PROFILE Pen Name / Name:Crabocalypse Your social media profiles: Instagram: @crabocalypsez Country: Indonesia Age: 22 Favorite manga: There’s a lot of them! But I currently like Gachiakuta Favorite movie: Legend of Xiao Hei Favorite quote: “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
“Just draw!! If you don’t start, you won’t be able to draw anything.”
About SMA
How does it feel to receive a SILENT MANGA AUDITION® award? Obviously, I’m very happy! It gives me more motivation to improve my manga skills. What was the inspiration behind your awarded work? Gacha machines and matryoshka.
What challenges did you face while making your manga? How did you overcome them? Most of the time when creating manga, I struggle a lot with brainstorming. But I like to do it; it feels like I’m completing a puzzle. I overcome any hardships by looking at more references and asking for my friends’ opinions.
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 to draw manga in elementary school, and started to learn about it more deeply when I was in high school. My advice for beginners is: watch more movies and read more comics, stories, and novels. There are never enough references! I wish I had known this earlier, too.
Do you draw your manga digitally or by hand? What are your go-to digital or analogue tools? I draw digitally. CSP EX is the perfect software for drawing comics.
What was the first manga you picked up? Is it easy to access manga where you live? Eyeshield 21 and Naruto. Yes, there’s a bookstore with an entire manga section! Which manga changed your life? Fullmetal Alchemist.
Which manga character do you most identify with? Why? I identify most with Hashibira Inosuke (Demon Slayer) & Yodaka (Shinobi Undercover). I’m impatient and don’t like to overthink things. I also struggle with handling people, but somehow I manage to finish my tasks.
What kind of manga do you want to make next? Mostly, I only do one-shots, but I want to challenge myself to draw a manga series. In my country, finding a job as a manga creator or illustrator is very difficult.
About You
What do you do when you’re not making manga? How do you relax? I play games with my friends when I’m not drawing! I relax by watching my favorite streamers.
What industry do you work in (if manga making isn’t your primary job)? I’m a freelance illustrator.
Where do you see your manga career in five years time? I’m not sure! But I’m praying for a good career, and I’ll do my best to get to a good place.
What manga making advice would you give to your younger self if you could? Just draw!! If you don’t start, you won’t be able to draw anything. Also, learn from a wide variety of media and do your best, but don’t forget to rest.
What advice would you give to people entering the SILENT MANGA AUDITION®? Since there’s no dialogue, I suggest drawing all poses very clearly, so the reader won’t get confused!
Thank you, Crabocalypse! We’re eagerly awaiting your next manga masterpiece!
PROFILE Pen Name / Name:C.M. Kevin Your social media profiles: X: @CMKevinManga Country: United Kingdom Age: 31 Favorite manga: Slam Dunk Favorite movie: Probably… The Grand Budapest Hotel? Favorite quote: “He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” – Viktor Frankl
“Find someone to be your editor, and don’t jump into inking before you have them read your storyboard.”
About SMA
How does it feel to receive a SILENT MANGA AUDITION® award? *Pats myself on the back* I am very proud of myself. Although, after reading the other authors’ works, I felt extremely lucky to be chosen. What was the inspiration behind your awarded work? I was reading Macaroni Switch by KAWADA Daichi and the theme was so… casual? I thought I’d just make something silly like that. I entered with no expectation of winning, and there’s no deep thought or meaning in my work.
What challenges did you face while making your manga? How did you overcome them? My working file was deleted accidentally near the deadline. Fortunately, I was sharing my progress with friends, and I had some screenshots. I put them together and was able to reconstruct about 70% of it. Then, I realized my story was confusing to a lot of people – two of my friends jumped in and basically became my editors. We completely replanned a few pages, so at least the story would be understandable. Basically, it was meant to be ‘just for fun’, but it turned into many hours of grinding. The story was about a girl going through an emotional roller coaster, but the theme was not far off from my real life.
