“Complete your idea and draw it out, even if it is a failure. Gaining failure or success is better than gaining nothing.”
About SMA
How does it feel to receive a SILENT MANGA AUDITION® award? It gave me the confidence to continue work on the next title.
What was the inspiration behind your awarded work? I’m not really able to answer this… It was just a result of limited conditions and analysis of what I am able to produce with the resources at hand.
What challenges did you face while making your manga? How did you overcome them? The story itself was very challenging! I revised it many times and scrapped many thoughts. I wanted to give up multiple times over self doubt and lack of skill. In the end, I set a rule for myself: completion over perfection, and to keep progressing, even if I see problems and mistakes.
How and when did you start making manga? Any advice for beginners? I only just started making manga seriously this year (in 2023). I am a beginner myself, and I have much to learn.
Do you draw your manga digitally or by hand? What are your go-to digital or analogue tools? I draw digitally. Pen and ink are not something I could easily access 10 years ago. My tools are Intuos 4 and Clip Studio.
What was the first manga you picked up? Flame of Recca was my first self-purchased manga. If we talk about more early age, that would be Doraemon that I borrowed from a friend.
Which manga changed your life? I didn’t think about this before, but many manga gave me many different experiences. There’s always something new and entertaining in every manga story that I read.
What kind of manga do you want to make next? I wish to make something that can make my blood boil and also love stories.
About you
What do you do when you’re not making manga? How do you relax? I draw illustrations, read manga, or watch movies and videos on YouTube.
What industry do you work in (if manga making isn’t your primary job)? I currently work as an illustration freelancer, but I’m trying to break into the manga industry.
Where do you see your manga career in 5 years time? Hopefully it will be a financial success, so it can be a long term career.
What manga making advice would you give to your younger self if you could? To study the foundation of anatomy, shape, and practice earlier. It is a better thing to do than gaming.
What advice would you give to people entering the SILENT MANGA AUDITION®? Complete your idea and draw it out, even if it is a failure. Gaining failure or success is better than gaining nothing.
Thank you, Rockkey! We’re eagerly expecting your next manga masterpiece!
PROFILE Pen Name:xarem (name: Daniela) Social network profiles: Instagram: @_xarem Country: Portugal Favorite manga:Many! But right now it’s Blue Period by Tsubasa Yamaguchi. Favorite movie: Also many! But I watched Inu Oh (2021) recently and I couldn’t stop thinking about it for days. Favorite quote: “Stories are everywhere.”
How does it feel to receive a SILENT MANGA AUDITION® award? I’m very happy about it! I know I worked hard to get here but I think I have a lot to learn, so I was honestly very surprised when I saw the results!
What was the inspiration behind your awarded work? I wanted to make a story with fairies, who are often beautiful and cute but also enigmatic and a bit malicious in old tales. Since the theme was around tears, I went for a story that dealt with sad themes.
What challenges did you face while making your manga? How did you overcome them? I was afraid it would be a bit similar to my past SMA18 entry “Flower Festival”, being also a story that dealt with loss and family. But as these themes are so universal, so I tried not to let it bother me too much and just focused on the story I was trying to make. Approaching similar motifs but in a different way, in a different setting, and with different characters.
How and when did you start making manga? Any advice for beginners? I have liked comics since I can remember, but I only tried to make them more in earnest in the past 10 years or so. If you’re a beginner I think if you’re starting out try not to worry too much and to just get one panel, one page done. It’s normal to doubt yourself, but once you start seeing final results it’s easier to get pumped up. I think contests are a good way to get started and get used to an audience seeing and judging your work, but I also think it’s fine to start making comics by yourself and keeping it within your friend group or your own page. Self-publishing online or making your own prints at home can help you both get better at manga/comics and showing your work to outsiders.
Do you draw your manga digitally or by hand? What are your go-to digital or analogue tools? Yes, I use Tachikawa nibs and pens, ink and other drawing pens. For corrections I use acrylic paint. I mix analog with digital, as I always need to clean up my pages and apply screentones. I want to try and get better at making manga on Clip Studio as well.
What was the first manga you picked up? The first manga I saw were Akira and Mother Sara which were published in Portugal in the 90’s. These versions were in full color flats, mirrored in order to be read from left to right and the size of a French BD Album. I tried to read these at the local library but I remember I didn’t understand them much, but it was the only manga available then.
