Inside the WEBTOON Creator Residency Program

For two weeks, nine WEBTOON Creators swapped their home studios for a shared space in Los Angeles as part of the WEBTOON Creator Residency Program, a hands-on initiative designed to deepen the relationship between Creators and the WEBTOON team.

The takeaway? It wasn’t just new craft skills. It was a community.

The Creator Residency Program is a new WEBTOON initiative built around a simple idea: some of the best growth happens in person. Instead of remote check-ins and email threads, nine Creators were invited to Los Angeles for a concentrated two-week stretch of programming, in-person editor sessions, craft workshops, and time with key members of the WEBTOON team.

As one WEBTOON team member put it: “We want to help Creators spark new ideas, build lasting connections with each other and their editors, and grow together as storytellers.”

For most participants, the Residency was the first time meeting fellow WEBTOON Creators face-to-face after months (sometimes years) of working solo. One Creator described the shift bluntly: “When WEBTOON introduced the Creator Residency Program, I thought, ‘This is exactly what I want.’”

The structure gave Creators daily access to Editors and workshop sessions, but participants consistently pointed to something less scheduled: the energy of being in a room with other people who make comics for a living. “There is this exciting energy when you bring Creators together,” one Creator said. “The inspiration and the drive to tell better stories, it’s palpable.”

Several Creators said they expected to walk away with tips from more experienced peers, but were surprised to find themselves teaching, too. “I thought I would be coming out here to learn so many tips and tricks from other Creators. I was like, ‘Oh, I'm going to steal other secrets.’ And then I ended up teaching them two or three things,” one Creator said. “I was so glad I could tell you something like that.”

Others described the Residency as validating in a different way. It was a chance to compare notes on process and realize how much Creators have in common, even across very different genres and styles. “It's been such a validating experience,” one Creator noted. “Hearing their processes, how similar they are, how different they are and just feeling inspired.”

For several participants, the Residency reframed what it means to be a WEBTOON Creator. One recalled the moment getting picked up by WEBTOON started to feel real: “I think getting picked up by WEBTOON is a huge milestone for me. It did feel like a dream was coming true.”

Another put it more simply: “It's such a magical experience — being able to make someone feel something just from something that you create with your hands and your mind.”

By the end of the two weeks, the language Creators used had shifted from professional to personal. “It's been such an enriching experience,” one Creator said. “It's like I've developed a family. I know that WEBTOON always has my back.”

Webcomics can sometimes feel like it’s made in isolation. A Creator, a tablet, a deadline. The program's goal is to pair structured support (Editor sessions, workshops) with unstructured time for Creators to build their own network.

The Creator Residency Program is WEBTOON's bet that bringing Creators together, even briefly, pays off in stronger stories and stronger working relationships.