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 in early 2023. I entered a U.K. competition, Manga Jiman, because I was going through a breakup and needed a distraction *sob*. In many ways, I’m still a beginner so the word ‘advice’ may be too strong… I’ll quote a Yogi: “Do not do what you like – do what the world needs.” This advice is for me as well. Do you draw your manga digitally or by hand? What are your go-to digital or analogue tools? I use an iPad and Procreate (I do not recommend using these tools, I just happen to have them). What was the first manga you picked up? Is it easy to access manga where you live? It may sound weird, but my earliest memory was one of Tezuka Osamu’s works. I forget which one I picked up first. For some reason, the local library had a very rich collection of Tezuka’s work – I probably read 90% of all his works. It’s not a big library, so that was quite strange.
Which manga changed your life? ‘Change my life’ is a big statement… Maybe Honey and Clover by Chica Umino? I re-read that manga many times.
Which manga character do you most identify with? Why? Shinpachi from Gintama. That guy is so easy to cosplay.
What kind of manga do you want to make next? I want to create a detective story. I used to read books by authors like Keigo Higashino and Kōtarō Isaka, but as it turns out, I’m not as clever as them, so… The next one is likely to be a gag manga. I like violent humor, like Daily Lives of High School Boys by Yasunobu Yamauchi. As for the challenges… I think no matter the country you are in, there are always difficulties. It’s not like Japanese people have it easier, either.
About You
What do you do when you’re not making manga? How do you relax? I like walking. London in summer is a beautiful place. I like walking in a park or through the forest.
What industry do you work in (if manga making isn’t your primary job)? I am a motion designer, and I work for a marketing firm.
Where do you see your manga career in five years time? If AI were to take my job, all my energy would be devoted to making manga. I can see my drawing skills are not there yet. Hopefully, in 5 years, I will draw faster and be more ‘precise’. My short-term goal is to enter as many competitions as possible, to see if I have it in me. My long-term goal is to create a movie-length story.
What manga making advice would you give to your younger self if you could? ‘Hey Kevin, your anatomy drawings are awful. Put in some work to improve them.’
What advice would you give to people entering the SILENT MANGA AUDITION®? Don’t be silly! Find someone to be your editor, and don’t jump into inking before you have them read your storyboard.
Thank you, C.M. Kevin! We’re eagerly awaiting your next manga masterpiece!
HELLO SMA21 AWARD WINNERS, Agata Maliszewska & Dennis Tran PROFILE Pen Name / Name:Agata Maliszewska & Dennis Tran Your social media profiles: Agata: @posupoko Dennis: @snackteam (Instagram) Country: Agata: Poland, Dennis: USA Age: Agata: 27, Dennis: 32 Favorite manga: Agata: Currently, Dungeon Meshi! Dennis: A Silent Voice Favorite movie: Agata: I’m not sure if I have one, but The Wild Robot left a huge impression on me! Dennis: Back to the Future Favorite quote: Agata: “If everyone is not special, maybe you can be what you want to be.” Dennis: “Why should you go to jail for a crime someone else noticed?”
“Learning to be patient with yourself and giving yourself time is as important as your drawing skills. Please be gentle with yourself.”
About SMA
How does it feel to receive a SILENT MANGA AUDITION® award? Agata: I’ve been following SMA for years now, so it feels a bit unreal to see our work win. I’m not quite sure if I’ve fully processed it yet!
Dennis: It feels amazing. My partner and I were just happy to be able to share our story. To know that our piece was viewed by such esteemed judges is a reward of its own, but to have it win an award as well? It was certainly an unexpected and incredible outcome, and we want to thank the judges wholeheartedly for this amazing honor.
What was the inspiration behind your awarded work? Agata: It’s very personal to Dennis and his wife!
Dennis: Our story was loosely based on my wife’s grandmother, who passed away in 2022. She was an incredibly kind, incredibly strong woman who survived through a particularly turbulent era in history, but still managed to keep so much love in her heart up until the moment she left us. Losing grandma was difficult for all of us, especially for my wife, so in order to help her through her grief, I wanted to honor her memory and show her one last glimpse of her grandma in a medium that is near and dear to our hearts. What challenges did you face while making your manga? How did you overcome them? Dennis: Coming up with the concept for the story was the hardest part for us. We wanted to tell a story that we felt would have an emotional impact on readers, but our ideas (our earlier ones, that is) felt too hollow or too distant compared to our ideals. I started asking myself, “What’s making me feel a strong emotion right now? What is impacting me?” It was then that we managed to land on our concept. All it took was a simple look inward!
