Celsys

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The winners have been selected for the International Comic/Manga School Contest 2021, a comic contest for students from around the world. A total of 1,245 schools in 85 countries and regions registered for this year’s contest, and more than 1,500 comics and illustrations were submitted for consideration for the Grand Prix and category awards.

International Comic/Manga School Contest Results
https://www.clipstudio.net/promotion/comiccontest/en/

Video Award Ceremony
https://youtu.be/cXxiF__ZYG4
 
This year’s contest had the theme of “Admiration”. Submissions for six categories (Comic, Manga, Bande Dessinée, Webtoon, Illustration, and Storyboard) opened in January 2021. Comic-related artworks were split into five different categories and attracted entries from a wide variety of genres and cultures, with entries accepted in any language.

The Grand Prize was awarded to “¡ÁNIMO PAPÁ!”, which depicted the love between a father and daughter. This comic was created by Konata from Escola Joso, a leading Spanish comic school. Konata’s work received high praise from the judges including “The bond between the two is conveyed well in the pages without dialogue, and we think that the story, though short, is well told” and “Very cute story and art, [it shows] good manga technique with a unique style”.

Charlie Adlard, one of the judges of the contest and a veteran comic book artist involved in the creation of world-famous comics as “The Walking Dead” and “Batman,” commented:
"The first thing that struck me was the sheer volume of talent out there. These were school kids, I had to keep kicking myself to remind me! So it made it particularly hard to single out the “best” out of an already brilliant, amazing bunch. I know it’s a cliché but everyone’s indeed a winner here.”

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.

The contest is also a place for contestants to connect with sponsors who provide opportunities to publish their works. This time a total of 18 contestants received such offers from sponsors.

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
Grand Prize

School name: Escola Joso
Artist: Konata (Spain)
Title: ¡ÁNIMO PAPÁ!
URL: https://share.clip-studio.com/ja-jp/contents/view?code=91f30e9d-1306-4d32-9908-1f3b28d6b53d
Judge’s Comments: The story of raising a child across borders made us cry. The composition and emotions of this entry were excellent, showing the love that this family has for each other. The art was well drawn, but we wonder if the extreme difference in the light and dark lines was intentional? Or if it was a way to represent the age difference? We would wonder what would happen if the artist draws a longer story. (KADOKAWA)

Comic Category Award

School name: Escola Joso
Artist: Álvaro (Spain)
Title: Diablo Andino
URL: https://share.clip-studio.com/ja-jp/contents/view?code=0a9d37a8-64f3-4cd9-b019-601f1030f3b2
Judge’s Comments: I enjoy how the characters move vividly in this fantastic world setting. I thought the boss character's spindly attacks, the use of effect lines, and the use of panels to express time were well executed. (Shueisha)

Manga Category Award

School name: Aichi Prefectural Toyohashiminami Senior High School
Artist: Kida (Japan)
Title: Shoka
URL: https://share.clip-studio.com/ja-jp/contents/view?code=493fa141-1525-4a1f-8c8c-693500c7a7f2
Judge’s Comments: I found the dialogue and the pauses between them to be very organic. The line "That's where it was!” combined with the line of sight, was a very effective choice. The sense of dialogue and pacing is not something that can be improved later, so I think this skill will be a great asset to this author. (SHOGAKUKAN)

Webtoon Category Award

School name: School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University
Artist: Mado (United States of America)
Title: I Admire You A Whole Lot!
URL: https://share.clip-studio.com/en-us/contents/view?code=80fcc67f-d614-44be-b5ca-aaa25e58ad3c
Judge’s Comments: The background changes color in line with the character’s feelings, which is a great use of the webtoon format and makes you want to keep scrolling. The main focus point of the story is the main character and the person she admires, but really the most important character is the main character’s friend. It would have been better if scene between the main character and her friend was at the top of the story. (BookLive)

Bande Dessinée Category Award

School name: Osaka University of Arts, Character Creative Arts Department
Artist: Katsumi Futaro (Japan)
Title: Aokagare ~Blue longing~ (Japanese)
URL: https://share.clip-studio.com/ja-jp/contents/view?code=d8d1d5a3-7e91-4bc8-9e48-46bb7e58537e
Judge’s Comments: I really liked the work on the main characters' facial expressions. We can feel the range of emotions through which the character goes to learn self-love. References to the real world of humans (Uber, the swimming pool, etc.) are cleverly integrated in a natural way despite being out of touch with animals. The last page is beautiful! It's a bit of a shame that we didn't have a large mirror image at the start to better integrate the hero's transformation. (KI-OON)

Storyboard Category Grand Prize

School name: National Taiwan University of Art
Artist: Mie. (Taiwan)
Title: Chuān shàng qúnzi de tā
URL: https://share.clip-studio.com/ja-jp/contents/view?code=66ba947b-e4c2-4cc7-9314-bebdc862b26e
Judge’s Comments: The details are carefully drawn and make a good impression. The facial expressions of the characters are also drawn appropriately. The smile in the last scene is particularly impressive. We'd think it would be better if there was continuity between the first and second panels of each page and the previous page to better show the transitions and sense of flow. (Solmare Publishing)

