Wonder what’s happening with Rising Stars?

As you may know already, the Rising Stars of Manga competition has changed. In 2007, unlike in previous years, we did not award a Grand Prize for Rising Stars of Manga 7. Instead we judged the entries by genre categories, selecting the Best Comedy, Action, Mystery, Romance, Drama, Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror. The era of the Grand Prize Winner has passed—each winner is equal as master of their genre. You can check out the rules of the competition and all things RSOM at the RSOM home page.

What were the reasons behind this new format? Well, for one, we wanted to keep aspiring creators on their toes. For another, we wanted to guarantee that the diversity of entries that we’ve always received would be expressed. Hopefully, this new format will open people’s eyes to the variety of stories that can and are being told in the manga format.

Would we do it again? Check out the RSOM home page for announcements about Rising Stars 8.

But the new format raised questions the judges hadn’t dealt with before. Would entries that were the strongest or ones that best fit the genre be rewarded? Of course, the judging team looked for entries that exceeded our expectations for both genre and quality, and ended up with a group of very talented winners.  

This new competition format affirmed the obvious: good entries stand out regardless of their genre. But we sincerely hope that, if you were a contestant, this new contest format challenged you to achieve beyond your expectations. We’re eternally grateful for your participation.

If you're a creator, well...It’s aspiring manga-ka like you that make Rising Stars possible. And Rising Stars is really cool and totally unique. Even if you aren’t chosen, keep trying! There are now Rising Stars competitions in both the US and UK . So enter already! We enjoy reading all of your entries and getting a glimpse into your creative minds.

And if you’re a manga fan who's come to this Online Manga venue for Rising Stars just to find a good read, you’ve come to the right place!

~Hope Donovan, Editor

 

In each volume of  Rising Stars of Manga, TOKYOPOP awards aspiring artists and writers a unique opportunity to be published and receive a well-deserved jump-start on their creative careers. This assortment of brilliant, ingenious, and unpredictable creators was chosen from hundreds of entries in the regional talent competition.

“Ares Maier”
Best of Action
“Playing out like an animated sequence or a cut scene from a video game, it’s easy to be drawn in as the main character maneuvers through a collapsing landscape to a beautiful and terrifying final battle.”
 ~Hope Donovan, editor

“B is for Bishie”
Best of Comedy
“To the delight of many manga-ka and publishers, the effortlessly effeminate beauty of bishonen has kept the female audience coming back for more with open purses. So why not create a manga that finally lifts the veil that surrounds the mystique of our lovely, loving boys?”
~Hyun Joo Kim, editor

“Melody”
Best of Drama
“ ‘What brings a pianist into an archeologist’s office?’ That's a pretty good question, and it takes some time to answer, but before you know it, the story gels together in an unsuspected way.”
 ~Paul Morrissey, editor

“Fortune Finders!”
Best of Fantasy
“What's not to like? Plucky heroine—check. Witty banter—check. Adorable canine sidekick—check. Lot of funny gags—check.”
~Paul Morrissey, editor

“Gagaku Berceuse”
Best of Horror
“While it’s certainly not your typical J-horror fare, there were enough creepy moments along with the funny to make my hair stand on end.”
~Lillian Diaz-Przybyl, editor

“Scratched”
Best of Mystery
“Is it possible to create a good RSoM entry that doubles as a whodunit? Thanks to "Scratched," that mystery’s solved.”
~Tim Beedle, editor

“I’ll Be Waiting”
Best of Romance
“When romance is done right, I’ll start humming power ballads from the 80s for weeks and ‘I’ll Be Waiting’ definitely got some humming out of me.”
~Fawn Lau, artist

“Argosy”
Best of Sci-Fi
“Panel by panel, I thought this was one of the most impressive entries in the contest, with beautifully rendered alien worlds, appealing technological designs and interesting little moments.”
~Lillian Diaz-Przybyl, editor

“BlueBlood”
People’s Choice Winner
“A couple of kids shootin' the breeze...on top of a mechanical hand that could crush them! I already want to know more!”
~Katherine Schilling, editor

“Ares Maier”
Best of Action
Daniel Lucius Cross was born in 1983, approximately 42 miles northeast of a puddle, a half-eaten bagel and a squirrel. Being told he was destined for greatness by those around him, he proceeded to do nothing for 23 years before realizing that everyone was just yanking his chain. He was last seen completely off his rocker; bringing in the noise, bringing in the funk. Please send help.

