PROFILE Pen Name:Luciel Age: 27 Country: Italy Favorite manga:Hunter x Hunter Favorite movie: Interstellar, Amelie Poulain Favorite quote: “And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
“Experiment, study, and think about what you really want to do with your art.”
About SMA
How does it feel to receive a SILENT MANGA AUDITION® award? It feels a bit weird because I know I’m not good enough now, but it gives me motivation to do better next time!
What was the inspiration behind your awarded work? I got interested in ballet dancers recently. They go through a lot of hardship from a really young age to reach their beautiful form and graceful technique. I was inspired by their stories.
What challenges did you face while making your manga? How did you overcome them? Drawing ballet moves was hard, so I had to collect a lot of references.
How and when did you start making manga? Any advice for beginners? I joined this contest almost 5 years ago. I know I should’ve started sooner, so that’s why my advice for beginners is “Do not wait to feel ready; be brave, fail quickly, learn, try again, and go on until you make it. Don’t waste time being scared; life is too short for that.”
Do you draw your manga digitally or by hand? What are your go-to digital or analogue tools? I do everything digitally by using a graphic tablet with screen and computer.
What was the first manga you picked up? Tokyo Mew Mew, if I remember right.
Which manga changed your life? I’d say Tokyo Mew Mew again, because I was in elementary school and never saw something like that before. I was obsessed with the cat ears ahah.
Which manga character do you most identify with? Why? I don’t know, but if they’re weird and need therapy I can relate lol. What kind of manga do you want to make next? Something with the kind of dark aesthetic which I like.
About you
What do you do when you’re not making manga? How do you relax? I usually read, play games or watch something.
What industry do you work in (if manga making isn’t your primary job)? Jobless but not hopeless.
Where do you see your manga career in 5 years time? I just hope to see it somewhere honestly.
What manga making advice would you give to your younger self if you could? Just draw and create, use your feelings and transform them into art. Even if it sucks, you will improve eventually, but just do something or you will regret all the wasted time.
What advice would you give to people entering the SILENT MANGA AUDITION®? Use it as a tool to improve, not just for victory. Experiment, study, and think about what you really want to do with your art.
Thank you, Luciel! We’re eagerly expecting your next manga masterpiece!
PROFILES Pen Name: Zanuse (Art) Age: 26 Country: Italy Favorite manga:Golden Kamui, Uzumaki Favorite movie: The Thing (1982), Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Django Unchained Favorite quote: “Danger doesn’t always come from the enemy.”
Pen Name: Jim Yiu (Pen name: Beatrush (Story)) Age: 41 Country: Canada Favorite manga: Hellsing, Gunnm, Trigun Maximum Favorite movie: Aliens, Terminator 2, Macross-Do You Remember Love, Redline (レッドライン) Favorite quote: “Push on! You can sleep when you’re dead.”
“Don’t go for complex stories, keep it simple and tell it in a meaningful and engaging way!” – Zanuse
“Learn the fundamentals! Start with a small concept, develop your twist, and pay attention to page/panel layout and camera angles.” – Beatrush
About SMA
How does it feel to receive a SILENT MANGA AUDITION® award? Zanuse: I woke up to the news of the award, so I was a bit dazed. It was completely unexpected, but it’s an honor that professionals read our entry and that I can share this moment with Beatrush! I’m so happy!
Beatrush: Incredible! This was our first time entering and to achieve an award with so many talented artists and storytellers in this competition feels surreal. I am very honored that professionals whose work I have read/watched growing up reviewed our entry and shared their knowledge with us. I am so happy to share this award with my friend Zanuse, who is an amazing person and artist.
What was the inspiration behind your awarded work? Zanuse: I was often called ‘’daydreamer’’ or told that I had my head in clouds, not paying attention to surroundings or just imagining things for fun.
Beatrush: Personal experience. Growing up, I lived only with my mother and I didn’t have many friends so I frequently had to entertain myself. Just like the girl in our story, sometimes I would be lost in my imagination and not pay attention to dangers in my environment.
What challenges did you face while making your manga? How did you overcome them? Zanuse: I would say the storyboard. I’m rather new to this, and previously I had only worked on a couple of pages just for fun without even knowing if I was doing things correctly. Because of that it all felt overwhelming, so I started from the basics: yonkoma and ki-sho-ten-ketsu.
Beatrush: The main struggle that comes to mind was convincing my peers who reviewed our entry on the story. Many expressed that they felt our story/twist was too simple compared to the topics they chose (which were mostly about life and death). In the end, I’m glad I believed in my ability as a storyteller.
How and when did you start making manga? Any advice for beginners? Zanuse: I’ve been drawing since I was little but had tendencies toward illustrations more than manga. Recently I got the chance to work on manga/comics and webtoons and thanks to this I got to know Beatrush and also ComiPa who mentored me on manga making, art, and storytelling! I owe them everything.
My advice for beginners would be to read a lot of manga and practice everyday!
