Celsys

Celsys is pleased to announce the award winners of the International Comic/Manga School Contest 2020. A total of 825 schools in 69 countries/regions registered for this year’s contest, and more than 750 comics and illustrations were submitted for consideration for the Grand Prix and category awards.

View entries for the International Comic/Manga School Contest 2020
https://www.clipstudio.net/promotion/comiccontest/en/
 
This year’s contest had the theme of “Promise.” Submissions for six categories (Comic, Manga, Bande Dessinée, Webtoon, Illustration, and Storyboard) opened in January 2020. Comic-related artworks were split into five different categories and attracted entries from a wide variety of genres and cultures, with freedom on the language of the comics.

As the contest is aimed at students aspiring to become professionals, judges and sponsors offered detailed critique on the winning entries to help improve the skills of the winners as well as those who read the works. Critiques from judges and sponsors will be published on the contest site going forward.

DC artist Javier Fernández, a judge for this contest, said the following about judging the entries this year:

“The quality of the entries was quite surprising. It was a rather difficult theme, but I’m fascinated with how far each author has taken it. It has been a beautiful lesson and a very difficult theme, from which they have been able to create pure gold."

Celsys will hold this contest again next year on a larger scale, aiming to support talented students around the world to create comics.



【Winning Entries】
Overall Grand Prize

Title: Our Grand Station
Pen name: Caoqian
School name: The School of the Art Institute of Chicago（United States of America）
Story URL: https://share.clip-studio.com/ja-jp/contents/c4c5829a-7b93-49fe-a538-0f2c06712441?at=1587876008

Judge comment:
The unique setting born from passionate art style is fascinating. I think by using anthropomorphic animals as the characters, the artist creates an well balanced atmosphere in terms tone for both art and story. The emotions and expressions of the non-human characters are well drawn as well, and I could feel the versatility of the artist.

Shuichi Hiratsuka, Shueisha


Comic Category Award Title: Eda & Roach
Pen name: Madita Schwenke
School name: Hamburg University of Applied Sciences（Germany）
Story URL: https://share.clip-studio.com/ja-jp/contents/b9900315-7d82-492d-961b-75ad834e6606?at=1587720778

Judge comment:
I think it's a beautiful painting that makes you want to enter this world.

Cork, Inc. CEO
Youhei Sadoshima


Manga Category Award Title: Forgiveness
Pen name: 小河少年 （Xiao-He Shao-Nian）
School name: Chaoyang University of Science and Technology （Taiwan）
Story URL: https://share.clip-studio.com/q/contents/view?code=1ab96dd7-cfb5-4550-afd6-9243d055e64a&at=1593589347

Comment:
A heavy subject, but it's also one of the major themes of our time. It's very naturally emotional, and even though it's just a protagonist's monologue it doesn't read like one because there's a sense of naturalness to it. Just perfection.

Machiko Satonaka, Manga Artist /President of Manga Japan, Inc./President of the Japan Cartoonists Association


Webtoon Category Award

Title: Charlotte
Pen name: cloud7
School name: Leland High School （United States of America）
Story URL: https://share.clip-studio.com/ja-jp/contents/c2147db6-3f3a-4504-b12f-7e11ceb62ee0?at=1587409686

Judge comment:
This is profoundly moving. I always have a particular preference for silent comics, apart from being an immense narrative work, they transmit a clear idea to tell, a concept. This is undoubtedly an example: Without a word, it can displace you and then take an unexpected turn. It has really touched me a lot.

DC comic artist
Javier Fernández 


Bande Dessinée Category Award

Title: MIDSUMMER TRAVELER
Pen name: Echo
School name: School: Wuhan Textile University （China）
Story URL: https://share.clip-studio.com/ja-jp/contents/e0b56007-a097-4493-af64-ac7f23ac6920?at=1587124867

Comment:
The drawing skills, atmosphere, and development of the story in a limited length were all well done. It's as if each panel is a painting, from which different stories expand.

Shueisha （Special Sponsor）


Storyboard Category: Grand Prize Title: Youth Promise
Pen name: SHeyll
School name: Human Academy Europe （France）
Story URL: https://share.clip-studio.com/ja-jp/contents/b7d42164-2e7a-4080-82bf-35e039c0798d?at=1587957609
Storyboards by: Tokyo Name Tank

Comment:
The expressions of the characters are well drawn and their emotions are easy to read. The pace of the story is well paced and light.
KADOKAWA （Special Sponsor）


llustration Category: Grand Prize Pen name: Aroe
School name: School: Nihon Kogakuin College （Japan）

Comment:
The artist successfully embodies the eternal connection in their art.

