Today, manga is refutably one of the most famous forms of entertainment in the world. This unique art form dates all the way back to the late 1700s and gained popularity after World War II when one of the greatest manga artists, Tezuka Osamu released the manga Astro Boy that gained national and international recognition.
Since then manga has grown in popularity and has been picked up by people of all races, genders and nationalities. That, however, should be no surprise. When it comes to this artform fans can always expect an exciting plot, usually with a lot of wild twists, humorous characters and some over the top action. But one thing that is hard to find in manga is diversity.
Whilst the love of manga has grown, the presence of people of colour in it hasn’t. It’s no wonder when this art form is heavily influenced by Japanese culture. But now, as more and more people from different nations and cultures have been inspired to create manga and tell their own stories, we should be seeing a change. This is where Saturday Am comes in.
What is Saturday Am?
Saturday Am is a digital magazine that publishes manga created by artists from all over the world, and one of the core missions of this magazine is to bring diversity to the world of manga.
Desiring to bring more racial representation to manga, founder and publisher, Frederick Jones decided to create Saturday Am as a platform to publish work that would do just that. However, he is not only a founding member. Jones’ is also a storyteller and creator and has used his skills, to not only support diverse manga, but create it.
Frederick Jones’ and The Massively Multiplayer World of Ghost and Clock Striker
Jones is the mastermind behind the creation of two amazing mangas called The Massively Multiplayer World of Ghost and Clock Striker. The first follows the story of a thirteen-year-old Nilay Rao who discovers that his mother has left him a device called the Ultimate Deck that allows him to summon Ghosts to battle real-world monsters in a game that could be life and death.
One of the key things that set The Massively Multiplayer World of Ghost apart is not only its unique plot but that its lead character is Indian. Having grown up in close proximity with Indian -Americans, Jones created this character because he wanted to see more of the people he knew and loved reflected in the world of manga.
Jones second manga Clock Striker also breaks boundaries when it comes to diversity. The manga follows the story of a young girl named Cast who is desperate to become a warrior-engineer called a Smith and features the world’s first black female shonen hero.
Clock Striker’s story was inspired by an article written by Black Girls Code that highlighted the lack of people of colour, particularly Latino and Black women and men, in technology and engineering jobs in America of her gender and the colour of her skin.
In her world, Cast faces much the same problems as people of colour presently face. She too must fight against stereotypes and the prejudice that surrounds the marginalised town she comes from. She has to work hard to achieve her dream of being an engineer and show the world that her ability has nothing to do with where she grew up.
However, Jones is not the only one making an impact when it comes to diversity in manga. His co-founder and fellow creator Odunze Oguguo has also set out to make anime more inclusive and representative. Having roots in Nigeria, Oguogo set out to bring not only diversity but also African culture to the world of Manga.
Odunze Oguogo’s Apple Black and Bacassi Bringing African Culture
Inspired by his love for film, anime, manga and storytelling, Oguguo decided to delve into the world of manga and create interesting and diverse stories. Having grown up in Nigeria, Oguogo wanted to see more of his own Nigerian roots and African heritage reflected in manga.
The first manga he created, Apple Black achieved this in a unique way. Apple Black follows the story of a young man named Sano who sets out to fulfil his destiny as Trinity and save his world from a dark event called the Infinite Black.
Through Sano’s story, Oguogo explored themes he felt were rarely depicted in the world of content such as forgiveness and evangelism and also, to create a world that drew influence from different cultures, including the African culture.
Oguogo’s second and newest manga Bicassa, whilst leaning to more mature comedy and over the top fantasy also manages to merge his Nigerian culture into the art form.
Although Oguogo seems to be one of the few people who have successfully brought African culture to manga, with the manga and anime scene expanding in Nigeria and creators drawing more from African mythology, there is hope that even more African inspired stories will be brought to the world of manga.
Saturday Am’s effort to bring diversity and varying cultures to manga do not end here, however. The anthology magazine is constantly getting pitches and new content from creators all over the world, so this is only the beginning. There is a great possibility that we may see even more representation and diversity in manga in the future. Which is a good thing, because at the end of the day manga is just another unique way to tell a story and everyone, no matter their gender or race, deserves to have their story told.