Comics from the 1970s–90s met at the Korea Manhwa Museum… Memories of a boy dreaming of robots

For the middle-aged generation who lived through the 1970s to the 1990s, comics remain more than just simple entertainment; they are a piece of their youth. According to a video released by Culture Portal, participants who visited the Korea Manhwa Museum shared the sentiments of that time, reminiscing about the comics they enjoyed reading and their memories of comic book stores.

Ten-won coins, comic book stores, and the days of dreaming of robots

The participants in the video recalled the time they spent in comic book stores during their childhood. Along with recollections that it cost about ten won to read a single comic book back then, they painted pictures of saving up pocket money to visit comic book stores or sharing comic books with friends. In particular, comic book stores were special spaces for children, to the point where they envied the sons of the comic book store owners.

Characters in comics were also connected to childhood dreams. One participant mentioned the robot comic 'Robot Jjippa' and said that while watching comics featuring robots, they dreamed of becoming a scientist who builds robots. The video used generative AI technology to recreate the atmosphere of that era through these past memories, drawing empathy from viewers.

From Treasure Island to The Terrifying Foreign Baseball Team, comics that defined an era

Various comic works exhibited at the museum stimulated the participants' memories. From early robot comics like 'Iron Man Kang Tau' to 'The Terrifying Foreign Baseball Team,' which is based on baseball, various works from different eras were mentioned. In particular, 'Treasure Island' was recalled as a representative medium where works like 'Dooly the Little Dinosaur' and 'Maengkkongi Sadang' were serialized, making children of that time wait for the next story.

One participant shared an anecdote about fighting with friends to be the first to read comic books provided at school. The sentiment of an era when bringing comic books like 'Treasure Island' to school made one very popular among friends was also expressed. The participant shared their feelings, saying, "Back then, they were just comics I read because they were fun, but looking at them again now, it feels like many moments of my childhood, the time spent with friends, and the dreams I had are contained within them."