Are you a fellow fan of superheroes? Do you want to read about a world where your power determines your fate? Read along and learn about the world of unOrdinary.
I am pleased to introduce the Original WEBTOON creator, Chelsey Han, known otherwise online as uru-chan. uru-chan is the author and creator of the Superhero Action series unOrdinary, which has taken WEBTOON by storm since its debut in May 2016. As a seven-year-strong series, unOrdinary has a powerfully loyal fan base backing it. With over three hundred episodes released on WEBTOON and the support of her fans, uru-chan has recently launched the first printed volume of unOrdinary, available to fans through sites and stores like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Target. Barnes & Noble, for example, is currently offering fans a signed copy of the first issue. Click here for the link and a chance to own a signed copy, and if you wish to support uru-chan further, click here for a link to her Patreon! uru-chan has also announced that Volume 2 of unOrdinary will be launched in July 2024 and is open to preorder, so keep your eyes peeled and your wallets ready!
According to her bio, uru-chan has always loved manga and anime and taught herself how to draw and write her own stories. Her comic creator backstory is admirable and encouraging for aspiring creators. She took an idea, made it her own, and worked hard to make it a reality for others, and you can too!
Whether you’re a long-time or brand-new fan of UnOrdinary, you may want to learn about uru-chan’s comic and creative process. The following passage includes a Q&A that delves into what it takes to be a comic creator, what it took to build UnOrdinary, and how it has evolved into the powerhouse it is today.
- How would you describe your creative process?
Fast-paced, haha. There’s only a week to work on each episode, so I try to be as efficient as possible. I know the basic overarching plot for unOrdinary, so I use that as a guideline every week. Every Thursday, I’ll start by brainstorming and planning out details in the upcoming update: Who appears? What happens? Who says what? How do these events affect the overall plot? Once this is mostly established, production begins! Generally, I will spend the first two days planning and sketching, the next three days inking and coloring, and the last two days finalizing the episode for upload.
- What would you suggest to any aspiring comic creators?
Always write about something that you enjoy and that you’re passionate about. You never know how long this journey is going to be, so the most important thing is that you have fun while doing it. Also, make sure to take care of yourself because if your body and mind aren’t well, then neither is your story!
- What inevitably led you to use WEBTOON as a platform?
I was looking for webcomic sites to post my work. When I came across WEBTON, they happened to be hosting a Superhero-themed contest. I did well in the contest and decided to work with them as an Original creator.
- How has collaborating with WEBTOON benefited you as an Original creator?
WEBTOON is great for bringing initial readers to your comic. If a creator is able to engage their audience early on, then WEBTOON helps push their stories to an even wider audience, off-platform (ads through IG, Youtube, TikTok, etc) WEBTOON also pays a base salary that helps make weekly updates more manageable. In my case, I was able to focus most of my energy on creating and less on promotion and visibility.
- What inspired unOrdinary? What drives you to tell this particular story?
unOrdinary was made for WEBTOON’s Superhero contest back in 2015. I’ve always liked parodies, so I thought it would be funny to make a story where the main character was just a background character while the side characters acted as the mains. Later on, my focus became more on the social and psychological effects of a super-powered world could have on society. As a kid, I watched a lot of historical dramas and saw that people were treated differently based on the families they’re born into, and growing up, I learned that society is still very similar even in the current day. People have advantages depending on their money, race, intelligence, how they look, etc, but should things be like this? It’s a question that’s stuck with me, and I’ve just continued to explore, I guess.
- How did the original idea of unOrdinary evolve into what it is now?
As the story progressed, the characters became more complicated, and so did the world. Looking through insightful comments from readers has also inspired me to write about more in-depth themes.
- Who and what is your favorite unOrdinary character and ability, and why?
My favorite character changes depending on who I’m writing at the time. For example, I loved John back when he was going through his rampaging arc. Now my favorite is Arlo because of his moral dilemma that he’s stuck in!
My favorite ability is Isen’s Hunter ability. It’s so handy and versatile, and I think it’s one of the only useful ones to have in real life.
- How would you describe the power system in unOrdinary to new fans of the series?
The level scaling goes from 1-10. The higher your level, the stronger you are. People with a level greater than 4 are actually extremely rare, so anyone with something that high is considered a big shot in the unOrdinary world.
- What is the driving force behind your comic’s committed fanbase?
Honestly, sometimes I wonder myself! I think because the comic has gone on for so long, a lot of unOrdinary‘s readers feel a strong connection with the characters and their personal alignments. Either way, I am so blessed to be able to write for such wonderful readers for almost a decade!
- What do you hope fans learn from unOrdinary and its array of characters?
People come from all different backgrounds and have different ways of thinking, but it’s important to take the time to listen and learn from each other. The characters in unOrdinary have all changed so much since episode 1, and now that they’ve come to a decent understanding, they can all work together towards a common goal (or at least be at peace with each other.)
- With over 300 episodes, how do you stay motivated to continue creating?
Same as it’s always been — watching the anticipation from readers every week motivates me to continue creating for them. And seeing the story shift to different mediums, such as print, definitely gives a big morale boost too!
- With unOrdinary debuting soon as a graphic novel, is a physical copy its ultimate form, or do you have plans for other adaptations, such as creating an animated series?
It still blows my mind that there are physical copies of unOrdinary out there! Back in high school, I’d read manga in the back of my Barnes & Noble, so this is a full-circle moment and I’m extremely grateful. My ultimate dream, though, is to have an anime, so fingers crossed that we get one someday!
- With popularity for unOrdinary skyrocketing, do you foresee yourself branching out with other projects?
Projects, like other stories? Yeah, for sure! I’ve grown up writing stories, so this is something that I’ll definitely continue to do for the rest of my life. unOrdinary has taught me a lot, and I’m looking forward to applying all the skills I’ve learned to my future projects.
- Lastly, is there anything you would like to say to your fans?
You guys are the best! Thank you for sticking with the story for so long… it’s been over seven years since it started, and it’s still going strong! unOrdinary would not be where it is without its amazing, dedicated readers!
New episodes of unOrdinary update every Thursday! If you’re interested in superheroes and how power can corrupt, check out the series and tell us in the comments what your ideal power would be! And if you’re interested in us interviewing more WEBTOON creators, comment below with some Original creator suggestions!
I’m one of her biggest fans!!! How did you get to speak to her?