“The voice of his generation”, Inio Asano has built a career to rival the greatest poets and musicians of our age. By transforming the personal struggles of his youth into beautifully melancholic manga, Asano has gifted the world his own unique take on pain, isolation and depression, and provided a lifeline to disenfranchised youth everywhere. […]
From battling the Weekly Shonen Jump deadline to defending humanity from evil spirits, this week’s #MakingAMangaka knows well the struggle for success. This week, I plunge into the spiritual mind of Bleach author, Tite Kubo! Name: Tite Kubo (久保 帯人 Kubo Taito) Born: June 26, 1977 Place of Birth: Fuchū, Hiroshima, Japan Speciality: Mixing […]
From honest toil in the fields to creating one manga’s biggest titles, this week’s #MakingaMangaka is no stranger to hard work. With over 70 million volumes sold worldwide, the author of Fullmetal Alchemist has used her tireless work-ethic to achieve record breaking status. This week, I transverse the magical mind of Hiromu Arakawa! Name: […]
This week’s #MakingAMangaka shines a light on a young creator that has turned past trauma into instantly identifiable stories that are as poignant as they are beautifully crafted. This week, I deconstruct the themes and struggles of manga’s most promising rising star… Yoshitoki Oima. Name: Yoshitoki Oima (大今良時 Ōima Yoshitoki) Born: March 15, 1989 […]
With his first and only series exploding onto the manga stage to much critical acclaim, this young manga creator’s future is one watch. An uncompromising creator who gambled with his career and won big! This week, I’m stepping into the titanic mind of Hajime Isayama. Name: Hajime Isayama (諫山 創 Isayama Hajime) Born: August […]
Researching this week’s Making a Mangaka has been a lesson in joy and unimaginable heartache. With a life that would fill countless volumes of manga, this legendary creator has used our beloved medium to entertain, self reflect and, speaking from grave experience, warn future generations of the horrors of war. This week, I’m honored to […]
After a very intense judging session of the SMA9 finalists, the SILENT MANGA AUDITION® Committee have decided to increase the page limit to 31 pages, from SMA10 onwards! The judges, including Hojo sensei, Hara sensei, Tsugihara sensei, Horie san and Mochida san, were astounded by the level of talent on display yesterday. All agreed […]
To say Katsuhiro Otomo was a game changer, is an understatement. With an early education gained within the enveloped darkness of a movie theatre, the multi-award winning Mangaka developed a vision of cinematic proportions. A vision that crossed mediums, languages and continents, and ushered the world of Japanese manga and anime into the lives of […]
This week, I look to the second judge of SILENT MANGA AUDITION® and a legend in his own right. A giant of Shonen, this man is responsible for kick starting many a manga fan’s love for the genre. From exploding heads to sweeping historical epics, he has delighted, excited and gruesomely satisfied the imaginations of […]
Are four heads better than one?? With roots in fan-made fiction, Clamp have lit up the world of manga with a universe of magic, tragedy and above all, love. But in an industry famous (or infamous) for grueling workloads, handled by a single creative mind, does a creative collective work? This week, I bow down […]
