zayf illustrations

illustrative storyteller/ creator of #ORISHA published @saturday_am 🇳🇬 Instagram: zayf_illustrations

[zayf illustrations @kingzayf]

#ArtistOnTwitter #PortfolioDay

[AnimeDirector🧩 @Martezosunde]

RADIANT
One of the most underrated fantasy worlds in anime and most people never gave it a chance 😭

[zayf illustrations @kingzayf]

Dreams do come true! Grateful to be nominated 🙌🙏✨✨🤩

[Saturday AM @Saturday_am]

SUPER PROUD TO HAVE OUR DIVERSE MANGA BRAND NOMINATED FOR MULTIPLE 2026 GLYPH AWARDS!!

ORISHA VOL 1 (Nigeria) by @kingzayf is up for FIVE!!
And our multiverse crossover SATURDAY WARS GN is up for TWO, with one focused on the fantastic art of @sweettootheddy & our team consisting of rockstars @WhytManga @fred_tornager (Denmark) @fongfumaster (New Zealand), @gladiskstudio (France), and more!

Saturday AM's last nomination was CLOCK STRIKER VOL 1 by Frederick L. Jones x @gladiskstudio in 2024!

Tune in LIVE May 9th.
https://t.co/PECwUqNFjC

[zayf illustrations @kingzayf]

NEW ORISHA CHARACTER REVEAL! TEGA!!! Coming with a bang ‼️🤌🏾✨🙌

[Saturday AM @Saturday_am]

CATCH A GLIMPSE OF A NEW CHARACTER -- TEGA!

ORISHA IS ONE OF SATURDAY AM'S RED-HOT MANGA!

Crafted by Nigerian artist and former participant of Saturday AM's annual art contests, MARCH ART MADNESS, & new short story showcase, #summerofmanga - @@kingzayf -- ORISHA brings the tale of a young, decent African teen, ABOKI, who gains the cosmic power of an Orisha.

Now, his power has attracted many who want to use it for their own purposes or take it from him altogether.

ORISHA VOL 1 received CRITICAL ACCLAIM, and now all eyes are on NEW CHAPTERS debuting this summer as part of BI-WEEKLY SATURDAY AM.

Catch up on the all-african shonen manga -- ORISHA at
https://t.co/xPKZz2X8Nt

[Saturday AM @Saturday_am]

More truth tellers like this…

Stay tuned - summer convention sessions will touch more and more on this.

Comic / manga creation is amazing.

But it’s not easy.

And as we always say - it’s a business.

[zayf illustrations @kingzayf]

@OAgadaArts @Saturday_am Daimmm awesome fanart thank you so much! 🙏✨ this is wonderful Oya underwater! You’ve inspired me to do an illustration of her underwater aswell!

[zayf illustrations @kingzayf]

You heard it here first! Orisha alongside apple black, clock striker, oblivion rouge and fun titles within the the @Saturday_am catalog to feature awesome artist from and stories featuring African and black storytelling🔥

[Saturday AM @Saturday_am]

ORISHA IS CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED!

The fantasy adventure shonen by Nigerian, @kingzayf , is a product of Saturday AM's development pipeline from MARCH ART MADNESS to #SUMMEROFMANGA to eventually a full tankoban.

And it's sold in stores globally.
In the manga section.

It's an honor for Saturday AM to publish SO MANY AFRICAN CREATORS!

Over the decade, the world's biggest black-owned manga brand has published manga and /or creators from NIGERIA, NIGER, GHANA, SENEGAL, ZIMBABWE, SOUTH AFRICA, and more!

With shonen manga's most popular African creator (@WhytManga of APPLE BLACK) and 1st LEAD black female shonen hero, Cast of CLOCK STRIKER (by Jones & @gladiskstudio, - Saturday AM continues to lead with diverse manga sold globally.

And it's working -- because the usual trolls, bigots, and YouTube grifters would not work as hard as they do if it wasn't.

We'll keep working and launching successful manga, though, and inspiring fans of all backgrounds.

Big announcements to come. Stay tuned!

