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Manga Jiman 2020 Competition Launched

Details of the fourteenth annual Manga Jiman contest, in which UK artists are encouraged to create their own original strips, have been announced by the Embassy of Japan. The closing date for entries is November 16.

According to the announcement, ''Technology has been playing an ever greater role in our lives, and now more than ever we are relying on technology to keep in touch with our loved ones, conduct our work and live out our daily lives. How the theme is interpreted is down to the entrant, but it must be a written or visual reference, and please state how your work references the theme on your entry form."

Entrants 14 and over should create a story told across six to eight pages (full rules).

The first prize is an original, vintage animation cel, chosen for the winner by prize sponsors cel-ga.com. The second prize is an A3 Image scanner, and the third prize is a Ricoh digital camera. Runners up will receive a selection of manga publications, and other prizes. It is hoped that the winner's and runner-ups' work will be displayed in a special exhibition at the Embassy in 2021, if it is safe to do so.

There is a separate category for entrants aged between 11 and 13, who should create a yonkoma manga (a story told in 4 comic strip panels on one page). The full rules for the 11 to 13 category, separately named the 'Yonkoma Manga Competition,' are here. The first prize for this category will be a prize from the Japanese gallery; there will also be runner-up manga-related prizes.

For both competitions, the artwork should be sent with an entry form, which can be downloaded here. Entries should be sent to:

Manga Jiman Competiton

Japan Information and Cultural Centre

Embassy of Japan

101/104 Piccadilly

London W1J 7JT

'Manga Jiman' means 'Having Pride in Manga.'

Artwork copyright Tori Jones