What Saturday AM does

Saturday AM is a digital comics and manga publisher founded in 2013 by Frederick L. Jones and operating under the legal entity MyFutprint Entertainment, LLC. The company publishes a multi-brand digital magazine platform featuring three demographic-segmented titles: Saturday AM (shonen), Saturday PM (seinen), and Saturday Brunch (shojo/josei/LGBTQ+), collectively hosting 30+ independent artists and 150+ issues since launch. Saturday AM's core product is a library of diverse manga-style webcomics by international creators, including flagship series Apple Black (Odunze Oguguo/Whyt Manga), Clock Striker (Issaka Galadima), MMWOG (Oscar Fong), Hammer, Underground, Gunhild, Henshin!, and Oblivion Rouge. The company positions itself as 'The World's Most Diverse Manga Anthology,' contrasting with the predominantly Japanese origin of traditional manga publishing, and retains creator IP rights as a key value proposition.

The company's underlying technology is a proprietary content distribution platform built around the Saturday AM app (iOS, Android, web), which offers subscription-based unlimited access to all magazine issues and manga series. Apple Black was launched on Webtoon's global platform in 2025, extending distribution to Webtoon's existing reader base. An upcoming 2.5D crossover fighter game, Saturday AM: Battle Manga, is in development for Steam in partnership with Son Studios. Physical graphic novels are sold through major retail chains (Walmart, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Waterstones, Hot Topic, Target) and ebook platforms (Kindle, Apple Books, Google Play, Kobo, OverDrive, Library Pass, Renta), with licensed apparel and merchandise produced through Bioworld, Hot Topic, Target, and ATSUKO.

Saturday AM's business model combines digital magazine subscriptions, one-time graphic novel sales, licensing and merchandise royalties, and event-driven creator acquisition revenue. The company runs annual community events (Summer of Manga, March Art Madness, Saturday Con) as a talent pipeline that converts top-performing one-shot creators into full series, effectively turning community engagement into a low-cost creator acquisition mechanism. Customer segments span manga/anime enthusiasts, libraries and educational institutions, independent manga creators, and demographic-specific reader groups (shonen, seinen, shojo/josei/LGBTQ+). The company is privately held, founder-controlled, bootstrapped (no disclosed external funding), and headquartered in the Raleigh-Durham, NC area with a secondary presence in North Texas.

Name

Saturday AM

Legal name

MyFutprint Entertainment, LLC

Website

https://saturday-am.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Saturday AM is a digital comics publisher founded in 2013 that operates a multi-brand manga magazine platform (Saturday AM, Saturday PM, Saturday Brunch) featuring 30+ independent international artists and 150+ issues, distributed via mobile app, Webtoon, major retailers, and licensed merchandise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Comics Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), Periodical Publishers (513120), Book Retailers and News Dealers (45921)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Retail-Catalog & Mail-Order Houses (5961)

akta.pro primary industry

Webtoon & Digital Comics Publishing Platforms (MPAJAMAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Comics, Manga & Serialized Reading Platforms (BPAMAJAJ), Webcomics & Digital-First Comics Publishing (MPAJAGAD), Creator Merchandise & Print-on-Demand Platforms (MPACAFAE), Comic Books, Graphic Novels & Manga Retail (CRALAAAF)

Keywords

• Digital comics publishing
• Manga magazines
• Graphic novels
• Webcomics platform
• Manga anthology

Headquarters

HQ city

Morrisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Digital Magazine Subscriptions: Subscription access to the Saturday AM app providing unlimited reading of all magazine issues and manga series. Subscribers receive priority registration for events like March Art Madness and Summer of Manga.
2. Graphic Novel Sales: Physical and digital graphic novel sales through major retail channels (Walmart, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Waterstones, ThriftBooks, Bookshop.org, Book Outlet) and ebook platforms (Google, Apple Books, Kindle, Kobo, OverDrive, Library Pass, Renta)
3. Licensing and Merchandise: Licensing of IP for apparel and merchandise through partners such as Bioworld, Hot Topic, Target, and Atsuko. Includes apparel collaborations and branded merchandise.
4. Creator Talent Pipeline / Event Revenue: Revenue derived from community events including Summer of Manga, March Art Madness, and Saturday Con, which drive creator acquisition and series development.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels10 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Saturday AM is a digital comics publisher that produces diverse manga-style webcomics through three branded digital magazines (Saturday AM, Saturday PM, and Saturday Brunch), distributing content via its proprietary iOS/Android/Web app, major retailers such as Walmart, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and Waterstones, ebook platforms (Kindle, Apple Books, Google Play, Kobo), and the Webtoon platform. The company also sells physical and digital graphic novels, licenses its IP for apparel and merchandise through partners including Bioworld, Hot Topic, Target, and ATSUKO, and runs an annual creator talent pipeline through Summer of Manga, March Art Madness, and Saturday Con events.