[zayf illustrations @kingzayf]

SaturdayAM magazine is coming back with a bang‼️ your favorite titles with new content and even newer exciting stories yet to come! Follow @Saturday_am and check em out

[Saturday AM @Saturday_am]

BIWEEKLY SATURDAY AM RETURNS THIS SUMMER

And we’re bringing new iconic manga heroes to join the biggest collection of them, including CLOCK STRIKER w/ art by @gladiskstudio , APPLE BLACK by @WhytManga, HAMMER by @JeyOdin , SOUL BEAT by @SoulBeatManga , TITAN KING, & MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER WORLD OF GHOSTS by @fongfumaster !

From the most exciting new creators, ala @kingzayf of hit series ORISHA!

And with a lineup of thrilling pilot manga chapters, Saturday AM will continue to bring dynamic new creators to the global landscape!

And what better time to tease ZARQA, our newest heroine, than during last week's kick off to Ramadan.

Created by @Saturday_Editor x @LycheeDevil  - This promises to be an exciting glimpse of our new short story program, new magazine - BI-WEEKLY SATURDAY AM, and new creators.

Get the Saturday AM app today.
https://t.co/Pj5GYYrWUU

[zayf illustrations @kingzayf]

Best books on how to perfect your manga creation techniques ✅ check em out! You won’t be disappointed

[JeyOdin @JeyOdin]

Support indie manga at @saturday_am! Books, coloring books, posters & trading cards await 📚✨ https://t.co/RkGVAFkZsM

[Saturday AM @Saturday_am]

NEXT WEEK -

DRAGON & CHAMELEON.
BLUE LOCK.
CHOUJIN X.
CLOCK STRIKER.

Now, that's some damn good company!
Thanks @YattaTachi

Preorder Saturday AM's most critically acclaimed steampunk manga & starring shonen manga's 1st black girl lead hero, CLOCK STRIKER VOL 3, at your fave e-commerce shop, bookstore, retail store, or comics shop!

Or just go here:
https://t.co/vUSy6CORbB

[zayf illustrations @kingzayf]

Free shipping with discount prices on all books. Check out @Saturday_am awesome line of diverse manga including my series #orisha

[Saturday AM @Saturday_am]

BLACK HISTORY MONTH SALES ARE HERE & ORISHA IS HELPING TO BRING MORE FANS TO DIVERSE MANGA!

Get the 1st published ORISHA story via Saturday AM ANNUAL 2022 for just $5.00 (69% off), or get this and other top Saturday AM manga, including other critically acclaimed manga with a focus on black heres such as:

ORISHA VOL 1 by @kingzayf
CLOCK STRIKER VOL 1 by Jones x @gladiskstudio
APPLE BLACK by @WhytManga
UNDERGROUND by @jramamanga
SOUL BEAT by @SoulBeatManga
OBLIVION ROUGE by @PapSouleye
and more!!!

GET FREE SHIPPING with orders over $100.

Go to https://t.co/2iCtSw7dag

[Saturday AM @Saturday_am]

100 Years of Black History Month in the USA, and Saturday AM is PROUD to have critically acclaimed MANGA starring black characters.

When we launched 13 years ago, there were more than a few who felt that manga could not feature as lead characters, much less succeed with minority heroes.

Fortunately, our fans as well as retailers, critics, librarians, and teachers have disagreed, and Saturday AM has proudly published incredible series like:

CLOCK STRIKER by Frederick L. Jones x @gladiskstudio
UNDERGROUND by @jramamanga
SOUL BEAT by @SoulBeatManga
ORISHA by @kingzayf
APPLE BLACK by @WhytManga
And MORE!

We even have a crossover book where ALL of our heroes show up to stop a cosmic threat in Saturday WARS!

Learn about ALL of our TITLES and PRODUCTS at
https://t.co/2iCtSw7dag

#blackownedbusiness #blackhistorymonth #saturdaymanga #blackartist

[zayf illustrations @kingzayf]

@Saturday_am @sljournal

[zayf illustrations @kingzayf]

Wow this is amazing acknowledgment and It's greatly appreciated for the recognition thank you so much to @sljournal and @Saturday_am for making this possible! Many thanks indeed 🙏✨🥳

[Saturday AM @Saturday_am]

ANOTHER HONOR FOR SATURDAY AM!

The well-renowned @sljournal gave a coveted STARRED REVIEW to our African #manga, ORISHA VOL 1 by @kingzayf, and we could not be more excited!

A FUN battle shonen starring an earnest teenager named Aboki who must contend with the powers of a GOD and those who wish to TAKE IT FROM HIM to do harm to his people, friends, and the world.

