After three months of fierce competition and a grueling judging process, TOKYOPOP Inc., the leading U.S. publisher of manga has selected the 10 winners of its national manga talent search. Aspiring American creators were invited to submit their 15-to-20-page original manga stories for the chance to win money, recognition and a coveted spot in TOKYOPOP's Rising Stars of Manga anthology due in stores December 9th. The first Rising Stars compilation proved so popular that it sold out of its initial print run.

"Judging from the incredible turn-out for this contest, it's apparent that more and more people are being influenced by manga ... more people understand the conventions of its unique storytelling style," said TOKYOPOP Editor Mark Paniccia. "There is an amazing wealth of untapped talent right here in America, and we're thrilled to expose a global audience to these works. The second volume is going to inspire a whole new wave of great artists and writers."

TOKYOPOP received entries from many truly talented creators across the U.S. -- a 25% increase in submissions from its first contest. Reading and evaluating such a large volume of entries was a big challenge, but after much debate, the judges are pleased to announce the winners of the second Rising Stars of Manga competition:

Lindsay Cibos (Age 21) from Altamonte Springs, Florida is the Grand Prize winner for her entry, "Peach Fuzz." In addition to the $2,500 cash prize, Cibos will receive a commemorative trophy and an exclusive opportunity to pitch her full-length manga series to TOKYOPOP's top executives. She drew inspiration from her two pet ferrets, Momoko and Elf, who gave her "an endless supply of silly stories to work with."

"I was confident in the strength of my entry, but it was still quite a surprise to actually get the phone call!" Cibos exclaimed. "I'm overjoyed to be a part of the RSoM book, and glad that all the hard work that went into creating my comic paid off."

College student Nicholas Liaw (Age 19) from Cleveland, Ohio is the First Place winner, and will receive $1,000 and a trophy for his work, "Unmasked."

The following Runner-Up entries have each earned $500 and an honorary plaque:

• "Possessions" by Shane Konecny (Age 27) and Nate Scott (Age 24), both from Orting, Washington

• "The Calling Grounds" by Shaun Healey (Age 21) from Medford, New Jersey

• "Lovesketch" by Tania del Rio (Age 23) from Elmsford, New York

• "Fowl Play" by Andrew Wong (Age 22) from El Cerrito, California

• "Dogby Walks Alone" by Wes Abbott (Age 33) from Santa Monica, California

• "Nikolai" by M. Alice Legrow (Age 22) from Willington, Connecticut

• "Whisper" by Ms., Shatia Hamilton (Age 19) of Minneapolis, Minnesota

• "Axis Lumen" by Bettina Kurkoski (Age 30) of Plymouth, Massachusetts and Alicia J. Hotovec (Age 18) of Golden, Colorado

TOKYOPOP congratulates all of the winners of its second Rising Stars of Manga competition. Visit www.TOKYOPOP.com  to learn more about these talented creators and get a sneak peek at the third contest slated to begin January 1, 2004.