ATTENTION ASPIRING MANGA-KA!! THE 7th RISING STARS OF MANGA COMPETITION RUNS FROM JUNE 15th, 2007 THROUGH JANUARY 11th, 2008

We're changing things up a bit for Rising Stars 8 -- this time around we're making the prizes genre based. That's right, eight equal prizes--one for each genre listed below--and of course the ever-popular on-line People Choice's award, which will be a "best overall manga" prize chosen by the fans.

Comedy - A story for which humor is the central conceit.

Drama - A story in which the conflict rests in the personality of its characters in an environment that is typically more a natural setting.

Action - A story that indulges a reader's penchant for physical exertion, through the depiction of combat, sport, chase, or a confluence of these.

Sci-Fi - A story that uses projections of science into the future for purposes of illuminating core themes of our modern age.

Mystery - A story that is propelled by the revelation of information in increments that culminates in an uncovering of larger scheme.

Fantasy - A story that involves magical or fantastical elements as part of its established world, whether this be more traditional fantasy such as that involving warriors and dragons, or the mystical realms of angels, devils and mer-people.

Romance - A story that focuses on love as the key motivating factor for human behavior.

Horror - A story in which the induction of fear is the primary goal, either through the introduction of the unknown, the supernatural or the macabre to its main characters.

The prizes are as follows:

1. The Best Comedy entry will receive a cash prize of $1,000.

2. The Best Drama entry will receive a cash prize of $1,000.

3. The Best Action entry will receive a cash prize of $1,000.

4. The Best Sci-Fi entry will receive a cash prize of $1,000.

5. The Best Mystery entry will receive a cash prize of $1,000.

6. The Best Fantasy entry will receive a cash prize of $1,000.

7. The Best Romance entry will receive a cash prize of $1,000.

8. The Best Horror entry will receive a cash prize of $1,000.

9. The Online People's Choice winner will receive a cash prize of $500.

Read the rules and new mechanical guide It's important for you to read the rules very carefully so you'll qualify. There are also some very helpful tips as well as a new mechanical guide with specifications on how to create your digital files and what size paper to draw on.

Manga creators living in America and working in English are invited to submit their work. The top seven entries, as selected by TOKYOPOP's editorial staff, and the online People's Choice winner, will not only receive monetary prizes, but will also be published by TOKYOPOP in the seventh Rising Stars of Manga anthology. In addition, all the winners will be invited to pitch a full-length manga story idea to TOKYOPOP executives for possible development as a graphic novel series. The competition begins June 15th,  2007 and entries will be accepted through January 11, 2008.

Our quest
As the U.S. market leader in localized manga and the sponsor of the first-ever manga competition in the U.S., TOKYOPOP is on a mission to identify and nurture the artists whose work will define American manga in the years ahead. A manga revolution is sweeping the U.S., and a new generation is being inspired by manga. The essence of manga, while derived from Asian culture, is not restrictive and can embrace Western characters, storylines and concepts. As some of you become successful manga creators, you will express your own particular flavor of East-West fusion.

Manga is different from American comic books
Manga differs from Western comics in many profound ways. Genres range widely from horror to romance, comedy to drama, science fiction to military epics to sports stories and more. Manga artists often combine iconic, stylized characters with realistic backgrounds. Panel design and layout is notably different from other comic forms, as is the use of screen tones and patterns. Artists can depict a character in a very stylized way in one panel and in a detailed, realistic way in the next in an effort to exemplify moods and states-of-mind. Manga pages are also designed to be read faster than American comics, which need to fit a lot of information in a single, 22-page monthly issue. The pacing can be closer to real time or, in some cases, can even make time seem to stand still by showing many aspects of a single moment.

What is manga?
The Rising Stars judges take a very broad view when deciding what is "manga-like" enough for consideration. Every artist whose work makes it into the final rounds uses one or more elements of manga style in their work, but TOKYOPOP is not looking for manga stereotypes. As company founder Stu Levy says, "Contrary to popular belief, there is no pre-determined 'manga look.' Manga is a broad Japanese term, literally meaning 'entertaining visual.' The first Rising Stars of Manga winners did not rise to the top by redrawing American superheroes with big eyes and round faces-this is not what manga means to us. The key to becoming a Rising Star of Manga is passion-the passion to tell a great story; the passion to bring vision to the written page; the passion to create unforgettable characters; the passion to move a reader."

Start drawing now!
In short, your only limits are your own imagination and creativity. So step up, sign up, and put your manga where your mouth is!