Agata: We had some troubles with page six, too. However, after showing it to a couple of friends, we managed to find a solution. Feedback from other people is priceless!
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? Agata: I remember picking up drawing manga after a magazine called How to Draw Manga was released in Poland years ago (I was still in primary school!). Initially, my friend bought it, but she got bored with the magazine and the tools attached, so she gave them to me instead. That’s how it all started. Then, I ended up pursuing drawing more seriously, made some stories with my best friend, and even enrolled in university to study Japanese, as I thought it would be helpful. What I wish I knew was that life won’t always go the way you want it to. You can still achieve your goals, it will just take more time, and importantly, dedication. I feel like I hyper-focused on art and orchestrated my whole life to eventually do that professionally, but I noticed that I didn’t learn as fast as other people. I struggled with finishing projects, and I prioritized others’ opinions about my art over my own feelings. Sometimes, it’s easy to feel like you’re losing your dream because of the struggles you face, but hard times will eventually pass. Learning to be patient with yourself and giving yourself time is as important as your drawing skills. Please be gentle with yourself.
Dennis: As the writer of our manga, it’s a bit difficult to answer this question, since I’m not exactly the one putting pen to paper. I remember drawing a lot of comic books as a child, but I could hardly call those manga, as they were not only styled after American comics, but they were also very, very bad. Story structure, however, was something that I knew very well and have been studying for a very long time. So, I suppose if I were to give advice, I would say study stories and learn what makes them work. Break each of your favorite stories down to the smallest beats and put them under a microscope. Figure out what the characters are doing, why they are doing it, where they’re going, what keeps them going, what’s in their way, and how they are going to change.
Do you draw your manga digitally or by hand? What are your go-to digital or analogue tools? Dennis: As a writer-artist duo, this is a question for my wildly talented partner.
Agata: Digitally! I love ctrl+z!!!
What was the first manga you picked up? Is it easy to access manga where you live? Agata: I believe the very first manga I bought in a store was called Drug-on. Right now, it’s quite easy to buy tons of manga. We now have access to a variety of titles here in Poland.
Dennis: The first manga that I ever owned was a volume of Pokemon. Back then, manga was a relatively unknown medium in America, so accessibility was limited.
Which manga changed your life? Agata: My answer to this is probably Dungeon Meshi. I’ve been very burnt out these past few years and have been unsure what to do with my art, but Dungeon Meshi reignited my love for anime and manga. I love this series so much and I love Ryoko Kui’s art style.
Dennis: My first read-through of A Silent Voice was absolutely life-changing. I remember being awestruck by both the art and how viscerally the story was told.
Which manga character do you most identify with? Why? Agata: Bocchi from Bocchi the Rock! I’m very awkward and dedicated to one thing that I’m sort of good at haha. Dennis: I identify a lot with Usopp from One Piece. Considering that he is the most “ordinary” member of the Strawhats, I relate to his lack of confidence, and am inspired by his ability to stand with his god-like comrades anyway, despite his cowardice.
What kind of manga do you want to make next? Agata: I struggle with being interested in too many styles and genres. I also feel like, artistically, I’m still trying to find my voice, so I’m not sure… My main goal right now is improving my craft and sending more entries to SMA! When it comes to challenges… I feel like Polish people still have a tendency to view manga, and anything drawn or animated even, as strictly a children’s medium. Sometimes, it feels as if manga artists here are a little infantilized and not taken seriously because of that. We have many wonderful manga artists here, so that’s a shame.
Dennis: I’m honestly not sure what I want to write next. I’m very drawn to stories about romance, so I want to try my hand at that for my next work. As for the challenges of being a manga creator in America, I suppose the lack of infrastructure and editorial support is probably at the top of my list. Given that manga is not as big of an industry over here (as opposed to graphic novels and comic books), it’s difficult to get a foothold without searching for opportunities abroad.
About You
What do you do when you’re not making manga? How do you relax? Agata: I find it very hard to relax, but when I do, I usually doomscroll on Tiktok. I desperately need a better hobby.
