Iranians and Israelis, Americans, Russians and Chinese, Europeans and Africans Gather to Say a "Good Word"

Hod Hasharon. Israel, February 25, 2008. BuzziNews is the world's first and only online journal reporting exclusively in cartoons. Cartoonists come together from around the world and communicate their positive message to a global audience. The portal has been online for 3 months and has already attracted world-renowned illustrators from 18 countries who have sent in their cartoons.

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Kodansha's 3rd Morning International Manga Competition is now accepting submissions. The deadline for the third competition is September 30th, 2008:

Submissions for the 3rd Morning International Manga Competition are now being accepted.

The deadline is September 30th,2008.

Professional artists are also welcome to this competition.

Besides manga, we accept all types of comics, including superhero comics, cartoons, and bandes dessine'es and so on.

The grand prize winner will receive $5,000, as well as having their work featured in Morning or Morning 2.

Kodansha's 2nd Morning International Manga Competition (M.I.M.C.) has announced the results of its initial screening, 31 works are selected, the final results will be announced in April.

A recent issue of the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Japan Economic Times) ran an article on the 2008 Manga Taisho. According to the article, winners of the 1st "Manga Grand Prize" will be announced at the end of March.

The planning committee constitutes of staff from the manga sections of the "big 4" book retailers. The award was created through volunteering of professional manga fans. 76 commissioners in the Selection Commission were selected as "reliable manga readers" from various fields by the planners. The qualification requirement of a manga for the award states that the manga needs to have "at least 8 volumes of tankoubon were published, with at least 1 volume was published in 2007."

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Del Rey Manga has announced a new contest based on Hiro Mashima's manga Fairy Tail:

Ascend to manga heaven. Be the first to read Fairy Tail. E-mail us, and if you're selected, you'll win an advance copy of the book. There's just one catch: You have to write in and tell us what you think!

Send your emails to delreymanga@randomhouse.com with FAIRY TAIL in the subject line, including your full name and address in the body of the e-mail (NOTE: your personal information will not be used for any purpose other than this contest). Ten (10) lucky winners will be selected at random and will receive a copy of the book when it is published. All submissions must be received by Wednesday, February 27, 2008.

ZUDACOMICS.COM CONGRATULATES SHELDON VELLA'S SUPERTRON AS WINNER OF JANUARY 2008 COMPETITION AND ANNOUNCES FEBRURARY 2008 COMPETITION

(FEBRUARY 4, 2008- New York, NY) ???Zuda extends congratulations to Sheldon Vella???s SUPERTRON, the winner of the first www.Zudacomics.com competition of 2008.

About SUPERTRON: In the future, robots rule the land. In this harsh mechanical wasteland lives Supertron, a robot of unprecedented power and wit. His only equal is Spinbot, a maniacal robot of unrivaled style and speed. SUPERTRON is a unique blend of humor and science fiction and will continue as a regularly updating web comic at www.Zudacomics.com.

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Manga Jouhou lists some of Tokyopop's contests that are taking place in early 2008:

• Sumo-Star Manga Drawing Contest
• Rising Star of Prose Competition
• What's Your Alice Contest

From Comix Talk comes an interview with rem, winner of Kodansha's 1st International Manga Competition, and Eijiro Shimada, the editor of the Morning 2 magazine.

Also, The Star Online also talks to rem and Eijiro Shimada, as well as runner-up Lim Hwei Lin.

Source: MangaBlog

YaoiSuki has announced the Yaoi Press Suki 2008 Contest, a contest sponsored by Yaoi Press where the winner will receive "five books from Yaoi Press: fresh new editions of Yaoi Hentai 1 and 2, Desire of the Gods, Spirit Marked, and The Aluria Chronicles! [as well as] one of Yaoi Press's new parasols."

ANN reports that Kodansha has announced its plan to to print 300,000 copies of its upcoming magazine Monthly Shonen Rival, and has spent over 250 million yen ($2.3 million) on advertising for the magazine's April 4th debut.

Also announced are the winners of the 1st Shonen Rival Comic Grand Prix:

the aspiring artist Amadori won the top prize of 3 million yen (about US$28,000). Amadori also received an offer to have the winning Muk?? ga Wa no Masaka entry published in the new magazine. [...] The second place winners each won 1 million yen (US$9,400) and a chance to have the winning entry or new manga work serialized.