Tappytoon is back at Anime NYC this year, and the lineup is a feast for romance fans, BL fans in particular. Tappytoon’s parent company Contents First is showing up with two things: a merch booth and an industry panel about BL and romantasy going to print. The booth carries merch from several new IPs, plus previously released Club JEM collectibles for one title I often recommend on my lists, The Broken Ring: This Marriage Will Fail Anyway, a great historical romance manhwa. The convention runs August 20 to 23 at the Javits Center in New York.
The Panel: The importance of BL & Romantasy
“BL & Romantasy: Genre Fandoms Rise with Tappytoon” Sunday, August 23, 1:45 to 2:30 p.m., Room B01-03
The panel brings together the three imprints currently doing the heavy lifting on getting Korean webtoons into print: Inklore (Penguin Random House), Seven Seas Entertainment, and Ize Press (Yen Press). In the official press release, Tappytoon announced that they want to talk about “how Boys’ Love (BL) and romantasy have grown from niche genres into globally recognized fandoms, and how loyal readers increasingly shape tastes and trends.”
So that basically means: the more readers a webtoon has and the more active its fandom is, the more likely it is that we get a physical print edition. If you want to know which webtoons you can already own, check my list of manhwa that have physical copies.
Here is what Ernest Woo, Chief Strategy Officer of Contents First, has to say about the panel:
“For the past decade, Tappytoon has grown alongside North American BL and romantasy fandoms by consistently bringing readers stories they care deeply about. Anime NYC gives us an opportunity to extend that relationship beyond reading into conversation and participation. We will continue creating more ways for fans to experience the webtoon stories and characters they love as part of their everyday lives.”
Club JEM at Booth #1131
Club JEM is Tappytoon’s official merch shop, and the booth is carrying exclusive goods from the following IPs:
- He Might Bite!
- DEAR. DOOR
- Don’t Mind Me, Daddy
- Kill Me Now
Merch types include character goods, diorama stands, art cards, photocards, stickers, and keychains.
Previously released Club JEM collectibles will also be there, from King’s Maker: Triple Crown, Wet Sand, and The Broken Ring: This Marriage Will Fail Anyway. Thanks to Tappytoon’s 10th anniversary, there will also be an opportunity to personalize your own collectible. Their mascot Jem will apparently play a big part in this.
And for those of you sitting at home wishing you had the money to fly to NYC for some merch: Club JEM has an online store that ships worldwide. If you’re a BL fan, you’ll definitely find something you like.
