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Rising Stars of Manga Named
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LOS ANGELES (April 26, 2004) -- Hundreds of gifted artists and writers waited with fingers crossed as TOKYOPOP Inc. judged its third Rising Stars of Manga competition. With several previous Rising Stars winners now signed to major book deals by the company, this national talent search has quickly become one of the best launching pads to a creative career. The first and second Rising Stars compilations have not only received critical acclaim, but they have also been gobbled up by consumers eager to sneak a peek into the heart and soul of the artistic movement that is sweeping the nation - and the world. Now, there's more anticipation than ever, with the third anthology making its splash this July in major bookstore chains and specialty retailers from coast to coast.
"In this third competition, we saw a brilliant variety of creativity that had the editors oohing and aahing, glued to the pages and rolling on the floor laughing," said TOKYOPOP Editor Mark Paniccia. "There is definitely a talented assortment of untapped creators who will be manga's icons of tomorrow."
TOKYOPOP has collected thousands of entries during its national talent competitions, and for this third contest, the bar was raised and the stakes were clearly high. Evaluating such a large, exceptional volume of entries proved to be a remarkable challenge. After much debate, TOKYOPOP is pleased to announce the winners of the third Rising Stars of Manga competition:
Nathan Maurer (Age 22), a musician/artist from Goleta, California, is the Grand Prize winner for his entry, "Atomic King Daidogan." In addition to the $2,500 cash prize, Nathan will receive a commemorative trophy and an exclusive opportunity to pitch his full-length manga series to TOKYOPOP's creative executives.
"I'm still pretty much reeling from the announcement. I know it's cliché, but I can honestly say that the day I got the call was the best day of my life, no exaggeration," Maurer admitted. "'Daidogan' was the most fun I've ever had writing and drawing comics, and to be rewarded for it is just unbelievably exciting."
Karaoke box employee Felipe Smith (Age 25) from Los Angeles, is the Second Place winner, and will receive $1,500 and a trophy for his work, "Manga."
Whitney Leith (Age 16), a high school student from Chubbuck, Idaho, has taken the Third Place prize, with $1,000 and a trophy for her work, "Cupid's Folly."
The following Runner-Up entries have each earned $500 and an honorary plaque: - "A Little Rain" by Sarah Ferrick (Age 15) from Huntington Station, New York
- "Moonlit Magnolia" by Alex Jeon (Age 24) from Alexandria, Virginia
- "The New Little Mermaid" by Yang Fan (Age 26) from Seattle, Washington
- "Dorothy Needs Needles and Knives" by Iain "Zombieboy" Gill (Age 25) from Anaheim, California
- "Life Remains" by Irene Flores (Age 21) and Ashly Raiti (Age 21), both from Lompoc, California
- "Doors" by Christy Lijewski (Age 23) from Freeland, Maryland
- "Ozymandias" by Aldin Baroza (Age 39) of North Hollywood, California
TOKYOPOP congratulates all of the winners of its third Rising Stars of Manga competition. Visit www.TOKYOPOP.com to learn more about these talented creators and take a look at the news about the fourth competition slated to begin June 1, 2004.
ABOUT TOKYOPOP Inc.
TOKYOPOP Inc. is the leading North American publisher of manga, the fastest growing segment within the publishing industry. With exclusive rights to hundreds of licensed and original book, video and music properties, the company has rapidly become a media convergence leader. TOKYOPOP has millions of books in print and publishes many hit manga series, including Love Hina, Chobits, Rave Master, Initial D, GTO, Battle Royale and Cowboy Bebop. The company pioneered Cine-Manga(TM), releasing such titles as Finding Nemo, SpongeBob SquarePants, Lizzie McGuire and Transformers Armada. TOKYOPOP television properties include Rave Master, GTO and Reign: The Conqueror. The company has also expanded its presence as a licensor, representing merchandising rights for Rave Master, Initial D, Stray Sheep and others. Visit www.TOKYOPOP.com for additional information.
  
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