November 1st marks the opening of Celsys‘, the maker of Clip Studio Paint software, annual International Comic/Manga School Contest for students worldwide. The selected theme for this years contest is Journey. School registration begins on November 1, with entries from students being accepted beginning December 1. This worldwide contest limits eligibility strictly to students, giving enthusiastic young artists in countries everywhere a platform to have their art seen and discovered.
Prize winners will have chances to have their entries published in sponsors’ media outlets. In addition to the Manga and Comic categories, there are many chances to win in the other comic-related categories, including Bande Dessinée, Webtoon, and Storyboard, where students draw a comic according to an assigned manuscript.
A variety of Japanese and international companies including Wacom, Shueisha, KADOKAWA, Kodansha, BookLive, LINE Manga, pixiv, Ki-oon, Dupuis, and L SEVEN have signed on as Gold sponsors with six others providing Silver sponsorships and operational support from NGOs such as The Japan Cartoonists Association, Manga Japan, and the Digital Manga Association.
Starting in 2018 as a contest for European artists, the International Comic/Manga School Contest is now in its fifth year. Last year, the contest garnered over 1,500 compelling entries from 1,245 participating schools in 85 countries. The contest accepts entries regardless of language, so contest organizers expect a wide variety of entries from many countries and regions. The contest, targeted at current students, is a rare opportunity for future professional comic artists to make contact and network with media organizations around the world.
The judging panel for this year’s contest will be led by DC Comics artist Javier Fernández and include other professional creators and sponsors. The contest sets itself apart by providing the winning entries with detailed and specific critiques from the judging panel, which give not only the winners, but also other students, a springboard to improve their skills.
The winning entries will be translated into English, French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, and Korean for readers all over the world to enjoy.
Through this event, Celsys, together with leading figures in comic culture both in Japan and across the globe, continues to support young creators aspiring to become professional artists.
How to Apply:
A teacher or a school staff member must register on behalf of the school or program in order for students to be eligible. Students will need to enter the school ID given at the time of registration when submitting their artwork.
For more information, please see https://www.clipstudio.net/promotion/comiccontest/en/
School Registration: November 1, 2021 – March 15, 2022 – 09:00 GMT
Submission Period: December 1, 2021 – April 8, 2022 – 09:00 GMT
Results announced: Early July 2022
