New generation of illustrators breaks stereotypes to promote Arab comics

Illustration HQ "Diaries of an Arab Girl", the Jordanian Ahmad Qatato


In the year 3014, chaos befalls Egypt. A group of "misfits" tries to save the world from an alien invasion. Everything is in the hands of this team: Fahmy, former police officer, Sahar, technology expert, Ram, scientist and cyborg, and Naguib, a smart ass thanks to genetic modification. They are born superhero features designer Sherif Adel.

The Arab comic experienced a progressive growth in the last ten years and acquired a special importance after the "Springs". The Egyptian illustrator is a sample of the comics exist beyond the West. An exhibition organized at the Hay Festival Segovia gathers a sample of authors highlighted in this sector, which flourishes with increasing force from Tunisia to Jordan through Egypt and Lebanon.

"Demand and production increased a lot, but is far from being a major industry. Publishers still consider him a risk," explains by email the author of "Pass by Tomorrow" (Come back tomorrow, in free translation), comic which chronicles the adventures of this varied group of rescuers. The exhibition brings together the work of about 30 artists as diverse as the world itself which they come. "One can not speak in Arab comics," says the curator, Pedro Rojo. "There is a huge variety of styles and themes." However, one can draw a general picture: fighting stereotypes, give a prominent role to women and offer a picture of the current Arab society, often despite censorship.


Three young people are the protagonists of "Diaries of an Arab Girl". Living the typical adventures of young women with her text messages defend, for example, the freedom to wear the veil or not and also talk about sex and education. Furthermore, they can travel in time. Behind this comic there is a male name: Ahmad Qatato, Jordanian living in Italy who does not hesitate to say: "My stories talk about feminism." Simple like that. "It is inevitable that the Arabs pay attention in comic pioneers in the West and Japan, but also try to get our way and not live in the shadow," he says.

Designers gather in artistic groups as Lab619 (Tunisia), Samandal (Lebanon) and Tok-tok (Egypt).

Although the proliferation of graphic novels has begun a decade ago was the last four years that most noticed its presence and importance. Smiri Issam graduated in Fine Arts at the University of Tunis and has just published his first comic for adults, "One-third" (A Rosary, in free translation), a conceptual work that talks about existential issues such as victory and defeat . "The comics have been a form of complex and subversive expression for Arab writers and illustrators. Since the springs, also address social taboos and stereotypes of the region," he explains.

Precisely because it is an even minority sector, it allows them to be little noticed in countries where censorship is more rigid. "They can break boundaries, such as sex or social problems, because out of the mainstream," said Rojo. The Internet also gives them a hand in it. Issam points out that their work "is still hard from an editorial point of view and budget, but these obstacles are overcome thanks to the internet."

Women have an important role in this rise, both as producers of content and protagonists of vignettes. Many of these products show superheroes, with or without costumes, fighting misogyny. Joumana Medlej, Lebanon is the Malaak's mother, a peace angel who must fight against injustice and against the ridicule of his fellow men. Lena Merhej also Lebanese, is a key piece in the explosion of Arabic graphic novel. His early work reported the life of her German mother in Lebanon. Safia Ouarezki, Algerian, tells the story of a woman who collects umbrellas and using his supposed madness to talk about the taboo that no one mentions in a humble neighborhood of Algiers. "Shakmagia" is a publication born just over a year in Egypt and uses humor and sarcasm to defend human rights to denounce the abuses against women in that country.

Vignettes that are read from right to left, donkeys that save the world, male authors who claim the role of women in society. The comic also lives south of the Mediterranean
The Al Fanar Foundation created an application to view the exhibition online.

Censored magazine and Islamic superheroes
"Metro" is considered the first graphic novel to the Arab world adults. Born of Magdi Ashafai traits in 2008, reflected the unvarnished form corruption and injustice of the then Mubarak regime. Showed police brutality, poverty of suburbs, sexual abuse, caricatured political ...

Once it was published, the government of his country has banned and its author and publisher were arrested and put on trial for its contents "immoral and indecent". This fact achieved the opposite effect, because the story jumped to the media, it was translated into English and can now be purchased easily on the Internet.

The story of "The 99" is very different. It is a comic created in 2006 by Naif Al-Mutawa. Its name refers to the 99 attributes of Allah mentioned in the Qur'an, among which are found generosity, mercy and wisdom. Chronicles the adventures of a group of heroes who not only fight against the villains and against extremism and clichés, and living all over the world.

Some of the characters are Mujiba, Malaysia, which has the power to answer all questions, Jabbar, Saudi Arabia, with a super strength, Jami, Hungary, is the expert in technology, and Batina, from Yemen, has the ability to become invisible.

Although it faced some problems of censorship in Saudi Arabia, the publication was a success, has its own cartoon series and online games. Its creator tells the story in a TED talk.