“B is for Bishie”
Best of Comedy
Russell Langdon Herrick (writer) was born in New Orleans in 1988 and
currently resides in Ponchatoula, LA. He is a student and DJ at Southeastern Louisiana University.

Margaux Hymel (artist/co-writer) was born in New Orleans, LA in 1987 and now lives in Covington, LA with her fabulous family. She is currently an art student at SLU.

"Melody”
Best of Drama
Stacy Nguyen was born in 1981. She created her first manga for her senior project in high school. Since then, she has not done any serious work until the Rising Stars of Manga 7 contest. Nowadays, she draws for more than a hobby in hopes of improving her skills and achieving professionalism in her work. 

“Fortune Finders!”
Best of Fantasy
Jerry D. Garcia was born in California and has since seen much of the world. He has been drawing and dreaming all his life and aspires to become a great manga-ka. Currently he lives in San Antonio, Texas, with his wonderful family, good friends and a silly tabby cat.

“Gagaku Berceuse”
Best of Horror
Erick Melton (writer) was born in a time when you needed fire to cook food, and you had to wait for reruns to see something a second time. He currently lives in Pasadena, CA, the town he was born in, with his cat.

William Ruzicka (artist) was born in California in 1977. He is currently slaving away at work and has been accepted to Cal State University Northridge for the fall semester.

"Scratched"
Best of Mystery
Crystal Hawkins was born in California in 1989. She's currently getting ready for her first year in college and teaches art classes to fund her obsession with frilly dresses.

“I’ll Be Waiting”
Best of Romance
Lanny Liu is a former New Englander who now enjoys living in sunny California. She's currently slaving away as a freelance illustrator, webcomic artist and is living her dream.

“Argosy”
Best of Sci-Fi
Erin Simpson (writer) has spent almost all of her 26 years living in the Texas Panhandle. Her time at the University of North Texas yielded her political science and print journalism degrees, but she isn't really using either of them. She currently holds a manager position at her local Barnes & Noble.

Megan Spence (artist) was born in Cleburne, Texas in 1981. She received her degree in Drawing and Painting from the University of North Texas in 2003, and she is a freelance comic colorist and flatter.

“BlueBlood”
People’s Choice Winner
Ryan Mauskopf was born in New York in 1989. He will be attending the School of Visual Arts in New York City starting in the fall of '07. Aside from art and laziness, Ryan enjoys cloudy days, classical music and blueberry muffins.

Caleb Moore, Scryptic Studios
Interview with RSoM editor Hope Donovan about the competition in general and RSoM 7 in specific.

Calvin Reid, Publishers Weekly  
After a year of unprecedented expansion into general bookstores, Los Angeles-based manga publisher TOKYOPOP is now making moves to get its titles into at least five mass market retail outlets. TOKYOPOP is also stepping up its efforts to develop American manga creators. The house announced plans for its third Rising Stars of Manga competition and signed one of the past winners to a multibook deal.          

Marlene Satter, Forward 
Manga, or Japanese comics, cover almost all subjects and age groups. They are such hot sellers in the West that many dealers say they can't keep them in stock, despite the fact that graphic novels require more display space. Manga are translated and often modified for the American market. Manga is big on 'cute,' even for serious themes... And cute or not, manga has become so popular in this hemisphere that The Rising Stars of Manga series (TOKYOPOP, 0-59822-246) offers would-be manga-ka (manga artists) a chance to audition their brands of cute and not-so-cute to the audience at large; competitions offer the chance of publication in one of the Rising Stars anthologies.          

ANIMERICA
It is a pleasure to see American comic artists reacting so powerfully to manga on a professional level.           

WIZARD  NEXT BIG HIT
Winners of TOKYOPOP's Rising Stars of Manga contest could have their manga join a stable of books that includes ShutterBox... Want to be a manga artist? No one makes it easier than TOKYOPOP, especially since they've announced the third Rising Stars of Manga contest, set to run tentatively from Jan. 1 through March 15.

Library Journal 
With the current popularity of books on how to draw manga, this collection is recommended for teens and adults not only for its best stories but also as an inspiration to budding artists.           

Steve Raiteri, Library Journal 
With the current popularity of books on how to draw manga, this collection is recommended for teens and adults not only for its best stories but also as an inspiration to budding artists.           

