Comics
ComiXology’s Guided View Technology Possibly At Risk From Marvel
Bleeding Cool’s Rich Johnston got the scoop on some interesting potential legal action between ComiXology and Marvel, regarding the pending patent on Guided View technology. ComiXology is the leading distributor of digital comics and one of the highest revenue Apps in the App Store, largely due to the innovative way in which readers experience books by swiping from panel to panel. Apparently Marvel also has a pending-patent which for similar technology, which was filed the year before ComiXology was even a thing.
Marvel’s patent was issued in October 2012, with Peter Olson credited as inventor. There’s obviously a lot more to this issue, but neither Marvel nor ComiXology has offered comments as of yet.
What does this mean for the future of digital comics? Could Marvel take the Guided View technology away from ComiXology? It’s all up in the air right now. For the full story, head over to Bleeding Cool.
The supernatural world of Korean folk horror movie Exhuma grows larger with the arrival of prequel spinoff webtoon Maengjong this weekend, Variety reports today.
Naver Webtoon debuts Maengjong on May 30.
The series hails from Haemuri (Olgami) and will trace the high school origins of how shaman duo Hwarim and Bonggil, played by Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun in the 2024 film, came together to face occultish threats.
The story is set to begin when “Hwarim, who has been concealing her identity following a childhood encounter with a snake spirit called Jin, crosses paths with Bonggil at their school.”
Variety notes that Exhuma director Jang Jae-hyun participated in the project’s early concept stage.
“We are presenting ‘Maengjong,’ a new series capturing the appeal of the horror-occult genre, ahead of the full summer season,” said Lee Jeong-geun, Naver Webtoon’s Korea webtoon content leader. “With the high school story of Hwarim and Bonggil, who left a strong impression in the film ‘Exhuma,’ enhanced by Haemuri’s characteristic tense direction, we expect it will be a welcome work for genre fans.”
“It is meaningful that the spin-off story of ‘Exhuma,’ loved by many audiences, expands by meeting the new grammar of webtoon,” said Lee Hyeon-jeong, managing director of the film business division at Showbox, which distributed the film. “We hope it will be a fresh experience for both film fans and webtoon readers.”
Exhuma was a breakout hit in 2024, becoming the first Korean occult film to surpass 10 million ticket buyers and the country’s highest-grossing film of the year. I wrote in my review that “the intricately woven Exhuma delivers one of the year’s biggest surprises in horror so far.”
The bond between Hwarim and Bonggil was one of the film’s highlights, making this prequel webtoon a must for fans.
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