• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.44
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• pp.307-331
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• 2016

Webtoon is the most popular cultural contents representing contemporary Korea. This study explores the cultural aspects of participatory culture surrounding Webtoon, and reveals the cultural implications of webtoon in contemporary Korea. Particularly, this study notes that the engagement of the participatory culture is formed from the user-generated images and analyzes the reproduction patterns of them. Chapter 2 analyzes the mimicking process of user-generated images based on the 'meme' concept. Especially based on the variation degree of text or image, the user-generated images could be classified into three types of 'completely variant', 'partly variant', and 'completely same'. Users use these images as one of the fun factor by transplanting them into daily messenger conversation. Chapter 3 reveals the cultural meaning which is derived from the process of user-generated images creation. In particular, this study notes that most of the user-generated images are mimicking the main character of the original webtoon, and analyzes the underlying desire of the mass based on the literary theory of Northrop Frye. The main readers of webtoon are petit-bourgeois living in Korean metropolitan, and the user-generated images also reflects the daily lives of these ordinary people. User-generated images of webtoon are imitating the original contents in a way of replicating or mutating the images or texts. Also, they are consumed and enjoyed as an amusing code among users. Especially by mimicking the appearance of the main character in a self-reflective way, they appeal to day-to-day sympathy of users. In that user-generated images reveal the desire of the public living in contemporary Korea, this study examines the cultural implication of webtoon.

• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.32
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• pp.263-288
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• 2013

This research is about effects which frontal-flat cameras have on narrative films. This kind of confined camera angles make the audience have a sense of tension which is barely defined logically. I think the tension comes from aleatorism. The paper is a research on how aleatorism is working on what kind of value, and what kind of effects it has on narrative films. Russian Formalism had argued they had to meet aesthetic values by totally excluding narratives. It can be said that this was a practice for Brecht's estrangement that a sensitive arousal prohibits the audience immersing into excessive empathy and then make them have a reflective thought. But occasionally, optical arousals in narrative films induce deeper immersion into contemplation rather than reflective thought. I intend to find cases regarding this textualising Front-flat camera angles in narrative films and analysing their contents. To do this, I suggest a more specified definition of 'aleatorism'. Because the concept of the aleatorism is different between an aspect of static image like paintings or photographs and narrative contents like cinema. It is divided into approach through form and approach through content. And I also suggest an operative definition about 'Frontal-flat camera angle' with a several confinements because its formal definition is very flexible depending on audience. The case analysis will be done with a form of discourse discerning two aspects of form and content. Conclusively, Frontal-flat camera angle in narrative film is basically have an effect of attention by optical stimuli. But it cannot be said that this always means deterioration of narrative value. Depending on causality of episodes in the whole story, aleatorism which Frontal-flat camera angle has can support immersed contemplation regarding following narrative rather than reflective thought regarding amusing aesthetics.

• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.39
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• pp.241-286
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• 2015

This study explores how folktales' motifs are used in diverse cultural contents such as literature, movies, or comics. More precisely, it is concerned with mysterious characters like Babayaga and Koshchei who appear in Russian fairytales. When the motifs of the reviewed literature are analyzed, the following three criteria are used for classification: New Writing, Rewriting, and New Version. Or course, it is New Writing that is far from the original work. Most of the collected works, including Joan Aiken's The Kingdom Under the Sea, Patricia Polacco's Babushka's Doll, Babushka Baba Yaga, and Tai?-Marc Le Thanh's BABAYAGA, belong to New Writing. The New Writing type mainly focuses on Babayaga's secluded life. In fairytales, Babayaga is depicted as the goddess of Mother Earth, the heroine of the Nature, or the ruler of the Animal Kingdom. That is why she lives in the deep and uninhabited wood. She is related to the Coming of Age ceremony. Her 'Hut on hen's legs' is an obstacle for immature protagonists to face before they come of age. Protagonists are supposed to solve the problems posed by Babayaga. If they succeed, they can get her magical help so as to complete their final mission. Babayaga is likely to appear as their antagonist. Protagonist may be subjected to a terrible ordeal created by Babayaga, and then come of age by recovering from that ordeal. Sometimes, Babayaga helps protagonists to get a grip on reality. That is why she lives in a hut in the deep and dark forest which is on the borderline between life and death. On the other hand, Marianna Mayer's Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave has been classified as a controversial work between New Writing and Rewriting. It is apparently closer to New Version. However, it cannot be classified as a work of New Version because the author incorporates 'probability' into her work. Among the reviewed works, it is Korean Writer Rye, Kami's The Spider Woman's House that best reflects the essence of Babayaga. Babayaga and other characters are amusing in movies because most of the movies are animations for children. In one sense, it is positive that the scary characters in folktales are approachable to children. In other sense, however, it is regrettable that symbolic motifs are completely eliminated. In Mike Mignola's Hellboy, Japanese animations such as Index or Narutaru, on-line games such as Cabal or Vampire: The masquerade, the essence of the supernatural characters in folktales is completely eliminated, and only their 'belligerent power' stands out. It is desirable to put stories into perspective whether they are written or told. The literature property of folktales provides a special opportunity to readers. In this light, a variety of motifs have a good reason to be reborn as modern cultural contents. The bottom line is to maintain its true nature.

