About US
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What started as an experiment in 2007 quickly led to an ever-growing community of aspiring manga artists and professionals. Our approach and teaching method changed over the years and so did some of our collaborators, but the focus on the quality of teaching and our core values never did.
We love to see how the market is changing, and we strive to be a part of that change, opening doors for our graduates that they hadn’t even thought to knock on.
Our Story
Established in 2007
FIRST STEPS
The earliest experiences and courses take place in a lovely farmhouse in the Tuscan countryside. The very first class is made up of 12 single-minded students and only lasts a week.
THE FOUNDING
It doesn’t take long for the school to grow. After two years of continuous training, study and meticulous research, the European Manga Academy is officially founded in 2009. On the same year, the Academy becomes the official European partner of Yoyogi Animation Gakuin and Tokyo Designer Gakuin.
A NEW CAMPUS
In June 2010, the Academy welcomes the students in a brand-new campus, a completely refurbished centuries-old structure located in Lajatico, the renowned hometown of Andrea Bocelli and his open air ‘Teatro del Silenzio’.
231 students enroll in our Summer courses that year.
A longer commitment
THE FIRST LONG-TERM COURSE
Nine students attend the first one-year course in manga technique. Among the former staff are some of the lecturers currently working at the Academy: Misao Tsukioka and Giusy Oliva.
JAPANESE ART SUPPLIES
An online store is set up in 2012, selling professional manga-specific art supplies directly imported from Japan. Working on manga, animation, and illustration often requires a variety of extremely specific drawing tools, hence the need for them to be easily available to European students and artists as well.
TEXTBOOKS
Euromanga, the publishing company born from the Academy, signs for the exclusive rights of several technical series, like the Comickers in 2010 and the Sketching Manga in 2012.
The best technical texts on manga technique begin to arrive in Italian bookshops.
THE NEW LONG TERM COURSE
After almost four years of work, the long-term course is extended. The new approach divides three main subjects in a three-year course.
FRANCE
In 2014, The Academy’s introductory courses arrive in Paris. French students begin to enroll and contribute to a broader vision of storytelling through manga art.
NUCLEAR STORY
In 2016, Academy’s director Nicola Ronci and teacher Ilaria Gelli are involved in a docufilm project with Pio D’Emilia and director Matteo Gagliardi.
Distributed worldwide, “Nuclear Story” quickly becomes the best documentary film on nuclear energy ever.
THE NEW COURSE IN JAPAN
The Academy’s course in Tokyo has become independent, with a new classroom a few kilometers away from the dormitory allowing teachers from different schools and publishing houses to hold workshops and lectures.
New facilities and perspectives
IN VOLTERRA
The plan to relocate students and second- and third-year classes to Volterra takes shape. With the help and support of the City Administration and the CRV Foundation, the Academy finds a magical home.
MANGA ARTISTS
The 2018 edition of the Lucca Comics convention in Italy is filled with students and former students presenting their manga published by reknown comic book publishers. Some win international competitions and others produce self-publishing works. Almost 40 percent of our graduates are working.
THE MINISTRY
In 2019 the Academy officially applies to the Ministry of Education to become a full-fledged Art Academy. The preparation took more than four years and could profoundly change the school’s future.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
In recent years, the Academy’s management and faculty dedicate their energies to better configuring the three-year curriculum. A two-year training program in traditional animation is established, and both the Academy and its graduates explore new work collaborations with foreign countries, particularly the webtoon and U.S. publishing markets.
