Israeli comic book team wins Japan's International Manga Award
The 80-page comic Piece of Mind by Guy Lenman and Nimrod Frydman is the second Israeli comic to win at the prestigious event.
By AARON REICHGuy Lenman and Nimrod Frydman's award-winning comic book 'Piece of Mind.'(photo credit: Courtesy)
Israeli comic artist Guy Lenman and author Nimrod Frydman have been named winners of the 13th Japan International Manga Awards for their work Piece of Mind.In a commentary on Israeli government bureaucracy spanning less than 80 pages, the comic deals with an Israeli man named Itzik who dies and goes to limbo, a frustratingly bureaucratic realm where souls wait in lines to apply before a committee for a transfer to heaven. His attempts at getting sent to heaven, however, are continuously rejected due to the apathy he had in life.This is the second time an Israeli comic has won an award at the prestigious event, with The Divine – by Asaf Hanuka, Tomer Hanuka and Boaz Lavie – winning in 2015. Like Pieces of Mind, The Divine also won the top prize.Speaking to The Jerusalem Post back at 2019’s CAMI convention in Jerusalem, Lenman explained, “Behind every story I make there is a theme and ideas that I want to press to the reader. In Pieces of Mind, I talk about our flaws and the stuff that bothers us.... I’ll be glad if maybe my comics can help them solve their problems.”Awarded every year by the Japanese Foreign Ministry, the International Manga Awards seek to promote international cultural exchange between Japan and the rest of the world, and is considered the most prestigious award for non-Japanese comic creators. Lenman and Frydman will be officially awarded the prize by the Japanese Foreign Ministry at a ceremony in Tokyo on February 18.
