LINE Webtoon’s latest addition to Fantasy/Adventure is Messenger, the story ofa 24-year-old bike messenger whose goals are challenged by the gods of divine intervention! Written by three-time Eisner-winner Paul Tobin and illustrated by newcomer Ray Nadine, the first season of Messenger will play out over 26 episodes beginning today. New episodes will go live weekly on Mondays at 12:01am ET. Messenger is only available at Webtoons.com or download the app on your Android or iOS and be sure to subscribe to receive alerts on the series.
Messenger follows Dare Crilley, a bike messenger who is utterly unsurpassed. She scoffs at bad weather, traffic is barely an obstacle, and she’s never missed a delivery. That’s good, because Dare is about to discover her mysterious new client is literally divine, and that a dispute between the gods means the fate of the universe rests on a series of increasingly more difficult bicycle deliveries. Will Dare fail on any of these fateful missions? Can she assemble all the parts for the Legendary Divine Bicycle? One thing’s for sure, Dare never backs down when it’s time to deliver.
LINE Webtoon has announced the upcoming release of nine new titles and a new season for popular Katie Cook series Nothing Special. The rollout includes new series from creators Thom Zahler, Marvel Zombies scribe Fred Van Lente, Monica Gallagher, three-time Eisner-winner Paul Tobin, and others, ranging in a variety of genres from comedy and action to romance and horror.
These new titles will release alongside the previously announced line-up of Outrage, by Deadpool co-creator Fabian Nicieza and artist Reilly Brown; Finality, by Warren Ellis and four-time Eisner-winner Colleen Doran; Backchannel, by Stan Lee, Tom Akel, and Andie Tong; and Caster, by Austin Harrison, Mike Raitch, Zah Howard, and Jason Masters, with original music by Common; as well as the highly anticipated return of Sanford Greene’s 1000 and 2018 Eisner-nominee Brothers Bond by Ryan Benjamin and Kevin Grevioux.
The new releases include:
Eat Fighter by Fred Van Lente (Marvel Zombies, Big Trouble in Little China), Crystal Skillman, and Fernando Pinto – launching this summer.
Eat Fighteris a competitive eating, zombie murder epic that follows Miss, a thirty-something fitness nut who throws away her kale and step-counting ways to become a superstar on the competitive eating circuit. Following the lifestyle of her late brother, who was a champion competitive eater himself, she embarks on a quest to Seoul to become the World Champion Eat Fighter. But eating barrels of barbecue and acres of apple pie doesn’t come without a price—so what’s Miss’s secret as to why she can eat as much as she wants and never gain a pound?
BOO! It’s Sexby Danielle Corsetto (Girls With Slingshots) and Monica Gallagher (Assassin Roommate) – launching this summer.
High school classmates Denise, Christine, Lindsey, and Kim, move into a former sorority house for their first year of college, and immediately discover the ghost of a dead sorority girl stuck in a discarded bottle of tequila. While the freshwomen are settling into college life, Tara settles herself into the center of their personal lives, acting as a seasoned mentor for their transition from girls to ladies. Being dead for a while (she never has the same answer for when or how) has given Tara a perplexingly thorough knowledge of sex, relationships, body stuff, and even friendship.
Renai the Witchby Keron Grant (Superman, Iron Man) and Ytasha Womack – launching in late 2018.
Renai is convinced that madness follows her every step. After her boyfriend Tory betrays her by falling in love with her best friend Angela, Renai becomes convinced that Angela cast a spell on him. A meeting with her Aunt Kita confirms her suspicions of an underworld of sorcery. In order to save her beloved Tory, she must connect with her inner witch and the light within herself to stand up to the grim forces in her way.
Messenger by three-time Eisner-winner Paul Tobin (Bandette, Plants Vs. Zombies) and Ray Nadine – launching May 2018.
Messenger follows Dare Crilley, a bike messenger who is utterly unsurpassed. She scoffs at bad weather, traffic is barely an obstacle, and she’s never missed a delivery. That’s good, because Dare is about to discover her mysterious new client is literally divine, and that a dispute between the gods means the fate of the universe rests on a series of increasingly more difficult bicycle deliveries. Will Dare fail on any of these fateful missions? Can she assemble all the parts for the Legendary Divine Bicycle? One thing’s for sure, Dare never backs down when it’s time to deliver.
