<Eyes of the Star> Author Baek Wondal Interview

Q. I know you've pursued various dreams before walking the path of a 'comic artist,' which was your childhood dream.
    What does 'comics' mean to you? I'm curious how your childhood dreams connect with who you are today!

A. I prepared to be a poet, worked as a painter, and then started teaching myself comics.
    At that time, I regretted it, thinking, 'Why didn't I prepare to be a comic artist from a young age?'
    Looking back now, I realize I gained a lot of diverse experiences during the time I wasn't on the path of a comic artist.
    Those experiences accumulated, blended, and fermented inside me, becoming material for my comics and giving me the driving force to create.
    So, (though it varies for everyone, in my case) I think it's a relief that I didn't just dig the single well of being a comic artist.

△ Active days as a painter🎨_ Provided by the author

Q. Out of countless stories, how does a story get chosen to receive your touch as a webtoon artist?
    Do you have a special moment or place where you get inspired?

A. It's a bit embarrassing, but most of my ideas suddenly pop into my head when I lie down to sleep.
    Then I hurriedly turn on my phone and record a voice memo.(It's no secret that I completely wake up while recording...)
    Because I always do it via voice recording, the secret place where I collect my stories is a mess of spelling errors. 

    When I told this to an Acasia member who performed the a cappella for <Life's Homework>,
    they replied that a book they read had content related to my situation.
    It seems to be a common phenomenon among people who create.
    Perhaps it's because falling asleep is the time we knock on the door of the unconscious. Haha.

    Also, the completed story doesn't come all at once; at first, only the beginning and the ending pop into my head.
    A 'story that starts like this and ends like that' comes to mind.
    New ideas to add to a story that only has a crown and toes keep coming to me little by little.
    Some days, the character name for story A comes to mind,
    some days, a sentence to put in story B comes to mind,
    and some days, a scene for story C comes to mind.
    As I keep writing them down, the shape of the story I didn't even know begins to appear, like putting together a puzzle piece by piece.
    So, I choose the story with the most visible shape as my next project.

Q. When do you feel the most joy during the webtoon creation process, and conversely, when do you agonize the most?

A. Surprisingly(?) I am always joyful and happy working on my manuscripts. 

    Actually, I started attempting to be a comic artist in 2012 and debuted in 2015 with <How a Girl Travels>,
    but even after that, for 5 years(7-8 years if you include my aspiring days) I couldn't make a living from comics, so I drew comics while juggling three jobs.
    In my 20s, I lived in a tiny goshitel where my hands would touch the walls if I spread my arms, and I lived in a semi-basement of a multi-family house,
    and a few years ago, my house was flooded, and I lost everything except for a few belongings. 
    (I loved collecting comic books, but I lost almost all of them back then...).
   I was in such a difficult financial situation then that I thought about giving up comics many times,
   but fortunately, I am now living a life where I can focus solely on comics.
   I am so happy just being able to work comfortably on manuscripts in a warm house.

    The moment I agonize is when my heart grows heavy every time I think that this happy moment won't last forever.
    Luckily, I've had many opportunities to present my works over the past few years,
    and I am truly grateful that many readers love my comics,
   but the world of comics is incredibly competitive, and I don't know how long I'll have the opportunity to show my work. 

    However, I try not to forget the gratitude and happiness I feel while serializing webtoons now because of worries about a future that hasn't arrived yet.
    So, there is agony, but I always work joyfully.

Q. When conceptualizing a work, do you have any special know-how for breathing life into characters?

    Do you perhaps get inspiration from real people or your surroundings?

A. It's a very embarrassing story, but...
    I draw all my story webtoons up to about episode 15, then scrap everything and start over from the beginning.

    The reason I do such a thing(?) is because I am still quite inexperienced at drawing webtoons.
    When I just start a new comic, the characters in the work and I haven't gotten close yet.
    So I don't really know what kind of personality the character has, what expressions they make, or what lines they would say.
    I just keep drawing the manuscript without confidence while not being close to them.
    Fortunately, once I draw up to episode 15, I can feel their character traits come alive.
    So when I feel that point has come, I draw them again from the beginning.
    <Painter Salieri> was like that, <Old Man's Dream> was like that, and <Eyes of the Star> was like that too.
    Even for <Life's Homework>, I drew it all the way to the end and then redrew it from the beginning. Hahaha.

