WEBTOON and Aethon Books have announced that they are adapting a slate of 14 popular web novels as webcomics, created and produced alongside studios such as Laurel Pursuit, Moonquill, Kisai Entertainment, Cocoon Productions, and more.
The new adaptations will introduce more popular web fiction titles to readers within WEBTOON’s massive digital community, and offer existing fans a visual retelling of these popular titles in the platform’s vertical scroll format. Among these new adaptions is TheFirstDefier’s “Defiance of the Fall,” which has sold over 100,000 e-books; Matt Dinniman’s “Dungeon Crawler Carl,” which has sold over 100,000 audiobooks; and SunriseCV’s “System Universe,” which has sold over 50,000 audiobooks.
“We have been so excited to see our partnership with WEBTOON grow, and their support on all of these titles has been invaluable,” said Rhett Bruno, CEO at Aethon Books. “We believe this slate of webcomics will bring a new level of attention to Western IPs in the space and can’t wait for readers to get their hands on them.”
The full slate of WEBTOON’s 2024 web novel adaptations with Aethon will feature:
- Defiance of the Fall by TheFirstDefier – A bestselling Action Fantasy story that merges LitRPG Apocalypse elements with Eastern cultivation.
- Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman – With his patented quick wit, high-octane action, and dark humor, Dinniman has taken readers by storm with this beloved Apocalyptic LitRPG Action Fantasy.
- System Universe by SunriseCV – A world-hopping Fantasy LitRPG series starting on Earth a few years post-System-Integration.
- Mark of the Fool by JM Clarke – A coming-of-age magic academy fantasy with a weak-to-strong progression into power, a setting inspired by D&D, and detailed world-building with magical science.
- Oh Great! I was Reincarnated as a Farmer by Benjamin Kerei – What do you have when you blend a pinch of LitRPG, a touch of farming simulator, a sprinkle of epic fantasy, a whole cup of Isekai, and a dash of Home Alone? This series.
- Bastion: Immortal Great Souls by Phil Tucker – A progression fantasy about Scorio’s quest to rise from the ashes and take revenge against those who sought to keep him down as he conquers the ten layers of hell.
- Mage Errant by John Bierce – When a very unusual mage chooses the talentless Hugh to be his apprentice, his life starts to take a sharp turn for the better in this Magic Academy Fantasy Series.
- All the Skills by Honour Rae – A genre-bending progression fantasy series with strong gamelit elements, featuring a unique card-based magic system.
- Super Powereds by Drew Hayes – A bestselling superhero series about a school with a curriculum designed to develop students with superhuman capabilities, commonly known as Supers, into official Heroes.
- The Path of Ascension by C. Mantis – An action-packed fantasy adventure that blends everything you love about LitRPG with Xianxia.
- My Best Friend is an Eldritch Horror by Actus – Good things come to those who wait. Damien didn’t, and he ended up bound to an Eldritch Creature from beyond the reaches of space as he takes on the trials of a magic academy.
- Reborn as a Demonic Tree by Xkarnation – Ashlock wakes in the courtyard of a demonic sect… as a tree that eats people in this isekai fantasy series.
- RE: Monarch by J. McCoy – A progression fantasy epic set in a time-loop where planning and cleverness are as vital as swordplay, about a spoiled prince who discovers what it means to rule.”
- The Laws of Cultivation (Qi=MC^2) by KrazeKode – This Xianxia Fantasy Series features weak-to-strong power progression, a light scientific approach to magic, tons of alchemy, spirit beast companions, and so much more.
Launch dates for each title will be announced at a later date. The new series will join Zogarth’s “The Primal Hunter” and FortySixtyFour’s “Re:Trailer Trash,” both of which premiered on WEBTOON in 2023 and have given fans a new way to enjoy their favorite web novels in a serialized webcomic format.
The new adaptations add to WEBTOON’s dynamic IP and Creator ecosystem, which allows WEBTOON to adapt content across varying formats, turning beloved stories into multi-format franchises, reaching new fans around the world, and helping creators monetize their work in new ways.
