Saturday AM, a digital English-language magazine that publishes manga by artists around the world, with diversity as its main theme and mission, plays host to the virtual Saturday Con this weekend, over 14th – 15th January 2022.
Founder and publisher Frederick Jones‘ aim is that Saturday AM host “the world’s most diverse manga anthology” and spearhead an indie manga revolution.
With creators from all over the world, literally — from Africa, the Middle East, to the United States, Latin America, Eastern/Western Europe, and so on — their entire mission statement is to create what they hope will be the next evolution of manga, via his parent company MyFutprint Entertainment.
“I was a video game executive and had been an executive for a few years,” he told Comicosity of the project’s origins recently. “I worked on the marketing side of things with some major properties like Crash Bandicoot, Spyro the Dragon, 4×4 Evo, and Railroad Tycoon for a variety of companies.
“I had been a lifelong fan of manga,” he continued. “When I was a kid, my parents were connected to a private school, and the librarian there was a Japanese-American citizen. She would bring Shonen Jump issues over and place them in the library.
“I just can’t describe to you what that was like in the 1980s to see something so incredibly different than the comic books from Marvel and DC at that time. So, having been a longtime fan of the medium, I felt this was something to try my hand at after video games.”
Guests at Saturday Con include Sanford Greene, the award-winning comic artist of titles like Marvel Comics’ Power Man and Iron Fist, and Runways, and, who is co-creator of Bitter Root, soon to be a major motion picture from Black Panther director, Ryan Coogler. He’ll lead an in-depth discussion hosted by Danielle Broadway (BlackGirlNeeds) about how the US comics industry is changing, a panel that will include other comic creators, both artists and writers.
There will also be a panel discussing the opportunities for creators to get their works licensed as well as the interest in diverse voices both as a licensor and a licensee, and Beth Kawasaki of Media-Do International will chat about the changes in the manga industry as the world moves to a more digital distribution cycle.
Plus TokyoPop CEO Stu Levy will offer a History of Manga precentation. Learn what the book stores thought about manga initially, which countries dominated (and still do) in the West, and how scanlations actually affected the business.
• Saturday Con 14th – 15th January 2022 – Online at saturday-am.com/saturdaycon | Saturday AM Main Site: www.saturday-am.com | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
Schedule – full details here
SATURDAY JANUARY 15TH, 2O22
LOBBY ONE
The Main Channel For The Biggest Panels With Many Of Our Top Guests
• Learn about the History of Saturday AM W/ Suuuperanime Podcast
• Details On Diversity in Western Comics W/ Marvel Comics Artist, Sanford Greene
• The Digital Future of Manga
• The History and the Future of Saturday AM
SUNDAY JANUARY 16TH, 2022
LOBBY TWO
For the most direct commentary and strategies for making your own manga
• Pitch Your Manga
• Tutorials
• Portfolio Reviews
• Meet And Greets with Saturday PM
• Meet And Greets with Saturday Brunch
• Meet And Greets with Pilot Manga
• Saturday Con 14th – 15th January 2022 – Online at saturday-am.com/saturdaycon
With thanks to Atholl Buchan for the heads up
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Animation, Comics, Digital Comics, Digital Media, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Other Worlds