manga arabe

par L architecte le Lun 18 Sep 2006, 13:09

Meet Monir, the feisty Arabian hero designed by Birmingham student Asia Alfasi who won an international Manga and Anime competition.

Monir

Asia Alfasi, the first female participant on Hi8us Midlands Stripsearch competition, has beaten some of the world’s finest illustrators to win US$5000 from the first-ever annual international competition to identify the best in Manga and Anime talent, awarded by organisers IMAF – the International Manga and Anime Festival.

StripSearch project

Hi8us launched the StripSearch project in September 2003 to focus on seeking out and supporting comic strip illustration talent in Birmingham. Applicants were asked to submit 2-4 pages of original drawn comic strip; 90 people rose to the challenge. Due to the huge demand and great deal of talent, 13 finalists were selected, including Asia.

Muslim character created by Asia

Asia, who has received support from Hi8us Midlands since 2003, is the winner of the Kids Character Design. Her creation, Monir, is a feisty young Arabian from the Muslim Abyssinian times who draws strength from his faith to fight injustice and battle for his family’s survival.

“I went back to my Arab heritage to draw from its design…” says Asia “calligraphy, myths and legends, I tried to incorporate them all into the character. Manga usually features Japanese culture, and I wanted to introduce some Arabian mysticism to the market.”

Asia works on her drawing

Asia has taken part in several Hi8us schemes, such as Stripsearch and Developing New Markets (a scheme to help illustrators set up in business), funded by Birmingham City Council’s Equal ICI Programme, and believes that it is the support she received during this time that boosted her career

“The Stripsearch scheme provided training and insight from professionals like John McCrea and James Hodgkins, who have taught me the art of inking and getting my work up to a professional level” she enthuses

Monir

“I established a network of contacts and was introduced and invited to be part of online art communities, and through those communities I found out about the International Manga and Anime competition. I am eternally grateful to Hi8us for presenting me with the exposure and chances to explore and further my career.”

Asia has just taken part in an exhibition at the Custard Factory and plans to continue working on her own comic, whilst finishing her degree in Visual Communications at UCE.

“We are so proud of Asia” said Jemima Cattel, Hi8us Midlands Ltd Projects Co-ordinator “her energy and commitment are amazing and we hope to continue working with her.”

par FFYoussef le Mar 19 Sep 2006, 19:02

ADI a écrit:Meet Monir, the feisty Arabian hero designed by Birmingham student Asia Alfasi who won an international Manga and Anime competition.

Monir

Asia Alfasi, the first female participant on Hi8us Midlands Stripsearch competition, has beaten some of the world’s finest illustrators to win US$5000 from the first-ever annual international competition to identify the best in Manga and Anime talent, awarded by organisers IMAF – the International Manga and Anime Festival.

StripSearch project

Hi8us launched the StripSearch project in September 2003 to focus on seeking out and supporting comic strip illustration talent in Birmingham. Applicants were asked to submit 2-4 pages of original drawn comic strip; 90 people rose to the challenge. Due to the huge demand and great deal of talent, 13 finalists were selected, including Asia.

Muslim character created by Asia

Asia, who has received support from Hi8us Midlands since 2003, is the winner of the Kids Character Design. Her creation, Monir, is a feisty young Arabian from the Muslim Abyssinian times who draws strength from his faith to fight injustice and battle for his family’s survival.

“I went back to my Arab heritage to draw from its design…” says Asia “calligraphy, myths and legends, I tried to incorporate them all into the character. Manga usually features Japanese culture, and I wanted to introduce some Arabian mysticism to the market.”

Asia works on her drawing

Asia has taken part in several Hi8us schemes, such as Stripsearch and Developing New Markets (a scheme to help illustrators set up in business), funded by Birmingham City Council’s Equal ICI Programme, and believes that it is the support she received during this time that boosted her career

“The Stripsearch scheme provided training and insight from professionals like John McCrea and James Hodgkins, who have taught me the art of inking and getting my work up to a professional level” she enthuses

Monir

“I established a network of contacts and was introduced and invited to be part of online art communities, and through those communities I found out about the International Manga and Anime competition. I am eternally grateful to Hi8us for presenting me with the exposure and chances to explore and further my career.”

Asia has just taken part in an exhibition at the Custard Factory and plans to continue working on her own comic, whilst finishing her degree in Visual Communications at UCE.

“We are so proud of Asia” said Jemima Cattel, Hi8us Midlands Ltd Projects Co-ordinator “her energy and commitment are amazing and we hope to continue working with her.”