Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Webtoon

Tom Akel, Head Of Content, Dropped by LINE Webtoon

Published Tue, 06 Nov 2018 06:30:20 -0600

Last updated Fri, 29 Dec 2023 09:54:21 -0600

Previously MTV Comics Executive Editor. for the last few years Tom Akel has been Head of Content of LINE Webtoon, the Korean free digital comic book publisher and distributor.

This has included commissioning new and original work from the likes of Stan Lee, Warren Ellis, Colleen Doran, Marc Silvestri, Katie Cook, Seth Kushner, Dean Haspiel and more, as well as publishing a manga adaptation of Star Wars, all along the Webtoon format of vertical scrolling comic books. They have also sponsored major creative events at comic conventions, such as Artists Alley at New York Comic Con and hosted social events at San Diego Comic-Con, with Akel prominent at all, become the US-facing face of the publisher. For these reasons, and more, he made it to a prominent position in last year's Top 100 Power List.

Well, not anymore. Tom Akel tells Bleeding Cool that he is no longer EIC of the publisher and that this 'wasn't by choice, and no explanation given.' He tells me that 'I'm supremely proud of the past 3 years and look forward to what's next.'

As for the LINE Webtoon comic that he writes on behalf of Stan Lee, Backchannel, he confirms he'll still be writing that. But what happens now for Tom – and indeed for LINE Webtoon – is still unknown.