Portugal has had some type of anime broadcasting since the 70’s, but has only started to publish more and more manga since about the 2010’s, after a few attempts in the 90’s and early 2000’s. It’s a very small publishing market and manga is still considered “niche”, but that is changing little by little. Which manga changed your life? Discovering shōjo anime and manga was very important to me in my childhood and early teens. Sailor Moon and Card Captor Sakura are very popular with people in my generation and I was also very fascinated by Rose of Versailles when I found out about it.
Recently Blue Period by Tsubasa Yamaguchi has really impressed me, as someone from a fine arts background to see it incorporated in manga and I am enjoying that work very much. When I visited Japan in 2019 I was able to see a few originals at an exhibition for The Poe Clan by Moto Hagio, and while I haven’t finished reading that manga yet, it was very awe inspiring and amazing to see the pages from a living master!
Which manga character do you most identify with? Why? I don’t really identify with one single character, but I often like everyday characters in melodramatic or strange settings, and stoic characters with hearts of gold. What kind of manga do you want to make next? I have a few projects in the works, so I hope to keep working on them this year. I always enjoy working with historical or fantasy settings.
About you
What do you do when you’re not making manga? How do you relax? Interacting with nature, going to the beach… and taking naps. I like watching movies, especially at movie festivals, where you can see more independent and experimental projects.
What industry do you work in (if manga making isn’t your primary job)? I work as a freelance artist (comics and illustration) and also in education. I have also had odd jobs in the past before, while I worked on art on the side.
Where do you see your manga career in 5 years time? I would love to progress and have published one more book or two by that time. I hope to get better and achieve my goals, and get better at time management, since it’s very easy to feel frustrated with making art with limited time.
What manga making advice would you give to your younger self if you could? I would say to my younger self to stop doubting so much, and to try and make more short stories. It took me so long to believe I could make comics, that I just want my younger self to know that anyone can.
What advice would you give to people entering the SILENT MANGA AUDITION®? I think we are all trying our best, and if you enjoy drawing manga keep doing it. Read past winners’ works for example, or manga/other comics you like. What do you think worked best in their stories? What do you think you could learn from these other stories? And more importantly, what kind of story do you want to make? There are infinite stories to be told and infinite ways to tell them in manga.
Thank you, xarem! We’re eagerly expecting your next manga masterpiece!
PROFILES Pen Name:Alcro Age: 20 Social network profiles: Instagram: @Alcro_art Country: France Favorite manga:Solanin by Inio Asano Favorite movie: The Sixth Sense with Bruce Willis Favorite quote: “There is the one who wants to catch up the best and the one who wants to surpass the best. It’s this difference that makes the victory.” – Hajime no Ippo
Pen Name:Papouchiko Age: 19 Social network profiles: Instagram: @papouchiko_draw Country: France Favorite manga:ONE PIECE Favorite movie: Princess Mononoke Favorite quote: “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who had practiced one kick 10,000 times.” – Bruce Lee
“SMA is a good opportunity for learning the way to create a story.” – Alcro
“Draw characters and don’t try to learn everything at the same time!” – Papouchiko
About SMA
How does it feel to receive a SILENT MANGA AUDITION® award? Alcro: I’m still surprised! I didn’t think that I would win a prize at this contest. It’s an amazing surprise, and I’m very happy to see our project being so liked. Participating was a rewarding experience that I don’t regret.
Papouchiko: It felt great, with a tremendous sense of accomplishment.
What was the inspiration behind your awarded work? Alcro: The concept of this project and the script was created by my classmate. Next, we adjusted the script together so that it would be more interesting and understable for the reader. I found my main inspiration thanks to my biggest fear and nightmare: losing a member of my family due to a fire. During the project, I tried to put myself in the place of the protagonist and tried to imagine what she would feel in this situation.
Papouchiko: I wanted to draw an emotionless character and create a story where the main character lacks facial expression. What challenges did you face while making your manga? How did you overcome them? Alcro: The biggest challenge and goal on this project was to create something with some new techniques, and to try different things as much as possible. I learned a lot from my classmate and we exchanged some tips. I didn’t necessarily feel difficulty except for when drawing hands that were drawn by Papouchiko, hahaha!
