Clock Striker, Volume 1: "I'm Gonna Be a SMITH!"

by Issaka Galadima, Frederick L. Jones, Saturday AM

Overview

Clock Striker, now in graphic novel format, follows Shonen manga’s first Black female lead hero, Cast, in her quest to become a member of the SMITHS, the legendary warrior engineers.

*2024 YALSA Great Graphic Novel for Teens*
*2023 Texas Library Association Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List Winner - Starred Selection*
*2023 Virginia Library Association Graphic Novel Diversity Award Honor Book*
*2022 Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity in Comics Finalist*

Cast dreams of being a SMITH, and though she’s rather handy with her tools, no one in her small town ever realizes their dreams. Besides, these legendary warrior engineers haven’t been seen in years and were never known for having female members. Fortunately, Cast meets one surviving member named Ms. Philomena Clock, who agrees to take her on as her apprentice, or striker.

Now Cast is thrust into one deadly adventure after another! From cybernetic desperadoes to technology thieves and more, Cast has to use her mind and her remodeled robotics-lab prosthetic hand, which offers unfathomable offensive power in the form of scientific experiments. Need lightning? Cast can generate it from her hand! Cast’s mentor seeks to uncover an ominous mystery that explains what happened to the SMITHS and shines a light on a hidden power that may be within Cast herself.

Can Cast become a new member of the SMITHS? More importantly, can Cast survive the process to become a SMITH?

Clock Striker is rated T for Teen, recommended for ages 13 and up.

Saturday AM, the world’s most diverse manga-inspired comics, are now presented in a new format! Introducing Saturday AM TANKS, the new graphic novel format similar to Japanese Tankobons where we collect the global heroes and artists of Saturday AM. These handsome volumes have select color pages, revised artwork, and innovative post-credit scenes that help bring new life to our popular BIPOC, LGBTQ, and/or culturally diverse characters.

Join in even more adventures with the other action-packed Saturday AM TANKS series:Apple Black, Gunhild, Hammer, Henshin!, The Massively Multiplayer World of Ghosts, Oblivion Rouge, Saigami, Soul Beat, Titan King, Underground, and Yellow Stringer.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780760381571
Publisher:	Rockport Publishers
Publication date:	02/07/2023
Series:	Saturday AM TANKS / Clock Striker Series , #1
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	256,728
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.40(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Issaka Galadima, also known online as Gladisk or GladiskStudio, was born in the Republic of Niger and currently lives in France, where he works as an app developer. He is the artist for the hit manga series Clock Striker for Saturday AM.

American entrepreneur Frederick L. Jones was born in Durham, North Carolina, and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a BA in Communication Studies. He developed a passion for promoting diversity at a young age, including participating in the fight for a Black Student Union on UNC’s campus and attending the original Million Man March in 1995. He spent a decade in the video game industry as an executive. Having worked on nearly every part of product creation, including product marketing, product development, and brand management, Frederick combined his experience with his lifelong love of anime to create the diverse manga brand Saturday AM in 2013. He resides in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, with his family and dog, Allie.

Saturday AM is a unique digital comics brand featuring an ever-growing catalog of popular, exclusive and diverse action manga-style webcomics by independent creators from around the world. Among the nearly 50 visionary artists on the Saturday AM team are @WhytManga (Apple Black), @JeyOdin (Hammer), and @saigamiproject (Saigami). To learn more about Saturday AM, visit saturday-am.com, or find them on Instagram (@saturday_am), YouTube (youtube.com/user/MyFutprint), and Twitter (@saturday_am). 

Table of Contents

Contents
chapter 1 The Dynamic Duo 
chapter 2 Origin Arc: Begins 
chapter 3 Origin Arc: School Ties 
chapter 4 Origin Arc: Family Ties 
chapter 5 Origin Arc: Like a Glove 
chapter 6 Origin Arc: Employee Review 
chapter 7 Origin Arc: Severance 
chapter 8 Undiscovered Country Arc: Busy Bodies 
chapter 9 Undiscovered Country Arc: The Haunting 
chapter 10 The Demon Bandits Arc: Secrets and Lies 
chapter 11 The Demon Bandits Arc: More than It Seems 
chapter 12 The Demon Bandits Arc: Secret Weapon 
chapter 13 The Demon Bandits Arc: Concealed Carry 
chapter 14 The Demon Bandits Arc: Math Problems 

