PROFILE
Pen Name: ryancomicpress
Age: Late Twenties
Social network profiles: Twitter: @ryancomicpress, Youtube: @ryanime2
Country: United States of America
Favorite manga: Yu-Gi-Oh!, My Hero Academia, Chainsawman, Gantz, The Quintessential Quintuplets
Favorite movie: Zodiac or Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Favorite quote: 
“So if you need a hero
Just look in the mirror
No one’s gonna save you now
So you better save yourself”
-After the Storm by Kali Uchis”

Entry title: “The Unexpected Dinner Guest”
Round: SMA19: “Overflowing Tears”
Award: Grand Prix

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“Focus on the big emotional moment and the build up to it. Don’t make your story too complex and have fun with it.”

About SMA

How does it feel to receive a SILENT MANGA AUDITION® award?
It feels like a dream. I’ve never had this kind of success before. I’m so happy!

What was the inspiration behind your awarded work?
I’ve had something similar happen to me in the past with stray cats around the neighborhood. I thought that making the protagonist a grumpy old man would be a good foil to the cute cat and help make his overflowing emotion more impactful.

What challenges did you face while making your manga? How did you overcome them?
Keeping everything consistent was pretty challenging. I was constantly cross referencing each page with each other to make sure it all looked correct.

READ ryancomicpress’ SMA19 ENTRY HERE!

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About your Manga

How and when did you start making manga? Any advice for beginners?
I started making 4 page manga around 2019 on my iPad for fun. My advice would be to start with really small projects first instead of a long series. You’ll learn more that way.

Do you draw your manga digitally or by hand? What are your go-to digital or analogue tools?
I draw my manga digitally on the desktop and the iPad. My go-to digital tool is Clip Studio Paint. I use the basic pens.

What was the first manga you picked up?
It might have been a volume of Shonen Jump I got at my middle school book fair.

Which manga changed your life?
It’s probably Bakuman. Or Naruto. Or Yu-Gi-Oh!

Which manga character do you most identify with? Why?
Kaiji from the manga series Kaiji. He loses more than he wins but he keeps enduring no matter what.

What kind of manga do you want to make next?
Something with action in it!

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About You

What do you do when you’re not making manga? How do you relax?
I try to work on other creative projects like animation or watercoloring or streaming myself playing Yu-Gi-Oh.

Where do you see your manga career in 5 years time?
Hopefully successful enough to have financial stability and to go eat at a nice restaurant every week.

What manga making advice would you give to your younger self if you could?
Just start. You’ll get better over time. You have to fail a bunch of times before you see even a sliver of success. It’s okay to fail. JUST START NOW. DON’T WAIT. STOP PROCRASTINATING. GOGOGOGO!!!!!!

What advice would you give to people entering the SILENT MANGA AUDITION®?
Focus on the big emotional moment and the build up to it. Don’t make your story too complex and have fun with it.

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Thank you, ryancomicpress! We’re eagerly expecting your next manga masterpiece!

There’s time until December 4th to join SMA20 and have a chance to develop your potential as a manga creator with us in Japan!