Russian SILENT MANGA AUDITION® MasterClass member SIDEBURN004 made history today, by being the first SMA MasterClass member to debut in a Japanese manga magazine.

A work originally conceived by Japanese manga artist Matsuri Midou (Black Terror) for the first “Zenon Creator Audition”, Midnight Shadow tells the story of Alice, a young woman plagued with the ability to see people’s true selves through their shadows. Barney, a mysterious eccentric enters her life showing a fascination in her seldom few have, when a trip to a coffee shop goes horribly wrong.

The “name” that impressed the Zenon Team and Matsuri Midou.

SIDEBURN004, a resident of Saint Petersburg, Russia joined the SMA MasterClass in 2017, with her SMA8 Grand Prix award winning manga Checkmate. Selected from among three other MasterClass members to reinterpret Midou’s “name” (rough storyboard), the Russian artist captured the spirit of the original concept with her beautifully crafted character designs and engaging composition skills.

The finished pages.

A new initiative for the SMA MasterClass, the “Zenon Creator Audition” is a fantastic opportunity for members to break into the Japanese manga market. By working on a “name” supplied by an experienced artist, the selected member will not only have the chance to reimagine the story in their own vision and style, but allow them to fully experience the professional environment of the industry, impossibly tight deadlines included!

The climatic scene!

With Midnight Shadow currently wowing Japanese manga fans on digital manga magazine Webcomic Zenyon, this pioneering event promises to bring international manga talent to the spiritual home of manga. With more events of this kind mooted for 2019, the future of global manga is in safe hands!

Concept art for Barney

Alice concept art

To read this pioneering manga, please follow THIS LINK!