• Journal of Korean Classical Literature and Education
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• no.32
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• pp.29-61
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• 2016

A joke (才談, 재담) is "the most interesting and witty language unit" in our speech. However, the search of a joke is still starting. Although joke are related to the witty and interesting talks, stories, songs and plays, the actual object of a joke is only the witty and interesting talk. A joke is witty talk that is interesting or laughter-inducing. Many Jokes can be found in the traditional Korean funny performing arts (演戱, 연희). This is because these art forms are performed in open yards, which necessitated amusing the audience, amusement, in its turn, required jokes. Jokes in the traditional funny performing arts can generally be classified as follows: 1) Jokes related to a situation: These include right words at a given situation, exaggerating words, diminishing words, deviancy words, and cause-effect words. 2) Jokes related to discourse: These include enumerating words, amplificatory words, contrasting words, fluently lying words, undeniable words, purposely unknowing words, and deliberately incorrect words. 3) Jokes related to vocabulary: These include synonym, similar words, changed word-ordering words, and incorrect words. 4) Jokes related to pronunciation: These include homonyms, and anti-homonyms. Although there may be other jokes, those presented above are typical ones. A joke is "the result that human being can achieve when he/she has overcome natural and social difficulties and is left with only a free and creative spirit." Jokes are necessary in all ages and everywhere. Today, more varied and high-level jokes can be created by developing the diversity of jokes in traditional funny performing arts. Also, I expect new sorts of jokes, because a joke always demands a creative spirit.

• Archives of design research
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• v.18 no.3 s.61
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• pp.199-208
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• 2005

This study analysis if the concepts of kitsch and vernacular remains as cultural elements for product design. Because their function and aesthetic value have vivid possibilities for general product design fields. For the purpose, this study limits its range within post modernism, kitsch, and vernacular, and analyzes their relationships. Against functionalism, post modernism had cultural pluralisms to approach into popular styles, and some of them was amusing design. That post modernism designs stimulated human beings' emotion by decorations or some symbolic forms from specific objects is similar to the symbolism, regionalism, or pluralism of kitsch or vernacular. Kitsch is a free style that is not limited in any specific trends. It is a Meta culture that has influenced into various fields including design, so kitsch does not have a parallel position with a product or design. In product design, kitsch is the behavior and result of imitating existing objects' images. It could have amusement according to which objects are imitated. So if human beings feel amusement by kitsch, it could be same as the direction of post modernism. Kitsch is determined by design atmospheres. They cannot be specified abjectly, and can be different according to people. With symbolism and regionalism, kitsch and vernacular appeared according to people's needs. While kitsch is consumer's tastes-oriented, vernacular is cultural tradition-oriented. Kitsch has symbolism that specifies products' functions or design concepts, and it is a communication method between human being and products. Because vernacular is province-oriented, it has a lot of styles according to regional living environments and cultural differences. So vernacular design reflects continued traditional lifestyles. By restorative memory, regionalism, cultural pluralism, amusement, and symbolism, kitsch and vernacular could be understood the sub or parallel concepts of post modernism. They might be easily miss-understood mixed concepts that have western and national characters. But in kitsch and vernacular concept, modernizing pas by using the pluralism of post modernism should be considered positive. So, the range of the further study is also supposed to be focused on more widened fields to, to establish cultural identification in design.