021,[11] aligning with the Apple TV+ launch in South Korea,[12] and concluded on December 9, 2021, with weekly episode releases.[11]

The Space Sweepers Universe project began in 2019, originating from a decade-long concept by director Jo Sung-hee and Silk Road. From its inception, the project aimed to be a multimedia endeavor, with a webtoon planned alongside the film in collaboration with Merry Christmas and Kakao Page. Hongjacka was specifically brought in to develop the webtoon component of this ambitious universe. This project is a groundbreaking "IP collaboration" in Korea, as it's the first time a film and webtoon have branched concurrently from the same intellectual property. It's also notable as Korea's first "space opera." For Hongjacka, this unique undertaking offered a new and multifaceted experience.[13]

Showbox announced in June 2021 plans to produce a drama based on Hongjacga's popular Naver webtoon, Delusion.[14] By September of that year, director Han Jae-rim was already working on the series. It is a mystery horror period drama set in 1935 Gyeongseong and 1800s Shanghai, revolving around a mysterious vampire.[15] The estimated production cost is said to be ₩45 billion.[16] On May 23, 2025, Disney+ confirmed it would release Delusion as an original series in 2026.[17][18]

Work

As animator

Film adapted from Hongjacka's webtoon
Year Title Director Notes Ref.
English Korean
2002 My Beautiful Girl, Mari 마리이야기 Lee Sung-gang [2]

As webtoon artist

Serial webtoons[19][20]
Year Title Notes Ref.
English Korean
2006 Dorothy Band 도로시 밴드 [4]
2009 The Cat Funeral 고양이 장례식 [21]
2011 Hwaja 화자 [5]
2012 What's not possible is not possible 안 되는 건 안 되는 거다 [22]
2013 Anemia 아네미아 [19]
2015 Star Wars: The Force Awakens 스타워즈: 깨어난 포스 그 이전의 이야기 [23]
2016 Dr. Brain Dr. 브레인 [24]
2016 The Necromancer 네크로맨서 [19]
2017 Wimp —
2018 Ghost 고스트
2019 Delusion 현혹 [25]
2019 FLOWAR 플라워 [19]
2020 Space Sweepers 승리호 [26][27]
2021 Dr. Brain Season 2 Dr. 브레인 시즌2 [19]
2021 Mechanical proliferation 기계증식증
2023 Elf 엘프 [28]
2024 Cold Blood 냉혈 [29]

Screen and stage adaptations

Film

Film adapted from Hongjacka's webtoon
Year Title Director Notes Ref.
English Korean
2015 The Cat Funeral 고양이 장례식 Lee Jong-hoon [30][31][32][33]

Web series

Web series adapted from Hongjacka's webtoon
Year Title Director Notes Ref.
English Korean
2021 Dr. Brain Dr. 브레인 Kim Jee-woon [34]
2026 Delusion 현혹 Han Jae-rim [35]

Musical

Musical adapted from Hongjacka's webtoon
Year Title Notes Ref.
English Korean
2021 Dorothy Band 도로시 밴드 [36]
2026 Delusion 현혹 [37]

Accolades

As an animator, Hong contributed to an animated film that was awarded the Grand Prix (Best Feature Film) at the 26th Annecy International Animation Film Festival.[2]

Awards and nominations

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2018 International Content Market SPP 2018 Best Creativity Award Flowar Won [38]

