Dooly and his friends fight against ghost pirates. They battle mummies inside an Egyptian pyramid and are chased by giant mantises after suddenly being miniaturized.

These are some scenes from the comic strip “Dooly, the Little Dinosaur” created by artist and animator Kim Soo-jung. He published Dooly in the monthly comics magazine Bomulseom (보물섬, Treasure Island) from 1983 to 1993.

Now, however, we can see such scenes outside of the comic books themselves. The Dooly Museum will open its doors in mid-July this year in Ssangmun-dong, Dobong-gu District, in Seoul.

“Dooly, the Little Dinosaur” is a story of a little green dinosaur named Dooly who has supernatural powers. He was frozen inside a giant glacier in the South Pole which started to melt and flowed up the Hangang River in Seoul. Dooly embarks on adventures with the friends and family members of Go Kildong, the owner of the house where Dooly and his friends begin to live.



The Dooly Museum is Korea’s first museum about “Dooly, the Little Dinosaur.” The three-storied building is composed of two parts: a children’s library and the museum itself. In the museum, visitors can see a recreated studio workroom where the artist used to work as well as various drawings and paintings of Dooly. They can see important scenes from the comic strips recreated in galleries and based around various themes. People can enjoy the humor and fun of the comics by simply looking at the wall murals, the corridor or even the bathroom doors, all of which are decorated with Dooly and other key characters from the comics, such as Go Kildong, Douner, Ddochy and baby Heedong.

There is a 15-minute long 3-D animation of Dooly, too. The film was actually made a few years ago, but it wasn't released due to the difficulty of finding theaters that would show it. The museum is equipped with facilities for young children and toddlers, including a nursery and a songs and games room. There is even a cafeteria called “Jeongja’s Salon,” named after Kildong’s wife.

Korea.net recently met with Dooly’s creator Kim Soo-jung, who was extremely busy preparing for the opening of the museum.




- The Dooly Museum will soon open. This must be an extraordinary time for you.
In the past, I used to think about it with no special feelings, but when I came to the museum today, I saw the signboard saying 'Dooly Museum' on the way here. This is now quite real for me.

I wanted to create a space where people could feel the fun and joy of the comics. I wanted to say that this is just the beginning. This museum will continue to grow and develop. Though it is beginning only as a small theme park, it will become a decent museum within a few years. I will keep pondering how to make improvements to this museum.

I lived in Ssangmun-dong in Dobong-gu District of Seoul for many years. I thought that this neighborhood has fewer opportunities to enjoy the arts, with a weaker artistic foundation than found in other parts of Seoul. I hope the Dooly Museum can contribute to boosting the "cultural pride" of residents of Dobong-gu. I appreciate them for allowing the Dooly Museum to open here in this district.

- These days, there are a few theme parks based on cartoon characters, such as the Pororo Park based on “Pororo, Little Penguin” or the Dibo Village based on “The Gift Dragon Dibo.” Unlike them, you chose a museum for Dooly. Why did you to select a museum?
The difference between the Dooly Museum and other theme parks lies in the difference in their goals. The Dooly Museum does not seek a profit. This museum is designed as a space where everyone, from children to grownups, can rest and enjoy their time together. I had to consider all people, from children and teenagers, the main target of Dooly, as well as adults who grew up while reading Dooly, and even toddlers who learned about Dooly from their parents. So when designing the museum, we set the main target as children and toddlers, as well as grownups.

I wanted to create a place where both children and adults could come together and have fun. This is why I stuck to building a museum in the first place. I hoped to build a space where children could enjoy Dooly and have fun in their own way, while adults could recall their memories of Dooly while looking around the museum. I wanted to show the history of Dooly by building a museum. As Dooly was created a long time ago, I have only a few limited Dooly resources for this place. I lost a lot of my collectibles or memorabilia while moving many times. I guess Dooly fans would also have a lot of collectibles. In the future, I will look for Dooly-related items, either by purchasing them or receiving them as donations from fans, and put all of them on display here.



- What did you focus on most when preparing the museum? What was the most difficult thing during this process?
The most important thing for me was safety. I wanted to take extra care of safety, considering the young visitors. For example, I urged the builders to trim all the sharp edges off the furniture or handles for the safety of the children.
Another important aspect was to create a space where all people, regardless of age or sex, could have fun together. I hoped to build a place where little children and senior citizens could both naturally enjoy and share in the fun together. I wanted to add the fun of the comics to every corner of this museum. I believed this place should be fun everywhere. I took care of every single part, which many of us could have easily missed. I wanted to decorate even the walls in the toilets in a humorous way. For example, I rejected sculptures of the characters many times when they weren't up to my expectations. For this reason, we ended up making well-made sculptures, but it required going over-budget.

Another difficulty, apart from the budget issue, was the differences in the goals of the museum. Dobong-gu District Office proposed establishing a museum many years ago. At that time, they wanted to create an economic effect by building the museum to be a profit-making entity. I disagreed with that idea. So the museum idea was put off. A few years later, the district office again suggested it, but it was put off again. There were some ups and downs like that.

There were difficulties with the budget and administration while preparing to build the museum. We gradually reached agreement through negotiations. I will continue to development the museum even after its opening.

- Tell us the reason you chose a dinosaur, which don't exist today, as the main character of your work? Why did you choose Ssangmun-dong as the background of the Dooly world?
Children can make mistakes, but in the past, censorship was so strict that artists weren't allowed to describe adults or children as they truly were. So I thought of personifying an animal to avoid any censorship problems. There were many cartoons based on animals, such as “Snoopy” or “Tom and Jerry.” I wanted to do something new as an artist. I thought of going back to prehistoric times, like with cavemen and dolmens, and then I came upon dinosaurs.

