Kim was a webtoon fan when he founded Tapas (originally called Comic Panda and later renamed Tapastic before settling on the current moniker), and he conceived the platform as similar to YouTube but for comics, a model that was already working well in South Korea. The Korean media giant Kakao acquired the company in 2021 (see “In Digital Comics Mega-Deal, Tapas Is Suddenly the Main Course”). The company has been through a number of changes since then, including hiring a number of DC veterans (see “Tapas Hires Former Vertigo Editor”) to develop original IP in the first half of 2021 and then, a year later, changing directions and laying off many of those hires (see “Tapas CEO Chang Kim on the Company’s Layoffs and Abrupt Pivot Away from Original Content”). Kakao also consolidated Tapas with the prose platform Radish and the fantasy fiction platform Wuxiaworld.
Two Years After the Tapas Webtoon Platform Was Acquired by Kakao
Posted by Brigid Alverson on January 10, 2023 @ 11:12 am CT
Tapas Media CEO Chang Kim is leaving the company he created in 2012. Kim posted on his LinkedIn page that he is moving on to start “a new, exciting chapter of my life!” saying that he doesn’t have any plans yet but intends to “stay within the startup world,” either as a consultant or by starting another company himself.
MORE COMICS
Which Owns Majority of Yen Press, Plus News Site, Tabletop Game Publisher, More
November 21, 2024
Manga and light novel publisher Kadokawa has a majority share of Yen Press, plus a major English-language news site, a tabletop game publisher, and other assets.
Following 'Conan' Crossover
November 20, 2024
The miniseries will launch shortly after Solomon Kane crosses over with another Robert E. Howard character, Conan the Barbarian.
MORE NEWS
New Non-Sport Trading Card Set
November 21, 2024
Upper Deck will release 2024 Marvel Renditions Spider-Man , a new non-sport trading card set.
'Town & Village Upper Levels' and 'Dungeon Upper Levels'
November 21, 2024
WizKids unveiled Town & Village Upper Levels and Dungeon Upper Levels , two new WarLock Tiles expansions, which will hit retail.