“Am I Dreaming?” – Snailords on Freaking Romance’s Live-Action Adaptation & Successful Webtoon Journey
Snailords, the creative genius behind Freaking Romance and Death: Rescheduled, has enjoyed a stellar run for nearly a decade. Freaking Romance explores two young people living in different dimensions but sharing the same apartment. Meanwhile, Death: Rescheduled delves into a world where murder is legal. With Freaking Romance getting a graphic novel adaptation by Webtoon Unscrolled and a film adaptation by Skybound Entertainment, Snailords’ work is reaching new heights.
The Genesis of Snailords’ Journey
Snailords shared insights into his long journey with Webtoon, his evolving creative process, and his reaction to the Freaking Romance film adaptation announcement.
“When I was little, I loved stories because they’re less complicated than making friends. I started reading a lot and enjoyed creating my own stories. In class, I would doodle instead of paying attention. Webtoon made this a viable career, and I began working professionally in 2015.”
Transitioning from Romance to Thriller
Death: Rescheduled debuted a year after Freaking Romance concluded. Snailords discussed the inspiration behind the series and the challenges of shifting from romance to thriller.
“It was rough. Romance focuses on whether characters end up together. Thrillers have many elements to keep readers engaged. Action panels were tough for me to draw. But it’s a fun learning experience.
With Freaking Romance, the challenge was to make conversations between two people in a room interesting. With Death: Rescheduled, it’s about keeping readers emotionally invested and hoping characters survive. In romance, it’s ‘will they end up together?’ In thrillers, it’s ‘will they survive?’”
Evolving as an Artist and Creator
Reflecting on his growth, Snailords shared how Freaking Romance influenced his approach to Death: Rescheduled.
“For Freaking Romance, I wasn’t familiar with storytelling. I learned a lot by taking a master class, watching YouTube videos, and reading different stories. This helped me understand what the audience liked. I applied these lessons to Death: Rescheduled. The skills I learned from making two people in a room interesting helped with dialogues in Death: Rescheduled.”
Snailords’ Creative Process
Snailords walked us through his creative process when working on his series and episodes.
“For my future series, I start with a one-liner pitch to my audience. For example, my upcoming story unAlived on First Date is about a 21-year-old with resurrection powers trying to find his dead soulmate’s body by resurrecting a serial killer.
I pitch it to my audience on Instagram. If there’s interest, I create a storyboard. If the audience engages with it, I pitch it to Webtoon.”
The Joy of Print Adaptation
Discussing the print adaptation of Freaking Romance, Snailords shared his excitement about seeing his work in physical form.
“It’s insane. I grew up reading manga, so seeing my books on shelves is surreal. I love that the audience can hold a piece of the story. I wasn’t involved much in the adaptation process because I worked with a great team. They did all the layout and everything. If it looks beautiful, it’s because of them.”
Live-Action Film Adaptation
Snailords expressed his excitement about the upcoming live-action adaptation of Freaking Romance by Skybound Entertainment.
“It is being adapted by Skybound Entertainment, known for The Walking Dead and Invincible. My family and I bonded over The Walking Dead, so I was excited they picked up Freaking Romance. It’s interesting to see a studio known for horror-thrillers work on a romance.
When they told me the announcement was made, my sister and I were screaming in excitement. I even called my mom, who knows The Walking Dead, and she was thrilled.”
Looking Ahead
Snailords shared his vision for the future and upcoming projects.
“I want to connect with other artists to create more stories faster. Each story takes me three to five years. If I want to bring multiple stories to life, it’s a long queue. I aim to work with more artists to develop several stories simultaneously.”
A Message to Fans
Snailords expressed his gratitude to his fans for their unwavering support.
“Stephen King’s wife took the script of Carrie from the trashcan and told him to continue working on it. That’s what my audience is for me. There are times when I want to quit, but my audience rescues me from the trashcan, saying, ‘No, you have to continue this. We love this.’ That motivates me so much.”
Death: Rescheduled is an ongoing series available on Webtoon. Freaking Romance is now in print by Webtoon Unscrolled and available wherever books are sold, with the completed webcomic also on Webtoon.
