<Record of the Earth> Interview with Author WINSTON
Meet the Trending Author
vol. 260
[Record of the Earth]
Author WINSTON | NAVER WEBTOON
The cool warmth embraced by the distant forest,
A mysterious tale blooming along the touch of the fingertips! 🌲✨
An artist illustrating the deep resonance at the boundary of reality and dreams! 🎨🖌️
The epic that finally arrived after a long wait,
Interview with Author WINSTON of <Record of the Earth>,
Starts right now!
[INTRO]
Q. Author WINSTON! Thank you for accepting this interview! Before we begin, could you please briefly introduce yourself?
A. Hello, I am WINSTON, working as a webtoon author.
Sometimes people ask if it should be pronounced 'Winstone' or 'Winston',
but it is usually written as 'Winston'.
[About WINSTON]
Q. We're curious how you decided on the pen name 'WINSTON'!
A. I remember wanting a name that looked appealing when written only in the English alphabet.
I didn't originally plan to use it as my professional pen name,
I made it up casually to use during my doujin (indie) activities, thinking I'd change it if I got tired of it...
But since I used it for so long, it felt awkward to create a new one, so I just kept it.
Q. You've walked quite a path from your debut work <Drizzle Romance> to now.
Looking back, at what point do you most deeply feel, 'I've changed and matured this much' as a comic artist?
A. This might be TMI, but actually, <Drizzle Romance> is not my debut work.
My true debut was another work I participated in as an illustrator back in 2013.
(It has been taken down from all platforms now, so it cannot be found.😌)
That was the first and last time I used separate pen names for professional and doujin activities. After that work, I gave up on separating my nicknames.
Returning to the main point... It is a bit difficult to answer because to realize that I've changed or matured,
I still find deadlines difficult and find myself scrambling around.😅
However, I think I've deeply learned that just because I'm working on a personal project, it doesn't mean only my own effort goes into it.
I realized that the help of so many more people than I thought goes into it together.
Compared to when I was younger, the thought that I should definitely live humbly has grown stronger.
△ It's on 'NAVER WEBTOON · SERIES'📢
Q. In your previous works, you've always wonderfully unraveled deep narratives and character relationships.
This time, you are dealing with a broad worldview of Oriental fantasy and an event-driven story.
We are curious about the motive or thought process that made you want to challenge this subject and genre.
A. There wasn't any grand reason; while preparing for a college exhibition, I suddenly thought,
'I like Oriental fantasy and folk religion, and since I have a character I drew to my liking, should I do something centered around them?'
I started it for such a trivial reason. (Is that too anticlimactic of an answer?😅)
The exhibition result was crude, but I got quite attached to the story I created then,
so I threw myself into Naver Challenge Comics during my graduation season, thinking, 'Let's just turn this story into a comic first.'
It was truly a time when I was brave because I was ignorant.
△ We were meant to be...🎡
Q. We'd love to hear how your past experiences handling delicate character relationships and emotional lines served as a foundation for building and serializing the world and characters in <Record of the Earth>.
A. I think I learned that characters don't move according to my will as much as I think.
Since my previous works required romance as a staple, if I take 'affection' as an example,
I had to make them fall in love, and build the story under the premise that they love each other.
While planning the plot, I often experienced moments like, 'Can they really love each other in this situation...? Does this work??'
And it was really difficult to organize the story so that it made sense.
Now, rather than defining the characters' relationships and mutual feelings clearly from the start,
I am determined to adapt flexibly as situations unfold.
Real people too get disappointed by friends they liked, or feel unexpected gratitude toward someone they disliked,
and slowly grow to like them, right?
'There is no absolute emotion that won't waver no matter what comes,' with this mindset,
I am crafting the story feeling half like an observer of my own characters.
(Of course, I do have the minimum relationships, likes and dislikes, and personalities formed during their growth set beforehand.)
Q. The unique line art with a paper texture and the soft watercolor-style palette seem to have become your signature style.
What kind of attempts and changes did you go through to build this unrivaled style?
A. The word 'unrivaled' is too embarrassing...!! Thank you.
Since I was young, I've loved the works of artists who used rough pen lines with texture and beautiful watercolor coloring,
so I wanted to have an art style with that kind of atmosphere.
But since my manuscripts are 100% digital work, there isn't anything grand to tell you about my attempts and changes...
I keep looking for a pen brush that fits my pen pressure, and finding special effects or texture filters
that create the exact atmosphere I want to my eyes probably takes up the largest portion.
Actually, it's the kind of effort all artists are making.
For a while, I felt that 'clean drawings with cell shading' was the standard casual webtoon art style, so
I tried my best to give off that feeling.
(Back then, I made attempts like removing filters and paying more attention to cleaning up my lines.)