Papouchiko: The biggest challenge was working with my teammate. It was the first time I had collaborated on a one-shot with another person. Trying to work as a team was quite challenging, but through a lot of discussion about the distribution of the work, we managed to do it. The second challenge was the schedule. We were kind of cramped with our schoolwork, but because there were two of us in the team, we managed to finish on time.
About your Manga How and when did you start making manga? Any advice for beginners? Alcro: I created my first manga 3 years ago! “Lost in flames, found in memories” is the 6th project that I have brought to life. Since September 2022, I have done 5 different projects in the framework of my studies, and I could notice big progress. As for advice, I’m sure that there is nothing more formative than to create and draw a maximum, and to have a lot of curiosity and the courage to experiment.
Papouchiko: I began creating manga when I attempted to enroll in a manga school. For advice, reading a wide variety of manga will not only bring you joy but also provide you with a vast reference database. Practice making manga; there is no better way to learn how to do it. It will help you identify where your art lacks and, at the same time, you will learn about narration.
Do you draw your manga digitally or by hand? What are your go-to digital or analogue tools? Alcro: I use both of them. Basically in my personal projects, I like to work by hand for the storyboard, the sketch and the inking, after I put frames and do some latest digitally readjustments. “Lost in flames, found in memories” was done entirely digitally for practicality.
Papouchiko: I draw the storyboard on paper and the rest is made using Clip Studio Paint.
What was the first manga you picked up? Alcro: My first manga was Shugo Chara! I had found it in a library after seeing the anime on TV. I remember reading a big part of the page upside down hahaha, I didn’t know the right way to read manga!
Papouchiko: Surely something like Naruto. Which manga changed your life? Alcro:Solanin is one of the first manga that touched me the most sentimentally! The type of writing that Inio Asano does is my biggest inspiration for all my projects.
Papouchiko: Naruto; if it weren’t for it, I don’t think I would have started reading manga when I was younger.
Which manga character do you most identify with? Why? Alcro: I think that Kaori Miyazano in Your Lie in April is a character who represents me and touches me a lot. Like her, I’ve been sick during a big part of my childhood. Her strength, her freedom, her independence, and the smile that she kept despite the hardship are some values which accompany me today. She shows her feelings and her experiences with music like I did in my drawings.
Papouchiko: Haruhiro from Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash or Yatora Yaguchi from Blue Period are possible answers. Those two characters harbor a lot of doubts about themselves and express their concerns to us, the readers. I appreciate it when a character is portrayed like this because they feel like a genuine human being.
What kind of manga do you want to make next? Alcro: My next projects will affect subjects which for me are very important. I’d like to touch readers with sensible subjects by bringing big values. I wish that my readers learned things in my manga and felt big emotions.
Papouchiko: The last one-shot I made was about grief and sorrow. For the next one, I’d like to try something a little more cheerful.
About you
What do you do when you’re not making manga? How do you relax? Alcro: Hmmm… I do manga hahaha! I don’t have any other hobbies! I use my free time for cleaning, doing some great things to eat and sharing them with my friends!
Papouchiko: I try to read and watch things. I also attempt to engage in outdoor activities.
What industry do you work in (if manga making isn’t your primary job)? Alcro: I’m a student at the Human Academy Europe, a manga, animation, and Japanese gaming school.
Papouchiko: For the moment I’m a student.
Where do you see your manga career in 5 years time? Alcro: I see myself promoting my self-edited manga at a convention pretty much everywhere in France! My main objective is to create a big community invested in my project and to be able to make a living out of my passion.
Papouchiko: Sign a contract or work as an assistant.
What manga making advice would you give to your younger self if you could? Alcro: I think I would encourage them to work more on their weak points, not avoid them and diversify by drawing a lot of things.
Papouchiko: Draw characters and don’t try to learn everything at the same time. Also, take note of all your ideas, even if they seem useless.
What advice would you give to people entering the SILENT MANGA AUDITION®? Alcro: Try! This project will permit you to learn and improve yourself even more! SMA is a good opportunity for learning the way to create an understanding story for all and accomplish a good storyboard. I think that it’s a good workout that will definitely benefit you for future projects.
