Attack on Titan publisher is searching the entire world for a new manga star

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Kodansha, one of the biggest publishers of manga, is starting a massive worldwide search for new talent. This initiative aims to help promising artists launch their careers in the manga industry.

Kodansha, the publisher of hugely popular manga like Attack on Titan, Tokyo Revengers, and Blue Lock, is now focusing on supporting new creators from around the world. They’re hoping to discover the next breakout manga series through this initiative.

Okay, so Kodansha is running this awesome competition called the Kodansha Manga Academy Award: Mangaka Discovery, and it’s open to anyone who draws manga – seriously, it doesn’t matter if you’re a pro or just starting out! You can submit your work between April 20th and July 22nd, 2026. The cool part is that editors from all seven of Kodansha’s manga divisions will actually look at every single entry. Pretty exciting, right?

This provides a unique chance for new artists to showcase their work to the creators of popular shows.

Manga publisher is looking for overseas talent

As many as seven creators will win the Grand Prize, which includes ¥300,000 (about $2,000), a personal editor, and the chance to have their work published on Kodansha’s K MANGA and Comic Days platforms. Winners will also be flown to Tokyo for an awards ceremony, with all travel and lodging expenses paid.

Winners will continue to work with editors, and the top 100 finalists will get feedback directly from people at Kodansha. But even winning doesn’t automatically mean you’ll become a successful manga artist.

Just winning this award isn’t enough to become a professional manga artist. Your success depends on the quality of the manga you create with your editor after the award. However, if you’re fully committed, Kodansha will support you wholeheartedly throughout the process.

Kodansha is launching its biggest search ever for new manga artists! We’re not looking for polished, perfect work – we want to find creators with raw talent and promise. Artists of all nationalities and skill levels are encouraged to submit their work, as every entry will be carefully reviewed.

— KODANSHA MANGA ACADEMY (@KODANSHA_KMA) April 20, 2026

As a huge manga fan, I’m so excited about this contest! To enter, you need to submit your own original manga – it has to be between 8 and 60 pages long, and you can submit it in either English or Japanese. Just a heads-up, though, they’re only giving awards to submissions that look really polished and professional.

If you’re a writer hoping to create a hit like One Piece, or simply want feedback on your work from experienced editors, you can submit it through the official website.

So, I’ve been seeing a lot online about manga lately, and it’s not just cool art and stories. I heard about this manga creator who was really struggling financially, and it went viral. It was awesome to see fans from all over the world rally around them and completely turn things around – seriously heartwarming stuff!

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2026-04-20 17:49