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This past weekend WEBTOON made their first appearance at Los Angeles Comic Con (LACC), bringing with them an entourage of their most popular talent.  Their prominent booth included a central place for fans and cosplayers to gather and meet the creators they love, with photo ops, multiple daily signings and giveaways, exclusive merchandise, and six-panel discussions during the convention.

Twenty-five of the publisher’s creators attended LACC, including number one series creator and 2019 Eisner nominee Rachel Smythe, a self-proclaimed feminist and folklorist.  She writes and illustrates the digital series Lore Olympus, a stylized and romantic retelling of the well known Greek myth of Persephone and Hades.  The series updates every Sunday (Saturday evening if you’re in the US), receiving over a million hits each episode.  And don’t worry, Persephone and Hades aren’t the only gods making a steady appearance in the story.

“Witness what the gods do…after dark. The friendships and the lies, the gossip and the wild parties, and of course, forbidden love. Because it turns out, the gods aren’t so different from us after all, especially when it comes to their problems. Stylish and immersive, this is one of mythology’s greatest stories — The Taking of Persephone — as it’s never been told before.”

On Sunday of LACC, we were able to sit down and have a conversation with Rachel at the WEBTOON booth.  She chats with Temple of Geek about ancient mythologies and how cultures affect the “primary” source material we often read as well as her inspiration for the story.  

Rooted in Greek mythology and its pantheon, Lore Olympus contains some adult themes and content.  In the interview, Rachel discusses the response she’s received to the darker aspects of the story, and how she navigates a realistic treatment to the more serious themes and storylines. 

We also got the chance to ask Rachel about the recent announcement of WEBTOON’s partnership with The Jim Henson Company to produce an animated adaptation of Lore Olympus.  This is the first adaptation deal for WEBTOON since the platform has launched.  Listen to the interview to hear what Rachel has to say about the upcoming show directed by Ashley Griffis.

As a groundbreaking digital publisher, WEBTOON hosts creators on their website through a historically free content model to the user, while also offering their talent in various methods of monetization (ad revenue sharing, patreon integration, and, for Featured creators, a guaranteed monthly rate payment, with editorial support and promotion). WEBTOON also has a “Fast Pass” coin system allowing readers to read episodes (chapters) before the official release. For comics with Fast Pass, readers can purchase and use coins to read up to 3 upcoming episodes early.

You can read Lore Olympus online or in the WEBTOON app, and follow Rachel Smythe on Instagram as @usedbandaid or Twitter as @used_bandaid.

You can also check out some of our other Los Angeles Comic-Con coverage by clicking here.

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