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We often most crave what is forbidden.
Remember the days when you would nervously flip through comic books fearing your teachers or parents might see you?
To get away from strict surveillance, kids, teenagers and even some good-for-nothing adults would creep into a "manhwabang," the cartoon rooms which are still thriving, to be happily buried in hundreds and thousands of comic books.
The medium might have changed from paper books to television and internet over the decades, but cartoons are still one of Korean's favorite pastimes.
Here is an exhibition to reunite with one's childhood cartoon favorites.
To commemorate Korean cartoons' centennial birthday, the National Museum of Contemporary Art is hosting "Manhwa 100 Years of Korean Cartoon." It is the largest-ever exhibition to feature Korean comics.
More than 1,500 works by 250 Korean cartoonists of the past 100 years and 60 cartoonish works of contemporary artists are on display. Some old rare editions that have never been open to the public are also revealed for the first time.
"There have not been many shows that feature Korean cartoons although its status has elevated. Cartoons are the root content for various cultures including contemporary art and publications," said exhibition curator Lee Seung-mi.
"This exhibition not only looks back at the last century but will also help to prepare many developments in the future based on the creativity of cartoons."
The show is divided into three big parts.
The first part chronicles the history of Korean cartoons.
Including Korea's first cartoon which was published in June 1909 in a newspaper, the cartoons during the Japanese invasion from 1909 to 1930 were satirical and expressed resistance.
Then after Korea's liberation from Japan, from 1945 to 1970, cartoons started to rise as a tool to give hope and smiles to the worn-out Koreans.
The genres started to diversify, including kids' cartoons, SF cartoons and historical cartoons.
The 1980s and 90s were the Renaissance period for Korean cartoons. Many hits poured out, such as "Baby Dinosaur Dooly" by Kim Su-jeong, "Run, Hani" by Lee Jin-joo and "The Fearsome Baseball Team" by Lee Hyun-sae, whose drama version is currently on air on MBC under the name "Strike Love."
"Bomulseom," or Treasure Island, a monthly comic magazine which was first published in 1982, heated up the comic boom. The magazine, thick as the index finger, used to be packed with tens of comic strips and interviews of famous cartoonists.
The next division organizes Korean cartoons in different genres.
Children's cartoons, underground cartoons, comic strips from newspapers, and of course "romance comics" greatly appreciated by teenaged girls are exhibited.
Webtoons, or cartoons posted online by young artists, have also established themselves as an individual genre. As one of the world's most wired countries, Korea is known to be the first to start it. Familiar webtoons such as "Marine Blues" by Jeong Cheol-yeon and "Pape Popo Memories" by Shim Seung-hyun can be found at the exhibition.
The last part of the show features Korean cartoon-inspired contemporary art.
Among the exhibits, wooden "Robot Taekwon V" figures by Kim Seok catch viewers' eyes.
The sight of the robot seriously gazing at the question "Are You Happy?" or lost in love, the robot falling asleep while scribbling the letters "love" the table is cute and heartwarming.
The exhibition runs through Aug. 23 at the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province.
To get there, take the Subway Line 4 to the Seoul Grand Park Station. Go out exit 4. A shuttle bus runs from there to the museum every 20 minutes, starting from 9:40 a.m.
Tickets are 3,000 won for adults and 1,500 won for children and teenagers under 18. For more information, call (02) 318-2724 or visit www.cartoon100.net.
(claire@heraldm.com)
By Park Min-young
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