Manga

Would you like to see your manga printed on paper and be read by all visitors of Aniventure Comic Con? 

Aniventure Comic Con and Manga Academy are inviting you to start on the road of your favourite manga authors and create your own story in pictures! For the first time this year we will have a prize pool of 800 BGN!

How to participate

To be able to participate with your manga, it should be sent to  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  by August 4th , 2019 including:
• Files (or link for downloading the files) of the pages, where the file names correspond to the order of pages
• your full names 
• Complete the following form with information about yourself (if you're one of the winners this information will be published with your manga in the printed book of Aniventure)

Rules

• You can participate with more than one manga
• Feel free to work with friends! There are no limitations on how many people can work and a manga and you can work with teams of 2-3 or more people. Just remember that in the end – the prize is only one.
• For Bulgarian participants – the text must be written in Bulgarian. For foreign participants – the text must be written in English.
• It is forbidden to use strong language and obscene content
• The structure of the text must be written in Japanese style – reading from right to left.
• For the categories that have a specified topic – sticking to the topic is mandatory.

• You can participate with digital drawings and as well as with hand drawings.

Categories

Category “Short manga”:
From 2 to 8 pages + 1 cover (total 3 to 9 pages)
Topic: "Flight" 
Double pages(Spreads) are not allowed
Color: black and white pages, color cover
Reading: from right to left

Category “Long manga”:
From 15 to 25 pages + 1 cover (total 16 to 26 pages)
Subject: Free
Double pages(Spreads): max. 1 
Color: black and white pages, color cover
Reading: from right to left

File Requirements

Before sending your files please read the requirements carefully. For your convenience we have prepared a template that you can use as a digital page, or print it out and place it under the original drawing.
Meeting the technical requirements makes sure you will not see your work printed with elements of the drawings cut out, unclear text/image and other unwanted issues!

• Page Format: A5 at 300 dpi. Color model Grayscale. -color cover: CMYK color model
• Format: .tiff or .psd
• Layers: Two layers - one image and one text. Each sentence must be able to be edited ( in case of spelling errors that need correction ).
• font : download here. Recommended font size: between 8pt and 11pt *
* Refers to the specific font. If you use a size smaller or larger than the recommended the text would be too small to read or too large to fit. The font is required. If for any reasons you want to use another font – please check in advance with us if it is ok. 

• It is not mandatory to use the provided font when writting the title of the manga

You can find more details on the requirements of the files here.

Awards

Motivation and excitement to participation are important, but let's face it, the awards can motivate us a lot!  Your manga will be published in the annual manga book of Aniventure Comic Con, but there will also be a prize pool!

Category Long manga - first place - 300 BGN
Category Long manga - second place - 200 BGN

Category Short manga - first place - 200 BGN
Category Short manga - second place - 100 BGN

Publishment of the work int he annual book of the festival. By submitting a work the contestant agrees his name to be published in the book if he is one of the winners. 

Frequently Asked Questions

I want to participate but do not have the opportunity to travel to Sofia, Bulgaria.
Anyone can participate in the contest, regardless of what country they live in. In the event that your manga wins and you can not come to Aniventure we will send your award to an address and country you specify at our expense.

I want to participate, but I'm not confident and I have questions about drawing manga
You can ask our friends at Manga Academy for everything related to the process of drawing!

I do not understand the requirements for the files ...
To be able to print the files in the best possible way it is important that they meet specific requirements. If you are facing difficulty with them try asking a friend for help or contact Manga Academy.

I do not understand how to use the template ...
From the following link you can download a file, which you can open in the program that you use to draw your manga. Place the template as a top layer and make it semi-transparent. Start painting the panels while being guided by the instructions. You can turn off the template layer while drawing so it does not get in your way and turn it on from time to time to check if everything is ok. When you're done, delete the template layer to keep the picture as a new file. Remember that the final pages must be in Greyscale mode.

Can I use the template if I am drawing by hand?
If you are drawing by hand the esiest is to make your own template.
For A5 paper size:
On an A4 paper draw a rectangle with size 15,8 by 22 cm. Measure 1,5 cm from the frame. You will get a smaller rectangle with size 12,8 by 9 cm. This is the safe zone for all important images and text. If you want a panel to go to the end of the paper ( no white frame left ) draw to the end of the big rectangle.
For A4 paper size:
On an A4 paper measure 2 cm form the end of the paper. This is the safe zone for all important images and text. If you want a panel to go to the end of the paper ( no white frame left ) draw to the end of the big rectangle, but do note that about 5 mm from the image will be croped when priting.

Should the story I send be completed?
Your manga may not be complete and have more chapters, but it is important that what you send us has some kind of ending. It is not a good idea for the story to stop in the middle of a scene. Being able to tell a complete story or a complete part of a story in a specific number of pages is an important ability we value.

What if I do not win?
The fight will be difficult, but participation is always important. Not only because that is how the saying goes, but because every participant will be able to get a professional opinion about their work and free edition of Aniventures book.

What are double pages and why is there a limit to the number?
Double pages are pages of manga in which an entire picture (or one large panel) is spread on two pages instead of one. To see the whole picture, you need to open the book and see the two pages together. The limitation in number is so we can make sure that each comic double pages will be in place.

I want to draw a manga that is read from left to right. Why is that not allowed?
It is important that all stories we are read in the same direction. Otherwise we can not publish them together! Imagine a book that is read alternately in one direction, then in another.

Why should I use the specified font?
Selecting the right font for your manga is not easy and it is our aim to make things a bit easier for the participants. Also, using an appropriate font will ensure good readability of the manga and will make the printed book more user friendly and likeable.

I want to participate but I do not have an idea for a story :/
Try the category for Short manga – you may find inspiration there with the topic of “Dreams”.

The project I started is on A4 paper, can I finish the manga on paper and then scan it?
Yes, we accept manga created using any technique - traditional or digital. The only condition is that in the final digital files the text must be in a separate layer using the specified font.