Dennis: I can nap just about anywhere, so when I’m not making manga or working, I’m most likely sleeping.
What industry do you work in (if manga making isn’t your primary job)? Agata: I’m currently working as an animator and an editor for a big YouTube channel!
Dennis: I work in video post-production as a video editor.
Where do you see your manga career in five years time? Agata: I really hope I’ll be more confident in my skills! It would be cool to work on longer stories as well.
Dennis: I’m hoping that in five years time, I will have written a story that is serialized, either in print or web.
What manga making advice would you give to your younger self if you could? Agata: “Don’t draw pretty boys only!! Please!!!”
Dennis: “Read more manga and keep drawing, stupid!”
What advice would you give to people entering the SILENT MANGA AUDITION®? Agata: If you struggle on your own, find company, or at least discuss your ideas with friends! Brainstorming can help a lot!
Dennis: My advice would be to do your homework! Don’t just blindly rush into your story without learning from those who came before you. Read every winner and runner up and break down their stories into acts, those acts into beats, and figure out why their stories work the way they do. This will teach you a great deal about narrative structure and how to effectively tell a silent story!
Thank you, Agata and Dennis! We’re eagerly awaiting your next manga masterpiece!
Plushelisa Wins Future Talent Award for Her New Manga, “Face-off”!
French MasterClass member Plushelisa has done it again! Plushelisa has now won three manga awards in one year!
In February of 2024, Plushelisa won the Grand Prix in the 20th round of the Silent Manga Audition, for which the theme was “Memorable Smile”. Her piece You Have My Heart was highly evaluated by Hojo-sensei, of City Hunter fame. Hojo-sensei complimented Plushelisa’s silent manga, commenting that it was, “beautifully depicted with incredibly dramatic art direction.” After winning the Grand Prix in SMA 20, Plusehlisa also won the top prize in the 11th Kyushu International Manga Award with her piece, My Friend TOMA, the story of a shut-in who creates a computer program to alleviate her loneliness.
Now, with her new piece, Face-off, Plushelisa has also won a Future Talent Award in the 15th Itten Toppa Award!
The Itten Toppa Award is hosted twice a year, and works anywhere from 5 to 17 pages long are welcome. Itten Toppa literally translates to “one point breakthrough”, and is a prize for creators to show off one, specific strength! You can check out the Itten Toppa contest details (in Japanese only) here. This year, Sato Kentarou, the author of Magical Girl Apocalypse participated as the guest judge! Sato-sensei had this to say about Face-off:
“The author did an incredible job of creating the atmosphere of this piece, and the character designs were great! Try incorporating an additional element within your piece in order to further elevate the surprise.”
The main character of Face-off, Bonnie, sustains third-degree burns all over her body as the victim of a bombing. During her recovery, Bonnie finds a savior – Dr. Mark. With his encouragement, she finds the will to live again. However, is their relationship only that of doctor and patient? Or is there something more to it? Click on the link below and read Face-off to find out!
Want to hear more from Plushelisa? This talented creator is now on Instagram, X, and YouTube! Check out her social media for more stunning artwork and manga tips!
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.”
“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.
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!
Thank you, Carlos Alvarez! We’re eagerly awaiting your next manga masterpiece!
PROFILE Pen Name / Name:Yoikaha Your social media profiles: Instagram: @yoikaha Country: Indonesia Age: 22 Favorite manga: Look Back Favorite movie: The Grand Budapest Hotel Favorite quote: “I’m not like them, but I can pretend. The sun is gone, but I have a light. The day is done, but I’m having fun. I think I’m dumb, or maybe just happy.” ― Nirvana
“Take your pen and make some manga! Don’t think too much about the result, just do it!”
About SMA
How does it feel to receive a SILENT MANGA AUDITION® award? Receiving this award is a bittersweet experience. While I’m incredibly grateful, it also comes with a sense of responsibility to continue creating work that is meaningful and inspiring. But still, winning this award makes me very, very happy! What was the inspiration behind your awarded work? I’m the kind of person who never talks about my problems or asks for help from others. Maybe that’s where the idea for this manga came from. I was reading Heaven by Mieko Kawakami when I thought it would be appropriate to combine my own personal problems with the theme of bullying.
