"People must understand that nothing is impossible. When you put your mind to something, you can achieve anything. Yi Sun-sin is a living testament to this belief."

So said Onrie Kompan, a 31-year-old U.S. comic book creator living in Chicago. He made the four-volume comic book miniseries "Yi Soon Shin: Warrior and Defender" about the life of Admiral Yi, as he was impressed with the military man's story after watching a TV historical drama "The Immortal Yi Soon Shin" about the admiral when he was in college.

A total of 12 comic books, all of it printed in color, have been published. The first series' graphic novel narrates the story of Admiral Yi who fought in the bloody war that began with the Japanese invasion of Korea in the late 16th century. The seventh series will be published in December.

Some readers wrote in their reviews that the vibrant colors and the art work revived the hero from 400 years ago.



Kompan recently came to Korea, as he was invited to visit the Great Battle of Hansan Festival in Tongyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do (South Gyeongsang Province). He recently watched the film, "The Admiral: Roaring Currents," which recently set a domestic attendance record by attracting over 16 million viewers.

"I’m thrilled with the film’s success and that Korea continues to show so much admiration for its great hero," he said. "Even though I saw it without subtitles, I understood everything that was going on. I’m really looking forward to showing my version of the Battle of Myeongnang in my comic book series."

As for the success of the film, Kompan said it's attributed to, "Yi's determination to fight the Japanese, despite the overwhelming odds he faced. Even his men were not one hundred percent behind him, but he still went to war because there were no other options."

In another achievement for his comic company, Kompan said his graphic novel will likely be published in Korean. "I can't give you the details, but I am discussing it with a local publisher," he said.


Korea.net recently sat down with comic book creator Onrie Kompan to talk about how he came to produce a comic book series about Admiral Yi.

- I heard that you recently visited Tongyeong to attend the Great Battle of Hansan Festival in Korea. How was your visit?

Fantastic! I enjoyed Tongyeong so much and was awarded an honorary degree for writing my book and distributing it throughout the U.S. I was even asked to wear the robes of the high commander. It was a great honor and pleasure.



- How did you get know about Admiral Yi Sun-sin in the first place?

I discovered Admiral Yi through the KBS historical TV soap opera "The Immortal Yi Soon Shin." While I was in college, I had a roommate who told me about the KBS show. Eventually in 2006, I got my hands on the DVD collection and my life has not been the same since.

- What made you first begin creating the comic book “Yi Soon Shin?”

After seeing this drama, I knew that I had to tell Admiral Yi’s story in comic book form. I believed in it so much that I risked everything to make it happen. This was a story I was born to tell and share with the entire world.

- What impressed you the most about the historical character of Admiral Yi?

- The fact that he is a real life hero. He actually existed, unlike many other comic book superheroes. Aside from the fact that he simply existed, he also had a great heart, a great mind and was the ultimate hero. I admire the fact that such a figure actually lived. He is by far one of the most unique historical figures about whom I have ever read.

- Were there any difficulties in creating a graphic novel about Admiral Yi? If so, what were they?

- There were too many to name. In the U.S., just about every publisher rejected the book out of fear that, because it is an Asian themed story, it wouldn’t sell. I had to prove to them otherwise by going to multiple conventions and selling the book by hand. To date, I’ve sold over 33,000 books and my numbers keep climbing.

Aside from that, the challenge has been creating a product worthy of the U.S. audience, as well as the worldwide audience. This book is a true labor of love for my team. They bleed and sweat out every damn page. They are the true champions of this series.

My job goes beyond writing this book. I have to manage my team, print the book and actually travel to comic book conventions all over the U.S. to hand-sell books to customers. All of it is difficult, but at the same, a lot of fun. I have not made any money for myself yet, but I am so driven to make this work that I am willing to go to whatever ends I have to in order to make Admiral Yi a worldwide success.



- It must have required a lot of research to create a graphic novel about the admiral. How did you do your research or study about the characters in your book?

- I began by reading translated editions of "Nanjung Ilgi," "Imjinjangcho," "Jingbirok," and many other books written by Western historians about the subject matter.

I eventually came to Korea for research and worked with Professor Chung Byung-woong of Soonchunyang University. He introduced me to people in the Republic of Korea Army and Navy, which also aided my research.

- Is there any scene you regard as being the most impressive or memorable in your graphic novel? If so, please tell us about it.

- I am pleased with every image and every word on every page because we didn’t rush or skip any details. We made a perfect product. That’s why I have the strength to sell it.

- Your book has received great reviews ever since it was first launched in 2007. What is your key to getting a favorable response?

- They love it! We’ve sold over 33,000 books to date with no distribution, and the numbers keep climbing. Americans love that there is a true hero that exists and they enjoy the story that we have created. Their positive response has been very moving.



- What does Admiral Yi mean to you?

- Admiral Yi is a teacher for me. I consider myself to be a disciple of his methods of leadership. He respected everyone that was above and below him, which is not a common trait for many leaders. In his mind, everyone that served loyally had value. I believe that behind every great leader is a group of good people. He had the power to inspire those people to win a war with near impossible odds.

More importantly, however, he had a big heart and was willing to sacrifice everything to save his nation. He was brave and fearless, but most importantly victorious because of his sound thinking. There has never been anyone like that before in history.

- Where do you get inspiration for your work?

Everywhere, though my journey is often a lonely one, as I often find myself bearing the bulk of responsibility. Every time I feel like giving up, I just remind myself of what Admiral Yi went through and I say to myself, “Those who seek death shall live and those who seek life shall die.” Those words give me the strength to stand when all I want is to lie down. The same goes for my team.

- Is there any theme on which you hope to focus with your next book? If so, please explain it to us.

My focus is to make Admiral Yi a worldwide success, and therefore it is my primary focus. I do have another book in the works right now about my grandfather’s life. He was a Jewish Russian soldier during World War II. I think many Korean people would find his life to be very interesting.

By Limb Jae-un, Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writers
jun2@korea.kr