References

  1. ^ a b Kim, Jane. "Cosmic Comic Creator, Webtoonist extraordinaire". www.kocis.go.kr (in Korean). Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d Lee, Jung-hyun. [웹작소]만화가 꿈꾸던 국악 소년…스타워즈로 인생 역전 [[Web Production] The boy who dreamed of becoming a cartoonist and became a traditional Korean musician… His life changed with Star Wars]. Money Today (in Korean). Retrieved June 30, 2025 – via Naver News.
  3. ^ a b c Son, Taek-gyun (December 16, 2015). 스타워즈 ‘에피소드4~6’ 다음 웹툰에서 연재하고 있는 홍작가 [Hong, the writer who is serializing Star Wars 'Episodes 4-6' on Daum Webtoon]. The Dong-A Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  4. ^ a b Choi, Woo-young (August 2, 2020). 영화로 만들면 성공 가능성 높은 웹툰은? [Which webtoons have a high chance of success if made into movies?]. The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved July 1, 2025.
  5. ^ a b Moon, So-young (April 4, 2012). 만화 초딩만 본다고? 촌철살인 대사 가득 [Do you think only elementary school kids watch cartoons? It's full of sharp lines]. Seoul Shinmun (in Korean). Retrieved June 30, 2025 – via Naver News.
  6. ^ Trumbore, Dave (October 1, 2015). "Star Wars Webtoon Now Available from Artist Hong Jac-Ga". Collider. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
  7. ^ Tantimedh, Adi (November 19, 2021). "Dr. Brain: Apple TV+ TV Series' Original Webcomic Now on Tapas Media". bleedingcool.com. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
  8. ^ ""Dr. Brain" to premiere globally on Thursday, November 4 to coincide with the Apple TV+ launch in South Korea". Apple TV+ Press. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
  9. ^ Han, Hyeon-jeong (May 29, 2019). 김지운 감독, YG 손잡고 웹툰 '닥터 브레인' 드라마로 연출. Maeil Business Newspaper (in Korean).
  10. ^ Jung, Yu-jin (October 28, 2020). 이선균, 애플TV플러스 '미스터 로빈' 출연할까 "제안받은 상태". News1 (in Korean).
  11. ^ a b Villei, Matt (October 25, 2021). "'Dr. Brain' Trailer Reveals Sci-Fi Thriller From 'I Saw the Devil' Director Coming to Apple TV+". Collider. Valnet, Inc.
  12. ^ Eun-byel, Im (October 25, 2021). "Apple TV+ to launch service in Korea on Nov. 4". The Korea Herald.
  13. ^ Jo, Yu-bin (March 16, 2021). "웹툰사의 변곡점은 《미생》…《승리호》는 새 희망 던져" [The turning point of webtoon history is Misaeg…Space Sweepers brings new hope]. Sisa Journal (in Korean). Retrieved July 1, 2025 – via Naver News.
  14. ^ Development:
  15. ^ "[단독] '관상'·'더킹' 한재림 감독, 웹툰 '현혹' 드라마로 만든다" [[Exclusive] 'Face Reader' and 'The King' director Han Jae-rim to adapt webtoon 'Delusion' into a drama". Daum - JTBC. Retrieved August 15, 2024.]. JTBC News (in Korean). Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  16. ^ Sa, Jin (April 11, 2025). "김선호, 아이유 이어 수지 만난다…'현혹'서 5년 만 재회" [Kim Seon-ho, IU, and Suzy meet again… ‘Dazzling’ reunion after 5 years]. TV Report (in Korean). Retrieved May 23, 2025 – via Naver.
  17. ^ "수지·김선호 '현혹', 넷플릭스 아닌 디즈니+ 공개 확정 [공식]" [Suzy and Kim Seon-ho's 'Hwank' Confirmed for Release on Disney+, Not Netflix [Official]]. The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). May 23, 2025.
  18. ^ Khan, Areeba (April 16, 2025). "This Vampire Thriller Webtoon Has an Upcoming K-Drama You Don't Want to Miss". ComicBook.com. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
  19. ^ a b c d e "현직 웹툰 작가의 작화 및 연출 클래스". coloso.co.kr (in Korean). Retrieved July 1, 2025.
  20. ^ "홍작가 | 예술/여행 저자". 예스24 (in Korean). Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  21. ^ 그렇게 사랑이 가고 우리는 자란다. Cine21 (in Korean). October 8, 2013. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
  22. ^ [책을 읽읍시다 (1283)] 안 되는 건 안 되는 거다. timesisa.com (in Korean). Retrieved July 1, 2025.
  23. ^ Trumbore, Dave (October 1, 2015). "'Star Wars' Webtoon Brings Luke Skywalker's Childhood on Tatooine to Life". doi.org. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  24. ^ Jo, Yu-bin (March 16, 2021). 2021년 웹툰 기반 드라마 라인업..'웹툰의 힘' 기반으로 출격 나선다. Sisa Journal (in Korean). Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  25. ^ [한국 웹툰열전] ①흡혈귀와 미술 융합한 웹툰 '현혹'.
  26. ^ Lee, Jae-lim (May 25, 2020). "'Space Sweepers' set for webtoon release ahead of movie premiere". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on May 25, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  27. ^ Park, Han-sol (February 9, 2021). "'Space Sweepers' webtoon premieres in 4 countries". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  28. ^ 웹툰 '스타워즈'·'승리호' 그린 홍작가, 신작 '엘프' 연재. Yonhap News (in Korean). May 1, 2023. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
  29. ^ 냉혈. Supercomix (in Korean). Retrieved July 1, 2025.
  30. ^ Lee, Sun-min (November 14, 2013). "Kangin to star in webtoon movie". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  31. ^ Jeon, Su-mi (November 13, 2013). "Super Junior's Kangin is Set to Star in Cat Funeral". enewsWorld. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  32. ^ Hong, Grace Danbi (November 26, 2013). "Kangin and Park Se Young Cuddle with a Kitten in Cat Funeral Stills". enewsWorld. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  33. ^ Lee, So-dam (December 8, 2014). "Kangin and Park Se Young Tease Sweet Romance in Cat Funeral". enewsWorld. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  34. ^ White, Peter (March 3, 2021). "'Parasite's Lee Sun-Kyun To Star In Apple TV+'s First Korean-Language Series 'Dr. Brain'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 2, 2022. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
  35. ^ 박, 정선. [단독] '관상'·'더킹' 한재림 감독, 웹툰 '현혹' 드라마로 만든다. JTBC News (in Korean). Retrieved March 9, 2024 – via Naver News.
  36. ^ 인기 웹툰의 변신, 뮤지컬 '도로시밴드'. KBS 스타연예 (in Korean). October 20, 2014. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
  37. ^ 라이브러리컴퍼니, 홍작가 웹툰 ‘현혹’ 뮤지컬로 개발. Seoul Culture Today. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
  38. ^ Park, Ji-soo (August 30, 2018). ‘국제콘텐츠마켓 SPP 2018’ 폐막 ['International Content Market SPP 2018' Closing]. The Dong-A Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved July 1, 2025 – via Naver News.
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