What challenges did you face while making your manga? How did you overcome them? For me, the biggest challenge of making manga is finishing it. Making manga takes hours of drawing every day just to finish a story that will probably be read in a few seconds. Knowing that makes me wonder why I’m willing to spend so much of my time making manga. I tried to overcome this issue by not thinking about anything while drawing, and instead just focusing on following the story I had created and drawing it. I also thought that maybe those few seconds could be meaningful, and would always be remembered by readers, just like when I read other people’s 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 created my first manga when I had just graduated from high school. At the time, there was an Indonesian publisher that opened submissions for manga to be published in its monthly magazine. I submitted two very bad works (I only realized how bad they are now), and of course, they were not accepted. Even though they weren’t accepted, the publisher’s kind comments kept me from giving up on making manga. Knowing that, I wish I had started making manga sooner!
My advice for someone who wants to start making manga is to start small first, for example, make a 4-panel or even 2-panel manga, focus on completing a story first, and then slowly increase the quantity of panels.
Do you draw your manga digitally or by hand? What are your go-to digital or analogue tools? I draw storyboards by hand, and the rest of it – the sketches, line art, effects, etc. – I do digitally using Pen Display in Photoshop and Clip Studio Paint.
What was the first manga you picked up? Is it easy to access manga where you live? The first manga I read was Naruto, when I was in middle school. I found it in the school library, and I was very happy to find something fun to read among the boring stacks at the time, but unfortunately the library did not carry the complete series. Bookstores were far away from where I lived, so I mostly read manga online.
Which manga changed your life? Solanin by Inio Asano changed the way I look at life. I read it right when I was dealing with uncertainty in my twenties. It made me realize that what I’ve been dreaming of might not come true in the future, and that’s the reality of life. Even so, at least I want to keep trying to pursue my dreams without worrying too much about the outcome.
Which manga character do you most identify with? Why? I think Kiriyama Rei from March Comes in Like a Lion by Chica Umino. Maybe it’s because I’ve always felt a deep sense of loneliness, like Rei, who often feels alienated from his surroundings. Although he’s quiet, he actually wants to make friends with others, but is at a loss for conversation starters, and I can relate to that. But unfortunately, I’m not a genius like him, haha.
What kind of manga do you want to make next? I’m not sure about that yet. However, I’m interested in creating a story that has a bit of a supernatural element because I like reading Haruki Murakami’s works. They give me the sensation of dreaming with my eyes open.
In my country, there is no well-established market for manga. Also, there is not a lot of demand for original manga and fewer opportunities for creators to get their work published. It used to be possible to submit work to publishers, but now it’s not possible because comic publishers are having financial difficulties and are on the verge of bankruptcy.
About You
What do you do when you’re not making manga? How do you relax? Besides making manga, I do commissions quite often. But sometimes drawing all the time makes me feel bored, so I indulge in entertainment to kill that boredom. In my spare time, I like to play video games. Lately, I’ve been helping my friend who just started playing Elden Ring. Seeing him struggle and die so many times makes me happy, hahaha 😀. Other than that, I read manga and novels, watch anime and movies, or just randomly strum on my guitar.
What industry do you work in (if manga making isn’t your primary job)? I’ve been doing manga commissions for other people, which helps me to pay for college and my living expenses. So yeah, for now making manga is my main job, although sometimes the manga I draw is not for myself.
Where do you see your manga career in five years time? I’m not quite sure, but I think I’ll continue to make more one-shots. I still have a lot of stories that I haven’t made into manga yet. In the next five years, I hope to get serialized and go to Japan. That’s just my wishful thinking.
What manga making advice would you give to your younger self if you could? A letter to my younger self: “Dear younger me, what are you doing!? Stop wasting time! Take your pen and make some manga! Don’t think too much about the result, just do it!”
What advice would you give to people entering the SILENT MANGA AUDITION®? Silent manga is a great medium for channeling emotions that cannot be expressed in words, so make the most of it. Make sure your story can be easily understood without words by using strong visuals, clear paneling, and effective body language to convey emotions and actions. And most importantly, make sure you have fun while making it. Ganbatte!
