The "Kitakyushu International Manga Competition" award ceremony! 4koma (four panel) manga strips were submitted from all over the world!（1/9）

2017.03.06

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The 1st Kitakyushu International Manga Competition

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The grand prize winner was selected out of 670 applications!

An award ceremony was held on Saturday 25th February to celebrate the works that were recognized at the first ever "Kitakyushu International Manga Competition." The contest 4koma (4 panel manga strip) contest received 670 entries from 20 countries and regions throughout the world. Manga is not just popular in Japan; there are clearly fans all over the globe. There were awards given in various categories. The titles included the Grand Prize, the Overseas Participant Award, the Manga Museum Award, and the TOKIWA Creator Award. Kitakyushu City Mayor Kenji Kitahashi was at the ceremony along with the competition judges to help hand out the awards. Even though the contest is still in its infancy, there was an incredibly high number of outstanding works submitted for consideration. In recognition of the high caliber of manga, a sudden decision was made for 8 works to receive a honorable mention from the judges.

Kitakyushu International Manga Competition

The winner of the Grand Prize will be serialized by Kodansha!

A special commemorative photograph was taken with Kitakyushu City Mayor Kenji Kitahashi (center left), Chief Judge Leiji Matsumoto (center right), the rest of the judging panel, and the award winning artists.

Jury member and Kodansha's Weekly Morning Assistant Editor-in-Chief Koji Tabuchi made a special announcement at the ceremony. After winning the grand prize, Inu (Dog) Missile's manga "はっぱとのどちんこ (Happa to Nodochinko)" would be serialized in the comic website "モアイ(MOAI,)" which is produced by Kodansha's Morning, Afternoon, and Evening. This level of praise and success is surely a sign of things to come!

The award winning works can be viewed at the Kitakyushu Manga Museum official website. Follow the >> link to check them out! They were also on display at the museum until Friday 14th April. A total of 64 pieces of work were featured in the "Kitakyushu International Manga Competition Anthology," which the museum distributed for free (limited stock was available). The organizers provided some great opportunities for the public to feel the power and energy of 4koma manga strips from all over the world!

"The 1st Kitakyushu International Manga Competition" - Results

* 670 applications (Breakdown according to country / region)
- Applications received from 20 countries / regions
- Japan: 310 works
- Overseas: 360 works
(Korea: 88 works / Russia: 53 works / Taiwan: 48 works / Thailand: 38 works / Malaysia: 31 works / China: 23 works / Indonesia: 19 works / Other: 60 works)

* Judges
Chief Judge: Leiji Matsumoto (Manga artist / Honorary Director of the Kitakyushu Manga Museum)
Tochi Ueyama (Manga artist)
Mutsumi Hagiiwa (Manga artist)
Koji Tabuchi (Editorial Department at Kodansha's Weekly Morning - Assistant Editor-in-Chief)

* Selection Process
Initial Screening: Out of all 670 applications, 95 works were selected to advance to the next stage.
Final Screening: 1 work was chosen as the winner of each category (4 in total) from the remaining 95 applications.

* Judge's Honorable Mention (8 works)
There was so many fantastic manga strips submitted, so the decision was made during the final screening for 8 works to receive a honorable mention from the judges.
Chief Judge Leiji Matsumoto Award: 5 works / Tochi Ueyama Award: 1 work / Mutsumi Hagiiwa Award: 1 work / Kodansha's Weekly Morning Award: 1 work
Award winning works (including the manga strips that received honorable mentions from the judges) can be viewed at the "Kitakyushu International Manga Competition" official website, (>> here)!

* Award Winning Works / Recognized Works Display Information
Dates: Sunday 12th February to Friday 14th April 2017
Venue: 6th Floor Permanent Exhibition Area at the Kitakyushu Manga Museum

[Information] The "KITAKYUSHU INTERNATIONAL MANGA COMPETITION" is now open!

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