Behind the character “Cho Seok” who makes us laugh with his stretched yellow t-shirt, protruding cheekbones, and angular eyes, there is a professional Cho Seok who has drawn comics for 20 years without rest. When the spotlight shone on him or not, he silently kept his place. He has now revealed his true “sound of the heart.” When I read his sentence that while people worry about “how to move forward,” he worried about “how to stand,” I had to stop reading and stare at that sentence for a long time. A sincere and weighty self-confession from a professional who has led an era and pioneered a genre, yet has continued the difficult work of creating his own stories for 20 years. The “fun” that is his main specialty at the end is a pleasant bonus.
— Jang Ryu-jin, novelist, author of The Joy and Sorrow of Work

I remember when The Sound of Your Heart was serialized in the amateur webtoon corner before it was promoted to an official webtoon. It might be awkward to say this now, but even then, I thought artist Cho Seok was different from the very beginning. The shock I felt when I first saw The Sound of Your Heart, and the thought that followed, was: “How is every episode funny? How?” I couldn‘t hear the answer to my own question for 15 years, but through this book I finally can. Since I also have experience serializing webtoons, I felt a sense of kinship, and also thought, “This part is different from me,” “Amazing,” “He really was different from the start!” As I always thought, people who draw comedy comics for a long time are truly amazing.
— Lee Mal-nyeon (Calm Man, YouTube creator)

★ A debut essay collection from Cho Seok, author of The Sound of Your Heart (7 billion views), marking 20 years since his debut. In an era where everyone anxiously rushes forward, he proposes that “standing firm matters more than running.” Known for 20 years with zero lateness and zero hiatus.
★ This is a survival record for creators and office workers: having struggled and fallen, Cho Seok ultimately learned how to stand for the long haul. For everyone who persists through repetitive daily life, not how to get ahead, but how not to fall and not to retreat.
★ With his signature cheerful yet piercing humor, Cho Seok opens up about his creative philosophy, the joys and sorrows of being a comedy webtoon artist, and the relationships that sustained him.

In his first essay collection, Cho Seok, creator of the record-breaking webtoon The Sound of Your Heart, reflects on 20 years as a webtoon artist. He started with a monthly pay of 150 USD, was rejected for serialization because his drawing skills were considered below standard, and faced indifference from fellow cartoonists. Yet he held on to his belief that even if he was not the best at drawing, he could make the funniest comics. Over five chapters, he shares thoughts on sincerity, persistence, creativity, family, and what it means to keep standing rather than run. The book includes his illustrations and behind-the-scenes stories.

Cho Seok (조석)
Cho Seok is one of Korea's best-known webtoon artists and has been drawing webtoons for over twenty years. He rose to fame with his hit daily comedy series The Sound of Your Heart, which mixes ordinary family life with over-the-top humor. The series became hugely popular, setting major records. The series was adapted into a drama, animation, and game, and is widely seen as helping fuel the growth of Korea's webtoon industry.

In addition to comedy, Cho Seok has explored other genres such as horror, thriller, and sports through works like Moon You, The Zone of Jo, Planet Human, and ZD. The film adaptation of Moon You (Moon Man) became a global hit, showing the wide appeal and potential of K-webtoons. He has won major awards, including the Grand Prize at the Korea Comics Awards (2017) and China's Golden Dragon Award (2015), and previously served as President of the Korea Webtoon Artists Association.

Foreword
Prologue
Chapter 1: It's Okay, It Was Natural
Chapter 2: Sincerity Is the Concept, Cho Seok Is the Genre
Chapter 3: Is It Okay to Be a Little Boring?
Chapter 4: Asking After the Main Characters
Chapter 5: Now a Warm City Man
Epilogue