Kang Tae-kyung is the pen name for two creators, Kang and Tae-kyung, who have published multiple webtoons, including their horror title The Bequeathed. Webtoons are comics from South Korea that can be read digitally, and they’re becoming more popular globally and in America. The live-action show The Bequeathed, from award-winning writer and director Yeon Sang-ho, is currently on Netflix, and he worked with Kang Tae-kyung to also make a webtoon version of this creepy story about murder and secrets. Cemetery Dance spoke to Kang Tae-kyung about their background, why they think webtoons are good at conveying horror stories, and how they approach getting horror across.
(Interview conducted by Danica Davidson)
CEMETERY DANCE: Could you tell us about your background? How did you get into the webtoon industry?
KANG TAE-KYUNG: We crossed paths at university and have been on a long journey together ever since. Our debut now seems like a distant memory, a blur of emotions and experiences. Before that, we ventured into business with some of our colleagues that we were close to, but that failed miserably, and we were booted out.
This partnership felt like a lifeline for us at the time but we both realized that our passion for storytelling had been brewing inside for years. Our major at university, and our experience in film projects, laid the groundwork for what was to come. Since middle school and in university, Kang has been honing her skills in screenwriting, while Tae-kyung focused on directing. Our debut was kind of bittersweet, but it ultimately served as a catalyst that pushed us forward. You know, in order to fly, you have to take a leap of faith.
Can you give us some insights into your past works together?
Our favorite genre is anything involving fantastical creatures, either in sci-fi or fantasy. And it doesn’t matter if we are the creator or just enjoying a story, if it has some kind of creature in it, we love it. Fun fact: one of Kang’s favorite characters is Dren from Splice (2010). We’re obsessed with creature design, imagining their appearance and how their inner essence might manifest outwardly. Works like Creatures and The Kang Island are great examples of this. In Divorce Attorney Shin, and our ongoing series Subscribe and Like, we explore how the more sinister parts of human nature that we see in today’s society can materialize in the form of creatures. With 106, we imagined the physical convergence of external stimuli and internal turmoil –– a two-pronged exploration.
Do you have any messages for your readers from The Bequeathed?
Did you enjoy the story of Seo-ha and her family? Comparing scenes from the original series to the TV adaptation is quite enjoyable. Personally, we found both versions extremely delightful.
We’re so grateful for all the love you’ve shown us. We poured our hearts into this series, and we hope you found as much joy in it as we did making it. Collaborating with director Yeon Sang-ho has been such a huge honor. His works like Love is Protein, The Fake and The King of Pigs basically defined my childhood. Any shortcomings you may have noticed in The Bequeathed webtoon… well, please just chalk it up to the overwhelming excitement I felt working with Mr. Yeon! The reader comments are invaluable in our journey to learn and grow and become better artists. Once again, thank you so much for supporting us!
What did you learn from creating The Bequeathed?
Adapting webtoons for the screen involves navigating the challenges of condensing some parts while expanding others. It’s a delicate and demanding process, but the team and the director were incredibly gracious and patient with us and made sure we were able to work in our element comfortably. As storytellers, we like to take charge of shaping the overall story arc and crafting the narration. However, we were careful not to overstep and distort the message. We worked really hard to shape the narration structure, and we really hope you like it.
Why do you think webtoons make a good medium for telling horror stories?
Actually, we haven’t done much in the horror thriller genre, so it’s hard for us to comment, but we will tell you what we felt about dark stories through our experience with The Kang Island, Subscribe and Like and the serialization of The Bequeathed.
The reason why webtoons are an easier way to express horror thrillers than print comics is because of “scrolling.” It’s easy because the flow and the atmosphere getting darker or deeper can be expressed by scrolling down, and the reader can “discover” certain scenes (jump scares like sudden deaths or ghosts). I’m not sure how it is these days, but back then it was a huge trend to insert music, sound effects, or even moving images. Regardless, we really like and admire the directorial aspects of print comics. When it comes to directing cuts, there’s nothing as fast or as good as practicing on the art of published comics.
How do you approach getting the horror across in your adaptation?
We don’t really have a method, we just observe our surroundings. We look at social phenomena, people and conditions in the metaverse, and sometimes we’re inspired by different human groups that pass us by. The Kang Island was actually created after watching Alien vs. Predator. The conflict was similar since the idea came from there. Subscribe and Like was inspired by things around us, and once the idea was there, I started observing my surroundings more closely. With The Bequeathed, the original was already so brilliant, all I had to do was stay faithful to it and learn. I believe that our success in creating a truly scary atmosphere for the webtoon was thanks in large part due to the fact that the illustrators had done such a wonderful job.
I think everyone has their own hell inside them, and I actually like that kind of hell, and I think it’s human to live with your own hell and not let it out, or to live with it and let it out. I enjoy observing it all. I like to observe someone’s complexes in their speech or behavior, and I like to be able to relate to them. I like to be able to reveal and acknowledge my own hells, and to be able to relate to each other. And I think that’s what makes a horror or a thriller, if you can tell a story about people’s inner hells. Thank you.
