PROFILE

Name: Alexey Trishkin Age: 30 Country: Russia Favorite manga: Naruto, Shiori Experience, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, 20th Century Boys, Attack On Titan, Spy x Family Favorite movie: Catch Me If You Can, The Shawshank Redemption, The Rock, ah… there are so many of them. Favorite quote: “Sic Parvis Magna.” Entry title: Parent and Child Round: SMA16 “Moments of  FEAR, JOY, or LOVE” Award: Honorable Mention

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“Don’t stress too much and don’t get obsessed with winning. Just enjoy the process and grow as an artist!”

About SMA

• How does it feel to win a SILENT MANGA AUDITION® award? It wasn’t my first audition. After several attempts, I began to doubt my abilities as a mangaka. But the third time, I saw my name on the list of winners, and I was so happy! It’s very important for us creative people to see the result of our time and effort. Especially in those moments when you think “maybe I’m doing the wrong thing and should stop drawing manga?” So for me it’s a signal to keep working and sharpening my skills.

• What was the inspiration behind your awarded work? While thinking about which theme to choose, I came across an advertisement on YouTube. It was an advertisement for a charitable center to raise money for seriously ill children. It had a short interview with a mother and child that was very hard to watch. After watching the crying mother who is trying her best to save her child I chose the theme of fear; the fear of losing a child.

• What challenges did you face while making your manga? How did you overcome them? Speed! This is my biggest problem at the moment. I spend too much time on storyboarding. I redo it too much, I often don’t like how the work comes out, and I spend too much time on details that no one will pay attention to. In general, every time it is sweat, pain and tears. But I believe that with practice I will overcome it, right?

READ ALEXEY TRISHKIN’S SMA16 ENTRY HERE!

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About your Manga

• How and when did you start making manga? Any advice for beginners? It’s quite a long story. I’ve been a fan of Japanese animation since I was a kid. Sailor Moon was my first love. I also loved watching Pokémon and Shaman King. But that all changed when they started showing Naruto on TV. Afterwards, thanks to friends, I found out that this series is based on a manga. And then a new world opened up for me. Since I liked drawing, making up stories in my head, I decided that I would also draw my own manga.  But at that point my level wasn’t good enough and I was convinced I would never be able to draw like a professional. So 10 years later, I decided to give myself another chance. If you’d known how much I regret that I gave up painting then…So my advice to beginners is don’t make stupid mistakes like I did. Draw now and don’t even think about stopping!

• Do you draw your manga digitally or by hand? What are your go-to digital or analogue tools? I draw digitally on a Huion tablet. And my one and only app is ClipStudioPaint.

• What was the first manga you picked up? It was Naruto.

• Which manga changed your life? Again, it’s Naruto, because thanks to him I was introduced to the world of manga and decided to draw myself. But aside from Naruto, I recently came across another great manga. It’s called Shiori Experience. I stumbled upon it thanks to the recommendation of a mangaka on Twitter. I’m more into shonen/adventure, and this manga is school life/seinen/slice of life. It’s about a high school band. But I didn’t expect how incredible it was. You know, it’s hard to get me emotional. But while reading this manga, there were a few moments when I couldn’t hold back the tears. Both Kazuya Machida and Yūkō Osada made awesome manga. I haven’t had so much fun reading a manga in a long time. It didn’t change my life, but it gave me a whole new perspective on my work. I learned a lot from them. Definitely recommend reading it.

• Which manga character do you most identify with? Why? Well…probably Shikamaru from Naruto. I’m not as smart as him, but I’m just as lazy. 🙂

• What kind of manga do you want to make next? A manga with dialogue.😆 Silent manga definitely made me stronger, but I still feel a little stiff in this format. That’s why I’m working on a few oneshots for other contests right now. But I also plan to stay a part of the community and keep entering silent manga auditions.

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About Alexey Trishkin

• What do you do when you’re not making manga? How do you relax? Just like everyone else. I spend time with friends and family, watch movies, and like to be alone with nature. Nothing special.

• What industry do you work in (if manga making isn’t your primary job?) I am a freelance concept artist. I draw here and there.

• Where do you see your manga career in 5 years’ time? Again, like most people here, I want to be part of the Japanese manga industry and participate in domestic Japanese contests, get serialized in a magazine or on a web platform.

• What manga making advice would you give to your younger self if you could? Don’t quit drawing and study more!!!

• What advice would you give to people entering the SILENT MANGA AUDITION®? Don’t stress too much and don’t get obsessed with winning. Just enjoy the process and grow as an artist.

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Thank you, Alexey Trishkin! What will be your NEXT inspiration for your SMA18 entry? It’s safe to say that we’re filled with HAPPINESS as we wait for your next entry!

You have time until August 1st to WOW the judges and have a chance to develop your potential as a manga creator with us in Japan!