Rising Stars of Manga

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Rising Stars of Manga is an annual OEL manga anthology published in English by TOKYOPOP beginning in 2002. It was originally semi-annual, but switched to annual beginning with the 6th volume.

Each issue represents the results of a contest, in which aspiring mangaka from all over the U.S. each submit a 15-20 page one-shot manga, and the staff of TOKYOPOP picks one grand-prize winner, a Second and a Third prize winner, and eight runners-up. So far, the youngest entrant to be published in the anthology has been 16, and the oldest has been 39. Finalists are often offered a chance to submit a proposal to create a series of books, usually lasting three volumes. Other finalists have parlayed the exposure provided by the contest into manga/comics jobs at other companies.

A few of the winners have had the beginning chapters of their manga serialized by syndication in the Sunday comics of various American newspapers (Peach Fuzz, Van Von Hunter in the past, and currently Mail Order Ninja), through the Universal Press Syndicate.

In May 2005, the first Rising Stars of Manga competition was launched for residents of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, the results of which were announced on Friday January 6, 2006.

[edit] Manga/Comics that started out in Rising Stars of Manga

Atomic King Daidogan
Bombos versus Everything
Dogby Walks Alone
Mail Order Ninja
Next Exit (appeared in RSoM as "Doors")
Peach Fuzz
Work Bites
Van Von Hunter
Bomango

[edit] Manga/Comics by authors who started out in Rising Stars of Manga

Bizenghast (from the RSoM entry "Nikolai")
Mark of the Succubus (from the RSoM runner-up "Life Remains")
MBQ (from the RSoM entry "Manga")
Sorcerers & Secretaries (from the RSoM entry "The Hopeless Romantic and the Hapless Girl")