Saturday AM is an ongoing English-written international shōnen manga anthology magazine founded in Morrisville, North Carolina in 2013 by Frederick L. Jones and published by MyFutprint Entertainment.[1] The magazine is presented as "the world's most diverse manga anthology".[2]
 | |
| Frequency | Ongoing |
|---|---|
| Publisher | MyFutprint Entertainment |
| Founder |
|
| Founded | 2013 |
| Country | United States |
| Based in | Morrisville, North Carolina |
| Website | www |
History
editMyFutprint Entertainment was founded in 2013 by Frederick L. Jones. The North Carolina-based Jones was a lifelong anime fan, moved on from a career as an executive in the video game industry to found MyFutprint Entertainment and the imprint Saturday AM with artists around the world. Jones created this company to assist in developing and marketing new manga concepts for creators from around the world.[1][2]
One of the first events that Saturday AM had established for aspiring manga artists was an annual event called "Summer of Manga" followed by an NCAA March Madness inspired fanart competition called "March Art Madness".
On November 9, 2020, MyFutprint Entertainment announced that it had partnered up with online light novel publisher Jabberwocky Toys to release their licensed "BlownUps" limited edition figures with licensing for their series Apple Black, Bully Eater, and The Massively Multiplayer World of Ghosts. [3][4]
On October 13, 2021, The Quarto Group, a global publisher of books and content for adults and children, and Saturday AM announced an ongoing publishing partnership. Print titles will be published by Quarto under its art and design imprint, Rockport Publishers. They published 10 titles in 2022 from 7 different series, and an additional 10 to 12 titles are scheduled in 2023 and 2024. This partnership was to bring MyFutprint Entertainment's manga titles to a wider audience and expand the availability of its manga titles in both print and digital formats.[5][6][7]
On February 3, 2023, Saturday AM announced a new imprint called "Wel/Red" for its light novel licenses, headed by co-founder Odunze Oguguo.[8] On October 9, 2023, the imprint was launched by Oguguo in partnership with graphic novel author Stephanie Williams.[9][10]
Summer of Manga
editThe company hosts a "Summer of Manga" as an annual event. The event is open to manga artists from all over the world. Participants are invited to submit original short stories for a chance to be published in the summer issues of Saturday AM magazine. Selected entries are not only published in the magazine, but the best performing artists receive the opportunity to be featured in Saturday AM's annual anthology book and receive a monetary prize. Summer of Manga is a great way for aspiring manga artists to get their work published and gain recognition in the industry. The event has helped to launch careers and help with recruitment, and it is a valuable opportunity for anyone who is serious about pursuing a career in manga.[11]
March Art Madness
editTaking inspiration from the NCAA March Madness Basketball Competition, "March Art Madness" is an online fanart competition where artists compete against each other to draw the most exciting fanart piece. Themes can range from anime, superheroes, classic American cartoons, NCAA mascots, designing solitaire cards, mythological creatures, and more. The Winners of each round will face off against a new artist - until there is one artist remaining. The grand prize winner traditionally receiving a brand-new Apple iPad Pro among other prizes. With runner ups also receiving prizes. According to the Saturday AM staff, March Art Madness is an excellent way to access an artist's skills and their ability to complete an illustration on a tight deadline - something that manga artists from Japan do on a regular basis. Notable performers have a higher chance of getting selected to participate in other events such as "Summer of Manga".