    Also, my experiences, including real people, are reflected in my webtoons.
    It's just that I don't draw experiences exactly as they are in the webtoon; various experiences get mixed up, and fiction is added to them,
    so most of the scenes are hard to call pure experiences, yet hard to say they aren't experiences either.

△ Until the day the bookshelves are filled with stories drawn by the author! 💫

Q. Do you have any interesting episodes like 'luck in the trash bin' during your work process?
    If you have your own secret to overcoming a slump, please give us a hint! 

A. Fortunately, I haven't experienced a slump yet. 

    If we're talking about an interesting episode, there is an amazing one related to my debut work, <How a Girl Travels>.
    I had been serializing <How a Girl Travels> on Naver Best Challenge for 2 years without making a debut while juggling three jobs,
    and a major publisher you'd know by name contacted me to publish it.
    I was so excited, thinking I was finally debuting, but the publisher's representative who contacted me suddenly ghosted me. 
    I was very hurt then and thought, 'I should pitch it to publishers myself.'
    I went to a bookstore, found the email addresses of travel publishers, and sent pitches to 19 places.
    I was rejected by 18 places, but a publisher called 'Dream Map' contacted me to sign a contract, and it went through right away. 
    It was so amazing how smoothly everything progressed that I asked the publisher about it,
    and it turned out the publisher's representative had been pushing for a comic travelogue project.
    However, that project had been scrapped just a few days prior, causing great disappointment, and right then, my email requesting the publication of a comic travelogue arrived.
    So they signed a contract with me right away, and I was able to debut.

    If I hadn't discovered 'Dream Map' among the publishers, I wouldn't have been able to grab this luck,
    and I might have given up my dream of being a comic artist a long time ago, so even thinking about it now, it's a very lucky yet dizzying experience. 
    (But there is also the bittersweet news that the 1st printing of Volume 1 hasn't sold out completely, so I haven't been able to make Volume 2 for 10 years...) 

△ The work that started Author Baek Wondal's journey! 🚩

Q. When you first heard the news that your precious work <Old Man's Dream> was moving from webtoon to the theater stage, you must have felt quite overwhelmed!

A. When I first prepared the manuscript for <Old Man's Dream>, the reactions around me were not good.
   The reason was that it was too different from existing commercial webtoons.
   It wasn't a commercial art style, the protagonists were 81 and 50 years old, and above all, it was about aging and death.
   Even as the author, I didn't expect it to pass serialization at all when I submitted it to Naver Webtoon,
   but when I heard the news that it had passed with a very positive response from Naver Webtoon, I held the phone and cried my eyes out. 

    When I signed the theater contract for <Old Man's Dream>, it didn't feel real at all, thinking, 'Is this really happening to me?'
    After reading the articles, it suddenly hit me, and I remembered the days I prepared the manuscript for <Old Man's Dream>. So I cried again.

△ It's such a great work. Are there... still people who haven't seen it??😮

Q. Many people are amazed by the news that great actors like Kim Young-ok, Kim Yong-rim, and Son Sook will be joining the play <Old Man's Dream>!
    How similar are the actual actors to the characters you envisioned,
    and what are your expectations for discovering new aspects of the characters through their performances in the play? 

A. I was really surprised that the actors for <Old Man's Dream> were triple-cast.
    I am so thankful that such wonderful actors with outstanding acting skills decided to participate.
    (It might seem pointless, but it's very important to me) I have one worry...
    Since there are many cast actors, I'm worried that I might not be able to see all of their performances. 

    The webtoon <Old Man's Dream> is a work I created,
    but I consider the play <Old Man's Dream> to be a new work that has left my hands, newly drawn through the adaptation of new producers and the gestures of the actors.
    A few years ago, <Life's Homework> was made into an a cappella musical,
    and I remember watching it with pure enjoyment without thinking for a second that it was my work.
    So, I think I'll be able to joyfully watch the play <Old Man's Dream> with the feeling of watching a brand-new piece of work. 

Q. Lastly, I'm curious about the studio where your watercolor-like works are born! Please introduce it to us!

A. I work by connecting a Cintiq 22 to my laptop. 
    On the wall, there is a trilobite plaster air freshener and a space photo I received as a gift for purchasing Dr. Ji Woong-bae's book.

△ The author greeting us subtly 🥰 Did everyone spot it?