Papouchiko: Try the exercise of narrating a story without using text; it’s an interesting challenge. Moreover, without language barriers, anyone will be able to enjoy reading your manga.
Thank you, Alcro and Papouchiko! We’re eagerly expecting your next manga masterpiece!
Pen Name: Carlo (Writer) Social network profiles: Twitter: @carloblind_art, Instagram: @carloblind_art, and Artstation: carloblind_art Age: 24 Country: Brazil Favorite manga: Dorohedoro Favorite movie: Megamind Favorite quote: “Break it all down to essentials, and draw the hell out of what’s left.”
“It’s an eternal cycle, but a worthwhile one.” – Dani Bolinho
“Start doing it now, and finish it. It will be really fun even though it looks silly.” – Carlo
About SMA
How does it feel to receive a SILENT MANGA AUDITION® award? Dani Bolinho (Artist): It’s hard to describe, but it was a mix of euphoria and happy anesthesia. The night before the results were announced, I had a dream that we (me and my friend Carlo, the writer) had won, and when I got the news I honestly didn’t know how to react. Did the gods of manga give me a premonition?? Lol
Carlo (Writer): It was unbelievable to be honest. I did have a lot of faith in our project, but at the end I could see that we had fallen short of some potential. We just did not have any more time left, so we finished and submitted it. But now I can appreciate the things we did right, and I am already excited to start working on the next one.
What was the inspiration behind your awarded work? Dani Bolinho: Actually I invited Carlo to help me in this journey because I was insecure about my ideas, and was sure he’d make something exceptional, something that I wanted to give life to. We did various video chats (we live in different parts of Brazil) to make sure that the script was as tight as we could get, and with each new meeting we had new angles and ideas about how to represent the scenes come to my mind. I think in the end, the inspiration was that of creating something cool with an artist that I admire a lot, and that has been inspiring lately.
Carlo: Dani invited me to create this story, and since I had complete freedom, I really wanted to tell a story that reflected the reality of a lot of people in Brazil. Then I arrived at this idea of a father desperate to provide for his family and I considered making it a bit supernatural, but I liked how grounded it was, so I kept it as is. What challenges did you face while making your manga? How did you overcome them? Dani Bolinho: Unfortunately some days before I started doing the pages, my cat spilled water on my drawing tablet (RIP, it didn’t survive), then I had to do it on paper. Actually I was unsure in what medium I should make it in, because each one has its pros and cons, but I think my cat solved that question for me. So after finishing the inked pages, I asked Carlo to fill in the blacks and halftones. In the end it all worked out.
Carlo: Dani had already done some pages digitally when the accident happened, and he had to scramble his materials to finish it in time. He sent me all the pages in the last week I think, and I had a lot of fun and a lot of learning to finish the pages in Clip Studio.
How and when did you start making manga? Any advice for beginners? Dani Bolinho: I have a manga I did when I was 10 called “Super K,” and before it I did child comics that got lost; it has been a while hasn’t it? But only at 14 I started being more consistent with it, making comics and posting them on a Brazilian site called DPZine. There was a forum where you could comment and interact with other manga artists, and I loved it. It was a happy moment of my life, filled with lots of learning. One of the advices that helps me the most is: “Better done than perfect”
Carlo: I started doing manga with my friend Heitor Amatsu; he is an absolute machine. I saw him burn through pages and create amazing visuals, so I started helping him with some story beats, and before you know it, we were writing our own manga together, which we publish here in Brazil, called Lampião which is currently in its 4th volume.
As for beginner advice, just do it. The journey is forever, so fall in love with the process. It’s something you are going to do everyday, and if the thought of doing it everyday makes you excited, that’s a good sign. Do you draw your manga digitally or by hand? What are your go-to digital or analogue tools? Dani Bolinho: Currently I work mostly in digital. I like to draw on the non-display tablet looking straight at the monitor, which is way better for my back.
Carlo: I draw my own manga as well, and the name and sketching is mostly traditional, but then I finish the pages digitally.
What was the first manga you picked up? Dani Bolinho: I think the first one was Saint Seya. But the one that really got me was Fugushi Yugi.
