PROFILE
Pen Name: Volpe
Age: 28
Social network profiles: Instagram: @volpee_art
Country: Mexico
Favorite manga:  My Hero Academia and Boy Meets Maria
Favorite movie: Monsters Inc.
Favorite quote: “Success and failure are two neighboring rooms, except that their doors have no number and you don’t know which one you’re going to get.” – Guillermo Del Toro.

Entry title: “Lost and Found”
Round: SMA19: “Overflowing Tears”
Award: Excellence Award

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“Never give up your desire to create.”

About SMA

How does it feel to receive a SILENT MANGA AUDITION® award?
It was something incredible, the truth is that my greatest wish was only to receive feedback from manga professionals but I never thought I would have the honor of getting an “Excellence Award”.

What was the inspiration behind your awarded work?
I think the first idea I had was the rejection of love, then, I thought about the love of pets that is unconditional, so I thought making a story about losing one love but finding another unconditional one by showing kindness was a good concept about crying and overflowing tears.

What challenges did you face while making your manga? How did you overcome them?
Definitely trying to make the story as understandable as possible without dialogue is really hard. I redid the panels several times because of that.

READ Volpe’s SMA19 ENTRY HERE!

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About your Manga

How and when did you start making manga? Any advice for beginners?
I officially started in 2019, I decided I wanted to at least try to create my own stories and when I did a lot of very kind people liked them and motivated me to keep pursuing my dreams.
My advice is to study a lot about storytelling. I recommend the book “Manga in Theory and Practice” by Hirohiko Araki and to start with short stories to avoid burnout with long projects.

Do you draw your manga digitally or by hand? What are your go-to digital or analogue tools?
I am fully digital and use the Clip Studio Paint EX app.

What was the first manga you picked up?
Risou no Kao wo Motsu Otoko.” It is a manga that includes several one-shots by Hayakawa Tomoko in Japanese, but I saw it at a convention and it was the first manga I had in my hands. I was very excited even though I didn’t know what it said haha.

Which manga changed your life?
My Hero Academia.

Which manga character do you most identify with? Why?
Yotasuke from “Blue Period” by Tsubasa Yamaguchi. Because all my life I’ve felt that art is the only talent I had but it was only recently that I learned to do it in a way that made me happy, which is through manga.

What kind of manga do you want to make next?
A story that makes you turn the page, definitely.

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About you

What do you do when you’re not making manga? How do you relax?
I recently started embroidering! I also watch TV series and movies.

What industry do you work in (if manga making isn’t your primary job)?
I work for a webcomics studio as a lineart artist and do art commissions.

Where do you see your manga career in 5 years time?
I hope to be able to create a series with some publisher in a professional way.


What manga making advice would you give to your younger self if you could?
Be bold; it will never be perfect and that’s okay.

What advice would you give to people entering the SILENT MANGA AUDITION®?
Just Join! The result is the least important thing. I truly wish that all artists, no matter how discouraging or annoying we have found this world to be, never give up their desire to create.

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Thank you, Volpe! 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!