Most of us have a cartoon we associate with our childhoods. You may have fond memories of a cartoon whose theme song you could -- and can still -- sing by heart. Maybe you were a comic book nerd, and remember pretending you were your favorite hero. Regardless of the medium, cartoons embody memories and can define a generation.

Ask anyone from the baby boomer generation who spent their heyday in Korea during the 1970s and 1980s and they will know of the late cartoonist Lee Sang Moo (1946-2016) who passed away only in January. More importantly, they will remember his character Dokko Tak.

This free-spirited kid, sporting a buzz cut, arrived on the scene in 1971 in the comic book "Freckles." At the time, the main characters in manhwa, or comic books, were usually handsome and kind, with rather flat personalities. Dokko Tak was a breath of fresh air for adoring fans. "Freckles" centers on a young boy with a talent for baseball whose father is against his son playing the sport. While his father's disapproval causes trouble for him, Dokko Tak disguises himself and plays baseball anyway, eventually bringing his team to victory. This complex character who, despite his character flaws, rises to the top of his game made him a household name. Through the years, readers laughed and cried with Dokko Tak in the unique world that Lee Sang Moo created for his fans.


Cartoonist Lee Sang Moo, or "Dokko Tak's dad" as he is fondly known, was born in 1946 in Gimcheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province. In 1963, as a high school student, he got his first cartoons published in the Yeongnam Ilbo, a Daegu newspaper. So began his career. After graduating from high school, he left his hometown for Seoul and became an apprentice for cartoonists Park Ki Jeong and Park Ki Joun, two brothers who were already established in the industry. It was during this time that the cartoonist decided to drop his legal name Park No Cheol and began producing work using his pen name Lee Sang Moo. The 1966 high school romance comic series "No Mi Ho and Joo Lee Hye" was the first work to be published under his new name.

In the 1970s, Dokko Tak the mischievous baseball player was born. Unlike his contemporaries, the character was of a small build, was rebellious and was driven by envy. Over the next few decades, from the 1970s through to the 1980s, Lee Sang Moo catapulted this character into being the protagonist in several manhwa series. Hit works published during the time were "Chorus of Pigeons," "Boy That Never Cries," "Friendship Mound" and "Run, you Slowpoke!" In these comic books Dokko Tak is at times a trouble-making boy, or an orphan who has run away from the orphanage, or a star pitcher on the baseball field. Starting in the 1980s, during the time when high school baseball leagues were gaining immense popularity, the television series "My Name is Dokko Tak" was broadcast to the delight of avid fans.


The 30-year golden age of Dokko Tak eventually came to a close, but Lee Sang Moo continued publishing sports comics, this time on golf, through the 1990s. Until recently, Lee told interviewers that he was learning to create his work on programs such as Photoshop, Illustrator and Painter. He wanted to visually express his memories of childhood from the 1950s, and to write a story that people young and old could relate to on an emotional level.

Unfortunately the late cartoonist passed away before his dream could be realized. In commemoration of Lee Sang Moo and his legacy, the Korea Manhwa Museum will be hosting an exhibition entitled "Lee Sang Moo, the boy that never cries" from March 15 to April 14. At the exhibit, visitors will be able to see the artist's drawing tools, watch interviews and browse the artist's portfolio. Dokko Tak will be there to guide fans every step of the way, in the footsteps of the legacy of his father, his creator.


By Lee Hana
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: Korea Cartoonists Association, Lee Sang Moo's official website
hlee10@korea.kr