Carlo: Naruto. I remember to this day finding this weird, cool looking comic that you read in the reverse order, and it was fun and mysterious. It wasn’t the first or second issue, it was the 15th issue, where he fights Gaara, and I remember being able to deduce the story solely on how good the storytelling was. And since then I fell in love with manga.
Which manga changed your life? Dani Bolinho: Definitely Fushigi Yugi. It was thanks to it that I found a whole new kind of manga titles, and what manga even is.
Carlo:Akira really expanded my mind on what’s possible through manga, and Dorohedoro came and showed me that if the characters are fun, you can get as weird and crazy as you want. I think about these two manga almost everyday!
Which manga character do you most identify with? Why? Dani Bolinho: I don’t think I identify 100% with any specific one, so I won’t be able to answer this one.
Carlo: I identify a lot with Garou from One Punch Man, the way his drive is unstoppable and that people don’t really understand what his motives are, but in the end he is still helping people. I just love him!
What kind of manga do you want to make next? Dani Bolinho: I want to make something that people can bond over and have fun with.
Carlo: I want to make people cry, because that’s what my favorite manga did to me.
About you
What do you do when you’re not making manga? How do you relax? Dani Bolinho: When I am not making manga, I sleep a lot. Sometimes I go out for a walk and try out new things.
Carlo: I usually work on my other stuff honestly. I spend the week painting and doing concept art, and by the end of it I hang out with my girlfriends and friends. In general, it’s a fun cycle.
What industry do you work in (if manga making isn’t your primary job)? Dani Bolinho: At the moment I am a comic book artist and an illustrator.
Carlo: I’m a writer and illustrator. Where do you see your manga career in 5 years time? Dani Bolinho: I hope to have already done lots of manga, besides evolving my storytelling and craft
Carlo: I will be approaching the end of my current serialized manga here in Brazil (Lampião), and by then I want to be making my own stuff, just for the sake of telling stories. Professionally I just want to write stories, but the drawing part I like to keep it as my pleasure.
What manga making advice would you give to your younger self if you could? Dani Bolinho: Have close friends to support you.
Carlo: Start doing it now, and finish it. It will be really fun even though it looks silly.
What advice would you give to people entering the SILENT MANGA AUDITION®? Dani Bolinho: Don’t be scared. Study and make stuff to cement what you have learned. It’s an eternal cycle, but a worthwhile one.
Carlo: Do your best, because we will bring our best.
Thank you, Dani Bolinho & Carlo! We’re eagerly expecting your next manga masterpiece!
“Aim for a simple and easy-to-understand story but add some unique aspect!”
About SMA
How does it feel to receive a SILENT MANGA AUDITION® award? I’m shocked… surprised since this is my very first time joining an international competition and somehow I got chosen and recognized by professionals.
What was the inspiration behind your awarded work? I was inspired by a film with an older setting. I made my work in the 1900’s setting because I think it will make it more romantic. Especially when your partner is far away you can’t just send your messages via smartphone. You need to send a letter that takes a long time to reach them.
What challenges did you face while making your manga? How did you overcome them? Overthinking what I should do with the blank canvas. “How’s the pose?” “How’s the angle?”… When I was in that state I started looking for other mangakas’ works for some reference.
How and when did you start making manga? Any advice for beginners? I started learning and making manga in high school by joining a manga competition in a Facebook group even though I knew nothing about it at the time, but as time went on I improved because of advice and criticism from other members in that group that know how to make manga.
Do you draw your manga digitally or by hand? What are your go-to digital or analogue tools? I draw digitally by using Clip Studio Paint and sometimes Adobe Photoshop and Paint Tool SAI.
What was the first manga you picked up? Naruto.
Which manga changed your life? Naruto, looking at each beautiful page made me want to draw it myself and become mangaka.
Which manga character do you most identify with? Why? Probably King from One Punch Man. I’m usually feared by people for no reason. What kind of manga do you want to make next? I’m used to making action manga scenes, so I think that’s my next target.
About you
What do you do when you’re not making manga? How do you relax? Playing fighting games. I played many of them but nowadays I’m really hooked to Street Fighter 6.
What industry do you work in (if manga making isn’t your primary job)? I work as a freelance illustrator.