Illustration Category Grand Prize

School name: Yoyogi Animation academy
Artist: chicami (Japan)
Judge’s Comments: The composition itself is difficult to achieve, looking up at the building from below, but the feeling that the sky is very far from the camera stands out. The colors are fairly dark overall, but the touches of paint are consistent with the rest of the piece, and is very beautifully put together. The crescent moon is also a nice accent. (Wacom)


International Comic/Manga School Contest 2021 Summary
Submission criteria
Comic Category (color)
Manga Category (Black-and-White/Color)
Bande Dessinée Category (Color)
Webtoon Category (Color)
Storyboard Category (Black-and-White/Color)
Illustration Category

Theme
Admiration (All Categories)

Awards and Prizes
Comic / Manga / Bande Dessinée / Webtoon Categories
Grand Prize (1 Winner)
US$3,300 cash prize 
Full HD 15.6” Wacom Cintiq 16 LCD tablet
Three years of Clip Studio Paint EX for a single computer, tablet or smartphone
Category Award (1 winner per category)
US$1,700 cash prize
13.3” Wacom One (DTC133W0D) LCD tablet
Three years of Clip Studio Paint EX for a single-device
Runners-up (3-5 winners per category)
Three years of Clip Studio Paint EX for a single-device
Storyboard Category
Grand Prize (1 winner)
US$2,200 cash prize 
13.3” Wacom One (DTC133W0D) LCD tablet
Three years of Clip Studio Paint EX for a single-device

Runners-up (3-5 winners per category)
Three years of Clip Studio Paint EX for a single-device

Illustration Category
Grand Prize (1 winner)
US$550 cash prize 
13.3” Wacom One (DTC133W0D) LCD tablet
Three years of Clip Studio Paint PRO for a single device

Runners-up (3-5 winners per category)
Three years of Clip Studio Paint PRO for a single device


Special Sponsors Shueisha
https://www.shueisha.co.jp/en/
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. They have also published internationally renowned manga such as One Piece.
  KADOKAWA
https://group.kadokawa.co.jp/global/
KADOKAWA is a comprehensive entertainment company that is involved in wide range of businesses including publishing, movies, games, web services, education, merchandizing and business around intangible goods and foreign tourists. "Comic Walker" is a free comic site featuring popular KADOKAWA manga. The site features more than 3,000 titles, ranging from the latest mixed media works to popular isekai comics.　https://comic-walker.com/
  SHOGAKUKAN
https://japanesebooks.jp/en/
SHOGAKUKAN is a general publishing company that publishes magazines such as comic magazines, children's magazines, information magazines, women's magazines, books and picture books. Comic magazine covers a wide range of readers from boys and girls to adults, such as "CoroCoro Comic", "Weekly Shonen Sunday", "Sho-Comi", and "Big Comic". SHOGAKUKAN also runs the comic app "Manga One," which has been downloaded over 20 million times.　
  BookLive
https://booklive.jp/
Since its establishment in 2011, BookLive! has been one of the largest comprehensive e-book stores in Japan, with a selection of around one million books, including manga, novels, novellas and magazines. From coupon gacha and other unique campaigns to the highly-rated bookshelf function and a number of payment options, we strive to provide readers with an easy-to-use platform. There are over 10,000 titles available to read for free without even needing to register for an account! Give it a go with your favorite manga and see how easy it is to use. We also produce original e-books, aiming to create manga that will tickle the hearts of the "smartphone manga generation". Wacom
http://www.wacom.com/
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 FUNGUILD
http://funguild.jp/
FUNGUILD is a comic book publisher with a mission to "bring FUN to life through the power of stories.” FUNGUILD plans and edits original comics, to meet the needs of their readership of girls, women, and young men, and distribute them to various online comic sites in Japan and abroad.
  Amutus Corporation
https://www.amutus.co.jp/en/
Mecha Comic, one of Japan's largest e-book sites, plans and produces with its production partners the original brand "Mecha Comic Original," which is distributed on e-book sites in Japan and abroad. Note: Books are sold under the Amucomi brand in bookstores other than Mecha-Comic. Solmare Publishing (NTT Solmare Corp.)
https://www.nttsolmare.com/e/
Operator of Japan's largest e-book store, Comic c’moa. The store’s specialist e-comic editorial team, the Solmare Editorial Department, is responsible for the store. The Department fully supports emergeing authors and the creation of hits, including the production of many media works.
  Tapas Media
https://tapas.io/
Tapas Media is a next generation media company offering bite-sized content through its online mobile platform, Tapas. Tapas Media properties, which consist of the Tapas mobile app and Tapas.io, boasts over 6 billion content views to date, from over 3 million readers, primarily in North America. Tapas Media provides a best-in-class reading experience for story fans on mobile devices and the web.
  UOMO
https://www.webuomo.jp/
A men's fashion magazine published by Shueisha that targets men in their 40's with a keen interest in everything from fashion to culture.
  J-POP Manga
https://www.j-pop.it/
J-POP, Edizioni BD’s manga imprint, is one of Italy's leading manga publishers. Since its launch in 2006, J-POP Manga has offered a diverse lineup of more than 3,000 titles ranging from popular shonen manga such as Promised Neverland and Tokyo Ghoul to masterpiece collections by authors such as Go Nagai, Osamu Tezuka, Riyoko Ikeda, Moto Hagio, Taiyo Matsumoto, Junji Ito, and Kazuo Kamimura.
  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.