Another question was how to bring a dinosaur from the past into today’s Seoul. I didn’t like unnatural settings. I believed that it needs to have a certain appropriateness and plausible reasons, even if this is the comics. Then I came up with a dinosaur locked and frozen inside a giant glacier from the Ice Age.

How can I bring the dinosaur up the Hangang River to Seoul? Well, in the past, there was a phone number for the so-called “knowledge center” where people asked questions and scholars in the related sector would answer. I called the number and got an answer to my question. I asked the lady over the phone without mentioning the dinosaur, as that would sound way too silly.

“Could a glacier from the South Pole flow up the Hangang River to Seoul as it melts?” The lady didn't answer. I heard her giggling. So I changed my question. “Would it be possible for water from the South Pole to flow up the Hangang River?” She then said, “As it would be the same water, yes, it would be possible to flow up the Hangang River.”

The reason I chose Ssangmun-dong was because I lived there for a long time and never lived anywhere else. The house of Go Kildong where Dooly lives was actually the house I was renting. There was a two-story house next to the house of my landlord. At that time, my landlord had two daughters. In the two-story house, a high school boy lived who used to shout very loudly when he played outside. He became a model for Michol, the dark-skinned guy who hopes to be a singer. Looking back, I think the student seemed to shout in order to send signs to the landlord’s daughters.

- Where did you get your inspiration for your works like “Spring of Odalja,” “Seven Spoons” or “Tong Tong”? Are there any real models for the characters like Go Kildong, Michol and Heedong?
In fact, even when I was little I dreamed of becoming a cartoonist. I made a few comics from the perspective of a child. It might be because I am not yet mature. My life is different from that of other ordinary people who work in an office or spend a day based on a regular schedule. I guess that's why I was able to think more freely from a child’s point of view.

Even now, I have been writing a story about a young girl from a little kid’s point of view. I modeled my youngest daughter, who is in Vancouver, Canada, at the moment. There is a deep, large forest close to where my daughter lives. I saw the forest and thought of writing a novel with the unofficial title “Where are all the Fairies?” It is a fantasy story about a forest where the fairies begin to disappear as the trees are gradually gone. I plan to make the book with many illustrations.

- It seems that Dooly’s adventures truly transcend time and space. He even fights with mummies in the pyramid, matches the king of the underworld and even goes to the battlefields of the Gulf War. What is the best episode of Dooly, in your view?
To be honest, for me, the best episode has not yet been made. I always feel something insufficient when I see my completed works. Actually, I did most of my work, including Dooly, with my bare hands while being pressed for time. I didn't have any aides. I did everything by myself, from making the lines to drawing the panels and rubbing with an eraser. So I was always running out of time. I regret failing to create an outcome that meets my high expectations.

- In many of your works, you drew yourself as a man with long curly hair. It may sound funny, but is there any reason you stuck to such hair?
There was a time when men were not allowed to have long hair due to government restrictions. I was often caught and had my hair cut. It made me look untidy and dull. I was forced to cut my hair so many times that I got angry. So I grew my hair and got it permed to make it look shorter. That was the beginning. I started to grow my hair. Some people told me that long permed hair suits me. I had such long hair for almost 31 years. It’s been six years that I have had short hair, like now.

- The comics seem to have wider influence across many genres these days. What advice would you give to those who wish to become comic artists?
I would say that the comic industry these days is reminiscent of the Warring States period in Chinese history. In the past, only two or fewer comic artists were able to make it. It was so hard to begin as a cartoonist in those times. Nowadays, however, thanks to the wide use of online comic strips, there are so many comic artists debuting at the same time. It has both merits and demerits. In the past, they spent longer time to train themselves to prepare for their debut, which helped many of them succeed. However, it seems that too many unprepared new comers are coming onto the field these days. Some promising artists seem to be buried by them, even before people discover their abilities. For those who want to become a comic artist all their lives, I would say, please take a longer time to prepare and to train yourself. Becoming a comic artist will have both good sides and bad sides. There are also hardships. Those who are prepared to, can overcome such difficulties in a wise manner.

- What is the “best work” in your mind?
It is hard to put it in one word. Each artist has a different style and expression technique. It is not possible to make an assumption about what would constitute a "best work." However, I believe that many works of art are made from the sweat and tears of the artist; those are the best. It may be insufficient and less perfect, but if each work of art contains the artist's sincerity, I would say that it would be his or her best. I can find such works even if they are not best sellers. Not all best sellers are great works of art. Lesser known works can also be some of the best, too.

- Is there any moment when you thought, “I am so lucky to be a cartoonist”?
Ever since I was little I dreamed of becoming a comic artist. I always thought comics were something I should do. In the past, there was a misconception that saw comic books and graphic novels as trash. I didn't have a fantasy about the comics. Even now, I think drawing comic books is something I should do, which I enjoy and which I love to do.

- What do you wish to do with the main characters of your works?
I wish to focus on developing the Dooly Museum. I hope the establishment of this place can help develop the neighborhood overall. I have many plans, such as creating a walking trail surrounding the museum, all about Dooly, and creating a sculpture park with Dooly in a pirate's ship. Over the next three years, the museum will make many more improvements.

By Yoon Sojung
Photo: Jeon Han
Korea.net Staff Writers
arete@korea.kr