One of Japan’s biggest comic book anthologies — Morning, is organizing the 5th Morning International Comic Competition. They are currently looking for new talents who would like to experience what it is like to be a best-selling Japanese comic artist.

Morning is famous for being the publisher of titles such as Vagabond, Kami no Shizuku,Black Jack, Gon, and Chi’s Sweet Home. The winner of the previous MICC was “The Unreberating Echo” by Kim DaeJin of Korea.

The Grand Prize winner will receive US $3000, while the runner-up will receive US $1000. In addition to the cash prize, the Grand Prize winner will have his entry published in the pages of a special issue of Morning Magazine.

The winners will also be mentored by Morning Editors and Staff for the further development and possible commercial publication of their future works.

• Submitted works must be no more than fifty pages, and must not have been previously published in any commercially released magazines, books, or anthologies, in any country.

• Submitted works can be done on any type of paper, using any kind of drawing tools, whether in full color or in black-and-white; however, winning pieces done in color may be published in black and white in Morning Magazine.

If preferred, you may use the industry standards for Japanese manga, which are normally drawn on B4-sized paper in black ink, with a 270mm x 180 mm frame.

• All text and dialogue should be be written clearly in your native language, in English, or in Japanese.

• Submissions may be submitted in a CDR / DVDR or other digital storage media. However, the organizers request printed copies to be included with the digital entries. Entries will not be returned.

• Do not forget to include a curriculum vitae with your submitted entry, containing your name, age, address, occupation, and contact information (phone/e-mail).

• Applications may be sent via mail or courier to:

Kodansha Morning M. I. C. C.
2-12-21 Otowa, Bunkyo-ku
Tokyo 112-8001
JAPAN

• The deadline of entries is 31 October 2011.

Winners will be selected by the Morning International Comics Competition Committee. Winners will be announced on March 2012 on the Morning website. For more information, please visit the MICC site.