Castle Swimmer

Castle Swimmer
AuthorWendy Lian Martin
WebsiteCastle Swimmer on Webtoon
Current status/scheduleOngoing; updates Sundays
Launch dateJanuary 5, 2019
Publisher(s)Webtoon, Ten Speed Press
Genre(s)Fantasy, Romance
Original languageEnglish

Castle Swimmer is a fantasy LGBTQ romance webcomic by Wendy Lian Martin. It has been published digitally on Webtoon since 2019, and in print since 2024 by Ten Speed Graphic.

Plot

In a world inhabited by various species of mermaids, the prince of the sharks, Siren, learns of a prophecy to save his cursed people. The prophecy requires him to kill an individual known as the Beacon, who turns out to be a boy named Kappa. With Siren unwilling to kill Kappa, the two attempt to find a way to avoid their fates.[1][2][3][4]

Development

Martin has cited the Little Mermaid world from the video game Kingdom Hearts as an inspiration for the work.[5][6][7] She has also discussed a desire for explicit LGBTQ representation.[5][8]

Publication

Digital

The comic started publication on Webtoon in 2019, updating on Sundays. The series has been divided into four seasons.[9]

Print

In 2024, it was announced that Ten Speed Graphic would be adapting the series for print, with the first volume being published in October of that year.[10]

Volumes
Volume Date Episodes ISBN Notes
1 October 22, 2024 1-19 ISBN 978-0593835814 [11][10]
2 July 3, 2025 20-41 ISBN 9780593835845 [12]
3 March 17, 2026 42-65 ISBN 9780593835876
4 September 8, 2026 66-86 ISBN 9780593835913 [13]

Reception

Reviewing the first print volume, CBR praised the humor and underwater theming, but criticized the overuse of blue in comic's color scheme, stating it made certain scenes blend together.[3] School Library Journal also reviewed the first volume.[14] Ollie Kaplan of The Mary Sue labeled it as one of the best middle-grade and YA graphic novels of 2024.[15]

By November 2024, the series had approximately three million subscribers.[11] By June 2025, it had 344 million views.[16]

The series was nominated for the Harvey Award for Digital Book of the Year in 2025.[17] The Volume 1 print was also included on the 2025 Great Graphic Novels for Teens Reading List by the American Library Association.[18]

References

  1. ^ Locke, Alexandra; Robinson, Robbie; Failde, Juliana (2020-04-28). "15 Must-Read Ongoing Romance Webtoons, Ranked". CBR. Retrieved 2026-07-19.
  2. ^ Kaplan, Avery (2019-06-12). "12 Queer Comics to Read on WEBTOON Right Now!". The Beat. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  3. ^ a b Ramsburg, C. M. (2024-10-23). "Webtoon's Delightful LGBTQ+ Romance Comes to Print Form". CBR. Retrieved 2026-07-19.
  4. ^ Anton, Kromoff. "The Awesome Weight Of Prophesy And Expectation — Reviewing 'Castle Swimmer' Vols. 1 And 2". comicon.com.
  5. ^ a b Leung, Hilary (2024-10-02). "Interview: Wendy Martin on CASTLE SWIMMER Vol. 1". The Beat. Retrieved 2026-07-19.
  6. ^ Morrow, Maddie (2025-08-06). "'Castle Swimmer' WEBTOON by Wendy Martin Offers Beautiful, Queer Representation". TEMPLE OF GEEK. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
  7. ^ Ramsburg, C. M. (2025-06-24). "'It is Set in Stone': Major Webtoon Creator Reveals Series Comeback & Next Big Project". CBR. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
  8. ^ Kaplan, Avery (2019-06-12). "Interview: Discovering the creative process behind CASTLE SWIMMER with Wendy Lian Martin". The Beat. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  9. ^ "Castle Swimmer". www.webtoons.com. Retrieved 2026-07-21.
  10. ^ a b Puc, Samantha (2024-03-28). "Exclusive: Ten Speed Graphic announces its fall 2024 lineup". The Beat. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
  11. ^ a b Garrity |, Shaenon K. "7 LGBTQ+ Webcomics Become a Rainbow of Romance". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2026-07-21.
  12. ^ Puc, Samantha (2025-01-07). "EXCLUSIVE: Check out the Ten Speed Graphic Spring 2025 release schedule". The Beat. Retrieved 2026-07-21.
  13. ^ Kaplan, Avery (2026-05-07). "TEN SPEED GRAPHIC announces Fall 2026 catalog". The Beat. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
  14. ^ Wendy, Martin. "Castle Swimmer". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2026-07-18.
  15. ^ Kaplan, Ollie (2025-01-24). "11 best middle-grade and YA graphic novels of 2024". The Mary Sue. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
  16. ^ Heupel, Shannon. "Webtoon artist with Alabama ties finds her fins in merman love story 'Castle Swimmer'". Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
  17. ^ "Harvey Awards Unveil 2025 Nominees". www.harveyawards.com. Retrieved 2026-07-19.
  18. ^ "Great Graphic Novels | Young Adult Library Services Association". www.ala.org. Retrieved 2026-07-21.

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