Collaborators HAKUSENSHA
https://www.hakusensha.co.jp/en/
HAKUSENSHA is the publisher of  "Young Animal," "Young Animal ZERO," “Le Paradis.” They also publish Shojo magazines such as "Hana to Yume," "LaLa," "MELODY," "The Hana to Yume," and "LaLaDX." They also produce online magazines for women's manga, "Love Silky," "Love Jossie," "Hana Yume Ai," young men’s manga, "Harem," and the and the "Manga Park" app.
  SILENT MANGA AUDITION®
https://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.
  comico
https://www.comico.io/
“comico" is a manga app that features a large collection of original vertically-scrolling, full-color manga. In addition to the overseas versions in Taiwan, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam, comico has recently begun offering its service in English-speaking countries such as the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. The app has been downloaded more than 35 million times worldwide.
  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. Held twice a year in Hamburg, CoAket focuses on artist displays and publisher’s booths. 
  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.
  Cork, Inc.
https://en.corkagency.com/
A creative agency with a mission to "change the world, one person at a time, through the power of storytelling". Cork dares to challenge the entertainment industry with a new model for the Internet age that goes beyond conventional publishing and distribution by putting new works out into world, generating excitement and conntecting fans directly to creators.


Weekly Shonen Sunday
https://websunday.net/
Unbeatable fun! Mr. Shonen Manga Magazine here!
Shogakukan's signature comic magazine full of laughs, moving scenes, and love, featuring super popular serials such as Detective Conan, Komi Can't Communicate, & Frieren: Beyond Journey's End.


Gessan (Monthly Shonen Sunday)
https://gekkansunday.net/
A monthly shonen manga magazine that speaks straight to the heart!
Unique and interesting! That's Gessan quality! Popular titles include "Teasing Master Takagi-san," Mitsuru Adachi's "Mix" about the aftermath of Meisei Gakuen, "Dai Dark," the latest work by Ball Hayashida of "Dorohedoro," "Nobunaga Concerto," and "Kaiou Dante."


Monthly Sunday GX
https://sundaygx.com/
Tough heroine supremacy! A new generation of youth manga!
With a massive volume of over 800 pages in paper and digital formats, this next-generation youth manga mangazine features strong heroines, including the 20th-anniversary gun of the action masterpiece "BLACK LAGOON" and the hit imperial palace mystery "The Apothecary Diaries"! 


Sho-Comi
https://sho-comi.com/
Lessons in Love by Sho-Comi: Romance Comics Filled with Love.
This is the romance bible for girls in love, filled with all kinds of stories about both idealistic and realistic love. It is at the heart of shoujo manga, popular mainly among junior high school girls, but also among high school girls and older! 


Betsucomi
https://betsucomi.shogakukan.co.jp/
Everyone is a hero of love - pure and authentic girls' manga!
Betsucomi is a comic magazine packed full of pure and sweet love stories, for all teens and high school students! Don't miss the latest works by popular authors such as Kaneyoshi Izumi, Maki Usami, Risa Konno, Kanoko Sakurakoji, Nao Hinachi, Shizuki Fujisawa, Kyosuke Saotomi, and more! Released on the 13th, every month! 


Big Comic Spirits Weekly
https://bigcomicbros.net/spirits/
An entertainment pursuit comic magazine full of passion, powerful scenes, and the brightest smiles of the moment...that's Spirits! Aoashi," "Asadora!," "Mogura no Uta," "Nigatsu no Shousha," "Kujou no Daizai," "Chi.," and "Detective Fuuto"... Don't miss the career-high points of these highly talented popular artists!


Big Comic Superior
https://bigcomicbros.net/bigsuperior/
More freedom in manga! A new generation of youth magazine without taboos!
We believe manga is the most flexible media in the world! With our motto, "More freedom in manga!", we meet the demands of the times with our collection of manga. Regardless of genre, from gourmet, to horror, IT, ramen, loving wife, murder, and Gundam, we aim to be a completely new type of manga magazine for young people that has never been seen before! 


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. 
  Digital Manga Association
http://www.dg-manga.com/
The Digital Manga Association is an organization of volunteers established to explore creative technologies for the creation of digital manga and comics and research copyright issues caused by digitization.


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 will continue supporting creators to create artistic content with digital technology.
We provide solutions for content creation, distribution, and browsing, including support of creative activities through our illustration, manga, and animation production app “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: https://www.clipstudio.net/en/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clipstudioofficial/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/clipstudiopaint
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/celsys.clipstudiopaint/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CLIPSTUDIOPAINTchannel

Contact
For media
Pacific Marks Shinjuku, 4-15-7 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Japan 160-0023
e-mail: press@artspark.co.jp

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