XPost: alt.fan.starwars   
   From: YourName@YourISP.com   
      
       Disney Inks Webtoon Deal to Bring 100 Titles Featuring Characters   
       From Marvel, Star Wars and More to Webcomics App   
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       Spider-Man, Captain America, Darth Vader, Beauty and the Beast,   
       and more from Disney's intellectual-property treasure chest are   
       coming to Webtoon - with about 100 titles from the Mouse House   
       set to hit the popular webcomics app over the next several years.   
      
       The deal between Webtoon Entertainment and Disney spans webcomics   
       featuring iconic characters from Disney, Marvel, 20th Century   
       Studios and Star Wars. Those will include existing comics and   
       graphic novels from Disney's catalog reformatted for Webtoon's   
       vertical-scroll app, in addition to all-new original titles that   
       are currently in development. The Disney webcomics will be   
       available in a dedicated section of the Webtoon English-language   
       app, which has over 80 million monthly active users.   
      
       Financial terms of the multiyear deal aren't being disclosed. But   
       in terms of publishing partnerships, the Webtoon pact is "one of   
       the biggest we have ever done," says Daniel Fink, senior VP, head   
       of digital innovation at Disney Consumer Products.   
      
       The first Disney-owned webcomic to debut will be the Amazing   
       Spider-Man later in August. That will be followed by Marvel's   
       Avengers, Star Wars, Alien and "As Old as Time: A Twisted Tale"   
       (with Belle and the Beast). Webtoon will be promoting the new   
       Disney partnership at New York Comic Con, which runs Oct. 9-12.   
      
       In Webtoon's freemium model, the first few episodes of a webcomic   
       are free to read; to get full access, users must purchase in-app   
       "coins" and redeem them for premium purchases. At press time,   
       pricing of the Disney comics on Webtoon was not available.   
      
       The launch of Disney comics on Webtoon comes after the companies   
       had been in talks for about a year. Fink says webcomics readership   
       has grown dramatically in recent years and has attracted "people   
       who are not traditional comics readers." Webtoon's base of   
       80 million-plus monthly active users was appealing to Disney, and   
       Fink sees the deal as bolstering its reach internationally and   
       with Gen Z audiences.   
      
       "We have such amazing stories at Disney and Marvel, and we want   
       our stories to reach as many as people as possible," Fink says.   
      
       Both Disney and Webtoon say none of the webcomics produced under   
       their deal will use AI technology. "It's all traditional   
       creative," says Fink. The new webcomics will be produced by   
       Webtoon with Disney's approval, but the companies aren't sharing   
       what characters will be in the mix except to say the titles will   
       range "from superhero epics to galaxy-spanning adventures."   
      
       Disney talked to multiple players in the webcomics space and "we   
       saw that Webtoon was the clear leader," according to Fink. In   
       addition, Webtoon Entertainment is based in L.A. (while its parent   
       company, Naver Corp., is based in South Korea). "Big picture, it   
       was a pretty easy decision," Fink says.   
      
       Disney joined Webtoon's roster of other content partners, which   
       includes Warner Bros. Discovery's DC Comics, Discord and K-pop   
       giant HYBE.   
      
       For Webtoon's part, the company saw a huge opportunity to team   
       with Disney, whose brands are "among the most legendary, creative   
       and successful in the industry," says Yongsoo Kim, chief strategy   
       officer and head of global at Webtoon. "We believe teaming up   
       together is mutually beneficial."   
      
       Webtoon Entertainment's brands and platforms, in addition to the   
       Webtoon app, includes user-generated fiction app Wattpad, Webtoon   
       Productions, Studio N, Studio LICO, Webtoon Unscrolled, Line Manga   
       and eBookJapan.   
      
       In June 2024, Webtoon Entertainment went public with an IPO on the   
       Nasdaq exchange. For 2024, the company reported $1.35 billion in   
       revenue (up 5.1%) and a net loss of $152.9 million (versus a net   
       loss of $144.8 million the year prior). Between 2017 and 2023, the   
       company says, it paid out $2.8 billion to creators, with the top   
       100 creators earning more than $1 million and overall creators   
       paid an average of $48,000.   
      
      
      
      
      
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