Richard Foss, Los Angeles City Beat
Rising Stars of Manga, Volume One show that, when the graphic form fits the material this elegantly, there's much for even a casual manga reader to enjoy and appreciate. I have even reread several pieces to savor them again. It's worth getting up to speed, as this phenomenon is only gaining momentum. Volume Two hits stores on December 9, and a third contest is slated to start January 1.          

The MangaManiacs.org 
But the first volume of The Rising Stars of Manga is a total delight from beginning to end.           

Bill Hutchens, News Tribune 
These are not your first-grader's comic books. Shane Konecny, an artist from Graham, came up with the concept for 'Possessions.' He and Nate Scott of Orting took at top 10 spot in a recent contest... For their efforts, each won $250. They'll be published in December in the second 'Rising Stars of Manga' anthology, including all 10 winners. The anthology will be distributed nationwide. 'That's the real prize,' said Scott, the more well-versed manga fan of the two.          

Anneli Rufus, East Bay Express
Talking turkey, actually: A roasted drumstick speaks in Andrew Wong's award-winning new comic--and it's not happy. By the time Wong realized that Los Angeles-based Japanese-comics publisher TOKYOPOP was staging its second Rising Stars of Manga contest, the recent Cal grad and El Cerritoite had only four weeks to devise a story--and write and draw it... The result is Fowl Play, in which poultry snarks, one of ten entries chosen from nearly a thousand to be included in Rising Stars of Manga II (TOKYOPOP, $9.99).           

Lindsay Meade Bigoness, Old Colony Memorial 
Bet you didn't know a Plymouth North High School graduate is a rising star in one of the world's most popular, and competitive, art forms. Bettina Kurkoski, a 1991 North graduate was named one of the top 10 'Rising Stars of Manga' by the United States' leading publisher of the art... The Rising Stars of Manga contest is only in its second year, and was launched by TOKYOPOP, the leading United States publisher of manga. Winners received cash prizes, publication in a contest anthology and potential future contracts with TOKYOPOP.           

Jessica Bennett, Patriot Ledger 
[Kurkoski] was one of 10 winners of the Rising Stars of Manga contest, a national competition for aspiring cartoonists of the Japanese-style graphic novels. The contest, sponsored by the leading U.S. publisher of manga, Los Angeles-based TOKYOPOP, is a call for up-and-coming manga artists, said company spokeswoman Mina Sung. 'For a lot of people, this is a lifelong dream,' she said. 'This gives them an opportunity to get their foot in the door. For us, sponsoring this contest is a way to bring these creators out.'          

Becky Ohlsen, Bookpage
TOKYOPOP's upcoming World of Hartz promises to be huge with the teenage crowd, blending manga-style art with a story that centers on the world of Internet gaming, a sure bet to corner the young geek market. TOKYOPOP has also published its first annual The Rising Stars of Manga, a collection drawn from hundreds of entries in a 2002 contest to find the best of American manga. The book shows an impressive range of styles, tones and subject matter; it's a great starting point for checking out up-and-coming artists and getting a feel for the current scene.           

Paul Leakan, Burlington County Times
Healey, 21, has come a long way since the days of drawing his favorite characters from 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,' 'Voltron' and 'Ghost-busters.' The township resident is among 10 artists who won a national contest to have their work published and distributed in an upcoming paperback compilation titled 'The Rising Stars of Manga.' Hundreds of artists of all ages and abilities entered the contest, which was sponsored by TOKYOPOP Inc... Healey said he was shocked to learn he was among the winners. 'They called me during dinner, and I nearly choked,' he said.          

Amelia Mularz, Daily Californian 
Wong became such a [manga] fanatic that last summer he created his own comic book, finishing a 20-page edition in just under a month... After four weeks of work, he put the finishing touches on his comic and entered it into a contest called 'The Rising Stars of Manga,' from the company TOKYOPOP. He and nine other winners will have their manga published in an anthology...           

Robert Marchant, The Journal News 
TOKYOPOP editor, Mark Paniccia, said del Rio's work had the qualities he was looking for in putting an American face on the manga tradition. 'It's an appealing story. It's the epitome of teenage angst, and there's great narration and nice pacing,' he said. TOKYOPOP is banking on animators like del Rio to put manga into the hands of legions of new comics fans, especially those who grew up watching Japanese-style cartoon shows on Saturday mornings like 'Pokemon.' 'It's already crossed over to the mainstream in animation. It's breaking through,' Paniccia said.