TurtleMe, the author behind the acclaimed fantasy webcomic and novel The Beginning After the End, has broken his silence regarding the impending closure of the digital comics platform Tapas. The platform has served as the creative incubator and primary distributor for the franchise for nearly a decade, alongside publishing his newer novel Soul Forged.
The announcement from parent conglomerate Kakao Entertainment outlines sweeping corporate restructuring, which includes shuttering Tapas and retiring Kakao Webtoon in South Korea to unify digital catalog operations directly under KakaoPage. The sudden development has triggered concern across the creator community regarding publishing rights, ongoing serializations, and release stability.
Creator Statement
I’m still trying to understand what exactly is going on, but suffice to say, I’m still in shock. Tapas has been my home for the past eight years... I don’t know what comes next yet, but I intend to do everything I can to keep my series going.
TurtleMe, Creator of The Beginning After the End
Despite the platform turbulence, TurtleMe reiterated his commitment to safeguarding the continuation of Arthur Leywin's journey. With the animated series adaptation backed globally by streaming giant Crunchyroll and previous print collections successfully crowdfunded, the intellectual property maintains substantial international momentum, even as corporate distribution channels shift.
