Ellipse Studio, in collaboration with Ono, Kenaz, and several institutional partners, launched the first edition of the Webtoon Academy Angoulême, a training program designed to support and develop French-speaking webtoon creators. Held between September and December 2024, the program provided 12 selected artists with expert guidance from leading Korean webtoon professionals. After months of training in Angoulême, the three winners of the program had the opportunity to further immerse themselves in the world of webtoons with a special experience in Suncheon, South Korea.
The Webtoon Academy aims to encourage the emergence and training of new French-speaking authors of webtoons to create stories with strong international potential. In this perspective, the initiators of the project wished to extend the support provided during the training. Let's take a look at the three winning projects.
At the end of the training, three laureates were selected to continue the support provided by the Webtoon Academy. Louise Rodriguez, a 25-year-old French artist residing in Angoulême, graduated in concept art (Artline) and storyboard (Émile Cohl). Her style is strongly influenced by animation and video games. Charles Manalt, 35 years old and based in Marseille, is the co-founder of Studio Myra and the winner of the 2024 European UE Webtoon competition. His work, which explores ambitious historical, science fiction, and esoteric themes, makes him a rising voice in the French webtoon scene. Finally, Ekass Eks, a 25-year-old self-taught artist from Gabon living in Port-Gentil, has worked on visual design for video games with companies like Supercell and Ubisoft before illustrating comics such as Lost Era for Ankama.
Diane Ranville, webtoon producer for the Média-Participations group (Ellipse Studio, Ono) praised the winners: "Louise, Charles, and Ekass illustrate the quality and embody the diversity of the participants at the Webtoon Academy Angoulême, both in terms of profile, professional background, and artistic universe. I am delighted to continue the adventure alongside them!," commented.
Starting on March 10, 2025, the three winning artists will travel to South Korea for a two-month immersion program, accompanied by Diane Ranville. During their stay, they will continue their professional development alongside Korean artists and further advance their webtoon series projects. Several key events with local partners will mark this experience. This new phase, which remains entirely free for the laureates, is made possible with the support of the Institut Français, the Cultural Service of the French Embassy to the Republic of Korea, and the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
Pierre Morcos, Counselor for Culture, Science, and Education at the French Embassy to the Republic of Korea, expressed his enthusiasm for the initiative, highlighting, “The Cultural Service of the French Embassy to the Republic of Korea is proud to support the arrival of the three laureates of the Webtoon Academy Angoulême in South Korea. For over a year now, the partnership between ONO and Kenaz has been initiating new creative synergies and strengthening cooperation opportunities between France and Korea. This immersion in Suncheon will embody the perfect combination of our two countries’ expertise, and we look forward to discovering the productions that will emerge from it!," stated.
The immersion program will take place in Suncheon, home to the Kenaz studio and Ono Korea, a joint venture between the Ono platform and Kenaz. With three universities training around a hundred artists each year, Suncheon aspires to become the capital of animation and webtoon in Korea. To support this goal, the city will provide its Webtoon Global Center as a workspace for the three selected artists.
Noh Kwankyu, Mayor of Suncheon, emphasized the city’s dedication to fostering creative talent, stating, “With the Korean-French immersive program in Suncheon, we aim to establish the city as a global hub for webtoons by attracting creators from around the world who wish to learn and refine their skills in this field," expressed.
He further highlighted Suncheon’s strong commitment to offering comprehensive support for the initiative. At the conclusion of this new phase, Kenaz, Ono, and Ellipse Studio plan to launch the production of webtoon series developed by or in collaboration with the three laureates.
Ainara Ipas-Bastard and Woody Lee, respectively CEO of Ono and Kenaz, shared their vision for the program’s future, stating, “Continuing the dynamic of the Webtoon Academy Angoulême in Korea is the realization of our common ambition: to bring forth a new generation of French-speaking talents that shine internationally. We are proud to support Louise, Charles, and Ekass in this new phase and, thanks to our partners, to set up the ideal conditions for them to carry the stories of tomorrow," highlighted.
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