Where do you see your manga career in 5 years time? I hope I can make my own manga then publish it if I get the chance.
What manga making advice would you give to your younger self if you could? You should try making more dynamic poses and angles!
What advice would you give to people entering the SILENT MANGA AUDITION®? Don’t over-complicate your story, aim for a simpler and easy-to-understand story but add some unique aspect or some plot twist to make your story interesting for your audiences and judges!
Thank you, Kshatriya! We’re eagerly expecting your next manga masterpiece!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Thank you, Volpe! We’re eagerly expecting your next manga masterpiece!
“Keep practicing and don’t be shy showing your manga.”
About SMA
How does it feel to receive a SILENT MANGA AUDITION® award? It’s really a great honor. Thank you for choosing my work.
What was the inspiration behind your awarded work? When I thought about what to draw, I wanted to make it different. I didn’t want to just draw a man or woman crying. I wanted to draw the Earth crying because of the serious pollution problem.
What challenges did you face while making your manga? How did you overcome them? I slept so little in order to finish it before the deadline. Luckily I made it and I could submit my work.
How and when did you start making manga? Any advice for beginners? I started making my manga when I was 17. It was not great at the beginning and I took a lot of time drawing and thinking of a good story. So I think my advice is to keep practicing.
Do you draw your manga digitally or by hand? What are your go-to digital or analogue tools? I do my drafting and drawing by hand, then scan my work into the computer to finish it.
What was the first manga you picked up? ONE PIECE. I watched it on TV when I was a child. When I read the manga I thought the drawing style was so cool. Then, I started to draw manga like that as well.
Which manga changed your life? There’s just too many artists’ works that inspire me with ideas for my own manga! What kind of manga do you want to make next? I want to make manga about monsters and ghosts. I’m interested in drawing different kinds of monsters.
About you
What do you do when you’re not making manga? How do you relax? I’ll listen to some music.
Where do you see your manga career in 5 years time? I hope I can see my manga being displayed at a Japanese book store and that there will be someone who will love it enough to buy it.
What manga making advice would you give to your younger self if you could? Practice drawing the human body more, and to not try to make an epic story too soon. It takes time to make a good story.
What advice would you give to people entering the SILENT MANGA AUDITION®? Try your best and don’t be shy to show your manga!
Thank you, YinFu! We’re eagerly expecting your next manga masterpiece!
PROFILE Pen Name: Maya Fella Age: 17 Social network profiles: Instagram: @maya_flla / @artstoic_ Country: Algeria Favorite manga:Death Note Favorite movie: Pride and Prejudice or The Notebook Favorite quote: “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who matter don’t mind; and those who mind don’t matter.”
“Draw something that represents you or touches you deeply, but most important something that you enjoy drawing!”
About SMA
How does it feel to receive a SILENT MANGA AUDITION® award? An incredible amount of joy and happiness! I couldn’t stop myself from smiling and laughing for days, and I was so proud of myself because this is my first time participating in a manga contest and the first time making my art something concrete and public!
What was the inspiration behind your awarded work? I simply drew my story and represented my real feelings. My story did not exactly happen as in the manga but the feelings were the same!
What challenges did you face while making your manga? How did you overcome them? The most difficult was the digital modifications as I usually only work on paper but I had to do both this time. I just tried to do my best and I used some references to help me, but the worst was drawing the last page which was a double page spread and I had only a few hours to get it done, so I wasn’t satisfied by it!!
How and when did you start making manga? Any advice for beginners? I’ve always drawn as far back as I can remember. I was doing little “mangas.” I didn’t really follow manga rules but art has always been my favorite way of expression!
Also I still consider myself as a beginner but here are some tips that helped me to improve:
– Draw everyday even if it’s just a little sketch. – Write down all the story ideas that come to your mind. – Use references but not all the time, you may not be able to draw without them anymore. – When you read manga, analyze all the little details. – Do not wait until you’ll have better drawing tools or for people to encourage you, work with what you have, trust the process and keep going!! – Play sports, training is good for your mental and physical health, especially to avoid back pain that we all suffer from as manga creators, haha!!
Do you draw your manga digitally or by hand? What are your go-to digital or analogue tools? I draw a lot more on paper with liners and markers. I’m also planning to buy feathers, but when I do digital I use Medibang.
