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| The narrator of the comic book "The Dark Side of Seoul: Weird Tales from Korean Lore" welcomes readers to a collection of Korean folk tales. / Courtesy of Shawn Morrissey |
By Jon Dunbar
The Dark Side of Seoul, a tour operator providing "ghost walks" featuring the macabre side of Korean history, has branched out with the release of a comic book, offering three stories based on folklore.
The stories were scripted by Shawn Morrissey, a heritage interpreter from Canada who works as one of the guides for Dark Side of Seoul, with art done by Tim Bauer.
"There is so much content that I'd love to share on the Dark Side of Seoul tour," Morrissey told The Korea Times, "but there are limitations ― like finding suitable moments to segue into a tale, since the key is to connect a specific location with the content of a tale. It's not easy to incorporate all the tales I'd like to share because of those limitations. I had been contemplating how to share more of this content to a wider audience. So, I had the idea to write a comic book, bridging my love for horror comics and Korean folktales, while meeting my want to share more."
The 50-page comic book serves as an anthology, with the three stories presented by a Dark Side of Seoul tour guide leading guests through the city after dark.
"It was tough choosing which tales to include ― I had to narrow it down to just three! I've collected so many, and there are so many that I love, that the decision process took about a month. I decided the tales included should be visceral and with at least a hint of horror to appeal to the comics medium," he said.
"The three tales do have a single commentary. I don't want to say outright what it is. I will say though that I'm pretty irreverent. I'm not interested in Joseon royalty or the aristocracy. I'm far more interested in people, not elites. These are folktales, after all. This irreverence made its way into the comic's stories."
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| A splash page of the comic book "The Dark Side of Seoul: Weird Tales from Korean Lore" shows demons being summoned. / Courtesy of Shawn Morrissey |
In "Summoner's Hour," a reviled hermit retains a secret power that bridges two worlds, while "Wicked Things Love Darkness" depicts a grandmother's wisdom that helps a girl outwit an evil wizard, and "The Truly Blind" is a story about a blind soothsayer who must prove his powers to the king or be put to death.
"Each tale is directly from Korean tradition," Morrissey said. "It should be noted, though, that they are adaptations. I added characterizations to present fuller characters and conflict. I removed some details that hinder the story when presented in the comics medium. So, the essence of the tale is intact, with a few flourishes added so the transition from oral tale to a comic tale was smoother."
A color version provided to crowdfunding backers is filled with eerie colors, but the black and white version still offers breathtaking art, inspired heavily by Morrissey's love of horror comics and movies.
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| The title page of the short story "The Truly Blind" in the comic book "The Dark Side of Seoul: Weird Tales from Korean Lore" / Courtesy of Shawn Morrissey |
"Alongside comic books, I grew up on folktales and ghost stories, at first all from my native Newfoundland. When I arrived in Korea in 2000, I dove pretty quickly into finding out about Korean ghost lore. I've been intrigued ever since," he said.
"I'm not an academic folklorist, so I'm less interested in categorizing folklore than I am in listening to the tales or beliefs from those who believe in them. Folklore is culture and it tells a lot about the beliefs and lifestyles of people, past and present. Ghost sightings on TikTok is good fun, sure, but folklore is beautiful."
Morrissey said he has two more volumes of comics planned, with plans to combine them into a trade paperback or hardcover with bonus content.
"The tour and the comic book are results of love for Korean history and lore," he said. "There's an entire landscape of culture out there beyond K-pop, Train to Busan and whatever variety show is popular right now."
Visit darksideofseoul.com to order a copy of the comic book or to book a tour.
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