But it only took more time, and neither my satisfaction with the drawings nor the reactions around me were very good,
so now I'm trying to revert it so my drawings look like the lines are drawn more freely again.
Now that I've said this, it seems my style is still constantly going through a transition period.
Q. Your days must be really busy since the official serialization started.
From storyboarding to the deadline, how does your weekly work routine flow these days?
A. Based on my recent deadlines, I submit the final approved manuscript on Wednesday morning,
and during the afternoon, I draft the next episode's text continuity (text storyboard) and have a brief meeting with my PDs to discuss the parts I'm unsure about.
Then, after finalizing the storyboard by Friday, I complete the drawing by early Tuesday morning of the following week.
(I want to express my deepest gratitude to my assistant who works so hard with me...🙇♀️)
However, daily life isn't just about deadlines, so it varies drastically depending on the real-life incidents and accidents that happen in between.
Q. Have there been moments of slump or burnout while drawing and creating stories for such a long time?
And we are curious about what kind of mindset helped you endure and overcome those times.
A. Actually, I don't think there's ever a time my mental state is completely okay during serialization.
The lacking and regretful parts keep catching my eye, but there's no time to fix them,
and having to submit unsatisfactory results and immediately transition to setting up for the next work
leaves my heart heavy all the time.
After safely finishing an episode, I always can't do anything, like a popped balloon.
Usually, I try to overcome it by fangirling, but since that's not feasible during weekly serialization...
Lately, it seems slumps regarding the work are alleviated during the meeting process with my PDs.
When I feel stuck with concerns about the work, the PDs seriously share their opinions with me,
or occasionally make fun jokes using the characters, and those moments have an inspiring effect on me.
'I am not doing this work alone' It gives me that feeling, which makes me feel reassured, I suppose.
Of course, I also get diagnosed and steadily take the necessary medication.
If someone similar to me is reading this interview, I hope you don't think of hospitals as intimidating when going through psychological difficulties.
△ (Breaking News) The PD's tribute meme, being delivered by an AI cat to protect portrait rights 🐾
Q. When you usually conceive your work, do you often get inspiration from fields other than comics or webtoons?
A. I do enjoy watching videos or listening to music!
Once I hit a movie-watching phase, I think I watch three or four movies a day.
Because of that, consuming media has certainly been a great help to me,
but writings, comics, and movies are ultimately stories made by people experiencing people...
So ultimately, hearing people's stories firsthand has been the most helpful.
When I have time, I leave for here and there to meet people.
Q. If you were given a perfectly free day off without any worry about deadlines, where would you like to go outside the studio and how would you like to spend your time?
A. It depends on the day of the week, but if it overlaps with my mother's day off, I'd love to go glamping with her once.
If it doesn't overlap, I'd probably go to a neighborhood slightly far away, watch a movie, and take a walk....
Q. You've breathed together with your readers for a long time. What kind of creator do you want to be remembered as in the distant future?
A. Rather than 'an author who creates stories with a certain characteristic,'
I feel like I'd be successful if I'm evaluated as an author who nonetheless always has stories they want to tell.
To speak a bit like an otaku, something like an 'author with good firepower (creative stamina).'🔥
[About <Record of the Earth>]
Q. After 14 years since Naver Best Challenge in 2012, it has finally borne fruit as an official serialization.
Your feelings must have been extraordinary when you decided to bring out this story again and complete it. How did you feel at the time?
A. Actually, <Record of the Earth> was planned to be my next work after finishing <Drizzle Romance>.
When discussing with the management company at the time, they said, "Let's get the feel for serialization with a mid-length series before doing a long one,"
so I ended up doing Drizzle first, but for various reasons, the next work fell through.
Even after that, I took the proposal to various management companies several times, and surprisingly, the response was always quite good.
But it would fall through in the middle every time.
So I had accepted that 'this comic is destined to never be serialized within me.'
Then I met my current PDs at ToYou's Dream,
and when I told them about this situation, I remember they smiled and said, "It seems it was meant to be with us."
I think that time was emotionally more fascinating than now during serialization.
Thinking, "Is this real? Am I really doing it?"🤭
△ Wait, we almost didn't get to see this...?😧
Q. Comparing <Record of the Earth> from its Best Challenge days 14 years ago to the current <Record of the Earth>,
what is the biggest change in the setting or directing as your perspective on the world and manuscript working methods have changed?
A. There is a major change in the setting... but this is a spoiler, so I'll keep it a secret.🤫
I saw a reader's reaction right after the launch, and they said, "It feels brighter than the Best Challenge days."
In reality, during the Best Challenge period, I think I wanted to emphasize a more gloomy and bizarre atmosphere.
I wished for the fantasy element to have a larger proportion.
But now, I want to focus more on reality, so the main settings are more often in the modern world,
and I'm putting a lot of thought into creating a lighter and brighter atmosphere.