What was the first manga you picked up? I think it was Dragon Ball.
Which manga changed your life? It is definitely Death Note. It’s my favorite manga and the reason I started taking manga more seriously instead of just a childhood hobby. I just love it by heart!
Which manga character do you most identify with? Why? I’m trying to find one but I don’t think there are any except the characters I created myself because they are directly the reflection of my mind. What kind of manga do you want to make next? I would love to work on seinen manga, psychological, with smart characters. My biggest project is the manga story I’ve been working on since I was 13 years old. It’s a killer’s story with many mysteries, but I am keeping that one for the future.
About you
What do you do when you’re not making manga? How do you relax? I love working out at the gym, reading books especially, literature. My favorite one is The Picture of Dorian Gray. I also love watching movies and anime, making aesthetic videos…
What industry do you work in (if manga making isn’t your primary job)? I am still in high school, but I also help my sister with her small business where we sell customized phone cases.
Where do you see your manga career in 5 years time? Maybe I will have a serialization, but my biggest dream is to achieve an animation adaptation and for my manga to be famous.
What manga making advice would you give to your younger self if you could? Draw more from memory, and less from references!
What advice would you give to people entering the SILENT MANGA AUDITION®? Draw something that represents you or touches you deeply, but most importantly something that you enjoy drawing!
Thank you, Maya Fella! We’re eagerly expecting your next manga masterpiece!
Young Ukrainian Artist’s Magical Manga Takes Top Award!!
Young Ukrainian MasterClass member nemuisemi received the TOP AWARD in the 26th edition of the “Comic ZENON Manga Taisho” Japanese manga contest! nemuisemi’s first-ever Japanese one-shot manga won the Excellence Award Runner-Up (with a value of ￥100,000) which makes her the THIRD international creator to be published in the prestigious Monthly Comic ZENON manga magazine!!
Manga Taisho is Comic ZENON’s oldest manga contest where new and upcoming creators can prove themselves DIRECTLY to their future fans with an up to 39-page entry. It’s not only judged by manga legends such as Tsukasa Hojo-sensei and Tetsuo Hara-sensei, but also by booksellers and the general public.
The following are the comments from Comic ZENON’s 26th Manga Taisho special judge Yaeko Ninagawa-sensei (TOUKEN RANBU GAIDEN AYAKASHITAN, etc.) and TSUTAYA BOOK STORE (Kawasaki Station branch) regarding nemuisemi’s entry:
“I felt the creator’s high level of skill in her style that caters to the needs of the readers and the meticulous artwork of characters and backgrounds. In the future, I hope she can focus on creating a setting that satisfies readers by clearly explaining what the magic or abilities in her manga can and cannot do.” -Yaeko Ninagawa-sensei
“The art style, story, and world-building are all nearly at a fully fleshed-out level in this work. The meticulous attention to detail in the setting is also captivating, and upon reading until the end, the meaning behind the title of this work became clear.” –TSUTAYA BOOK STORE (Kawasaki Station branch)
After receiving the SMA18 Grand Prix Runner-Up award, nemuisemi once again won the hearts of both professionals and readers with “Marmoris,” which follows Olivia, a girl tormented by the sea with no memory of her past, and Adelia, a member of a mystical race of fox-people who have a unique gift for magical potions’ creation and medicine. Will their fateful encounter bring them happiness, or will the trauma of the past and wounds too deep to heal tear them apart?
In the latest Monthly Comic ZENON, an exclusive interview with nemuisemi was featured in the issue, which we have translated!
1. What are your feelings towards your award?
When I found out that I was a finalist, I couldn’t help myself jumping from happiness. I am unbelievably honored to receive this award.
2. What inspired the creation of this work?
I love the sea and I love soft, bittersweet fantasy stories. Because of my love for these things, “Marmoris” was created.
3. What are your favorite parts of this work? Could you tell us about the creative process behind it?
My favorite pages are those with water and splashes. I really enjoy drawing cute faces and sea waves. Writing scenario and creating name is also so fun, but it was difficult for me in the same time, because I did not have any experience.
4. What challenges did you face while creating this work?
It was the first time I had to draw so much in such a short amount of time, and it was quite difficult for me to meet the deadline. But the editors supported me and I could not let them down!!
