“Perhaps our expectations were raised as our judging became sharper. I found myself asking “What are you trying to say?” while reading through the entries, as I found some works very difficult to interpret…”
Creator of: ‘Cat’s ♥ Eye’, ‘City Hunter’, ‘Angel Heart’, etc.
“Some creators draw long stories very well, with many making good use of composition and angles. The art was very unique with a varying contrast of skill and character development throughout the entries. I look forward to reading more work from these creators with genuine sensitivity to their levels of skill.”
Creator of: ‘Fist of the North Star’ , ‘Keiji’, ‘Ikusa no Ko’, etc.
“It’s clear some creators are very highly skilled. They seem to be natural at art, paneling and composition which I noted throughout. As for reading, I think many creators are struggling to raise their voices through their work. Overall though, the level of skill is definitely going up.”
Creator of: ‘Yoroshiku Mecha-Doc’, ‘Restore Garage 251’, ‘Shonen Readom’, etc.
“I enjoyed the variety of these entries so much, I could easily make a magazine out of them! It’s good to see more confidence and pride in each artist’s style. I’m grateful to see the endless possibilities of manga in these works.”
Creator of: ‘Commander Zero’, ‘Kigyō Senshi Yamazaki’, ‘Koroshiya Menkichi’, etc.
“I had a lot of fun reading these entries. Many works contained well-made storylines, proving that creators are learning the form of Silent Manga. Though many seem to be getting used to this format, some of the winning works were difficult to understand. It was also good to see skillful execution of panelling, visual composition and punchline narratives.”
CEO, Coamix Inc. (Former Chief Editor of ‘Weekly Shonen Jump’ and ‘Monthly Comic Zenon’)
GRAND PRIX RUNNER-UP
300,000 JPY
TITLE Never Late
CREATOR Lucas Marques and Priscilla Miranda
COUNTRY Brazil
Read this MANGA
Ryuji TSUGIHARA :
“Every component in his work, from the art to the story is well crafted. This manga duo seem free from any weak points! ”
Nobuhiko HORIE :
“The art is outstanding and I can see potential for a professional debut, once a good story has been created for the creator. ”
Jun TOMIZAWA :
“The degree of perfection in this work makes it seem like a movie. I can easily see how serious and enthusiastic the creator is towards manga-making.”
EXCELLENCE AWARD RUNNER-UP
30,000 JPY
SPONSORS’ AWARD
Prize :
CLIP STUDIO PAINT EX
.
Wacom Cintiq Pro 13
(DTH-1320/AK0)
SPONSORS’ AWARD RUNNER UP
Prize :
CLIP STUDIO PAINT EX
.
Wacom Intuos Pro Paper
Edition Medium (PTH-660/K1)
SMAC! Award
A message from SMAC! Editor-in-chief, Shuichi “Mocchi” Mochida
Shuichi “Mocchi” Mochida
Coamix Inc. Board of Directors Chairman, The SILENT MANGA AUDITION® Committee. Chief Editor, SMAC! The WEB/MANGA Magazine
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who contributed the many works to SILENT MANGA AUDITION® Round 12. In total we received 289 entries from 47 countries under the theme “New Beginning”. Your international manga works were incredibly well received by the SMA judging panel.
Unfortunately we did not see a Grand Prix winner for the this round, but that is not to take away from the amazing Runner-Up entry from Brazilian manga making team, Lucas Marques and Priscilla Miranda!
There was a significant rise in quality across all the entries for Round 12, with the judges noting improvements in drawing ability, composition skills and the use of frames. I am happy to notice that the “grammar” of manga is being embraced by our entire community!
The SMA is a global manga award that evaluates performance and ability under a particular theme. Using techniques learned from both established Japanese manga artists and the previous winners of the SMA, it is my hope that new and returning creators will leave a lasting impression on the readers and judges alike.
SILENT MANGA AUDITION® is striving to be the gateway for international manga artists into the world of professional Japanese manga. With three of our most recent award winners already debuting in Japan, we hope to build on this success and usher in more international talent for this new decade.
We will spare no effort in supporting creators who show exceptional ambition for a career in the Japanese manga industry. We look forward to your next entry.