Tapastic, the online portal for webcomics who we introduced you to last year is bolstering its American webcomics market with the announcement that it has secured $2.0 million in funding from Daum Communications, Inc. What this means in real terms for comics fans is the launch of awesome new titles from Korea like “Like A Wolf.” which will be released for the first time in an English speaking market and we’ve got an exclusive first look. 

Starting in January 2014, “Like A Wolf” will be translated and published on Tapastic for English speaking audiences. This is an exclusive offering for Tapastic users that is made possible by the investment from Daum Communications.

“Like A Wolf”, created by Korean webtoon artist Sehyung Lee, is one of the most popular webcomics in Korea. The story is set in the world of underground fighting and is drawn in a noir style with a captivating plot and vividly illustrated action scenes. This is the first time that a popular Korean webtoon that is currently being published in Korea will also be simultaneously published on Tapastic in an English translation.

Below we have an exclusive look at some of the scenes from future episodes coming up in the next few weeks.

While Tapastic’s founders were inspired in part by South Korea’s thriving webcomics (“webtoons”) industry, Tapastic obtains most of its content and traffic from the US market and all its of content is in English. Currently, less than 5% of Tapastic’s content is from Korean creators. While Tapastic is partnering with venture capital investors from South Korea, the mission of Tapastic is focused both on introducing Korean content to global audiences and also geared to developing and growing a significant U.S. English-language market for online comics. Tapastic’s investors have seen its potential, especially when looking at the massive success of “webtoons” (webcomics) in South Korea’s online culture, where online comics have sparked inspiration for movies and TV dramas, and have strengthened the notion of one source multi-use content.

Below are some stunning images from a fight scene on the Prologue of “Like A Wolf” which really shows off the quality and type of art that readers can expect from this series.

“This investment by Daum Communications, one of South Korea’s largest publishers and promoters of webcomics, is a validation of our mission to help create the future of visual storytelling in the U.S. market,” said Chang Kim, CEO of Tapastic. “As YouTube videos became a new format of online communication by breaking down the old barriers between content creators and the audience, we feel Tapastic’s webcomics will create the same type of new media experience for readers and fans of comics and graphic novels. We are honored to receive a vote of confidence from Daum Communications, Inc. in the form of venture financing to help us take our company to the next level of growth. We believe that with the ongoing boom in digital publishing and changing modes of consumption of online content, webcomics will be one of the next great forms of online content to become widely popular in America. Tapastic and our investors will be well positioned to benefit from the growing popularity of this unique form of digital media.” 

“Daum Communications has a significant presence in online comics in South Korea, and we see significant growth potential for this form of media to become more popular in the U.S. as well,” said Julie Kim, Investment Director, Daum Communications. “Investing in Tapastic was a natural fit for our portfolio of brands and verticals. We understand from our own company’s experience in South Korea that webcomics can attract a mass following, and we believe Tapastic is creating the foundation for significant growth and success in this medium of webcomics in the U.S. and other English speaking markets.”

To find out more about Tapastic visit their website tapastic.com or read our in-depth interview with CEO Chang Kim