Thank you, Yoikaha! We’re eagerly awaiting your next manga masterpiece!
Artists Village SMA MasterClass Tati’s (DS Studio) Japanese Manga Debut!!
Exciting News! Our talented MasterClass member from Indonesia, Tati (DS Studio) has made SMA history! 🇮🇩 She is the very first MasterClass member to launch a series in Japan. Her manga, Fetal Parasite, or Himekuimushi in Japanese, is released under the Japanese pen name Moritaka Neko. This is Tati’s passion project that she’s been working on here in the Artists Village, so be sure to check it out!
Proceed with caution and enjoy her horror manga with beautifully drawn, but truly terrifying insectoid monsters. Fetal Parasite can be read biweekly on the official on the official Comic ZENON Website!
You can also enjoy the first 3 chapters in English, published exclusively for SMA readers to enjoy:
Take your first step towards your own manga debut by joining SMA! The deadline to join SMA22 is February 2nd, 2025. Enter for a chance to develop your potential as a manga creator with us in Japan!
HELLO SMA21 AWARD WINNER, 瓜喵(Miao)!
PROFILE Pen Name / Name:瓜喵 (Miao) Your social media profiles (optional): FB: @shadowclamp Country: Taiwan Age: 35 Favorite manga: Delicious in Dungeon, Shoulder-a-Coffin Kuro Favorite movie: Inception, Amélie
“Find your own way to attract the reader’s attention. Make sure to exaggerate the emotions of your characters. You can do it!”
About SMA
How does it feel to receive a SILENT MANGA AUDITION® award? Unbelievable! I’m actually not a full-time manga creator. Before receiving this award, I didn’t think that my work could compare to that of the professionals who also submit entries. This award is very encouraging for me. What was the inspiration behind your awarded work? Although I don’t have experience raising frogs or tadpoles, I have a little fish tank at home. I love animals, and once I even created a manga about a friendship between a bear and a duck. Animals always inspire me. What challenges did you face while making your manga? How did you overcome them? It’s difficult to draw frogs’ bodies. I tried different ways to simplify their anatomy, while also making sure they didn’t look too weird in the manga. Also, I wanted the little kids to be cute. Therefore, I had to search for many pictures and illustrations as references.
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 when I was a teenager. I drew manga with a pen, and I mostly drew by stippling at the time. I wish I had practiced more (i.e., by sketching) before starting. Creators spend a lot of time making their works, but it’s also important to communicate with the outside world. Don’t be afraid to share your ideas or your script. Keep an open mind! That’s my advice to creators.
Do you draw your manga digitally or by hand? What are your go-to digital or analogue tools? I draw digitally with Clip Studio Paint.
What was the first manga you picked up? Is it easy to access manga where you live? In Taiwan, there used to be some book rental shops (kind of like Blockbuster, but for books) near schools. When I was a teenager, I always ran into the book rental shops and rented a lot of manga after a big test. If I found a good manga, I would buy it. I forget what the first manga I bought was, but it was probably one of Clamp’s works. I was really addicted to Clamp’s stories at the time. Sadly, book rental shops almost completely disappeared after that due to the recession. Now, I’m used to buying manga online or at bookstores. Sometimes, I buy e-books, since I own an iPad now.
Which manga changed your life? It’s difficult to say which singular manga changed my life. I think manga by Clamp had a big influence on me when I was young. Clamp do not create traditional Shojo manga. Their manga covers different themes, and they switch up their styles, too. What I learned from Clamp was to keep an open mind and to try creating manga with a variety of different themes.
Which manga character do you most identify with? Why? Kirua in HUNTERxHUNTER. He always puts his best friend Gon first and stays by Gon’s side. When they faced the Cat-woman for the first time, Kirua knocked Gon aside, away from the battlefield, even though he knew Gon would hate him afterward. When he was told that he would only hold his friend back in the future, after hesitating briefly, he decided to leave. He looks like he doesn’t care about anything, but in fact he is sensitive and thoughtful. I really like his personality.