Shadow Pirates by Sean Galloway (Hellboy Animated, The Spectacular Spider-Man) and Ian Hopps – launching in late 2018.
In Shadow Pirates, Mao, leader of The Yakooza Group, is stuck behind bars in Old San Diego following an unfortunate run in with The Shadow Pirates. After convincing a group of teenagers to aid in his escape by promising them a greater power than they can imagine the ultimate burst they are transported to New San Diego where they begin their adventure to unlock the burst in the form of The Four Horseman: war, pestilence, famine, and death.
Divination by Eisner-nominee Val Staples (Criminal, X-Men), Gina Iorio, and Melinda Timpone – launching this fall.
In the gothic thriller Divination, readers will explore the world of death, demons, spirits, and angels, after Ana’s teenage life is thrown into chaos when she begins to see manifestations of the undead. As the mysterious Reapers continue to appear with more intensity, Ana soon finds herself on a path towards an uncertain destiny that will have drastic consequences for both her and the entire world.
Cupid’s Arrowsby Thom Zahler (Warning Label, My Little Pony) – launching in late 2018.
Cupid’s Arrows follows Rick and Lora, a team of Arrows who work for Cupid, the god of love, and attempt to execute the wishes of The Book of Love, which gives the details on which couples will get together for a legendary love story. They’ve received their newest mission and must work together to bring about the perfect and memorable moment, assuring a lasting start to their couple’s relationship. However, even after working together for hundreds of years, they banter and bicker like brother and sister to cover the feelings they have for each other–will these Arrows finally realize they are more than just friends?
Nothing Special Season 2 by Katie Cook
In Nothing Special, spirits, gods, and demons wander both their realm and ours. The series follows Callie, a lonely teen who grew up splitting her time between the human and spirit worlds due to her father’s job as an antiques collector in the spirit world. When her father mysteriously vanishes in the spirit realm, Callie is forced to journey further into the world than ever before in an attempt to rescue him. In Season 2, readers can continue to explore Callie’s world filled with adventure, family secrets, and romance.
Heart Wired by Leanne Hannah (Masters of the Universe) and Rod Hannah – launching this summer.
Heart Wired follows 16-year-old Cal Mills, one of the first of seven children born on Mars.
Cal has always dreamed of traveling to Earth and experiencing the birthplace of humanity firsthand. However, he is held back by his fragile body, genetically-engineered to tolerate the microgravity environment of Mars. His parents have religious and philosophical issues with the trans-humanist movement, which pushes for total replacement of the organic biological systems of the human body with the synthetic machine. Things change when communication with Earth gets cut off suddenly and it becomes clear that a war of annihilation has taken place. The final act of the automated space-based military forces will be to eliminate all rival extraterrestrial assets.
Metaphorical Her by James Maddox, David Stoll, and Justin Birch – launching this summer.
Humiliated and exiled, a young poet and her friends build an underground following while fighting against the white-collar criminals who threaten their careers. In Metaphorical Her, Eleanor “Laney” Petra makes a social misstep and offends the man who holds the keys to success in her chosen field of work, poetry. Discovering an unlikely audience in the local rock scene, Laney shows that she can build a sizable following of outsiders that will force the poetic scene to recognize her and her work. All the while, Laney must fend off the people who want to cage her, her friends, and hinder their ambition.
LINE Webtoon, the popular digital comics publisher that is revolutionizing the development and distribution of comics worldwide, is heading to Baltimore Comic-Con to bring comic lovers the “Monetize Your Comics” panel on Saturday, September 3rd. There, attendees will learn how to monetize their own comics and hear from comic creators who have published their work through LINE Webtoon while building huge audiences of dedicated fans. At Baltimore Comic-Con, LINE Webtoon and DeviantArt are also continuing to support and showcase creators on a tour of major comic conventions as the main sponsors of Artist Alley and The Harvey Awards.
