Check the Last Round’s Results!
The World’s Biggest Manga Audition That Could Launch Your Japanese Manga Career!
The SILENT MANGA AUDITION® (SMA) is the world’s biggest manga audition, exclusively with manga without dialogue. Through silent manga, talented international creators have the same chance as Japanese creators to join the manga world. Draw your characters’ expressions full of emotion and heart to work towards your dream debut!
About the Theme
People can have many different kinds of smiles: happy, amused, sad, confused, embarrassed, threatening…What memorable smiles will you show in your SMA20 entry?
Title: The Witch of Petrovsky
Creator: monotone_ink
Monthly Comic ZENON’s 25th Manga Taisho – Excellence Award
Title: Ephemera
Creator: Laica Chrose
Monthly Comic ZENON’s 25th Manga Taisho – Excellence Award Runner-Up
Title: Fragments of the Soul
Creator: Enewald
COAMIX’s 7th Kyushu International Manga Award – Excellence Award
SUBMISSION PROCESS
Submission Period
September 1st2023
December 4th2023
Judging Period
December 4th2023
January 31st2024
Results Announcement
February2024
Enter SMA for Exciting Opportunities!
*Such projects are open exclusively to our MasterClass creators.
How to Join
Join SMA to Make Manga at the Artists Village Aso 096k in Japan!
Top-awarded entrants who show their talent, professional approach, and will to work in Japan may be invited to the Artists Village Aso 096k in Takamori Town (Aso, Kumamoto)! There, you will learn the art and technique of creating great manga by working next to other manga creators in the Village and will start “Ticking towards your Dreams.”
VIEW MORE
Prizes
Grand Prix
¥500,000
Grand Prix Runner-Up
¥300,000
Offer to Enter the MasterClass and Receive Editorial Support Introduction to the Artists Village Aso 096k Project
Excellence Award
¥100,000
Excellence Award Runner-Up
¥30,000
Honorable Mention
¥10,000
Excellence Award and Above to be Published on “MangaHot”
Excellence Award Runner-Ups and Above to be Featured in Monthly Comic ZENON
Special Prizes
Copic and I・C have once again joined SMA to help international manga creators! With 3 awesome analogue manga-making prizes, you can gain new manga skills and add eye-popping colors to your pages. These 3 exclusive prizes will be provided to 6 entrants (2 each for each prize), so be sure not to miss your chance to receive official Copic and I・C merchandise with us!
Participation Prizes
ALL Entries Receive Editorial Feedback
EVERY entry receives professional editorial feedback! The feedback will contain your entry’s strong points and highlight things we’d like you to practice and learn more about in order to create professional-level manga.
All entrants receive FREE 3 Month Trial Clip Studio Paint EX
ALL entrants who complete a survey after joining SMA20 will receive a Clip Studio Paint EX 3-month activation code! Clip Studio Paint is the artist’s drawing, painting, comic, webtoon, and animation tool, loved by professionals. Don’t miss out on your chance to try Clip Studio Paint!
Judging Details and Rules ( Click to learn more )
The SMA Judges evaluate SMA entries based on the following criteria. Above all, conveying your characters’ expressions is the most important.
Emotions
Characters’ emotions are expressed and displayed clearly.
Originality
The story and setting display your originality.
Composition
The theme is conveyed well through a story that’s easy to understand with enjoyable paneling.
Rules
MANUSCRIPT
- NO DIALOGUE. Tell your story through images alone.
- Reading order from right to left, monochrome only.
- Use the theme of “Memorable Smile” as the core of your story.
PAGES
- 5 – 17 pages.
FILE SIZE
- 2MB or under.
WHAT IS ALLOWED
- Multiple entries.
- Entries from partners, groups, etc.
WHAT IS NOT ALLOWED
- Plagiarism, nudity, explicit violence, or material that is likely to cause offense.
- Copyrighted pictures in your entry.
- Preset photos or drawings of people and backgrounds.
SMA Rules and Guidelines Page >>
Canvas Size
B4
- Trimmed artwork area: 220mm x 310mm
- Main content area: 180mm x 270mm
- Trim margin: 20mm
A4
- Trimmed artwork area: 279mm x 198mm
- Main content area: 261mm x 180mm
- Trim margin: 9mm
NOTE: Entries done on paper should be scanned and digitized with a 300 dpi resolution. Page Layout Guidelines HERE (B4 Size) >>
Judges
Tsukasa HOJO Tetsuo HARA Ryuji TSUGIHARA Jun TOMIZAWA Nobuhiko HORIE Monthly Comic ZENON Editorial Department SMA Editorial Department
Meet the Judges >>
Submitting Your Entry
Submission Agreement >>
About COAMIX Inc.
COAMIX Inc. is a Tokyo-based manga publisher founded by worldwide famous manga creators. Among its many titles, Record of Ragnarok, MOTHER PARASITE, Keiji’s Kabuki Adventure, and The War of Greedy Witches stand out for being the most recent and internationally acclaimed manga series from the publisher.
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