This week, Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the winners of the 4th International Manga Awards, a competition created to recognize manga creators from outside of Japan. This year, the competition received 189 entries from 39 countries that were judged by a panel of respected manga creators and editors, including Monkey Punch (creator of Lupin III) and shojo manga legend Machiko Satonaka.
This year's top prize went to Xiao Bai, for Si loin et si proche... (So far and so close...), a story originally published in Belgium about a Beijing university student who has a conversation with her son, a young man who has come from the future to meet her.
The silver medal honors went to:
- Face cachée (Face down) by Olivier Martin and Sylvain Runberg (France)
Another side of businessmen's life in Japan including the scenes of work, family, and romance. - La Isla sin Sonrisa (The Island Without Smiles) by Enrique Fernández (Spain)
A silent geologist depressed by the sorrow of losing his family relaxes his emotional tension by encountering a high spirited girl in an isolated island. - The story begins with ... by Verachai Duangpla (Thailand)
Short stories concerning instructive episodes and social satires of Thailand through the eyes of a Thai boy.
The winners of the 4th International Manga Awards will be recognized at a ceremony to be held either in February or March 2011.
There was one winner from North America, which was Dolltopia by Abby Denson from Green Candy Press, which was awarded one of six Bronze awards. If you haven't read Dolltopia, here's a summary of the story:
Dolltopia is the story of Kitty, a ballerina doll forced into a not-so-happily-ever-after living arrangement with a male jock toy. Filled with discontent, Kitty takes it upon herself to escape her human-imposed domesticity and create a new life and a new image for herself away from the persecution of the human world. On this mission, she finds not only a host of like-minded individuals, but a safe haven for the unique doll: Dolltopia.
Want to know more? You can read an online preview of the first chapter of Dolltopia (PDF).
Denson recently returned from a visit to Japan, where she showed and sold her comics at Comitia, a quarterly festival of original comics held at Tokyo Big Sight, the massive convention hall where Comiket is held. She's next headed to France to participate in Angoulême Comics Festival in Angoulême, France from January 26 - 29, 2011.
Attention professional and aspiring manga artists of the world: You too can enter the next annual International Manga Competition. Just visit http://www.manga-award.jp/ and see the rules from last year's competition. The entry deadline is in May, so get started and get ready to make your mark in Japan!
Image credits: © Xiao Bai, © Abby Denson
Comments