The Clerks franchise is a series of films, comics, and animated projects created by Kevin Smith. It began with the 1994 indie hit Clerks, which follows Dante Hicks and his friend Randal Graves as they work mundane jobs at a convenience store and video rental shop. Known for its witty dialogue, irreverent humor, and philosophical musings about life, the franchise became a cult favorite, spawning sequels, an animated series, and spin-offs. Clerks is part of the larger View Askewniverse, where characters like Jay and Silent Bob often make appearances across Smith's other works.