  [About <Eyes of the Star>]

Q. <Eyes of the Star> charmingly blends various genres like Sci-Fi, Romance, and Urban Fantasy.
    How did you harmoniously weave such diverse elements to create a single world?

A. Since my days as an aspiring comic artist, I have drawn comics while listening to science content.
    Like a school dog reciting a poem, picking up science stu...dy(??????) by ear, it's already been 12 years!
    I think listening to science while drawing comics all the time made me subconsciously want to draw a comic based on science. 

    It's a much more niche genre than <Old Man's Dream>, so I submitted it to Naver Webtoon with no expectations, but thankfully, it passed.
    Since I am drawing a webtoon with my absolute favorite subject matter, I am working on manuscripts more happily than at any other time I've drawn comics.

△ A story like a poem set in the future and space

Q. There are many poetic and philosophical subtitles throughout the work, like "A Gap of 0.1%" (Episode 27), "Half a Soul" (Episode 22), and "The Equation of Jealousy" (Episode 18).
    I'm curious what messages you wanted to convey in each episode through these subtitles! 

A. <Eyes of the Star> is not an omnibus but one large story,
    but I wanted each episode's story to feel like a short story, so I ponder over the subtitles with the mindset of naming a short film!
    There are subtitles I've revised more than 10 times.
    As I contemplate an implicit title that pierces through the episode's content, I think it ends up having a poetic feel.
    And since <Eyes of the Star> deals with philosophy of science, asking questions about the relationship between humans and AI,
    I think a philosophical vibe naturally bleeds into the titles as well.

Q. There are points where the unique worldview of <Eyes of the Star>, namely its sci-fi elements, meets reality.
    I'm curious what materials you referenced or were inspired by for this background setting!

A. When I first watched a Marvel movie, it was clearly a worldview where science and technology were incredibly advanced,
    but seeing that most people lived no differently from now made the disparity between the two extremes feel very refreshing.
    So I also came to create a worldview that mixes a normal era with an era where AI and space science have advanced.

Q. If <Old Man's Dream> brought healing to many readers with its warm sensibility,
    <Eyes of the Star> leaves a deep lingering impression with its ontological questions and delicate romance.
    What efforts do you make to successfully breathe different emotions into each work?

A. Taking time to listen to my own heart helped a lot.
    There are so many 'me's inside my heart—there's a 'warm me,' a 'dark me,' a 'funny me,' and a 'me who asks ontological questions.'
    When I converse with each 'me' to find and materialize the causes of my emotions and thoughts, the emotion itself becomes excellent material for comics. 

Q. I can feel subtle changes in the art style and directing methods in each work.
    Are there any visual elements or color palettes you paid special attention to in order to direct the futuristic atmosphere of <Eyes of the Star>?

A. When setting the backgrounds, the most important thing to me was whether or not I could purchase SketchUp models that fit the story.
    Because it's impossible to personally produce the numerous sci-fi locations in the webtoon while serializing weekly,
    I check the available sci-fi SketchUp models after finishing the story,
    and if I can't find a suitable model, I purchase a similar one
    and slightly tweak the story to fit the model. 

    I've seen movie production behind-the-scenes where they couldn't find the exact location they wanted, so they cast a different one
    and tweaked the story slightly to fit that place, and I think it's quite similar to that.

Q. You seem to value the 'emotional line' very highly when storytelling.
    Do you have your own special storytelling technique or character analysis method to express a character's inner self deeply?

A. I consider the causal connection of emotional lines to be the most important thing in webtoons, so thank you for noticing.
    When I watch or read something, if I can't understand the emotional line, my immersion drops drastically. 
    I've never studied writing techniques, but writing poetry since I was young has been a great help in drawing webtoons.

    Poetry is like a very short story.
    Even in a story as short as a palm, you shouldn't miss the causality of emotion.
    Although I couldn't achieve my dream of being a poet, my failed experience has helped a lot in drawing webtoons, so I am satisfied now. 

△ A story that knocks on your heart like a poem, like a deeply pressed love letter 

Q. When creating webtoons, I wonder if you work while listening to specific music or playlists that suit <Eyes of the Star>.
    If you have any songs that help create the mood of the work, please recommend them! 

