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Established in Tokyo 2012, the "Kaigai Manga Festa" was one of the main attractions at the "KPF 2018! Visitors got the chance to find-out about the techniques that top international manga artists employ in their work! The guests also spoke about their work! A truly global vibe filled the venue! The audience were enthralled by the series of talks and live drawing sessions took place on the stage. Read on to find-out what happened during this section of the festival!

The crowd were enthralled by Tony Valente and Yusuke Murata! The two artists participated in a talk and a live drawing session. Valente is known for the series "Radiant." The anime version of the work hit Japan in October. Murata has worked on numerous titles, including "EYESHIELD 21" and "ONE-PUNCH MAN." The speed with which they produced their artwork during the display really caught the imagination of the audience. Murata was particularly taken by the smooth brush strokes that Valente was able to produce without a draft to reference. Murata summarized what many people were thinking when he said "I want to see a film of process! The entire venue was treated to some real masterpieces!

This part of the event featured a talk by the famous Brazilian manga artist Mauricio de Sousa ("Monica and Friends") and the legendary Japanese manga artist Leiji Matsumoto ("Space Battleship Yamato" and "Galaxy Express 999")! Mr. Matsumoto spoke about growing up in Kokura, Kitakyushu City and how the area has served as a source of creativity for him. He said, "Being raised around here helped me become a manga artist. Kokura has lots of bookstores and movie theaters. The town also functions as a gateway to Kyushu." Mr. de Sousa added "I have also been strongly influenced by the manga and films at home." The fans were delighted to hear these two leading names from the manga industry hold a dialogue in Kitakyushu City, a place that has produced countless well-known manga artists, including the likes of Mr. Matsumoto, Tsukasa Hojo, and A-ko Mutsu!

As one of this year's "KITA-Q COMIC Artist in Residence" (>> Details about the program: available here!), Andrew Griffith stayed in Kitakyushu City from Friday 9th to Thursday 22nd November. He participated in creative activities and interacted with local residents at workshops during the trip. We met on only his second day in Kitakyushu, but he said that he already had the chance to try out the ramen at "Rokunoya" and "Ichiran!" He spoke to us about his travels during our talk. He said "I have walked around the city and been walking by the castle and everything. It's nice because I've been to Tokyo a few times but never here. And there are so few tourists around here compared to Tokyo. I feel like I'm getting a sense of the local culture a bit more." Click here to check-out his twitter page and find-out more about what he got up to while he was in Japan!

Juan Albarran also came to Japan as "KITA-Q COMIC Artist in Residence." Albarran is affiliated to the hugely famous publisher "DC Comics" in the United States. He works as an inker (adding color to illustrations) and has been involved in numerous big hits. His credits include "Injustice League" and "Wonder Woman." We got the chance to speak to Albarran at the venue. He told us, "My impression about Kitakyushu is that it is very Japanese." He added "I've been to events like this all over the world (in countries) like England and Spain and Italy. But no fans are more excited to meet an artist as those in Fukuoka! It's like they want to take pictures and shake your hand and they get very emotional. To me that's the best! Fans here have reactions like nobody else in the world. And to people in Fukuoka, I would like to say, I'm looking forward to getting to know the city and the area. I haven't had time yet, but I'm pretty sure that before I leave here I'll have pretty good impression of everything!" Photos of the talks that Albarran gave at universities inside the city and some pictures that he took during his Kitakyushu visit have been uploaded on his Twitter. Click here) to check-it-out!

There was a section inside the venue called "Artist Alley" where visitors could meet artists from all over the world! Swiss-native Walder Johan brought his book, which introduces art from the last 10 years. Johan shared his thought about the local area. He told us, "I have only just arrived in Kitakyushu, but the bridge that connect the huge airport to the city is so beautiful! I saw a beautiful sunset and mountains. The scenery was really pretty." Walder has lots of cool videos on his YouTube channel! Make sure to check-it-out if you are interested in drawing and animation!

Illustration by Walder Johan