With a Disney Lifeline, Can Webtoon Finally Win Over America? (1)

When South Korean-born Webtoon Entertainment Inc. made its first big push into the US more than a decade ago, it knew breaking into American households could be a challenge. After all, even Marvel legend Stan Lee—one of the biggest names in comic books—admitted to having only a passing knowledge of the company that pioneered vertical-scrolling digital comics before he was asked to partner with it in 2015. “When I first heard about this event, I thought, ‘What is Webtoon?’” he joked at San Diego Comic-Con that year. “Something you eat?”

Fans waiting to enter the Webtoon booth at New York Comic Con.

Photographer: Giacomo Fortunato for Bloomberg Businessweek

But gaining traction in the world’s largest economy has ...