A. Being a science school dog, I work while diligently watching, no, listening to science content.

    In particular, I watched a lot of Space Dust Dr. Ji Woong-bae's videos and became a fan, so I asked him to review the astronomy for <Eyes of the Star>,
    and he readily accepted, making the content of <Eyes of the Star> much richer.

    (Dr. Ji Woong-bae even made a cameo appearance, haha)

    I watch, or rather, listen to anything and everything, not just science.

    I work while listening to movies, listening to dramas, listening to documentaries, and listening to musicals.
    The music I've been completely absorbed in lately is the <Jekyll & Hyde> OST.
    However, when working on dialogue, I can't listen to videos with talking. 
    At those times, I work on dialogue while listening to the <Eyes of the Star> OST composed by Note1.
    Because it's the song that best suits <Eyes of the Star>, it helps me immerse myself deeper into writing the lines.

△ I'm saying this seriously, the OST is insane.🎹

Q. Are there any reader reactions that were the most memorable or meaningful to you during serialization?
    Were there any unexpected reader interpretations or questions?

A. There are so many grateful comments written by readers... it's hard to pick just oneㅠㅠ
    I mentioned earlier that I am incredibly happy when I work, but in reality, there are many times when I'm exhausted and struggling,
    and every time, I read the readers' comments, gain strength again, and get back to my manuscript.

Q. The webtoon <Eyes of the Star> is serialized every Friday.
    Your work cycle must be busy, so could you share a little bit about your health management or slump-overcoming know-how?

A. I've been severely frail since I was young, so I'm trying with all my might to protect whatever body I have left(?),
    and I start working every morning and absolutely never stay up all night.
    I also eat regularly, and since I have low alcohol tolerance, I rarely drink.
    And I consistently start working out and consistently quit. (Currently doing pilates twice a week)

  [Outro]

Q. Your works are gaining new life in various forms, with <Old Man's Dream> hitting the theater stage and <Eyes of the Star> receiving love from many readers. 
    Through what medium would you like to see your stories told in the future?

A. My hobby during college was watching plays in Daehangno.
    So after becoming a comic artist, I thought, 'How great would it be if my comic became a play?'
    And I am so, so happy that it has actually become a play like this.
    Actually, <Old Man's Dream> was contracted for a movie first!
    I am very excited at the thought of discovering the similarities and differences between the webtoon <Old Man's Dream>, the play <Old Man's Dream>, and the movie <Old Man's Dream> that will be released someday.

△ During the Bucheon Manhwa Museum's '2nd Colorful' Exhibition, <Old Man's Dream>_ Provided by the author 

Q. You've presented stories with various subject matters. Do you have plans for other stories to share with your readers?

A. In 2020, when I was hanging on the cliff edge of making a living, I created about 10 stories, and I've shown you 4 of them so far!
    I plan to flesh out the stories I jotted down back then in the future.
    I don't even know myself which story will materialize and come out into the world faster, hahaha.

△ You can find it on Naver Series 💞

Q. Outside of your work, do you have any special hobbies or spaces in your life where you get creative inspiration or find peace of mind?

A. I like learning music. (But I'm never actually good at it... it's just a hobby...)
    I learned piano for 6 years when I was young, and I've been learning drums for 10 months. 
    Recently, I fumbled my way through learning a music composition program called Studio One on YouTube and released a self-composed album.

    My wish is to live a life where I make money with comics and do music as a hobby. I want to continue drawing comics and steadily learn music in the future.

△ A perfect hexagon human has appeared...😎

Q. Please share a warm piece of advice or an encouraging word for juniors dreaming of becoming webtoon artists! 

A. While continuously failing in comics, there were times when the encouragement from people around me actually hurt more.
    So, rather than cheering on aspiring comic artists,
    I want to share one of the phrases I kept repeating to myself as failures continued to pile up.
    It's a sentence I later included in <Old Man's Dream> as well.

    “If I consistently do the things I love day by day, won't the time I've lived gather and someday shine light on a new path in my life?
     With that belief, I neatly stack up time again today.”

△ Beautifully stacked time and the future you will eventually face💐

Q. Lastly, if you have anything you want to say to the readers who loved <Eyes of the Star>, please say it all!

A. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for spending your precious time reading my comics and supporting me.
    I will never lose my original intention, just like the day I first started drawing comics. I love you, readers!



Like the countless stars, will our countless hearts also be eternal somewhere in the universe 💫
Thank you for being with us for this long interview 💖