Joanne Kim: MAGIC Manga Contest Winner, and Creator of RUNTIME Interview

With help from Kinokuniya, I was able to reach out to Joanne Kim. She happens to be the winner of Monaco Anime Game Conference’s manga contest, which concluded its 2nd year of running this past February — this means she’ll be going back to Japan over the summer to see if a Shueisha editor will pick up a work from her. Over email I passed along some questions to her, and she shared what it was like to take part in the contest, alongside what’s next for her:

TheOASG: Tell me a bit about yourself and what moment or event inspired you to become an artist.

Joanne Kim: I’m a sophomore attending community college who wants to transfer to a university soon to major in Game Design and/or Animation. I can’t remember when I started drawing, but it was always something I enjoyed doing since I was a tyke. Showing and gifting people with art was something I did since kindergarten because it made me happy.

How did you find out about the manga contest being held by MAGIC?

I was looking for some motivation to draw during the summer because I was stuck in a rut (or artist’s block), so I was watching and reading up on anime or manga that came across my mind. The next thing I knew, I was surfing through random Bleach episodes, manga chapters, and articles related to it. Eventually, I found an article about the manga contest and by that time I only had less than 4 months to enter and, well, here I am.

How did the creation of RUNTIME begin? Did you have an idea in mind, start with characters, or something else?

RUNTIME was a story I worked on in secrecy since the beginning of high school. I was always drawing fan comics or art about popular shows or manga but never really attempted to create an original work. I think I got the base idea of the story from an old dream I had, which was about humans meeting aliens and having a good time — and the world kinda ended out of nowhere. It was funny to me at the time, so I started to work on the idea more seriously by planning and fleshing out the story, characters, etc.

How much time did you spend working on it, and how did you feel when you finished it?

I had RUNTIME’s main story points planned out since I worked on it throughout high school — but as for the manga entry, it took me a good three months or so to plan and draw everything out. Just the planning part took one month because it was a struggle to condense and simplify RUNTIME’s main story into less than 45 pages, and I redrew thumbnails multiple times whenever I felt unsatisfied with the layout or script. When I finally finished my entry, I felt that I could’ve done better but because of the limited time I had, I just accepted and felt proud of myself.

First, how did you feel when you found out you were a finalist? Then what was your immediate reaction when you were told you won the whole thing?

Honestly, I was surprised and grateful that I got into the top 10 selected entries because it gave me a boost to keep drawing since my art went that far in a worldwide contest. I was even more surprised, flabbergasted actually, when I was picked to be in the top five and got the opportunity to go all the way to the Magic Monaco conference in Monte Carlo. When the judges announced me as the winner there, I didn’t even register that they said my name until I heard my older brother, who came with me on the trip, next to me yelling, “GO UP THE STAGE! JOJO, YOU DID IT!” All in all it was an incredible and unforgettable experience, and I’m still processing it all because it happened so fast.

I think Kinokuniya highlighting you in their newsletter (and having a dedicated page) tells it all, but how big of a role did they play as you created your work?

As the newest addition to the team in Kinokuniya in Carrollton, I’m very indebted to them for their kindness and support about my participation in the contest. I was already a huge fan of the store before I joined because I went there to purchase art supplies and reference books for my works, many of which helped me create RUNTIME in the first place. I’m glad they didn’t think of me weird when I worked with ink stained hands, and I was relieved that they were understanding when I had to travel out of the country for a week. Also, I am super not over Kinokuniya highlighting me on their site as well as notifying subscribers about me. It’s the kindest act a company or a workplace has ever done for me, honestly.

You made the trip to Monte Carlo, to the MAGIC location…and got to meet a lot of important people! What stood out to you the most when you got there?

When I first entered the Forum, I was very impressed with the building and the booths in it. There was this one booth that had really cool costume props from memorable super hero movies like a very detailed Black Panther helmet, and there were tons of talented cosplayers donning outfits with incredible detail!

Since Bleach is one of the titles that inspired you, how did you feel when you met Tite Kubo?

I actually did not meet Mr. Tite Kubo at Magic Monaco because of health problems, but I was very honored to meet the other judges. Seeing Mr. Hosono and Mr. Nakano at the panel honestly gave me huge anxiety; however, they were very cool and even asked me questions after my presentation! Ms. Cibot, from Shibuya International and one of the contest judges, was very welcoming and professional at translating between three different languages! And Mr. Biscay was also very chill and friendly, and his encouraging smiles helped me feel less nervous during my presentation.

When I do get the chance to meet Mr. Kubo on my trip to Japan in the summer, I’ll probably disintegrate on the spot from his presence. It’d be a huge honor since he and his manga Bleach were very influential in my growth as a artist.

Throughout this whole experience, from starting RUNTIME to your trip to Monaco, what turned out to the biggest surprise along the way?

The amount of support from my family, friends, and everyone else (online or in real-life) will always surprise me the most. I joined the contest to raise my self-esteem and to see if there are people out there who’ll enjoy an original work from me. Some of my friends knew I worked on RUNTIME for the longest time and encouraged me to continue working on it till I’m satisfied and ready to show it to them. Even though I was self-conscious to share my entry and story until it went public, everyone kept rooting for me till the end. Some even helped pay for my trip to Monaco when I thought I couldn’t afford and attend. Without them, I don’t think RUNTIME would’ve existed.

What did this experience make you realize as a creator?

Before the contest, I always felt lost about what I should be doing in life —  I was really unsure about my future and felt really guilty over not having a plan after graduating university, even though my parents and friends think I do. Art was something I turned to whenever I had that “lost” feeling or just whenever I was at a rough patch in life. Art doesn’t solve problems, but it makes me forget about them.

However, I never considered it to be something that I might do as a career because it was a far off, unrealistic dream to me — I just wasn’t that confident in my skills. But after this whole experience, I think I’m more confident at what I’m doing now, so I’m glad I grasped the opportunity to enter the contest. My future is still foggy, but the contest helped clear it up a bit and let me have a brighter mindset towards it.

So creators out there, don’t think too low of yourself! Don’t be too discouraged to start projects or join a contest because you all have hidden potential that should not be neglected.

To confirm, RUNTIME is being serialized in Shonen Jump+ correct? If so, what can you say the future will be for the manga? Are you balancing this and school?

I believe my entry will just be published on the Shonen Jump+, not serialized. But on my trip to Japan, I may get the opportunity to work with an editor and may result with RUNTIME being serialized. Honestly, that would be the dream. If that dream becomes a reality, then I’d quit school in a heartbeat. (Or take only online classes.)

Finally, where can people reach out to you to say hi or check out your art?

You can find me on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram through my username @mirshroom! Definitely feel free to drop by and say hello; I don’t bite!