Publication history
editMyFutprint published the magazine Saturday AM with series like Apple Black from Nigeria and Clock Striker from the United States, becoming an alternate option to the Jump magazines from Japan.[12]
Eisner Award winner Sanford Greene said that "Saturday AM's Commitment to serving as a gateway for talented black and brown creators in the visual style of manga is inspiring, with artists like WhytManga (Odunze Oguguo) and JeyOdin and series like Apple Black and Clock Striker, I'm eager to see them embark on this new journey of bringing their vision to graphic novels and to readers around the world".[citation needed] French manga artist and creator of the Radiant series, Tony Valente also said that "Saturday AM Creators are diverse, and so are the stories they tell! When you look at titles like Apple Black and Clock Striker--dayum! They're like comfort food, giving you the shonen-type energy you crave when you're a shonen fan!"[citation needed]
Saturday AM collaborated with the US-based subsidiary of one of Japan's largest eBook distribution company's, Media Do Co., Ltd., called Media Do International Inc. This was the first time Media Do introduced Japanese manga to U.S. readers.[13][14]
Staff
edit- Frederick L. Jones
- Jey Odin
- Morganne Walker
- Odunze Oguguo / Whyt Manga
- Oscar Fong
- Rashad Millhouse
- Raymond Brown
- Austin Harvey
- Fred Tornager
List of titles
editSaturday AM (main line)
edit- Apple Black
- Atlas Article
- Bully Eater
- Clock Striker
- Comet Man
- Crunch Time
- Hammer
- The Massively Multiplayer World of Ghosts
- Orisha
- Paradise Down
- Soul Beat
- Spoon
- Titan King
Saturday Afternoon
edit- Benedict Nick the Phenomenal Brick
- Boneyard
- Dream State
- Happily Ever After
- In This Life
- October Legion
- Reaper, Inc.
Saturday Brunch
edit- Gunhild
- Grimmheim
- Henshin
- Otherworldly Travel Agency
- Protect, Marry, Kill
- Zephyr
Saturday PM
edit- 4Strikes
- Bacassi
- Deaddie Du Dead
- Code Name: Villain
- Oblivion Rouge
- Outland
- Revolver Kiss
- Underground
- Yellow Stringer
Other magazines
edit- Fan Art Friday
- Saturday Plus
- Saturday Retro
- Super Saturday
- Saturday Annual
Super Saturday
edit- Saturday Wars[4]
Other media
editPodcast
edit- Saturday Daily
- Saturday FM
Video games
edit- Flick Solitaire (by Flick Games)
- Saturday AM: Webcomic Rumble (by Marmot Media)
References
edit- ^ a b "MEET THE CREATOR OF 'SATURDAY AM,' A MANGA MAGAZINE THAT PUTS DIVERSITY FIRST • The Pop Insider". The Pop Insider. September 8, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
- ^ a b "Infusing Manga with Diversity: Frederick Jones, MyFutprint, and SATURDAY AM". Comicosity. January 9, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
- ^ "SATURDAY AM GOES 3D!". Saturday AM Official. November 9, 2020. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
- ^ a b "Saturday Wars Gives an International Manga Site an Avengers-Style Crossover". CBR. September 22, 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
- ^ Allen, Brendan M. (October 13, 2021). "The Quarto Group And Saturday AM Partner To Produce BIPOC And LBGTQ+ Manga". ComicCon. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
- ^ "Saturday AM Graphic Novels Are Here! Happy #Saturdayamday!". Saturday AM. July 12, 2022. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
- ^ "Saturday AM Doubles Down on Manga for All". Publishers Weekly. January 13, 2023. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
- ^ "Saturday AM Announces WEL/RED!!". Saturday AM. February 3, 2023. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
- ^ @Saturday_am (October 9, 2023). "APPLE BLACK ORIGINS: THE SPECTRUM & THE SPECTRE IS COMING IN SUMMER 2024!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Stephanie Williams Joins Saturday AM: A Powerhouse Partnership in the Making". Saturday AM. August 5, 2023. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
- ^ Rydel, Leo (August 14, 2020). "Meet the Creative Minds Behind Saturday AM Comics". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
- ^ Horne, Karama (February 22, 2019). "Indie Comics Spotlight: WhytManga and Saturday AM are introducing a new generation of international fans to manga". SYFY WIRE. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
- ^ Dennison, Kara (September 13, 2022). "Media Do Announces New Slate of Digital Manga". Crunchyroll News. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
- ^ "Media Do International Expands Catalog for Digital Reading Platforms with New Manga Content from VAST Visual and Saturday AM". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 21, 2023.