About Us

The SILENT MANGA AUDITION®

The SILENT MANGA AUDITION® (SMA) was first announced in July 2012. Created by the manga publishing company COAMIX Inc., SMA aims to spread the love for manga and support international creators all over the globe. To support international supporters even further, the best of the best from SMA may receive the chance to enter the MasterClass – a community of international creators who produced high quality entries beyond the expectations of the SMA judges. After joining the MasterClass, creators are offered professional editorial support and opportunities from the SMA Editorial Department in order to work towards their Japanese manga debut.

COAMIX Inc.

COAMIX Inc. is a publishing company that was established in 2000 by manga industry icons Nobuhiko Horie, Tsukasa Hojo (City Hunter), Tetsuo Hara (Fist of the North Star), and Ryuji Tsugihara (Yoroshiku Mecha-Doc) who also judge the SMA rounds. COAMIX’s manga magazine Monthly Comic ZENON publishes internationally renowned works such as Record of Ragnarok, Unsung Cinderella, Arte, and Wakako-zake. It also holds several manga auditions throughout the year, seeking talented manga creators in Japan and across the globe. The company’s foundation is manga, but their vision reaches beyond paper and ink. COAMIX supports creators by organizing international manga camps and manga festivals, prodiving manga lessons in Japan and to international creators, and developing other programs such as the Artists Village Aso 096k.

Artists Village Aso 096k

The Artists Village Aso 096k is located in the idyllic Takamori Town in Kumamoto Prefecture. Its purpose is to create an environment where young artists can learn and develop their talents in a friendly rivalry. The Artists Village also welcomes the best of the best of the MasterClass members to learn the art and technique of creating great manga by working next to the other manga creators in the Village.

HISTORY OF THE SILENT MANGA AUDITION®

2022/JULY

10th Anniversary of SMA

2022/FEB

Supplier partnership with Too Marker Products Inc., developer of Copic and I・C (SMA18)

2021/JUL

4th Kumamoto International Manga Festival

2020/NOV

3rd Kumamoto International Manga Camp (held online)

2019/NOV

“Angel Sign,” a live action movie anthology based on 5 SMA awarded entries, released. (General director Tsukasa Hojo; Lead actors Dean Fujioka & Nao Matsushita)

2019/OCT

3rd Kumamoto International Manga Festival

2019/SEP

2nd Kumamoto International Manga Camp held in Takamori

2019/SEP

SMA13 – UNESCO Round announced, in collaboration with UNESCO Bangkok, the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture, and the Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education

2019/FEB

SMA-EX5 announced, in collaboration with Kumamoto Prefecture

2019/JAN

Partnership with CELSYS,Inc., the developer of CLIP STUDIO PAINT

2018/SEP

1st Kumamoto International Manga Camp held in Takamori

2018/SEP

2nd Kumamoto International Manga Festival

2018/AUG

SMA-EX4 “KitKat Round” announced, in collaboration with Nestlé S.A.

2018/FEB

SMA-EX3 announced, in collaboration with Kumamoto Prefecture

2017/APR

1st Kumamoto International Manga Festival

2016/NOV

SMA-EX2 announced, in collaboration with Kumamoto Prefecture

2016/FEB

SMA MasterClass 2016 Certification Ceremony is held, awarding 14 creators

2015/DEC

First SMA Extra Round (SMA-EX1) in collaboration with the “Fukushima Sakuramori Project”

2015/JAN

SMA MasterClass 2015 Certification Ceremony is held, awarding 11 creators

2012/JUL

First International SILENT MANGA AUDITION® (SMA1)