American manga-ka are being crown in Fremont, CA:

Chris Cogdill took coloring very seriously.

But by age 3, he lost interest in cute coloring books and crayons.

Instead, he created and drew his own comic book character.

Now at 14, the Fremont teen has plotted out about 500 Manga characters which fill eight portfolios. Manga is a Japanese-style comic book. It is read right to left and is done without color — just tone, explained Cogdill.

Equipped with a pencil and a series of pens (including micron pens), Cogdill works each day for at least an hour on his hobby.

“Before I do anything, I write out all the steps. I plot out my stories. I know the characters and the setting. Then I start writing the story,â€? Cogdill said.

According to the rest of the article, Cogdill is a night owl who worries about carpal tunnel syndrome and uses Manga Studio to produce his comics. How long til Tokyopop signs him up?