South Korean webtoon automation solution and publishing platform Toonit, is launching a web-based illustrator for anyone to easily create webcomics, graphic novels, book illustrations, and other visual content.

While Canva and Figma are used for creating social media graphics and web designs, Toonit is geared towards creating narrative contents like webtoons, Toonit said in a statement.

After receiving pre-seed funding from NAVER Corp SpringCamp and INNOBASE, Toonit has developed the 3D-based tool, Toonit Studio.

The tool allows creators to click and drop 3D components such as backgrounds, characters, objects to create their visualized scenes.

Users then add effects such as text, filters, stickers to create a collection of scenes and the final product is a webtoon that can be published for the world to read. What requires professional artists weeks or even months to draw a single chapter, can now be automated in minutes.

“With the advent of a new media era, the competition among content providers like over-the-top (OTTs) for original content is becoming more evident. The industry is not only seeking original content but also creating them,” said Toonit Co-Founder Andrew Kim.

“However it’s no easy task, even for a professional. We believe that Toonit mitigates the hurdle of having to draw, which can unleash even more original content from storytellers,

“While conducting our closed beta, we reached over 20,000 users from 97 countries within a few months. It was a very promising indicator for the potential creator market,” he added.

Toonit noted that some of the most popular series aired on Netflix such as Business Proposal, Itaewon Class, Hellbound originated from webtoons.

Not only are webtoons watched in Asia but has a growing presence worldwide and among major IP seekers such as game producers, motion picture houses, and animation studios, it said.

Up next, Toonit has plans on creating a program that represents featured creators, membership tiers, and monetization opportunities.

“It is crucial to create a sustainable creator ecosystem where various creators can interact, collaborate, and grow together,” said Kim.

For 2023, Toonit plans to focus on the South Korean, North American market, and aims to further its reach to Japan and France which are also known for its interest and creativity in webtoons.

“It’s amazing to see what people can create with really basic tools. Like the famous Mona Lisa painting drawn with MS Paint. We’re very excited to see what creators can create with Toonit and the stories that will be manifested,” Kim added.

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