World’s largest digital comics platform Webtoons is celebrating Rachel Smythe’s third consecutive Harvey Award win for her global hit webcomic Lore Olympus. The series was honoured with the award for Digital Book of the Year during the 2023 Harvey Awards ceremony at New York Comic Con on Friday night.
Lore Olympus is a modern retelling of Persephone and Hades’ mythological love story, which has accumulated more than 1.5 billion views on Webtoon. Since its launch on the platform in 2018, the webcomic has become one of the world’s most esteemed digital comics and has been adapted across several formats. Lore Olympus has been published in print by Penguin Random House (Inklore), reaching #1 on the New York Times bestseller list multiple times. The hit webcomic series also has a merchandise deal and an animated series in development from Wattpad Webtoon Studios and The Jim Henson Company.
This is the third consecutive Harvey Award win for Smythe and Webtoon, continuing the series’ 2023 sweep across some of the most prestigious awards in comics. Lore Olympus is the first series to win three consecutive Harvey Awards for Digital Book of the Year, along with back-to-back Eisner and Ringo Awards for Best Webcomic in 2023.
“It has been such a joy to see the world of Lore Olympus resonate with readers worldwide, and I’m so grateful to the fans for their continued support of this series year after year,” said Smythe. “It has been an incredible journey building this story on Webtoon, and to have my work recognised by my esteemed industry peers during New York Comic Con is an absolute honour.”
“It is a privilege to help share Rachel Smythe’s unmatched creative talents with millions of readers around the world on Webtoon,” added Webtoon Entertainment CEO and founder Junkoo Kim. “Lore Olympus has become a timeless story that pushes the boundaries of the webcomic format, with art and a narrative that will inspire people for generations.”
Lore Olympus’ latest win marks a year of growing recognition for Webtoon creators across the industry’s biggest awards. Mike Birchall’s hit horror series Everything is Fine, was also nominated for a 2023 Harvey Award for Digital Book of the Year. Earlier this year, Webtoon creators and projects were nominated across the Eisner and Ringo Awards. Eisner-nominated projects and creators include Webtoon’s breakout collaboration with DC, Batman: Wayne Family Adventures, Sarah Anderson’s Cryptid Club, Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper Volume 4, Joshua Barkman’s Spores, Michael Adam Lengyel’s The Mannamong, and Dark Horse’s print edition and translation of Webtoon sensation Hellbound, by Yeon Sang-ho and Choi Gyu-seok, translated by Danny Lim.
At the 2023 Ringo Awards, Hanza Art’s The Guy Upstairs and Nevermore from Kate Flynn and Kit Trace both won Fan Favorite awards, along with nominations for Quimchee’s I Love Yoo, LizardxLizard’s Finding Fiends, Scragony’s Vampire Husband, and Live with Yourself! by Shen and David J Catman.
