Full-time cartoonist - #22 - Chapter 22 The Story of Sasaki Nao Torajiro

Tezuka Prize, organized by Shueisha, is a newcomer award for shonen story comics. Starting from the first half of 1971, it has been held twice a year.

This award, commemorating Osamu Tezuka’s outstanding contributions, has attracted many talents to Shueisha.

Daijiro Morohoshi, Tsukasa Hojo, Hirohiko Araki, Masakazu Katsura, Yoshihiro Togashi, Nobuhiro Wazuki…

These backbone cartoonists of Weekly Shonen Jump have all won the Tezuka Prize.

It is the most valuable award, the Newcomer Award.

The bonus is a full 1,000,000 yen!

It can be said to be the newcomer award with the highest bonus!

At that time, Akira Toriyama decided to enter the field of drawing comics because he saw that the prize money for the manga competition in “Weekly Shōnen Magazine” was 500,000 yen. Because he could not create as he pleased, and his savings became less and less after leaving his job.

However, because I couldn’t keep up with the deadline, I finally gave up “Weekly Shonen Mahazine” and participated in the “Weekly Shonen Jump” manga award with a bonus of 100,000 yen.

Comparing the bonuses, you can know the height of the Tezuka reward.

The submission deadline for the Tezuka Awards in the second half of this year is October 5, so there is still time.

“But was this manga really drawn by you?” Torishima Kazuhiko looked hesitant.

He knew Higashino Hibiki’s level, and Akira Toriyama couldn’t possibly change someone to this extent.

Dongye Xiang said nothing and remained silent.

“Ah no, no, of course I don’t suspect you of plagiarism,” Torishima said: “Your previous style was royal battle comics, and now it’s inspirational juvenile comics. Why such a big span?”

“Because I saw Akira Toriyama-sensei’s paintings,” Higashino Hibiki told all the excuses he had thought up for a long time. “I realized that I could never catch up with Toriyama-sensei by drawing battle comics, so I decided to find another way.”

“Is your dream to reach the heights of Akira Toriyama?”

“Of course, I’m working on it.”

“Great, keep that idea going.”

Torishima Kazuhiko smiled and nodded, approving of Higashino Hibiki very much.

Cartoonists need this spirit of not admitting defeat to motivate themselves to work hard and make progress.

Move towards an impossible goal, and when you come back to your senses, you will find that you have reached a height that was impossible to reach.

“Perhaps your literary talent lies here.” Toriyama Kazuhiko helped Hibiki explain, “Kasuru Masakazu’s talent is painting girls, and even he doesn’t know this.

Try it from different angles, which is what I always ask authors to do.

When you hit a wall because of Akira Toriyama, the window God reserved for you is finally revealed. You are suitable for drawing narrative comics! “

Higashikata smiled and nodded, “Mr. Torishima, you are absolutely right, I completely agree!”

“In that case, let’s have a serious discussion,” Torishima Kazuhiko said enthusiastically, “It’s been a long time since the Tezuka Prize was awarded to a work that hasn’t been selected for the awards, and it’s very satisfying to think about letting that bastard from the mountain village take the blame.”

Higashikata nodded fiercely, “Please!”

…

Weekly Shonen Jump.

Sasaki Nao, the editorial team leader, rubbed his eyebrows. Too many trivial matters made him exhausted.

The collision between two different factions, Torishima Kazuhiko and Goto Hiroyuki, caused a lot of trouble.

As a member of the Torishima faction, he offended many people.

Sasaki supports Torishima Kazuhiko from the bottom of his heart. He even thinks that if he becomes the editor-in-chief one day, he will also want to develop Jump’s works overseas.

“Dragon Ball” is now very popular abroad, and it is a pity not to take advantage of it.

Japan is an island country, and it is a place where nothing can be done. If it continues to develop, reaching 6.5 million sales is already an unprecedented height.

Only by going out of the border and interacting with the international market can Jump truly grow.

Just as I was thinking about it, the landline phone rang.

“Hello, I’m Nao Sasaki from the editorial department of “Weekly Shonen Jump”. What can I do for you?”

“I’m Torishima Kazuhiko, can you come to the “pole pole”? “

“Okay, I happen to be free right now.”

After hanging up the phone, he stood up and walked out the door.

Editor is a very free position. After all, you have to communicate with cartoonists, and any situation must be handled promptly and responsibly.

Therefore, if you leave your post midway, you will not be questioned.

It is the last word that the cartoonist you are responsible for has good results.

In fact, it is a bit similar to sales.

“Is something wrong? Mr. Sasaki.” His editor, Shikato Misaki, asked curiously.

“Yeah.” He nodded.

“Bon voyage.” Lurenjiao bowed to see him off.

He admires this leader very much and has the air of a general. His thinking is sharp and his words are penetrating and convincing.

He felt that one day, Sasaki would be able to stand at the top of Jump and become the editor-in-chief!

He didn’t get up until Sasaki left.

…

When Sasaki arrived, he saw what Hibiki saw when he arrived.

Torishima Kazuhiko was having a heated discussion with a young man.

Hibiki Higashino said: “When submitting for the Tezuka Prize, I must submit a short story. I want to draw the story of Sae Fujiwara and Torajiro. “

“This is a good idea,” Toriyama Kazuhiko nodded, “A short-term story is suitable for depicting Fujiwara Sato as the first possessed object, and it involves Honinbo Shusaku, which is a breaking point. You are a genius!”

Honinbo Shusaku, a Japanese Go player in the Edo period, is considered by many to be the greatest Go player in the golden age of Go.

The manga “Spirit of the Chess” is set as follows: Honinbo Shusaku was the first possessed object of Fujiwara Sae, and the chess pieces he dropped were actually Sae’s.

One is to describe the strength of Fujiwara Sawei.

The second is for comparison with the possessed second host, the manga protagonist Hikaru Shindo.

Fujiwara Sawei, Honinbo Hidesaku, was a really good idea, and Torishima Kazuhiko was also impressed.

The story of Honinbo Shusaku and Fujiwara Sawei is more legendary than Shindo Hikaru.

“Mr. Torishima.” Sasaki interrupted them and greeted.

“Well, Sasaki, you’re here,” Torishima Kazuhiko motioned for him to sit down and introduced him to Hibiki Hibiki.

“He is Nao Sasaki, my junior. He is now the team leader of the jump editorial department.

He was responsible for the editing of “Oolong Police Station” and “Jojo’s Wonderful Journey: Diamond of Eternity”. Rich experience and outstanding abilities. “

Nao Sasaki is now in his 30s, and Hibiki Higashino is deeply impressed by him.

He once appeared in the comic “Dream Eater” co-written by Takeru Obata and Oba Tashiru.

I also learned from this manga that Sasaki Nao will be the ninth editor-in-chief of Jump.

“Hello,” Hibiki Higashino nodded and said friendly: “I am Hibiki Higashikata, and I asked Mr. Toriyama to contribute to your manga.”

The talents of senior editors and cartoonists complement each other and teach them to draw more exciting works.

It would be bad if you are a newbie and do random things.

They will forcibly superimpose their own preferences on the author, causing the style of the work to change, and it is not impossible to face the situation of being cut in half.