5. Were there any specific aspects you focused on when designing the characters?
Creating designs, I mostly focus on the clothes worn by the characters, as well as hairstyles and some special facial/body features. I really like to search different folk costumes and get inspired by them.
6. What is your favorite manga?
My favorite manga are Mushishi and Monster. I like Mushishi because mini-story format and learning more about Japanese folklore gives me so much joy, and Monster because of the exciting plot and unreal emotions I get.
7. What kind of works do you want to create in the future?
I want to create manga in which I can show my love for the world. Feelings and emotions are more important to me than actions and exciting plot, so I want to create manga about people and their life’s challenges.
8. What’s the thing you’re most interested in lately?
I’ve been watching a lot of anime and playing games lately. I started watching Pokemon for the first time in my life and now I really want to collect some plushies haha.
9. Lastly, please share a final comment!
Finally, I want to thank the editors and my friends for supporting me. It may seem like a small thing, but without your kind words, It would has been emotionally difficult. I am very happy that I took part in this competition and I will try my best to become a professional mangaka in the future!!
nemuisemi’s work is only one of the manga masterpieces created by the SMA MasterClassthat won an award through Comic ZENON and COAMIX; with the support of the SMA Editorial Department, the MasterClass members are showing year after year their potential to the Japanese audience and working towards their professional debut by joining SMA exclusive projects such as the “Artists Village Aso 096k!”
“Take it easy to produce a first draft and then try to adjust and refine it.”
About SMA
How does it feel to receive a SILENT MANGA AUDITION® award? It’s an honor to get this incredible recognition. I was so happy to be able to show my work with artists from other countries. My grandma was so happy that she prepared fried chicken for me that night. What was the inspiration behind your awarded work? The characters were inspired by two friends that I have known since high school. Our personalities and interests are very different, and they don’t even read manga at all. However, these two friends have always stood by me and given me immediate assistance. I want to express my gratitude to them in the way I am good at, it can be said to be dedicated to their works.
What challenges did you face while making your manga? How did you overcome them? In this work, I tried to draw thick lines, which is not very comfortable for my wrist. It seems that I need to adjust this attempt again.
How and when did you start making manga? Any advice for beginners? I’ve been trying to create since college, and I’m confident that I’ll continue to grow. I think in the field of art, people love to talk about the importance of talent, but I think the love of painting and the desire to express oneself is the best talent.
Do you draw your manga digitally or by hand? What are your go-to digital or analogue tools? I sketch with pencil, and then use Clip Studio Paint to describe the details.
What was the first manga you picked up? When I was a child, who couldn’t even speak clearly, my father introduced me to Initial D. To this day, I still pretend I’m racing down a mountain road when I’m driving. Which manga changed your life? Gintama. In terms of world building, the author combines Japanese history and alien themes, which I find very ingenious. Based on this, the author has written a sophisticated unit drama series, giving the characters many events to show their diverse charm.
Which manga character do you most identify with? Why? Spike in Cowboy Bebop. I like the image of a chivalrous character, seemingly like a ruffian but with a strong sense of justice inside.
What kind of manga do you want to make next? I wanted to create a unit drama story about cowboys walking around different planets and interacting with aliens.
About you
What do you do when you’re not making manga? How do you relax? I like to take random trips. It’s fun to meet things without being prepared.
What industry do you work in (if manga making isn’t your primary job)? I’m still a college student.
Where do you see your manga career in 5 years time? I plan to accumulate experience and create opportunities by submitting short-length works, while conceiving long-term serialized content. I hope to sign a contract with a fixed platform within one year and start a stable serialization. In addition, I also try to operate a personal website in order to gain more readers.
What manga making advice would you give to your younger self if you could? Take it easy to produce a first draft and then try to adjust and refine it. If you always evaluate the feasibility of an idea in your mind, you will end up agonizing and get nothing done.
What advice would you give to people entering the SILENT MANGA AUDITION®? The limitation of “unable to use dialogue” can refine your story expression, which is an interesting way to play. You can use more explicit actions and exaggerated expressions to convey the story.
Thank you, 米豆(Mido)! We’re eagerly expecting your next manga masterpiece!
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