What kind of manga do you want to make next? I really have no idea. I hope my next manga will touch somebody’s heart. I want to keep improving my work, to make it more delicate and unique. In Taiwan, it’s hard to be a full-time manga creator. The pay is quite low and it’s difficult to attain a good work-life balance. Sometimes, it’s easier to be a fan art creator. However, I like to create original short stories. That’s why I’m still an amateur.
About You
What do you do when you’re not making manga? How do you relax? I read manga, of course! I also enjoy playing video games.
What industry do you work in (if manga making isn’t your primary job)? I have worked as a graphic designer at a printing house for 7 years.
Where do you see your manga career in 5 years time? I want to try thinking up longer stories. I’d also like the opportunity to adapt stories by other authors.
What manga making advice would you give to your younger self if you could? Brainstorm as much as you can before making your manga. Write down every single idea you have at each moment of the day.
What advice would you give to people entering the SILENT MANGA AUDITION®? I have learned a lot from the award-winning SMA works. The creators are very talented. Without dialogue, the way you present a scene in your manga is very important. Find your own way to attract the reader’s attention. Make sure to exaggerate the emotions of your characters. You can do it!
Thank you, 瓜喵(Miao)! We’re eagerly awaiting your next manga masterpiece!
PROFILE Pen Name / Name: monami Your social media profiles (optional):IG: @monadrawzthings Country: India Favorite manga: Ajin: Demi-Human, Attack on Titan, One-Punch Man, Bakuman, etc. Favorite movie: Any movie that keeps me hooked till the end. Favorite quote: “The reason why you want it so badly is because your future self already has it.”
“It’s really about expressing your own thoughts, beliefs and enjoying what YOU love to draw.”
About SMA
How does it feel to receive a SILENT MANGA AUDITION® award? Winning feels incredibly rewarding. This story came from a very personal place, and to have it recognized means a lot to me. I’m grateful for the opportunity to share my work, and I hope it resonates with others the way it did with me. What was the inspiration behind your awarded work? My inspiration for this story stems from the profound emotion of grief and its transformative power. I wanted to explore the intersection of poor children, who I see everyday on the streets, and who are deprived of childhood, care, and love, and a mother grieving the loss of her own child. Ultimately, the characters channel sorrow into something meaningful, transforming pain into a source of hope.
What challenges did you face while making your manga? How did you overcome them?Balancing my job, my studies, and working on this project was a challenge. I overcame it by quitting my job… just kidding! I had to cut back on some sleep.
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’ve always had a love for drawing anime characters, but it truly blossomed in fourth grade when I watched an anime called UFO Baby. Seeing a character in it who was a mangaka inspired me to draw my own stories. From that moment, my passion for manga became a significant part of my life .
As a beginner, I wish I had realized that drawing manga is not just about creating something that others admire. It’s really about expressing your own thoughts, beliefs and enjoying what YOU love to draw.
My advice to new manga creators would be to immerse themselves in a wide variety of manga to gain insights into storytelling, character development and artistic techniques.
Do you draw your manga digitally or by hand? What are your go-to digital or analogue tools? I started out drawing manually, but for the past few years, I’ve completely transitioned to digital art. I use Clip Studio Paint and an iPad. What was the first manga you picked up? Is it easy to access manga where you live? My first ever manga was The Wallflower by Tomoko Hayakawa, which I found in an old book store near my school. It used to be quite rare to find manga back in the day, but now popular titles are easily accessible in larger stores, and almost every manga is available online.
Which manga changed your life? While I can’t point to a specific manga, I can say that manga, as a whole, has profoundly changed and influenced my life.
Which manga character do you most identify with? Why? Seishu Handa from Barakamon. I resonate with his journey of personal growth and creativity. I also have a lively little nephew like Naru, who brings a lot of joy and energy into my life. What kind of manga do you want to make next? I would like to make manga in the josei genre targeting psychological themes. The challenges a manga creator may face in my country are cultural differences, a limited audience and a lack of job opportunities.
About You
What do you do when you’re not making manga? How do you relax? Currently, I study Japanese and am preparing for the JLPT when not making manga. To relax, I listen to music while having a cup of coffee
What industry do you work in (if manga making isn’t your primary job)? Making manga IS my primary job^^
Where do you see your manga career in 5 years time? In 5 years, I hope to keep drawing manga and have published my own titles in Japan!
