"They said that Black people making manga and comics wouldn’t work," Jones recalls. "They said we would never sell books or receive accolades or excite readers. But that wasn’t acceptable to me. I wanted to push back on that and inspire the next generation of kids’ manga artists the way that Saturday morning comics inspired me."
Now over a decade later Saturday AM is having a banner year, with over a dozen series for kids and teens available, sequels to bestselling titles being published, and (despite those naysayers at the beginning of Fred's journey) plenty of awards and accolades under their belt. Jones credits his success with the diverse roster of creators he works with.
"Eleven years later, we are still working hard to change perceptions around diverse manga and provide a future that will support manga creators from around the world regardless of where they are, what they look like, who they love, or what their cultural background is," says Jones.
One of the objectives of Saturday AM is to seek out and encourage new creators to develop their nuanced and unique perspectives on the genre. While Saturday AM has been known for its diverse all-ages comics and manga for the past decade, it’s clearly gaining momentum and getting closer to Jones’ goals of normalizing diversity.
Leading the pack is the award-winning and bestselling series Clock Striker by Jones and illustrated by Nigerien Issaka Galadima (ages 13+). The Clock Striker series follows Cast, who dreams of being a SMITH—a legendary warrior engineer whose job is to make the world safer for everyone—and though she’s rather handy with her tools, SMITHS haven’t been seen in years and were never known for having female members. Cast manages to meet one surviving warrior named Ms. Philomena Clock, who agrees to take her on as her apprentice. Ms. Clock seeks to uncover an ominous mystery that explains what happened to the SMITHS and shines a light on a hidden power that may be within Cast herself. But can Cast survive the process of becoming a SMITH?
Jones reveals that the concept of Clock Striker, which took over six years to get right—not to mention the time it took to have it published in book format—was born out of the desire to fill a major hole in manga that Jones noticed: The first-ever Black female protagonist. And Jones reveals that from the moment they released the first chapters of Clock Striker online, they saw an abundance of love and support from fans across the spectrum.
"Young Black and brown creators were starting to think that manga starring a hero or heroine that looks like them is somehow wrong or forced. I couldn’t stand by and watch that happen. It was essential to show that you can have great manga stories with Black and brown protagonists," says Jones. "When Clock Striker debuted, the love we got from kids and adults of all races and genders was overwhelming! The responses felt like a collective exhale from folks who always wondered if there would ever be a moment when they would see something unapologetically like them, and now they do. And we’re not done!"
"Every new announcement for Clock Striker creates a new sense of excitement for our fans who want to try their own hand at creating manga," says Jones. "When kids see our manga and feel seen by our manga with characters and creators that actually look like them, then we feel we’ve done our job. Saturday AM allows the entire manga industry to truly feel universal, and that can inspire any and every young person."
Given the range of global creators they work with, Saturday AM is ensuring that we all get closer to seeing new perspectives. Some other titles to look for include Saturday AM’s first ever series The Massively Multiplayer World of Ghosts (ages 13+) written by Jones and illustrated by New Zealander Oscar Fong, and Gunhild (ages 10+) by Danish creator Fred Tornager, the only full-color series under the brand. Both series highlight previously excluded cultures in manga and bring new perspectives to life.
"Both The Massively Multiplayer World of Ghosts, which features a South Asian protagonist, and Gunhild, which focuses on Norse mythology, appeal to readers because of the authentic levels of storytelling in each series," explains Jones. "They offer fresh takes on previously excluded cultures with unique and important stories of friendship, identity, and action."
Saturday AM has books for all ages ranging from 10-18, with sci-fi and fantasy series that touch on topics for every reader. You can learn more about Saturday AM and their diverse manga for all ages by visiting https://geni.us/SaturdayAM.