Inaugural TATESC Comics Global Awards open for submissions

Having organised two previous TATESC (which is derived from ‘Tate’ which is Japanese for ‘stand up’, and the first syllable of ‘scroll’) contests, anime producers KADOKAWA Group is making its third contest its first ever TATESC Comics Global Awards.

The event will allow submissions from all over the world and in six different languages, including English, Malay, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Thai and Japanese.

TATESC, which is described as a vertical scrolling comic label from the KADOKAWA Group that can be enjoyed on mobile, tablets or PCs, was launched in Japanese in the year 2021. 

Its Malaysian subsidiary – Kadokawa Gempak Starz (KGS) Sdn Bhd – is taking charge of the Malay and Simplified Chinese version of the competition submissions.

“This is a global milestone made possible with the cooperation of all KADOKAWA Group’s overseas subsidiaries. Opening the boundaries allows avid comic writers the opportunity to portray their talents and shine in the world of TATESC comics,” said Chris Yew who is Chief Executive Officer of KGS.

US$15,000 for the first prize winner

The first prize winner of each language group will win US$15,000 while the second and third place winners will bag US$2,500 and US$1,000, respectively. Additionally, the award winners are guaranteed electronic serialisation and an editor will be assigned to assist comic writers in publishing their work.

“There are no restrictions for experience or age and entries can be submitted either as a solo effort or as a team/corporation submission,” he said, adding that the winner of the Translation and Publication Award in Japan will have their work translated into Japanese and will be guaranteed electronic serialisation in Japan. 

KADOKAWA assures that there will be more and more opportunities for the winning submissions that will be unveiled in the duration of the contest which opened on March 9 and ends Aug 31, 2023 at 11.59pm.

All entries will be vetted by the 1st TATESC Comics Global Awards Jury which consist of editors from KADOKAWA Group publishers in each language.

The finalists will be announced on a special website come October 2023 and the final selections will be disclosed in November. Simultaneously, the award-winning works in each language and the “Translation and Publication Award” for selected entries to be translated and distributed in Japan will also be announced.

Each first place winner, from every language category, will be invited to participate in the award ceremony which is scheduled to be held in December, in Japan. More details can be found on https://promo.kadokawa.co.jp/tatesc/en/