PROFILE

Pen Name / Name: Wendy☆
Country: Malaysia
Social media profiles: Instagram: @_wendy.art
Age: 22
Favorite manga: Oblivion Battery by Eko Mikawa
Favorite movie: Monster (2023 Japanese movie)
Favorite quote: “不正解は無意味を意味しない” (Translation: ‘A wrong answer is not meaningless.’)
Entry title: “I’m still singing”
Round: SMA23 “My Dream”
Award: Honorable Mention

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“If you want to submit, but haven’t dared to start yet, be brave and take the first step. Let’s do our best together!”

About SMA

How does it feel to receive a SILENT MANGA AUDITION® award?
I’m honored to receive this award. It was my first time trying to draw Japanese-style manga, and I did it without using dialogue boxes. This award feels like a small achievement for me to build on as I start my journey as a manga creator.

What was the inspiration behind your awarded work?
I love listening to J-pop and anime songs, and I often see many talented teenagers sharing their music and creative work on social media. Their talent amazes me, so I tried to imagine that I was pursuing the path of a singer-songwriter. I imagined how I would feel when I saw younger artists debuting and achieving so much, even though I hadn’t yet reached any significant milestones myself.

What challenges did you face while making your manga? How did you overcome them?
It was challenging to express the main character’s thoughts without using dialogue. Also, I had many ideas that I wanted to include in the manga, but I found that it would become too long. Therefore, I tried to focus only on the main points and convey the character’s thoughts through facial expressions and simple actions.

READ Wendy☆’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?
I started making manga after graduating from secondary school, as it was my childhood dream. As a beginner, I wish I had known that creating good manga is not easy. Creating a nice story structure that can fully capture the reader’s emotions is not easy for me. I hope that people who are just starting out can begin developing their storytelling skills as early as possible.



Do you draw your manga digitally or by hand? What are your go-to digital or analogue tools?
I draw manga digitally using a tablet connected to a computer.

What was the first manga you picked up? Is it easy to access manga where you live?
The first manga I picked up was Seven Days, a Malaysian comic by author Xu Youbin and painter Da Xiong. I think manga is quite accessible in my town. There are a variety of manga in many different languages at bookstores in my country, which I find interesting.

Which manga changed your life?
Look Back by Tatsuki Fujimoto. After I read the manga, it made me more certain that I want to pursue the path of becoming a manga creator.

Which manga character do you most identify with? Why?
Shinpachi from Gintama. Glasses are Shinpachi’s true form, and it’s the same for me~

What kind of manga do you want to make next?
I would like to make a manga about friendship or school life next. I think the challenges that I face are that it’s difficult to get started as a beginner, and I’m not sure how to publish work in Malaysia.

 

About You

What do you do when you’re not making manga? How do you relax?
Usually, I do some sketches and listen to music to relax.

What industry do you work in (if manga making isn’t your primary job)?
I currently work an office job.

Where do you see your manga career in five years time?
I will try to make more and more short manga to practice my storytelling skills and submit them to publishers.

What manga making advice would you give to your younger self if you could?
Keep drawing and creating stories. It doesn’t matter if you’re not satisfied; treat it as an evaluation of your current abilities.

What advice would you give to people entering the SILENT MANGA AUDITION®?
I think it is a good contest for people from overseas to get the chance to publish their work in Japan. If you want to submit, but haven’t dared to start yet, be brave and take the first step. Let’s do our best together!

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Thank you, Wendy☆! 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!