PROFILE
Pen Name / Name: 趙曌 ChaoChao
Social media profiles: Plurk: @Chaochao0917

Favorite manga: Spy x Family
Favorite movie: Coco

Entry title: “青絲”
Round: SMA Taiwan Round: “Smiles”
Award: Honorable Mention+Special Judge Award

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“Dedicate yourself to creating the story you love most—that is the most important thing!”

About SMA

How does it feel to receive a SILENT MANGA AUDITION® award?
很驚喜！因為作畫很趕，原本的心態完全是志在參加。

I was very surprised! Since I did the drawings in a rush, my goal was really just to complete the work and participate.

What was the inspiration behind your awarded work?
有一次在社群軟體上看到了理髮師為化療的孩子訂製假髮，讓家屬跟病患都喜極而泣的影片，就聯想到了這次的主題並以假髮為元素寫了這個故事。

I once saw a video on social media of a barber making a custom wig for a child undergoing chemotherapy, which brought tears of joy to the family and the patient. This led me to the theme of my piece, and I wrote the story using the wig as a core element.

What challenges did you face while making your manga? How did you overcome them?
因為是八月多臨時決定要參賽的，大概只有半個月的時間作畫，時間非常緊迫。

Since I made the last-minute decision to enter the contest in August, I only had a few weeks to draw, so the scheduling was very tight.

READ ‘趙曌 ChaoChao’s Awarded Work HERE!

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About Your Manga

How and when did you start making manga? What do you wish you knew as a beginner? What advice would you give to someone who wants to start drawing manga?
大概是大學開始把畫漫畫作為課餘活動，起因只是對畫圖跟寫故事都有點興趣，想說不如就來畫漫畫吧！不過如果認真想畫漫畫的話，還是向過去的自己建議多多吸收不同的作品。我就認為我接觸的作品實在太少了。

I started drawing manga as an extracurricular activity in university. The reason was simply that I had some interest in both drawing and storytelling, and I thought, “Why not try drawing manga?” However, if I were to pursue a manga career  more seriously, I would advise my past self to read more diverse works. I feel like I haven’t been exposed to nearly enough manga.

Do you draw your manga digitally or by hand? What are your go-to digital or analogue tools?
我使用的是繪圖螢幕搭配桌機進行電繪。因為畫漫畫常常會搭配文字（雖然這次是無聲漫畫比賽！）所以還是推薦用１６吋以上的顯示器對眼睛比較舒服。

I use a display tablet connected to a desktop computer for digital drawing. Since drawing manga often involves text (even though this was a silent manga contest!), I still recommend a monitor 16 inches or larger for more comfortable reading.

What was the first manga you picked up? Is it easy to access manga where you live?
小時候有去下過圍棋，那時候圍棋班放了一整系列的棋靈王，不過那時候還完全看不懂漫畫，這部漫畫的文字對一個五六歲的小孩來說也是稍嫌多了所以沒有看下去。

When I was little, I took Go lessons, and the Go classroom had the entirety of Hikaru no Go. However, at that time, I couldn’t understand manga at all, and the amount of text in that manga was a bit too much for a five or six-year-old, so I didn’t read it all the way through.

Which manga changed your life?
由新井隆廣老師改編的悲慘世界是讓我對漫畫著迷的關鍵。除了原著是我喜愛的經典文學外，老師細膩的手繪筆觸、作畫都讓我印象非常深刻，是會讓我「好想畫出這種作品」的等級的崇拜。

The manga adaptation of Les Misérables by Arai Takahiro was key to my fascination with manga. Besides the original being a classic piece of literature that I love, the artist’s delicate, hand-drawn brushstrokes left a deep impression on me. I admired it to the point that I thought, “I really want to draw a work like this.”

Which manga character do you most identify with? Why?
倒是沒有特別把自己帶入角色過XD
I haven’t really tried putting myself into a manga character’s shoes before!

What kind of manga do you want to make next?
會想專注於創作貼近現實生活的職人劇。我個人作為創作者，會常常不知道該怎麼讓自己的作品更有效地曝光，純粹給自己畫開心的成分居多。

I would like to focus on creating dramas about working professionals that are close to real life. Personally, as a creator, I usually don’t know how to effectively promote my work, so most of it is done purely for my own enjoyment.

About You

What do you do when you’re not making manga? How do you relax?
除了上班外，最近也在學習手繪水彩跟第二外語。另外也會打打遊戲。最喜歡的遊戲是黑帝斯，一二代遊戲累積的時數應該超過八百小時。

Besides working, I’ve recently been learning watercolor painting and a second foreign language. I also play games. My favorite game is Hades; my accumulated playtime for both the first and second game is over 800 hours.

What industry do you work in (if manga making isn’t your primary job)?
為了創作作品尋找靈感，所以在不同產業打零工。

I currently do odd jobs in a variety of industries to help find inspiration for my creations.

Where do you see your manga career in five years time?
總覺得ＡＩ時代對創作產業的衝擊太大了，很難預料自己會怎麼發展。但即便不能正式出道，或許也會持續畫一些讓自己開心的小品同人。
I feel that the impact of the AI era on the creative industry is too large, which makes it difficult to predict how things will develop. But even if I can’t formally debut, I might continue to draw small, enjoyable dōjin works for myself.

What manga making advice would you give to your younger self if you could?
過去我的作品常常淪為「文字為主、繪畫為輔」的形式，實在是要多花花心思讓純粹的圖像表現更出色。（這也是我這次決定要參賽的原因之一吧！)

My past works were often “text-first, drawing-second”. I really need to put more effort into making the purely visual expressions stand out. (This is also one of the reasons I decided to participate in this contest!)

What advice would you give to people entering the SILENT MANGA AUDITION®?
致力創作自己喜歡的故事是最重要的事！

Dedicate yourself to creating the story you love most—that is the most important thing!

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Thank you, 趙曌 ChaoChao! We’re eagerly awaiting your next manga masterpiece!

The deadline to join SMA24 is May 10th. Enter for a chance to develop your potential as a manga creator with us in Japan!