Danica Davidson
April 26, 2023 
Most manga creators live in Japan, but many artists around the world would love to make their own official manga. That just happened to Elena Vitagliano, an Italian-born artist who currently resides in England. Her manga Miriam of the Skulls nabbed first place in the MAGIC (Monaco Anime Game International Conferences) Competition, which is sponsored by Shibuya Productions and the Shonen Jump+ editorial department . This led to her work being published on Shonen Jump+. She is the first European woman to win the award.
Hiroyuki Nakano, a Shonen Jump+ editor, had this to say about Vitagliano’s work: “The character art is lovely. The angles and camera work are solid, showcasing the character art to the readers first and foremost. Also, the characters do not merely stand upright; their poses change according their characteristics, which I also thought was good.”
Vitagliano has been published in Japan before, as well as in the United Kingdom, Italy and Indonesia. But there is something special about being published by Shonen Jump +.
“To a foreigner, well at least to me, getting published in a famous manga magazine in Japan is the ultimate dream come true,” Vitagliano exclaimed. “It is a great honor to me. But this is only the first step. I want to improve so I can make a better story that can touch the hearts of readers and provide thrills and entertainment.”
A press release gave this description of her manga:
“‘Miriam of the skulls’ is set in an ossuary in Naples – Italy (city where the artist is from), with
an attractive female protagonist, giving off goth vibes, who is devoted to skulls and wants to
protect them at every cost.”
The MAGIC Competition is a yearly endeavor. If you’re interested in submitting your work and possibly being published by Shonen Jump +, submissions open on June 15 for the 2024 competition. Good luck, everyone!
Source: ANN
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