Editorial Reviews

12/19/2022

Cast Striker—a take-charge teen scientist portrayed with dark skin, locs, and a robotic left hand—dreams of becoming a SMITH, one of the legendary skilled engineers and fighters who dedicate their lives to protecting others. But no SMITHs have been seen for years, and Cast’s teacher refuses her request to enter a competition that tests for SMITH potential, even after she builds herself a prosthetic hand from scrap. Frustrated, Cast looks for ways to continue improving her engineering skills beyond conventional education. Meanwhile, her older brother Fender becomes embroiled in a scheme smuggling ancient war tech. A chance meeting with Philomena Clock, a supernaturally powerful, pale-skinned older woman and the last known SMITH, leads to Cast becoming her apprentice. Intricately detailed art, overflowing with steampunk-esque tech and unique characters portrayed with varying abilities and skin tones, evokes the energy and exhilaration of classic shonen manga. Galadima and Jones deliver an immersive reading experience complete with pulse-pounding action sequences and an amiable supporting cast led by a resilient protagonist. This tech-driven graphic novel series opener promises deeper lore and mysteries in subsequent volumes. Ages 13–up. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

…evokes the energy and exhilaration of classic shonen manga…promises deeper lore and mysteries in subsequent volumes”—Publishers Weekly

“Readers will eagerly anticipate more entries. A fantastic, refreshing series opener.”—Kirkus Reviews

A “fast-paced story of self-discovery and altruism”—Sara Smith, Booklist

“This action-packed graphic novel adventure featuring tenacious female leads will leave shonen manga fans counting down to future volumes”—Amanda Melilli, School Library Journal

From the Publisher

04/01/2023

Gr 7–10—In this manga-style graphic novel, Cast is a young Black girl determined to help her family by becoming a SMITH, a legendary group of engineering fighters. Unfortunately, there are a number of problems with her plan; her town doesn't offer many educational opportunities, the SMITHs were thought to have been destroyed in the last war, and having only one hand means Cast's teacher doesn't believe she can do the complex tasks required for the position. When a mysterious substitute teacher takes an interest in Cast, she is given a once-in-a-lifetime chance to prove her dedication as a SMITH's apprentice. Cast's situation quickly changes from a life of limited possibilities to an epic journey of nonstop skirmishes as she uses science and combat skills to protect the helpless. Following in the tradition of action-packed shonen manga, this title leads readers through a steampunk world of gloriously excessive fight scenes where the villains consistently underestimate Cast and her mentor's abilities. The energetic black-and-white illustrations perfectly convey the over-the-top intensity of both the fight scenes and Cast's spirited personality. VERDICT This action-packed graphic novel adventure featuring tenacious female leads will leave shonen manga fans counting down to future volumes.—Amanda Melilli

School Library Journal

2022-12-24
A young Black girl with a disability and a zest for science and engineering strives against the odds.

Cast dreams of being an engineer. She particularly dreams of becoming a member of SMITH—a traditionally predominantly male group of engineer warriors who create tools to help people. Cast, who does not have a left hand, attends school in a poor neighborhood where STEM subjects are not taught, but she enjoys experimenting and building her own creations. Nevertheless, she is told by her White home economics teacher that with these disadvantages, not to mention her gender, she cannot even apply for the SMITH mentorship contest. But Cast remains determined to try, building herself a prosthetic hand. And as it happens, she impresses teacher Philomena Clock, who also reads White and is a SMITH. She accepts Cast as an apprentice in the role of striker, an assistant who will help her on her missions. Philomena plans to train and teach Cast all she needs to know to succeed at her dream and support the SMITH mission. Will Cast prove to be up to the task despite all the dangers that await her? Galadima and Jones’ graphic novel is filled with action and adventure and touches on multiple social themes. It merges a fun atmosphere with serious topics like discrimination in ways that are digestible for teen readers. The lively illustrations have an appealing steampunk aesthetic. Readers will eagerly anticipate more entries.

A fantastic, refreshing series opener. (Manga. 13-16)

Kirkus Reviews