Beatrush: I started creating manga roughly in 2012 but it was more of a hobby at the time. Things didn’t really pick up steam until I met SMA18 winner ComiPa in 2017. He mentored me on the fundamentals of manga and visual storytelling and I owe much of my success to him.
My advice would be if you want to start creating manga, the earlier the better (or just start right now!). Having started so late in my life, I fear I only have so much time left to tell all the stories I have in my head.
Do you draw your manga digitally or by hand? What are your go-to digital or analogue tools? Zanuse: I use both digital and traditional mediums. For digital I use Clip Studio Paint EX and Photoshop. For traditional I go for my trusted mechanical pencil and G-Pen. I love the sound of the pen tip dragging across the paper.
Beatrush: When I draw, I use Clip Studio EX and Photoshop. The rare times I draw traditionally I use a mechanical 2B pencil, as well as Copic and Sakura liners. However, since my strength for creating manga is more in the writing role, I rarely draw for my own manga projects.
What was the first manga you picked up? Zanuse: It was “Wanted!”, a collection of one-shot stories by Oda-sensei.
Beatrush: My mother used to bring me random manga books from a cantonese bookstore in Chinatown. They usually were random volumes of Dragon Ball Z, Ranma ½ and City Hunter. Her hope was for me to learn to read cantonese through them, but I just ended up admiring the artwork instead.
Which manga changed your life? Zanuse: I think Tomie and Witch Hat Atelier. I want to make something this beautiful too..
Beatrush: I would have to say Battle Angel Alita and Hellsing. Those two series introduced me to the world of seinen manga storytelling and showed me new examples of what can be done using the medium of manga.
Which manga character do you most identify with? Why? Zanuse: Taiga Aisaka from Toradora. I’m short and I still get mistaken for a kid because of that and my baby face.
Beatrush: Currently, Bocchi from Bocchi the Rock!. I can relate to her mindset in regards to self doubt and wanting to hide from the world.
What kind of manga do you want to make next? Zanuse: I would love to make a story about mysteries and horror, but it has to wait for now. I’m working on a project with Beatrush.
Beatrush: Aside from SMA20, I am currently working on multiple series at the moment including one with Zanuse which should debut later this year. I also have a passion project series called “Gun+Blazer” that is currently on hiatus but I hope to work on it again soon. While I typically write action/comedy and seinen, I would like to try making something “gothic” like Castlevania or Vampire Hunter D.
About You
What do you do when you’re not making manga? How do you relax? Zanuse: I draw even more! But I also spend time playing videogames with friends and reading books. Beatrush: I tend to work over 12 hours a day but the rare times I am able to relax, I enjoy watching movies/anime, reading, chatting with friends and casual gaming.
What industry do you work in (if manga making isn’t your primary job)? Zanuse: I’m a freelance Illustrator but also a tattoo artist. Beatrush: That’s a good question… I guess the best way to describe it is digital and interactive communications. My job usually consists of writing, coding, graphic design, video editing, and creating marketing materials. I often refer to myself as “jack of all trades but a master of none”.
Where do you see your manga career in 5 years time? Zanuse: Don’t know! I can’t tell what the future has for me. The only thing I can do is work hard to achieve my objectives. So that’s what I’ll do for now. Beatrush: It’s tough to say at the moment. I would like to transition full time into creating and writing manga one day though.
What manga making advice would you give to your younger self if you could? Zanuse: Be more confident and don’t be afraid of experimenting new stuff! Many good things can come out if you try. Beatrush: Don’t hesitate, if you wanna make manga, just do it. Take risks and don’t be afraid to fail.
What advice would you give to people entering the SILENT MANGA AUDITION®? Zanuse: Just do it! Don’t go for complex stories, keep it simple and tell it in a meaningful and engaging way! Beatrush: Learn the fundamentals! Start with a small concept, develop your twist and pay attention to page/panel layout and camera angles. Read the interviews of the winners because many of them share useful information you can use for your own submission. Lastly, don’t give up! Keep trying and learn from the feedback the masters provide to both you and the other creators.
Thank you, Zanuse and Beatrush! We’re eagerly expecting your next manga masterpiece!
PROFILE Pen Name:Ryuu Kun Age: Mid-twenties Country: Iraq Favorite manga:Berserk,Goodnight Punpun, No Longer Human, Bakuman, ONE PIECE Favorite movie: Hmmm maybe Control? Favorite quote: “I’m responsible for my own happiness? I can’t even be responsible for my own breakfast!” – BoJack Horseman
How does it feel to receive a SILENT MANGA AUDITION® award? Since it was my first time winning, I felt happy and grateful that my work finally got recognition, but I wasn’t really satisfied either because I haven’t done well enough to win one of the highest prizes. What was the inspiration behind your awarded work? I guess art in general! I have always viewed art as a way of letting sad or unwanted feelings go, I thought maybe to free the protagonist from his sorrow and pain is to go with painting. What challenges did you face while making your manga? How did you overcome them? Time management! It was really hard to manage my time for drawing my entry while working on many other projects at that time, but I’m happy it paid off.