Wacom （Special Sponsor）


【Overview of the International Comic/Manga School Contest 2020】
▼Submission Categories
・Comic Category （Color）
・Manga Category （B&W）
・Bande Dessinée Category （Color）
・Webtoon Category （Color）
・Storyboard Category （Color or B&W）
・Illustration Category

▼Theme:
Promise

▼Awards and Prizes
●Comic / Manga / Bande Dessinée / Webtoon Categories
・Overall Grand Prize （1 winner） 
US$3,300 cash prize
Wacom Cintiq 16 
Clip Studio Paint EX*

・Category Award （1 winner per category）
US$2,200 cash prize 
Wacom Cintiq 16 
Clip Studio Paint EX*
・Runner-up （3–5 winners）
Clip Studio Paint EX*
●Storyboard Category
・ Grand Prize （1 winner）
US$2,200 cash prize 
Wacom Cintiq 16
Clip Studio Paint EX* ・ Runner-up （3–5 winners）
Clip Studio Paint EX*
●Illustration Category
・ Grand Prize （1 winner）
US$550 cash prize 
Wacom Cintiq 16 
Clip Studio Paint PRO* ・ Runner-up （3–5 winners）
Clip Studio Paint PRO*
* For those who already have a copy of Clip Studio Paint, points for Clip Studio ASSETS will be awarded to purchase materials and brushes for use in Clip Studio Paint. （https://assets.clip-studio.com/en-us/）


▼Special Sponsors Shueisha
https://www.shueisha.co.jp/english/
Shueisha is a Japanese publisher that publishes manga, fashion magazines, and literary books. They have published comic magazines such as Weekly Shonen Jump, Weekly Young Jump, Ribon, Margaret, and Bessatsu Margaret. They have also published internationally renowned manga such as One Piece.
  KADOKAWA
https://comic-walker.com/
KADOKAWA is a comprehensive entertainment company that is involved in a wide range of businesses, including book publishing, movies and animation. Comic Walker is a free comic site that offers many popular KADOKAWA manga in one place. From the latest media mixes to popular sci-fi comics, more than 2,400 works are posted here free of charge.
  Wacom
https://www.wacom.com/en-us
Pioneer of creative pen tablets and displays which are being used to create some of the most exciting digital art, films, special effects, fashion and designs around the world.


▼Sponsors Amutus Co., Ltd. 
https://www.amutus.co.jp/en/
Japan's largest e-book site. Amutus, together with production partners, is responsible for planning and producing Mecha Comic and the original comic brand “Amcomi.” 
Amcomi works are distributed on e-book sites in Japan and overseas, including on Mecha Comic.
  BookLive Co., Ltd.
https://booklive.jp/
BookLive! is a general e-book store selling manga, novels, magazines and more, stocking over 900,000 titles.  BookLive! also offers over 10,000 titles to read for free, without even registering. Check out BookLive!’s easy-to-use interface with free titles!
  Solmare Publishing
（NTT Solmare Corp.）
https://www.nttsolmare.com/e/e-publish/
NTT Solmare is the company that runs "Comic C’moA," one of the largest e-book websites in Japan. NTT Solmare's manga editorial department "Solmare Publishing" creates a variety of manga titles which appeal to foreign and domestic readers.
  Mag Garden Corporation
http://www.mag-garden.co.jp/
Publisher of Monthly Comic Garden and operator of e-comic distribution platform MAGCOMI. Mag Garden counts animation company Production I.G., WIT STUDIO and more among its group companies, working together with these partners in planning and producing anime series based on popular properties from their catalog.
  Glénat
https://www.glenat.com/
Established in 1969 by Jacques Glénat, Glénat is a French publisher specializing in bande dessinée, manga, American comics and books on leisure topics （sea, mountains, gastronomy, cultural heritage, children and youth）. A pioneer of Japanese manga publishing in France, Glénat remains the undisputed market leader in France today.
  Ko-fi Labs
https://ko-fi.com/
Ko-fi is a small-sum funding and donation service that lets you support your favorite artists. Creators are free to make their own personalized Ko-fi page, where fans can support them for “the price of a cup of coffee.” Any creator can make a page and start taking donations with just a PayPal or a Stripe account. Creators can also take commissions through Ko-fi and even offer subscriptions and merchandise to fans.
  Kana
https://www.kana.fr/
Kana is a Belgian comic book publisher representing the French comic book market. Since 1996, Kana has been working to promote the diversity and richness of Japanese manga to French-speaking audiences, offering a wide range of popular shonen manga, including Saint Seiya, Detective Conan, Naruto, Death Note, and, more recently, shoujo and seinen manga in a wide range of categories.
  J-POP Manga
https://www.j-pop.it/
J-POP Manga is one of Italy's leading manga publishers. Since its founding in 2006 by Edizioni BD, J-POP Manga has offered a diverse lineup of more than 3,000 titles ranging from popular shonen manga （Promised Neverland, Tokyo Ghoul） to masterpieces by masters such as Go Nagai, Osamu Tezuka, Moto Hagio and Kazuo Kamimura.