Product overview

Saturday AM is a digital comics brand operating as a multi-magazine publishing platform featuring diverse manga-style webcomics by independent creators worldwide. The company publishes three distinct digital magazines: the flagship Saturday AM (shonen), Saturday PM (seinen/adult), and Saturday Brunch (shojo/josei/LGBTQ+), collectively hosting over 30 artists and 150+ issues. The core product portfolio includes flagship series like Apple Black, Clock Striker, MMWOG, Hammer, Underground, Gunhild, Henshin!, and Oblivion Rouge, available through the Saturday AM app (iOS, Android, web) and as physical/digital graphic novels through major retailers. The company also develops Saturday AM: Battle Manga, an upcoming 2.5D fighting game, and operates Pilot Manga as a free webcomic platform. Content is distributed via Webtoon for Apple Black and through various eBook platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Saturday PM: A digital magazine brand for seinen fans (adult themed content).
• Saturday Brunch
• Saturday AM: Battle Manga
• Pilot Manga

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 30 artists published globally
• +1 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• WebtooncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Apple Black was launched on Webtoon's global platform in 2025, making the series available to Webtoon's millions of readers worldwide in full color with exclusive new content.
• ATSUKOflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSaturday AM partnered with tastemaker ATSUKO for an exclusive apparel line inspired by the company's diverse manga heroes. This collaboration is described as a significant branded merchandise initiative.
• SanDisk (Western Digital)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLimited edition SanDisk Extreme portable SSD pre-loaded with exclusive Saturday AM sneak peeks, marketed as a collector's item combining technology and manga content.
• Steam (Valve Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSaturday AM Battle Manga is being developed as a 2.5D fighting game for Steam, featuring characters from Apple Black, Clock Striker, Soul Beat, Hammer, and other series. Described as the 'first-ever crossover fighter featuring the heroes of Saturday AM.'
• BioworldflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBioworld produces licensed apparel merchandise (hoodies, t-shirts, long sleeves, sweatshirts, crew socks) for Apple Black and Clock Striker series, sold through Amazon, Hot Topic, and other retail channels.
• Hot TopicflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHot Topic stocks Saturday AM / Apple Black branded apparel including t-shirts and merchandise, leveraging Hot Topic's retail footprint for manga merchandise.
• TargetflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTarget stocks Saturday AM / Apple Black branded apparel in stores and online, expanding physical retail presence for the brand's merchandise.
• Amazon StoresflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSaturday AM operates an official Amazon Store page and sells graphic novels and merchandise through Amazon's platform, including the Bioworld and Tamashii apparel lines.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Manga Plus (Shueisha): Manga Plus is Shueisha's official global digital manga platform. It competes directly with the Saturday AM app and Apple Black on Webtoon for digital manga reading time and subscription dollars, but operates at vastly larger scale with Japanese flagship IP (One Piece, My Hero Academia).
• VIZ Media: VIZ is the dominant North American manga publisher (Shueisha, Shogakukan, ShoPro joint venture). While much larger and Japanese-IP-centric, VIZ competes with Saturday AM for the same readers and bookstore shelf space, making it the most relevant broad incumbent peer.
• Kodansha Comics: Kodansha is one of the largest Japanese manga publishers and an established English-language manga publisher in the U.S. It is a broad incumbent comparable to Saturday AM in terms of distribution footprint and reader target, though Saturday AM focuses on diverse Western creators.

Direct peers

• Yen Press: Yen Press publishes manga and graphic novels in English for the U.S. market through major retail channels. Saturday AM and Yen Press sell into identical bookstore retailers (B&N, Amazon, Walmart) and target overlapping manga readers, though Yen Press is license-driven and Saturday AM is creator-rights-driven.
• Dark Horse Comics: Dark Horse is an independent comics publisher with a strong graphic novel and manga line (e.g., Berserk, Blade of the Immortal) distributed through mass retail. Saturday AM's graphic novel distribution across Walmart/Amazon/B&N follows the same playbook and competes for similar shelf and reader attention.
• Tapas Media: Tapas is a digital-first comics and novel platform supporting independent creators with a free-to-paid model. Like Saturday AM, it aggregates serial content from diverse creators, runs community events, and offers merch/print-on-demand extensions — making it a comparable direct competitor in indie digital comics.
• Seven Seas Entertainment: Seven Seas is a U.S. manga publisher specializing in manga, light novels, and manhwa, with strong direct-to-consumer and convention-led marketing. Its distribution, licensing-driven model, and manga-focused catalog make it a direct comparable to Saturday AM's manga publishing business.
• TOKYOPOP: TOKYOPOP is a manga-style comic publisher that has historically championed diverse and Western-original manga creators (e.g., "OEL manga"). It is one of the closest historical comparables to Saturday AM's model of publishing manga-style comics by non-Japanese creators.
• Webtoon / WEBTOON Entertainment: Webtoon is the largest digital comics/webtoon platform globally. Saturday AM now distributes Apple Black on Webtoon, and both operate subscription-based digital comics platforms with creator-sourced serialized content — making them directly comparable in product, business model, and audience.

Emerging players

• Oni Press / Lion Forge: Lion Forge (now part of Oni Press) has been a leading publisher of diverse and inclusive comics and graphic novels in English, including manga-style titles. Saturday AM's focus on diverse manga creators makes Lion Forge a closely comparable emerging player in the inclusive-comics publishing category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Saturday_am
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/myfutprint
• Instagraminstagram.com/saturday_am

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Saturday AM