As the leader in comics publishing and a pioneer in the ways in which the platform has discovered new and emerging talent over the past 10 years, LINE Webtoon will be leading a discussion from its roster of hit creators who have found success publishing their content on LINE Webtoon. During the panel LINE Webtoon’s Head of Content, Tom Akel, will walk attendees through how to publish and monetize your own IP on the Discover platform and provide details on a new partnership between LINE Webtoon and Patreon and how creators can take advantage of a new Webtoon creator investment program. Hear from creators who have published their work through Discover while building huge audiences, including Kaitlyn Narvaza, Boredman, Aidyn Huynh and Dean Haspiel.
WHO: Kaitlyn Narvaza (Siren’s Lament), Boredman (Apocalyptic Horseplay, UndeadED), Aidyn Huynh (Nightmare Factory, Snailogy), Dean Haspiel (The Red Hook), and LINE Webtoon’s Tom Akel WHAT: LINE Webtoon – Monetize YOUR Comics panel WHERE: Room 339-342 WHEN:Saturday, September 3rd from 5:15pm – 6:15pm
At the end of the panel, we will open up the floor where fans can ask questions to the panelists about the Discover platform and how to monetize their own content.
Throughout the weekend, LINE Webtoon will also be hosting a series of autograph signings with top creators and portfolio reviews where creators can drop by for constructive feedback on their comics. The signings and portfolio reviews will take place at Booth #922 at the following times:
AUTOGRAPH SIGNINGS:
Friday, September 2nd, 3pm-4pm – Dean Haspiel (The Red Hook); Jason Goungor (The Brooklynite)
Saturday, September 3rd, 3pm-4pm – Kaitlyn Narvaza (Siren’s Lament, Where Tangents Meet); Joho (Saphie: The One-Eyed Cat)
Friday, September 2nd, 5pm-6pm – Reviews with LINE Webtoon’s Head of Content Tom Akel and DeviantArt’s Creative Strategist Hal Hefner
Saturday, September 3rd, 1pm-2pm – Reviews with LINE Webtoon’s Head of Content Tom Akel and Dean Haspiel (The Red Hook)
Sunday, Setpember 4th, 2pm-3pm – Reviews with LINE Webtoon’s Head of Content Tom Akel and DeviantArt’s Creative Strategist Hal Hefner
Additionally, LINE Webtoon will be hosting a daily Draw Along contest at Booth #922 where fans and creators can participate in a daily live drawing contest to win a $300 gift card.
LINE Webtoon, the digital comic service, has unveiled some interesting new partnerships including one with Stan Lee and POW! Entertainment and Top Cow founder Marc Silverstri.
Along with Lee and POW!, the company has unveiled an initiative to discover new talent through the company’s Superhero Comics Contest. The contest will give aspiring creators the opportunity to submit their Superhero-themed comics for the chance to win $30,000 and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to receive Stan Lee’s guidance and feedback.
The Superhero Comics Contest is the third contest in LINE Webtoon’s Challenge League system, which is proven to be a new and innovative way to find new comic talent. To enter, artists over the age of fourteen can upload at least three chapters of an original superhero comic directly to the contest’s entry page. Finalists will be chosen by Stan Lee and his team at POW! Entertainment along with LINE Webtoon’s editorial team. The grand prize winner will receive $30,000 and the opportunity to receive guidance and feedback from Stan and have their comic published by LINE Webtoon.
A second place winner will receive $10,000 and, along with the third and fourth place winners, will have the opportunity to become paid, featured LINE Webtoon artists.
The company has also announced that renowned creator Marc Silvestri will be launching the next chapter of his hit comic series, Cyber Force, created by Silvestri and written by famed comics scribe Matt Hawkins, exclusively on LINE Webtoon beginning in Fall 2015. The latest two trades of Cyber Force will be reformatted and available on LINE Webtoon for new readers to catch up before the new chapters begin.
Additionally, LINE Webtoon and Top Cow are developing the series as a multi-platform experience for fans who keep up with the rest of the Top Cow universe. The title Aphrodite IX, written by Top Cow president Matt Hawkins, will be deeply tied to the events of Cyber Force on LINE Webtoon, driving fans from the print editions of Aphrodite IX to the weekly chapters on LINE Webtoon and back.
With more than 10 years of experience in Korea, LINE Webtoon launched in the U.S. in 2014, and its partnership with POW! continues the company’s major expansion in the U.S., which includes new artists, partners, ways to interact with the content, and much more.