What will Aboki do?

ORISHA is one of the incredible DIVERSE MANGA from the world's MOST BIGGEST BLACK-OWNED MANGA BRAND - Saturday AM. Home to CBC-winning APPLE BLACK by @WhytManga, multiple award winner CLOCK STRIKER by Frederick L. Jones x @gladiskstudio, CBC-winning GUNHILD by Dane @fred_tornager, and the JIMA award-winning UNDERGROUND by @jramamanga

Buy it now courtesy of Saturday AM x @QuartoKids
https://t.co/xPKZz2XGD1

From School Library Journal
★ Due to unique birthmarks, Aboki is often singled out by people in his village. During a game in the forest, where he is once again playing as the monster instead of the hero, Aboki stumbles across an Orisha seed that magically bonds with him.

A nearby spirit informs him that he is now the new celestial Orisha and that the powers he has inherited will draw beasts to him, right before a monster erupts into the clearing. Aboki needs to learn how to control and wield his new powers quickly to protect himself and others, but with other Orisha skeptical of him, it’ll be an uphill battle to find someone willing to train him. Not everyone is as they seem; without full control of his abilities, will Aboki be able to hold on to his positivity and survive?

Nigerian-born creator Umar has expertly crafted a fantasy world enriched with West African mythos. His black-and-white sketchy illustration style is excellent at conveying movement, and the art is explosive during battle sequences.

VERDICT: This blend of West African folklore and manga storytelling is highly recommended.–Lisa Rowland

[Saturday AM @Saturday_am]

IT'S CYBER MONDAY and don't forget to support the INCREDIBLE BLACK OWNED BOOKSTORES in YOUR CITY or STATE!

Saturday AM is a PROUDLY BLACK OWNED BUSINESS and has been for our 13 year history!

Our accomplishments have paved the way for some extraordinary opportunities for creators of ANY background and our success at retail is a testament to these feats including:

*A roster of the most African published artists in a globally distributed manga imprint (literally !!! -- from Senegal to Nigeria, Zimbabwe to Ghana, Niger to South Africa and more)

*Award-winning APPLE BLACK ORIGINS (our 1st light novel and a prequel to the biggest African Manga - APPLE BLACK by @whytmanga)

*Our seinen manga, UNDERGROUND by @jramamanga, winning Bronze in the 18th Annual Japan International Manga Awards (where we were the ONLY AMERICAN PUBLISHER to win)

*Critically Acclaimed releases like ORISHA by Nigerian up & coming creator and Alumni of our new creator showcase, #summerofmanga @kingzayf bringing some African mythology to teen graphic novel fans ala Avatar the Last Airbender

and

*CLOCK STRIKER created by Frederick L. Jones x @gladiskstudio - an action-packed steampunk adventure starring shonen manga's FIRST black female lead hero (once again, literally -- as recognized in Japan via Kyoto International Manga Museum and others).

These and so many of our titles exist for and courtesy of some of the best run stores in the country like RESIST BOOKSELLERS, MAHOGANY BOOKS, REPARATIONS CLUB & many more.

PLEASE SUPPORT THESE AWESOME STORES for the HOLIDAY SEASON!

You'll find our revolutionary, diverse manga as well as many more great titles there from local authors, International authors, poets, non-fiction luminaries like Nikole Hannah Jones, @michaelharriot, and the best of @nytimesbooks (we'll be there one day).

Lastly, this is BIGGER than CYBER MONDAY -- consider making your Black Owned Bookstore a destination spot ANY TIME of the YEAR.

[Saturday AM @Saturday_am]

CREATING HEROES MATTERS.

One of the thing Saturday AM takes seriously is the responsibility of creating ORIGINAL MANGA HEROES that young readers can be inspired by.

We don’t need to spend 6 or 10 hrs on a video - we have over 10’years of creating excitement and the fan photos that show it.

Hope creators realize the awesome power & responsibility of creating heroes that mean something.

[Saturday AM @Saturday_am]

SATURDAY AM BATTLE MANGA videogame is coming!

But in the meantime, there is an EXCELLENT game full of awesome, diverse artists called FLICK SOLITAIRE!

The latest build has added STEAM as a platform alongside iOS & Android, and the numerous game modes make this - @FlickSol - one of our absolute FAVORITE SOLITAIRE games!

