GUMAA - A STORY ABOUT THE DARK SIDE OF OBSESSION

Jeehyung Lee is an artist from Seoul, South Korea, who's managed to create a comic book miniseries that's both mysterious and adventurous in tone. The name of his comic is 'Gumaa', and what now follows is a quick Q & A with the main man himself. Please enjoy.





1) What inspired you to create your comic book, 'Gumaa'?   In Korean, the word 'Gumaa' means 'exorcism', which's a word I chose because my story was partly inspired by those people who follow religion as if they're in some sort of cult. In many ways, I've tried to explore how certain people obsess over something like… collectibles, for instance, or have a deep desire to escape from whatever reality they're in. Well, we all have our own purpose, our own needs in life, which can sometimes become unethical due to greed and blind ambition.

2) In your own words, how would you describe this story?   'Gumaa' is a fast-paced, action-packed adventure that's dramatic, emotional, and all about redemption. Readers can also enjoy the story by looking at the visuals alone, as I made sure that each scene was atmospherically staged and appropriately focused.

3) What song would you say best represents this comic?   To answer this question, I'm going to select the song 'Destiny' from the 2005 film, 'Constantine'. Coincidentally, Manuel, who's one of the main characters from 'Gumaa', was named after one of the supporting characters from the aforementioned film.

4) If you could get a celebrity – either living or dead – to promote your wares, who would you choose, and why would you want to choose this particular person?   I'd like to choose the star of 'Constantine', Keanu Reeves, because even though I was originally thinking of a female exorcist for my story, I eventually changed my mind and made the exorcist male instead. A male who's fairly similar to Keanu Reeves.

5) During your time in this field, what is the one thing that has kept you in good stead?   Despite putting a lot of pressure on myself, I always try to paint something different for each project I create and push my abilities to their limits. That way, I can improve both my artistic skills and myself as a person.

And on that note, I would like to thank Jeehyung Lee for telling us about his comic book, 'Gumaa', before encouraging you to check out his official Website, Instagram, and Artstation pages. Or better yet, why not visit his current Kickstarter campaign that's now raising funds for the first issue!