Margaret Troup
March 14, 2021
Author Rachel Smythe’s popular WebToon “Lore Olympus” will be getting a print first edition Oct. 5. “Lore Olympus” follows a modern-day retelling of multiple Greek mythology stories, with the main focus being on Persephone and Hades. The first chapter of “Lore Olympus” was released to WebToon on March 4, 2018, to critical acclaim. This pilot comic garnered over 65,000 followers for Smythe seemingly overnight, with 4.4 million views and a 9.77 rating out of 10. It was announced on the three-year anniversary of “Lore Olympus” by Smythe that the first 25 chapters of the comic will be released in a print edition as “Volume One” in a “Lore Olympus” book series. In addition to the 25 well-known stories, Smythe will also be including a never-before-seen comic. “Lore Olympus” is known more for just its excellent story-writing and character development. The unique digital art style that seems to give characters a glowing, water-colored appearance is a signature style by Smythe. Based on her other lesser-known work, such as “The Doctor Foxglove Show,” “The Doctor Pepper Show” and “The Maiden,” one can quickly recognize Smythe’s truly unique artistic style that makes the characters seem so fluid and natural. The expansion beyond WebToon doesn’t end in a print edition for “Lore Olympus,” however. It was announced in June 2020 that Netflix will be making an animated TV series based on the comics. Since this initial announcement, no further information about the release of the “Lore Olympus” animated series has been announced.