  Gekkan G Fantasy
https://magazine.jp.square-enix.com/gfantasy/
A monthly comic magazine released on the 18th of every month by Square Enix Co., Ltd., which will be celebrating its 27th anniversary in 2020. Known for titles like Black Butler, Horimiya, Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun, The Royal Tutor, and others. Gekkan G Fantasy additionally offers a number of serialized works that are ongoing now!
  SILENT MANGA AUDITION
http://www.manga-audition.com/
One of the largest and most successful manga contests in the world. Operated by publisher Coamix, Inc. which was established by renowned manga artists, it aims to discover, nurture, and publish the next generation of manga artists active internationally.
  No9 Inc.
https://no9.co.jp/
With the mission of enriching people's lives through manga, No9 Inc. is a digital comic agency that strives to maximize the manga market and sales in the digital age through four business pillars: manga agency services, manga app development, crowdfunding, and tax return services.
  CoAket
https://coaket.com/
Inspired by similar comics markets in Japan, CoAket is the first of its kind in Germany and is getting attention from local artists. Open twice a year in Hamburg, CoAket focuses on artist displays and publisher’s booths. 
  MAG
https://mag-con.de/
Super Crowd Entertainment GmbH is an event management company in Northern Germany. It holds the world's largest indie game developer booth, Indie Arena Booth, and a pop culture event, “MAG,” that covers games, comics, and all things Japan. MAG is held in central Germany. The company also supports many developers and artists.
  TOKYOPOP
https://www.tokyopop.com/
Since its establishment in 1997, TOKYOPOP has been a bridge between Asia's unique pop culture and the rest of the world, at the crossroads of tradition and innovation. By producing, publishing, and distributing comics from around the world, TOKYOPOP provides exciting content for fans of all ages.
  Cork Co., Ltd.
https://en.corkagency.com/
Cork is a creative agency with a mission to "change the world, one person at a time, through the power of storytelling." The company is striving to redefine "editing" for a new era by working in collaboration with creators not only on an editorial level to design universal stories, but also on a community level to create enthusiasm while connecting directly with fans.
  Tokyo Name Tank
https://nametank.jp/
Our goal is to support everyone in creating their own manga while having fun drawing it. We have produced many award-winning and debut artists. In addition to storyboard lessons that cover how to structure a complete a 32-page storyboard, we also hold individual consultations and storyboard exchange sessions to answer concerns about the creation of comics.


▼Supporters The Japan Cartoonists Association
https://www.nihonmangakakyokai.or.jp/
The Japan Manga Association was established in December 1964 as the only nationwide organization of Japan's manga artist at that time. It’s engaged in a variety of projects, such as research on comics, efforts in popularizing comics and comics culture, and comics cultural exchange with other countries. The group became a Public Interest Incorporated Association in 2014.
  Manga Japan
https://www.manga-japan.net/
Manga Japan is an organization that aims to promote the development of manga culture and artists, contribute to society through the manga industry, promote international exchange and improve production environments for manga authors and others involved in the industry.


▼Operational Support Graphixly LLC
https://graphixly.com/
  Toutlemonde Production Co., Ltd.
http://toutlemondeprod.com/


▼Organizer Celsys, Inc.
https://www.clipstudio.net/en/


CELSYS,Inc
CELSYS supports creators globally in the production, browsing, and distribution of digital art utilizing IT technology. We provide solutions for content creation, distribution, and browsing, including support of creative activities through our illustration, manga and animation production software “Clip Studio Paint” and web service “Clip Studio”, as well as our e-book solution, “Clip Studio Reader”.

Corporate site: https://www.celsys.co.jp/en/
Clip Studio Paint site: http://www.clipstudio.net/en/
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Contact
For media
Pacific Marks Shinjuku, 4-15-7 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023, Japan
TEL: 81-3-3373-9919 / e-mail:press@artspark.co.jp

For Companies
https://www.celsys.co.jp/en/clipsolution