It’s no secret that China is the most populated country in the world, but also one of the most secretive. So if there is one thing the world would like to share with this ancient land, it is the gift of manga!

It is with this mission that the SILENT MANGA AUDITION® joined our Chinese sponsors for an amazing award ceremony to celebrate the very first SMA China Audition! Taking place a mere two hours away from the bustling metropolis of Shanghai, the event proved a huge success, bringing the gift of manga to one of China’s largest centers of learning, Nantong University.

   

With the auditorium filled to capacity, six very shy and very talented manga artists joined the SMA editorial team on stage… the winners of SMA China Award 2019!

・Shībài Zhànjì (“My Relationship with a Dog” – Grand Prix winner) ・Ā běn (“ACAB” – Nobuhiko Horie Prize) ・A-Ton (“If I Were You” – Tsukasa Hojo Prize) ・Mànhuà jiā jiān jí zhàn (“Water Monster” – Tetsuo Hara Prize winner) ・Shòu lù mù yī  (“PANDA x Red Panda” – Ryuji Tsugihara Prize winner)

・Lumlumla (“Ugly kid” – Sayuri Matsumura Prize winner)

    But let’s not forget the herculean efforts from SMA China’s two GP Runner-up winners!

・Nìmíng de ā bǐng (“Bamboo Story” – Grand Prix Runner-up winner)

・Dīngdīng kuāng (“Nico’s Tree” – Grand Prix Runner-up winner)

   

The event was a feast for the eyes! A celebration of Chinese culture, including traditional dress, dance, music and costume, the first SMA China Award Ceremony successfully melded the traditional past of China with its manga future.

   

After the ceremony, the SMA held a discussion on the situation of manga in China. With responses very similar to those voiced at the 2018 Kumamoto International Manga Summit, we were shocked to discover that manga culture has yet to grip China! With this in mind, Coamix and SMA resolved to help spread the culture of manga throughout China.

Though the readership of manga remains small in China, the need to create manga was very strong indeed. The SMA team were delighted to offer an opportunity to instruct the award winners in drawing techniques, along with an overview of the manga business.

As an added bonus, Chief Editor Shuichi “Mocchi” Mochida extended an invitation to the SMA China award winner, to attend the Kumamoto Manga Camp 2019!!!

The reaction was a delight to see, with eager questions being fired to the team about the 2018 camp, the other international MasterClass members and the exclusive workshops planned.

   

On behalf of the SMA editorial team, and the SILENT MANGA AUDITION® MasterClass, we offer our congratulations and cannot wait to meet you in Takamori this October!

   

Be sure to follow our SNS pages for more details about the pioneering Kumamoto International Manga Camp, along with SMA news, reviews and of course… manga!

XIE XIE (Thank you – In Chinese)

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To read all the Award Winning manga, please click on the banner below: