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An amazing message board was set up at the venue! Artists/illustrators who participated in the Asia MANGA Summit Kitakyushu signed the wall! (Photo provided by: Kitakyushu City)

The "Asia MANGA Summit Kitakyushu" was held at the same time as KPF2019! Manga artists, researchers, and people involved in the industry participated in this cross-cultural exchange event! The guests primarily came 8 countries and regions including Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong! Approximately 300 art works were on display inside the GALLERIA on the second floor of AIM building. The illustrations were created by the manga artists who participated in the summit, which meant that the exhibit featured fabulous work by individuals from Japan and abroad! The manga caught the attention of everyone who passed-by!

"The KITAKYUSHU INTERNATIONAL MANGA COMPETITION" started in 2016. The four-panel (4 koma) manga international contest attracts original works from around the world and is gaining in popularity every year! This year, SOUDAMIKU (Japan) was awarded the Grand Prix! The "asianbeat FUKUOKA, JAPAN Award" went to Triple Cat from Thailand for a manga that depicts a zebra's stripes turning into a pedestrian crossing! Click HERE to check-out the official website and read more about each prize!

Just like last year, the "Kitakyushu Kaigai Manga Festa" section of the event attracted a great deal of of interest! There was so many manga enthusiasts in the crowd! One of the main features of the day was "Artist Alley," which gave visitors the chance to interact directly with creators from around the world. David Baldeon and Babs Tar, who were both selected for this year's "KITA-Q COMIC Artist in Residence" program, attended the festival. Baldeon draws for companies such as Marvel Comics (titles include "X-men Legacy"), while Tar is known for her illustrations covers and work on "BatGirl!" They stayed for a couple of weeks either side of the KPF. During the event, they appeared in the live drawing sessions and amazed the audience by displaying a range of outstanding technical abilities!

From left: Sato Terushi, Ishiyama Tokichi, Honjo Kei, Ueyama Tochi, Tsukahara Yoichi, Kimura Naomi
"MANGA JAPAN" is a group made up primarily of story manga-ka who work together to promote exchange. The group hosted a series of fun events inside their booth, which was located inside the "Kitakyushu Kaigai Manga Festa" venue. The crowds took a keen interest in the special talks that took place. Visitors were treated to lots of cool attractions during the event and even had a chance to purchase items created on-the-spot by popular manga-ka artists for charity!


A lively conversation about "udon" unfolded during the talk. The topic was "Gourmet Food Battle?!" Hokkaido vs Kyushu!" The guests, food manga-ka, discussed about food from Hokkaido or Kyushu!

From left: Yokoyama Kow and Doi Shinichi
Yokoyama Kow (illutrator / modeller / sculptor), the creator behind the world popular science fiction work "Maschinen Krieger," and Doi Shinichi (special effect modeller / sculptor) both attended the "Kitakyushu Kaigai Manga Festa" stage! The "Yokoyama Kow Maschinen Krieger Art World" and "Doi Shinichi Toy-Model Collection" sections were popular with guests! Everyone inside the venue was fascinated by their incredible artwork!