Since it's just me and one assistant working on it, I am constantly thinking about ways to draw simpler and faster than before.
△ The atmosphere is a liiiiittle bit different from now, right?
Q. The title <Record of the Earth> leaves a profound resonance the more you hear it.
What was the core of the story you ultimately wanted to convey to the readers through this title?
A. Ah... This is also related to the story, so I'll keep it a secret.
△ You know, right?👌
Q. The unique hand-drawn texture that feels like looking at an actual physical paper book is impressive.
We are curious about the work programs, brushes, or texture directing know-how you mainly use to convey this warm analog sensibility across the screen.
A. My work program is Clip Studio, and my favorite brush keeps changing.
Currently, I'm using the Real Millipen (リアルミリペン), and I often hunt for rough paper textures.
I feel really good when I find a paper-like texture that perfectly sticks to the drawing.
There's no special technique; it's just a repetition of constantly searching and trying to composite them.
△ From the 2014 manuscript_ Provided by the author
Q. The subtle, seeping color palette, much like watercolors, feels like it completes the work's atmosphere.
Is there any particular part you pay attention to when composing the color palette according to the scene or the character's emotional line?
A. I don't have deep knowledge in color theory, so I just think, 'I hope this cut has... this kind of mood,'
and tend to decide spontaneously based on my intuition.
Instead, I feel the need to immerse myself a bit into the characters.
I try to ponder what emotional state they'd be in and look for colors that suit that emotion.
△ 'Not having deep knowledge' is not the phrase for a time like this, author.
Q. The aesthetics of folk paintings (Minhwa) and classic art can be strongly felt in the brushstrokes of the spiritual creature 'Monggu' or the background elements.
Could you tell us if there are any parts you were inspired by or researched from actual folk painting materials or ancient paintings?
A. I literally just like folk paintings, so I think I exposed myself to them a lot whenever I had the chance.
Looking not only at folk paintings but also at Korea's ancient artworks, they are rough and comical,
but on the other hand, I thought many of them were quite chilling. (Jangseung and Tal are prime examples.)
Even if I can't implement the techniques of folk paintings exactly, I keep working while being conscious of those points I felt.
△ Isn't it so charming? 💓
Q. The diverse mask designs of the goblins guarding the forest catch the eye.
Especially whenever the eldest son, 'In', takes off his mask, the readers' reactions are very heated. What aspects of the characters did you want to show through the device of a mask?
A. In the past, when I first saw a Talchum (mask dance) performance, even though a person was clearly acting and delivering a story through human words,
I strongly received a bizarre feeling that it oddly wasn't a person.
Unlike watching a regular play, the content they want to satirize through the play clearly exists,
but because the expression of the actor inside the mask is completely unknown, it felt like the character in the mask and the inner person were thoroughly separated, which I think is why it felt that way.
That gave me an unusually chilling feeling in a good way.
Therefore, I would like to say that the device of the mask 'implies the secret of that character.'
They might have ulterior motives or they might not, they might be smiling or they might not be... It's roughly like the sheep in a box.
△ What kind of face is behind this mask?
Q. Gai draws even more attention as he holds untold childhood stories and complex emotional lines.
We are curious about the very beginning of such a multi-dimensional protagonist 'Gai' and his name.
A. I grew up watching a lot of stories about heroes with enough power to save the world,
but perhaps because they were children's comics, all the heroes were young kids too.
However, if a young child suddenly gets some heavy mission and immense power... wouldn't it actually be exhausting?
Ban Gai was a character created based on those thoughts.
An adolescent teenager's emotions fluctuate so much.
I wanted his appearance to be a mix of trying to adapt to the situation, bluffing, and then quickly digging a hole for himself.
His name is derived from a pure Korean word meaning ‘glad to meet you’.
I picked it because it's easy to memorize, unique, and has a good meaning.
△ Brother, please take off the 'mask'! 🎤
△ An ability resembling the 'forest'
Q. The 'forest', which serves as the main background, feels like a single living organism beyond just a simple place.
To you, author, what kind of meaning does the 'forest' hold as a space within the worldview?
A. I don't know what kind of scenery everyone pictures when they hear the underworld, but the underworld I thought of was a place like a wild forest.
A dense forest so deep that no light enters, yet a massive life force breathes within it...
Depending on the time, you might feel fear or comfort from that overwhelming natural scenery, something like that.
The forest in the worldview has that kind of feel.
To someone who knows it, it could be comfortable and feel like their own home,
but to the deceased who don't know where they are, it's a space of reprieve that gives them vague fear...?
I'd like to sum it up as a space for self-reflection.
△ The youngest (2014)
Q. Inherent elements like folk religion, ghost stories, and folktales are naturally blended into the modern daily life.
We are curious what kind of materials you looked up and studied to gain fantasy persuasiveness without losing the sense of reality.
