PROFILE
Pen Name / Name: Carlos Alvarez
Your social media profiles: Instagram: @chals.art
Country: Spain
Age: 23
Favorite manga: Rin by Harold Sakuishi
Favorite movie: The trilogy of The Lord of the Rings
Favorite quote:“Don’t shrink yourself to fit in places you don’t belong.”

Entry title: “The Oni’s Garden”
Round: SMA21: “The Biggest Surprise”
Award: Excellence Award Runner-up

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“If you really love and enjoy making manga, research, practice, read, draw and above all, don’t give up! Your efforts will pay off!”

About SMA

How does it feel to receive a SILENT MANGA AUDITION® award?
Seeing my work as one of the winners and being recognized by manga professionals for the first time is a feeling I will never forget. It is the first step on the long road ahead of me, but this step has given me a lot of motivation to move forward and face future projects with strength and enthusiasm.

What was the inspiration behind your awarded work?
With this entry, I wanted to go completely out of my comfort zone by creating characters and a setting with which I had no previous experience. So, when it came to thinking about what story I should do, I simply went against my instincts and drew a manga totally new to me.


What challenges did you face while making your manga? How did you overcome them?
This year, I have gone through some personal problems, which I have had to work through and deal with. Every author puts a part of themselves into their works, and for me, making this manga has been a way to face the challenges that appeared this year.

READ Carlos Alvarez’s SMA21 ENTRY 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?
I started drawing when I was very young. I liked to draw my favorite characters and invent my own lore for them. Even so, I didn’t start making manga seriously until 2022. Once I finished my studies, I decided that I wanted to become a mangaka. Since then, I have been practicing and improving little by little while working part-time jobs.

If I had to give someone advice, I would tell them to start drawing their stories as soon as possible. It’s difficult when you’re just starting out, but it’s necessary to work through that to be able to create what you really love, so don’t delay starting – the sooner the better.

Do you draw your manga digitally or by hand? What are your go-to digital or analogue tools?
I usually enjoy drawing more traditionally, but it is something that I normally do when I draw illustrations for fun, when I design characters, or when I’m still in the storyboarding phase. 

It’s much more comfortable to create manga using programs like Clip Studio Paint, with all the tools they offer, and it saves a lot of time. So, when I start drawing the pages, I always work digitally.


What was the first manga you picked up? Is it easy to access manga where you live?
It was the 15th volume of Naruto. I was 6 or 7 years old at the time, and the cover and the drawings hooked me at first glance. Since then, I haven’t stopped reading manga.

Here in Spain, we are so lucky that there are a lot of comic/manga stores with a very wide catalog of titles, so manga has become increasingly popular in the past few years.

Which manga changed your life?
Rookies by Masanori Morita. The message, the art, the characters… Everything in this manga made me fall in love with it. It’s one of those stories that you wish you could read again for the first time. I totally recommend it for everyone.

Which manga character do you most identify with? Why?
I have never really identified with a manga character, but if I had to choose one, it would be Fushimi Kinosuke from the manga Rin because he also loves making manga and wants to become a professional.


What kind of manga do you want to make next?
The next manga I would like to work on would be an adventure one shot with fantasy elements, in which I could let my imagination run wild, while also practicing and improving my weaknesses.

Here in Spain, the manga industry has made some progress over the last few years. Even so, it’s practically impossible to live and work exclusively as a mangaka. The manga publishers here do not invest too much in local authors and their works, so if the industry does not change or evolve, most authors have to aim to publish in other countries to be able to make a living from their works.

About You

What do you do when you’re not making manga? How do you relax?
When I’m not drawing manga, I usually spend my time reading and watching movies/ TV series. I tend to hang out with my friends and play video games with them (but I don’t like to play single player games). I also started going to screenwriting classes a couple of times a week.

What industry do you work in (if manga making isn’t your primary job)?
Until this year, I was working at a warehouse and in a supermarket. Thanks to those jobs, I saved up some money, and now that there have been some changes in my life, I have been able to dedicate myself to drawing manga and entering some contests this year, as well as practicing and developing my skills.

Where do you see your manga career in five years time?
This is a really difficult question to answer… Realistically, I would like to publish some of my stories here in my country and be on my way to entering the manga industry in Japan. Although it is really complicated, demanding, and competitive, my dream is to be able to get a serialized project. I will keep working until I get there.

What manga making advice would you give to your younger self if you could?
Without a doubt, if I had to give myself some advice years ago, it would be to draw all the ideas I had when I was little until they were completely finished, and not to worry so much about “not being good enough to create them”. Also, to stop being such a perfectionist. In the end, being able to create a story from start to finish is a challenge in and of itself, and that’s where you gain real experience.

What advice would you give to people entering the SILENT MANGA AUDITION®?
To whoever is reading this and wants to submit their manga to the SILENT MANGA AUDITION, the only thing I can tell you is that – if you really love and enjoy making manga – research, practice, read, draw and above all, don’t give up! Your efforts will pay off!

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Thank you, Carlos Alvarez! We’re eagerly awaiting your next manga masterpiece!

The deadline to join SMA22 is February 2nd. Enter for a chance to develop your potential as a manga creator with us in Japan!