In the latest news, Heo Young-man, who appeared on 'Radio Star', said, "I can't draw cartoons while doing mukbang," revealing his recent obsession with exploring delicious restaurants. With the arrival of junior cartoonist Lee Mal-yeon, he noted that he has 'considered retirement,' and reportedly told Lee Mal-yeon to "bring the bar bill" which piqued interest. He also added that in comparison to Choi Bul-am and Kim Young-chul, who are considered the 'midlife mukbang troika,' "I rank first as I am still active," bringing laughter to the scene.
The MBC 'Radio Star' (planned by Kang Young-seon, directed by Kim Myung-yeob, Hwang Yoon-sang, and Byeon Da-hee) special 'Slurp! Food Road' featuring Heo Young-man, Choiza, Lee Gook-joo, and Park Eun-young will air at 10:30 p.m. on the evening of the 9th.
Heo Young-man stated, "These days I can't draw cartoons because of mukbang," and shared his life as a food explorer after appearing on 'Chef Heo Young-man's Table Tour' (hereafter 'Table Tour'). He surprised everyone by bringing caricatures of the MCs that he drew himself and praised actor Son Suk-ku, who appeared with him on 'Table Tour,' saying, "His drawing skills are amazing."
He also unveiled his personally selected top 3 life restaurants, commenting, "If seaweed is washed too much, the ocean smell disappears," and, "The moment the chestnut is chewed, the flavor bursts," providing vivid culinary evaluations that impressed everyone.
He expressed, "Kim Gu-ra really scratches well. That was interesting," revealing his fondness for Kim Gu-ra's sharp style of speaking, and presented the MCs with drawings he created himself. When asked about the 'troika' of midlife mukbang with Choi Bul-am and Kim Young-chul, he added a cheerful self-assessment, saying, "I rank first among those still active," bringing laughter to the scene.
Meanwhile, Heo Young-man agreed with the assessment that his work as a Korean food cartoonist, 'Chef,' can be divided into before and after, revealing that he made 'Chef' a practical work, resembling a cookbook, through direct reporting over three years. In particular, he introduced the bag that was essential for the investigation at that time, conducting a 'What's in My Bag' segment.
He opened his bag and showed the MCs his 'comic diary notebook,' along with a card wallet, digestive medicine, a mask, and a hand mirror, surprising them with his personal belongings and work tools. Notably, he revealed that he has carried his sketch diary, which is "almost 60 volumes," consistently, drawing awe from those present.
Heo Young-man also reflected on his more than 50 years in the cartoon industry, mentioning his representative works such as 'Tazza' and 'Bridal Mask', noting that approximately 28 of them have been turned into films. He shared that he thought it would be fun to create a character like 'Sa Oh Jung,' who has hidden ears due to wrinkled skin, and that he directly designed the speech pattern of "~hasyo" as an enjoyable element, sharing the behind-the-scenes of the character's creation.
When asked about the moment that made him consider retirement, he pointedly mentioned junior cartoonist Lee Mal-yeon, saying, "Bring the bar bill," increasing curiosity about what story and message might be behind this. The story of Heo Young-man, who has been active as a food explorer in broadcasting for 52 years, can be seen on 'Radio Star' airing on the evening of the 9th at 10:30 p.m.
[Photo] MBC 'Radio Star'
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