Dive into the world of web comics and how they've changed with the times with creator Emmy Paxman, along with exploration of her own story Neptune Bay, the joy of the himbo, and more.
Show Notes
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Today we are chatting with webtoon creator Emmy Paxman!
- Today we are chatting with Emmy Paxman. She writes the webtoon NEPTUNE BAY. She is active on Instagram as @EmmyPaxman. Thank you for joining us today, Emmy!
- Emmy is our very first webtoon creator!
- Emmy explains how modern comics have become a very exciting place for tropes.
- Em tells the story of how she knew she wanted Emmy to come on Troped Out as a guest. It all began with himbos (as it does).
- Emmy has opinions on himbos!
- Em asks Emmy to explain what a webtoon is for our listeners and goes on to say that Emmy is a very prolific creator. She has completed 47 episodes, full color (beautiful watercolor) episodes.
- Emmy got into graphic novels in her early 20s, though she didn’t consider herself a comics person until she was a bit older. She thinks this is because she didn’t read superhero series. Her early exposure was with newspaper comics such as CALVIN AND HOBBES.
- The turning point for her was discovering manga. And then the discovery of web comics.
- Emmy said in the early 2000s there was a movement toward a scrolling comic. Scrolling comics began in South Korea—like much of the greatest parts of pop culture. Once smart phones took over, webtoons exploded.
- Emmy feels that scrolling, webtoons comics solved the problem of the best way to read comics.
- Scrolling comics are so bingeworthy.
- EJ points out how some really great art comes from paper comics. She asks Emmy how it transfers over to scrolling comics.
- Emmy says it is a different medium with a different feel.
- Webtoons has a cool story telling device. Only two panels are visible at any time. All of the action must be built vertical.
- In webtoon you are able to build in surprise.
- In webtoon it is easier to pace your stories to build suspense.
- Em talks about how the mood is set from episode one of NEPTUNE BAY.
- EJ asks Emmy how she’d explain NEPTUNE BAY..
- Emmy says that it is a cross between goofy, fun, rom-coms and a type of video game that she absolutely loves—which is farming simulators.
- It is the story of a young woman name Meg who is needing a change after a bad breakup. She is living on her best friend’s couch, scrolling through a website looking for something to rent when she comes across idyllic Neptune Bay on Neptune Island. There is a slightly run-down cottage, and she dreams of starting a new life.
- Meg’s interactions with Neptune Bay are filtered through the perception she’s built through years of playing simulator video games.
- EJ mentions that hearing Emmy’s description is giving her strong SCOTT PILGRIM vibes. Emmy said it was a direct inspiration.
- Em asks Emmy what tropes make her excited to work.
- Emmy says she likes the slow reveal of how characters have more going on than meets the eye.
- Emmy loves her character Ozzy. He is the bad boy—super cocky. But she’s slowly peeled back layers to show that he is a mess inwardly.
- When she introduced him, readers immediately didn’t care for him. But Ozzy has surprised everyone (except for maybe Emmy) and become a favorite.
- Emmy loves to take an unlikeable character and gradually shift everyone’s opinion.
- The trio plays Troped Out!
- Best friend’s sibling OR Friends to lovers?
- Himbo OR Secretly sexy nerd?
- Classic heroic superhero OR Burned out cynical superhero?
- Help! Save me from this vampire! I’m too beautiful to be dinner! OR Show me what you can do with those fangs, you undead sexpot?
- Secret Baby or Secret Millionaire?
You can find Emmy Paxman on social media:
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What is Troped Out?
An exploration of genre storytelling in all its forms