When Grandma Met The K-Pop Demon Hunters... Good Old-Fashioned Korean Spirit is a new graphic novel by Kim Hyun Sook and Ryan Estrada.
Good Old-Fashioned Korean Spirit is a new graphic novel by husband-and-wife duo Kim Hyun Sook and Ryan Estrada. Published in October by Penguin Workshop, it is described as "When Grandma Met The K-Pop Demon Hunters" and a "lightly creepy, hilarious young adult graphic novel about first love, friendship, and Korean folklore, perfect for young readers looking to learn more about the culture that inspired K-Pop, K-Dramas, and other inescapable pop culture phenomena. It's also ideal for parents looking to encourage their kids to connect intergenerationally with their heritage, with a focus on the spirits from the protagonist's grandparents' stories coming to life."
Good Old-Fashioned Korean Spirit is a standalone follow-up to graphic novels Banned Book Club and No Rules Tonight and, like those, is a semi-autobiographical standalone story based on Hyun Sook's youth in the fascistic Fifth Republic of 1980s Korea, where she was targeted by the government for running an illicit book club reading and promoting banned works. They recently gained considerable press over their cancelled plans for an American Book Tour amidst tightening border scrutiny and declining travel to the U.S. Prior to that, Ryan, an American citizen, made it his mission to travel to every state challenging his and others' books, speaking directly to students and policy-makers about the importance of a free press. In their home country, Good Old-Fashioned Korean Spirit is set to be featured at the Busan Global Webtoon Festival this September, a follow-up to last year's incredible art show.
Good Old-Fashioned Korean Spirit follows Hyun Sook's friend Taehee as the year approaches Daeboreum, a holiday that celebrates the first full moon of the year. "Taehee couldn't care less. All she wants is to spend time with her boyfriend Kiwoo, avoid her controlling father, and play music for her mask dance club. But Taehee's weird granny and her even weirder friends have other plans for Taehee: they drag her, Kiwoo, and the rest of the dance club to their remote farm to celebrate Daeboreum...the old-fashioned way. As the group arrives at the farm, Taehee overhears her granny talking about ceremonies, ghosts, and possibly (probably) sacrificing her friends to evil spirits. And if that's not bad enough, Taehee just said those Three Little Words to Kiwoo that he can't seem to say back. Meanwhile, her friends are running wild with secrets they don't want the grannies to overhear. It seems like everyone is up to no good. The first full moon of the year is about to arrive, and with it, confessions that threaten to change everything. That is, of course, if they all make it out alive."
Ryan Estrada says, "When Hyun Sook and I started writing books about her experiences in a dangerously divided society under an authoritarian government that fostered distrust as they assaulted and imprisoned those who exercised free speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom to read, it was a cautionary tale. But as the world started to mirror the history we were writing about, we decided that we'd better write a book inspired by how Korea saved itself. Good Old-Fashioned Korean Spirit is about generation gaps, culture clashes, secrets, and other reasons that cause a persimmon orchard full of people to distrust and fear one another. But the more they communicate and collaborate, the more they realize that we're all in it together."
Hyun Sook added: "Korea did not come together to fight for freedom until everyone realized they were on the same side. Our book is about a group of grumpy old grannies who invite a group of troublemaking teens to their farm. Everyone is at odds, and the teens are terrified that the grannies will uncover their secret banned book club and turn them into the police. But they quickly learn that the grannies have secrets of their own, from their own experiences to ghost stories, folk tales, and legends about what haunts the farm. "