A. Gathering folktales or ghost stories is mostly through books, starting from the folk religion data collections provided through crowdfunding recently,
to books that only collected folktales, I collected them passionately for a while.
Sometimes, if I was lucky, I'd also hear orally transmitted tales directly from the elders.
△ (Speechless)
But what I wanted was, as you mentioned, for those bizarre elements to
naturally seep into modern daily life, so observing what kind of daily life actual shamans lead,
how people around me who said they saw ghosts accepted the situation at the time,
and looking up what kind of attitudes people living in reality have when facing these mysterious events
was more meaningful, I think.
As I mentioned above, ultimately observing actual people was the greatest help than I expected.
△ Stories that are both cute and scary📖
Q. Various elements such as a boy's story, friendship, family, and Oriental fantasy are harmoniously mixed.
We are curious about your unique standard for coordinating the tone and manner of the story within a worldview that could easily become too heavy.
A. This is....... a part that I fix while constantly accommodating the opinions of my PDs and people around me.
There are plot developments that almost proceeded heavier or more cruelly in the original storyboard,
but during the story meeting process, if it feels like the atmosphere will get too dark, I frequently get checked.
Other than that, since I have some greed for comedy, when I think 'if I go one step further here, it will get irreversibly dark',
I unexpectedly turn the situation completely around.
In the past, a fellow author described this by saying,
"A comedic timing that feels like getting hit in the throat right when you inhaled and need to exhale,"
and I really love this expression.
I'd feel very proud if readers could refresh the atmosphere once in a while while watching serious scenes.
Q. The way you utilize white space and the panel distribution in the webtoon directing environment is very elegant.
Where do you put the most effort when doing scroll directing to bring out the beauty of empty space?
A. Simply and ignorantly, I directly scroll down myself and check multiple times at what speed it is read.
When I was younger, I didn't know this, so I received a lot of criticism that the panel spacing was too narrow.
Because I believe the most important element in comics is readability,
with the thought that the length of the white space shouldn't be too short or too long, I keep checking as much as I can.
Q. Since it's still early in the serialization, new characters and settings appear in every episode.
When following Gai's past or the relationships between characters that will unfold in the future,
could you give a slight hint on which foreshadowing or emotional textures readers should carefully observe?
A. Because when I am a reader, I was an otaku who loved digging into things directly without such hints,
I will say "no comment."😎
No matter what method you read it in, if it can make you, the reader, the most joyful, then anything is okay.
△ Everyone... read it yourselves🩸
[Outro]
Q. We are at the stage where the grand worldview and epic of <Record of the Earth> are just beginning.
For prospective readers who haven't stepped into this charming forest world yet,
if you were to personally introduce the work by saying, "People like this will definitely get hooked!", what charms would you like to point out?
A. This is the most difficult part among the interview questions.......(I feel like I need to go consult someone and come back.🥲lol)
It feels like a really important question, but I'm just embarrassed that I can't answer it confidently.
If you like the modern Oriental fantasy genre, I would be grateful if you could drop by at least once and enjoy reading it.
△ The 'Guide to Getting Hooked' brought by the PD instead of the author! (feat. Portrait rights protector AI Master Cat 🐱)
Q. You've taken the first step in the long journey of official serialization.
We are curious about your unique resolve or mindset as you face the long-breath serialization path running alongside Gai, In, and the goblins.
A. As long as I keep the biggest main themes and major events I want to convey, it doesn't matter how the story progression changes or takes detours,
so don't think too grimly, and let's craft the story constantly as if daydreaming... is what I'm telling myself.
Together with my teammates Gai, In, and the goblins...🌿👹
Q. Among readers, expectations for physical volumes and merchandise like folk painting-style posters, goblin masks, and Monggu-related props are already tremendous.
Do you happen to have any coveted iconic item you personally really want to produce as a real physical product?
A. Since I liked traditional masks from a young age, I think it would be great to have a goblin mask carved out of wood.
Although the production cost would probably be staggering to make it for sale...
But people around me are saying there must be Monggu merchandise.
What kind of merch could be made out of Monggu?
△ A neck pillow...
Q. Thank you for participating in this long interview.
Lastly, please give a warm closing remark to the loving readers who will accompany you on the forest path along with <Record of the Earth>.
A. Since the time when even I wasn't sure this would come out into the world, there were people who remembered and waited for this comic,
and thanks to them, I too was able to make up my mind to keep pushing this story forward.
I'm thankful to those who remembered and waited, and also thankful to those who newly discovered and are enjoying it.
I will do my absolute best to at least fully showcase what the story I intended to tell was.
Please always stay healthy.
That's all for the interview; now shall we go binge-read <Record of the Earth>? 🏃♂️
Thank you for staying with us through this long interview.🌿