Winners Announced for International Comic-Manga School Contest

More than 750 submissions were received in six categories from 825 schools in 69 countries and regions.

Celsys has announced the winners of their International Comic/Manga School Contest 2020. A total of 825 schools in 69 countries/regions registered for this year’s contest, with more than 750 comics and illustrations submitted in six categories: Comic, Manga, Bande Dessinée, Webtoon, Illustration, and Storyboard. The theme for this year’s contest was “Promise.” 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.

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, one of the judges, said, “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 plans to hold an even larger contest next year, with the hope to inspire and support talented students around the world to create comics.

You can view all contest entries here.

Contest winners are as follows:

Overall Grand Prize

Title: “Our Grand Station”
Pen name: Caoqian
School name: The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (USA)
Story URL: https://share.clip-studio.com/ja-jp/contents/c4c5829a-7b93-49fe-a538-0f2...

Judge comment:

“The unique setting born from passionate art style is fascinating. I think by using anthropomorphic animals as the characters, the artist creates a 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-75a...

Judge comment:

“I think it's a beautiful painting that makes you want to enter this world.”

- Youhei Sadoshima, Cork, Inc. CEO

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-af...

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 (USA)
Story URL: https://share.clip-studio.com/ja-jp/contents/c2147db6-3f3a-4504-b12f-7e1...

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.”

- Javier Fernández, DC comic artist

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-ac7...

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-35e...
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