The Rise of Instagram Comics: A New Force in the Webtoon Scene

In a vibrant display of colors, two office workers dressed in sharp suits are depicted with bold lines against a bright background. One character, resembling a North American comic style, shouts into a phone, "You can't do your job like this!" Meanwhile, a figure in the background, presumably a boss, chuckles, "Just leave it at that, heh heh heh." The caption reads, 'I don't really care what happens, but I'm pretending to be angry for no reason.' This single-panel comic illustrates the office survival tactics of workers and is the creation of Ji Chang-hyun (지창현), a 29-year-old artist known for his Instagram account '김퇴사' (Kim Twaesa).

The trend of '인스타툰' (Instagram + Cartoon) is gaining traction as creators opt to publish their comics on Instagram rather than traditional webtoon platforms. Various themes are emerging, such as '급양만와' (Gupyangmanwa), which has 200,000 followers and adapts proverbs into modern-day scenarios, and '아모이툰' (Amoi Toon), which depicts the daily life of a couple with a daughter and has attracted 100,000 followers. As of the 27th, searching for '#인스타툰' yields approximately 2.37 million posts, showcasing the vast array of content available. Many amateur artists, who previously shared their work on online communities, Naver blogs, and Facebook, are now joining this platform. '급양만와' first gained recognition through a comic about experiences as an Air Force supply soldier on the online community DC Inside, later transitioning to Naver Blog with a series based on his university struggles before moving to Instagram.

According to the '2024 Comic Industry White Paper' published by the Korea Creative Content Agency, 20.9% of domestic webtoon users now read comics on Instagram, surpassing Kakao Webtoon at 20.8% for the first time. This figure has more than tripled from 5.9% in 2021. Survey respondents were asked to select three webtoon platforms they frequently use.

Instagram is also home to many non-professional cartoonists. Most creators share their work on personal social media accounts without formal contracts with the platform. Ji Chang-hyun, the artist behind '김퇴사', has garnered significant attention by illustrating his three years of corporate life. Within just six months of starting his series, he amassed over 57,000 followers. He has collaborated with a food company to launch a gum designed to combat drowsiness featuring his '김퇴사' character. A pop-up store selling character merchandise is set to open on the 29th at a department store in Yongsan, Seoul. Ji stated, "My work conveys messages in a single panel, and Instagram is the perfect platform for this format. A striking and entertaining single panel is easily shareable across other online communities or via KakaoTalk, making it highly effective for promotion."

An Instagram representative noted, "The platform allows for various image formats, including square (1:1), horizontal (1.9:1), and vertical (4:5), enabling up to 20 uploads, which is ideal for the comic genre. Depending on the work's characteristics, creators can use hashtags like #일상툰 (Daily Toon), #생활툰 (Lifestyle Toon), #브랜드툰 (Brand Toon), #육아툰 (Parenting Toon), #연애툰 (Romance Toon), #가족툰 (Family Toon), and #공감툰 (Empathy Toon) to easily reach their target audience." Cultural critic Ha Jae-geun commented, "With the growing popularity of short-form content like YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, audiences are increasingly drawn to the concise storytelling of Instagram comics. Rather than competing with traditional webtoons, Instagram comics are likely to thrive as a distinct genre within the webtoon landscape."