How and when did you start making manga? Any advice for beginners? I started making manga around 2019, and my first manga was an entry for SMA too!My advice would be to learn the fundamentals and copy from good artists first, then start making your own stuff.
Do you draw your manga digitally or by hand? What are your go-to digital or analogue tools? I draw digitally on my laptop along with a Huion Kamvas Pro 22, and I use Clip Studio Paint.
What was the first manga you picked up? Liar Game.
Which manga changed your life? Bakuman for sure, and Berserk too. Which manga character do you most identify with? Why? I would say Punpun, mostly because I’m a bit shy and don’t talk much.
What kind of manga do you want to make next? I want to create dark themed works like Usamaru Furuya-sensei’s; I’m obsessed with all of Furuya-sensei’s works.
About you
What do you do when you’re not making manga? How do you relax? I don’t have much to do, so I just play video games mostly. I’m playing Yakuza right now.
What industry do you work in (if manga making isn’t your primary job)? I used to work as a webcomic artist.
Where do you see your manga career in 5 years time? It’s hard to answer, but I hope I’ll be able to publish the story I always wanted to tell.
What manga making advice would you give to your younger self if you could? Pick up your pencil and start drawing; it doesn’t have to be perfect. And don’t be afraid of making mistakes.
What advice would you give to people entering the SILENT MANGA AUDITION®? Give the winners’ entries a read and try to figure out why the judges picked them. Stick with the theme of the contest and never make a complex story. Good luck!
Thank you, Ryuu Kun! We’re eagerly expecting your next manga masterpiece!
PROFILE Pen Name:Adween Age: 25 Social network profiles: Twitter: @AdweenArt, Instagram: @ad.ween Country: France Favorite manga:Pandora Hearts, Attack on Titan, Witch Hat Atelier Favorite movie: Castle In The Sky Favorite quote: Huh I don’t know if it’s my favorite but I really liked a sentence said by Agathe in Witch Hat Atelier: “Wanting to draw and not being able to, it happens to everyone!”
“If you have time, do it. You will win either a reward or experience but you will never lose. 🙂”
About SMA
How does it feel to receive a SILENT MANGA AUDITION® award? I was super happy! I have done a lot of manga contests but I have never won any…So it was a pleasant surprise!
What was the inspiration behind your awarded work? I really like the character dynamics where a tired old man takes care of a very energetic child. It’s from the relationship between these characters that I created the story.
What challenges did you face while making your manga? How did you overcome them? I haven’t done any manga for several years, so I had to get back into it and work hard so that my lack of practice didn’t show too much! I also had a very physically tiring job during the contest and I often felt pain while drawing…You always have to stretch well even when you draw!
How and when did you start making manga? Any advice for beginners? I started doing manga at a very young age. I loved writing stories for my little sister. I quit for a very long time, then came back into it, then quit again…I had a complicated relationship with manga so I don’t think I can give advice, but…I would say to never force yourself and if you really like to draw, someday the desire will come back naturally.
Do you draw your manga digitally or by hand? What are your go-to digital or analogue tools? I draw digitally. It saves me a lot of time. I mainly draw on Clip Studio Paint!
What was the first manga you picked up? The first manga I read was Black Cat by Kentaro Yabuki. All the stories I created when I was younger were HEAVILY inspired by Black Cat… It was the only manga I had and therefore my only source of inspiration haha. Which manga changed your life? A lot of manga actually! But I think Attack on Titan and Pandora Hearts are among the most impactful. Attack on Titan for its terrifying and realistic view of the world and Pandora Hearts for its anxious and tortured characters that marked me as a human and as an artist.
Which manga character do you most identify with? Why? Reiner from Attack on Titan. He asks himself a lot of questions all the time to the point of losing his mind. We are very similar on this point. What kind of manga do you want to make next? A psychological manga about creativity and passion. A theme had already been seen several times, but I would like to share my experience and create a story that speaks to all those who had serious doubts about their art.
About you
What do you do when you’re not making manga? How do you relax? I really like to sing, read, play video games, walk in nature, play with my cats… But most of the time I draw haha.
What industry do you work in (if manga making isn’t your primary job)? I work as a graphic designer with a publishing company and I also have a part time job as a cashier.
Where do you see your manga career in 5 years time? I don’t think I would be a pro but I hope I could at least make a full story for myself.
What manga making advice would you give to your younger self if you could? “Learn perspective now or you’ll regret it.”
What advice would you give to people entering the SILENT MANGA AUDITION®? You should never hesitate to do this kind of competition. If you have time, do it. You will win either a reward or experience but you will never lose. 🙂
Thank you, Adween! We’re eagerly expecting your next manga masterpiece!
“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!
PROFILE