What manga making advice would you give to your younger self if you could? I would actually like to thank my younger self for always drawing and never giving up. (And also advise her to read more manga!)
What advice would you give to people entering the SILENT MANGA AUDITION®? Always consider the emotion you want your audience to feel after they read your work.
Thank you, monami! We’re eagerly awaiting your next manga masterpiece!
PROFILE Pen Name / Name: Hariv / Vũ Hồng Hải Your social media profiles (optional): X: @Hariv_19 Instagam: @haithao.9805 Country: Vietnam Favorite manga: Ajin, Dandadan, Look Back Favorite movie: Interstellar, Everything Everywhere All at Once,… And the show I always listen to while drawing is High Kick! Favorite quote: “No pain, no gain.”
“Continuously learn new things and observe everything around you; great ideas will come.”
About SMA
How does it feel to receive a SILENT MANGA AUDITION® award? It’s an indescribable thrill and a surprise. My heart pounded when I saw my comic panel appear on the award banner. What was the inspiration behind your awarded work? It was the short videos about creepy pasta creatures that kept appearing on my TikTok feed. They kept popping up, so I decided to write a story about them. I changed my ideas and storytelling methods many times, and I finally completed my story after two months.
What challenges did you face while making your manga? How did you overcome them? Different ideas kept popping up, and I wanted to include them all in the story. However, due to the page limit, I had to decide which ones to keep and which ones to leave out. It was a pretty tough decision.
Storytelling is also a big challenge for me. I often worry that readers won’t understand my intentions, so I changed my storytelling style quite a bit to make it both concise and easy to understand. However, it didn’t seem very successful, because after letting my friends read the story, they all said the ending was a bit confusing.
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? During the COVID-19 lockdown, I happened to watch a segment of an anime. I had plenty of free time, so I started practicing drawing. I’m entirely self-taught, which was really challenging. I wish I had received formal and professional training. My advice is: keep drawing! Continuously learn new things and observe everything around you; great ideas will come. Do you draw your manga digitally or by hand? What are your go-to digital or analogue tools? I draw digitally, using a computer, a drawing tablet, and Clip Studio Paint.
What was the first manga you picked up? Is it easy to access manga where you live? When I was in elementary school, the convenience stores at the school gate rented out Doraemon comics. Because of that, I got to read them and dreamed of becoming a manga artist from a young age. Which manga changed your life? Attack on Titan is the manga that introduced me to the wonderful world of comics. I happened to watch a segment of the anime while staying at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, I turned to the manga to find out what would happen next. From there, I became interested in manga and determined to pursue my childhood dream.
Which manga character do you most identify with? Why? Maybe Erwin Smith from Attack on Titan. This character is willing to give up everything to achieve their goal, just like how I gave up on university to draw manga. What kind of manga do you want to make next? A slice-of-life manga with a touch of the supernatural sounds fascinating!
In my country, the comic industry hasn’t developed much. Many people still view comics as something for children only, and artists don’t always get the recognition they deserve. It’s believed that making a living through art isn’t sustainable, and people usually prefer reading foreign comics.
That’s why I want to develop the Vietnamese comic industry, to change the perception that, ‘Comics are only for children. Vietnamese comics are low-quality and cannot compare to Japanese manga and American comics.’ I want my country to have more high-quality comic series.
About You
What do you do when you’re not making manga? How do you relax? I work as an electrical engineer at a tech company.
What industry do you work in (if manga making isn’t your primary job)? Industrial automation and robotics.
Where do you see your manga career in 5 years time? I will probably continue writing and drawing the stories that exist in my mind on paper.
What manga making advice would you give to your younger self if you could? Keep reading and drawing a lot.
What advice would you give to people entering the SILENT MANGA AUDITION®? If you have an idea, draw it immediately. If you don’t have an idea, read books, watch movies, observe everything around you, and you might come up with something new.
Thank you, Hariv! We’re eagerly awaiting your next manga masterpiece!
PROFILE