CLOCK STRIKER, APPLE BLACK, & more of our iconic manga heroes are in the Saturday AM deck!

DOWNLOAD NOW
https://t.co/dYPDeLfz43

[Saturday AM @Saturday_am]

LET'S GET REAL part 2

-DIVERSITY

The trolls, bigots, and Youtube grifters will often try to use their hatred of equality to attack representation. And the irony is that diversity is the KEY to great stories!

Yes, perspectives and creators who are offering unique visions will always be a great example of diversity but so is GENRE!

HORROR / MYSTERY:
YELLOW STRINGER by @detectiveweeb (Haiti / USA) is a buddy manga investigating supernatural crimes ala X-Files.

ADVENTURE/ FANTASY:
ORISHA by @kingzayf (Nigeria) offers a thrilling time on par with Avatar the Last Airbender.

ACTION / ADVENTURE:
SOUL BEAT by @SoulBeatManga is like Indiana Jones meets Shaft with a dope hero with a superior fashion style and perfect hair!

SENTAI:
HENSHIN! by @iambonidle is a groovy, British manga series that will remind you of the best of Kamen Rider

AFROFUTURISM / DARK FANTASY:
OBLIVION ROUGE by @papsouleye (Senegal) is a bleak seine that vibes with seinen classic Battle Royale.

SUPERHERO:
And upcoming title ZEPHYR our 1st digital first manga from Bahamian artist Stan Russell

Over 30 books on the market.
Over 40 countries.
Sold in the manga section in major retail outlets.
Distributed in libraries and on major digital platforms.

DIVERSITY IS OUR STRENGTH!

Check out our manga at
https://t.co/yTF8NOWkma

[Saturday AM @Saturday_am]

SATURDAY AM CELEBRATES UK BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2025!

The world's biggest black-owned manga brand has some of the most prominent black heroes in manga including Cast of CLOCK STRIKER, the award-winning title featuring shonen manga's FIRST black female lead hero by Frederick L. Jones and @gladiskstudio (Niger / France); Dante and Beatrice (pictured) of SOUL BEAT by @SoulBeatManga and the upcoming ZEPHYR a Bahamian superheroine by @stanielrussell!

With top creative talent throughout Africa like @whytmanga of APPLE BLACK and @kingzayf of ORISHA - Saturday AM has broken through barriers at retail, in libraries, at comics conventions, and even online with trolls, bigots, & Youtube grifters.

Saturday AM continues to build a platform for creators and have been recognized even in Japan with the 18th annual Japan International Manga Award where UNDERGROUND VOL 1 by @jramamanga won BRONZE as a top MANGA from outside of Japan (where Saturday AM was the SOLE American publisher).

In this moment, black excellence is being challenged from all sides with an intensity and a gaslighting slipperiness that will trigger even the strongest black creative soul and their allies.

Saturday AM stands TEN TOES DOWN on calling out unfairness and fighting for greater representation.

With a videogame on the horizon, new titles, new creators, and new revelations on building a strong community of manga creators -- Saturday AM is finishing 2025 with strength and building towards a magnificant and consequential 2026.

Stay tuned!

[Saturday AM @Saturday_am]

SATURDAY AM's ORISHA IS TEENAGE AFRICAN MYTHOLOGY BUILT FOR THE WORLD!

The same way that massively popular manga DEMON SLAYER & NARUTO brings Japanese culture to the masses and AVATAR the LAST AIRBENDER offers fantasy adventure with diverse settings and protagonists.... @kingzayf ORISHA introduces the hero Aboki -- a humble, heroic African teen who is imbued with the powers of a GOD via the Celestial Seed.

But now, powerful forces, including the malevolent SHANGO—shown here—are after the seed even if it kills Aboki.

With amazing art, awesome adventure, and an affable lead hero, ORISHA has earned critical acclaim and praise since its launch!

BUY ORISHA VOL 1 NOW in PRINT & DIGITAL
https://t.co/xPKZz2X8Nt

[Saturday AM @Saturday_am]

Saturday AM at @animenyc was a MASSIVE SUCCESS!

We sold so much MANGA and PRINTS!

Watch our latest video from our MAKING MANGA series with @WhytManga @JeyOdin, @SoulBeatManga @Saturday_Editor & Raymond Brown

View on Youtube here:
https://t.co/YuVtbXR3w5