Arab comics
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Cartoonists in the Arab world
Children of the revolution
How are comic book artists in the Arab world responding to the political situation in the region? Lena Bopp talks to illustrators Lina Ghaibeh and George Khoudry about young artists' collectives and feminist superheroes
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Lebanese cartoonist Bernard Hage
"I’m afraid you have Hezbollah"
Lebanese cartoonist Bernard Hage has made a name for himself in a very short space of time, both at home and abroad. Now he sees no future for himself in Lebanon, and is about to make the move to Berlin. By Lena Bopp
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Beirut publisher Nadine Touma
Dar Onboz' cases full of exquisite Arabic picture books
If she just played with the image of the victim, it would make things a lot easier for her, but that’s not what she’s going for: the Lebanese children’s book publisher Nadine Touma and her colourful portfolio. Lena Bopp paid her a visit.
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Book review: Riad Sattouf’s graphic novel "The Arab of the Future"
Between worlds
Despite his main focus being on his childhood and youth, spent between East and West, Riad Sattouf also describes the current state of the Arab world in his much-lauded graphic novel series "The Arab of the Future". By Schayan Riaz
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Lebanese comic artist Rawand Issa and "Not from Mars"
Being illegal is unbearable
The Lebanese comic artist Rawand Issa loves black. Her illustrations are satirical, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and above all introspective. Her graphic novels also raise political questions, however, and combine minor everyday emotions with major social issues. By Julia Neumann
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Interview with graphic novel illustrator Reinhard Kleist
Arab comics – protest, love and the everyday
Reinhard Kleist is regarded as one of Germany’s finest graphic-novel illustrators and has travelled the Arab world extensively, discovering a fascinating local comics scene
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Germanyʹs Arabic Childrenʹs Literature Festival
Karimʹs adventures
The Arabic Childrenʹs Literature Festival held recently in Munich presented a selection of recommended childrenʹs books in Arabic. The catalogue is one of the early outcomes of a three-year project run by the International Youth Library, with the aim of bringing as yet unknown Arabic childrenʹs books to Germany. By Claudia Mende
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Book review: Mazen Kerbaj′s ″Beirut won′t cry″
″Bombs pass and we bark″
Eleven years ago, Mazen Kerbaj wrote and drew his newly published ″Beirut Won′t Cry″ in an existential and creative flurry that began on 14 July and ended on 27 August 2006. The first entry in this six-week memoir is headlined ″Bang? Blog!″ If the ″bang″ was the question, says Marcia Lynx Qualey, then this blog-to-book was Kerbaj′s answer
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Fighting Islamic State with satire and black humour
Terribly funny
Reports and videos of Islamic State's horrendous deeds have left many people around the world speechless with shock. But for many Arabs – both in the countries affected by IS and elsewhere around the globe – the only way to fight IS is to satirise and ridicule it. Elisabeth Lehmann has the details
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Lebanese comic artist Zeina Abirached
Seeing war through the eyes of a child
The Lebanese artist Zeina Abirached grew up during the country’s 15-year civil war. In her comic books, she describes how her family experienced the horror of this brutal conflict. Juliane Metzker talked to her
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The Hakawati bookshop for children and young people in Amman
Huge appetite for exciting stories
Since opening ten years ago, the Hakawati bookshop in Amman has become an institution in the Jordanian capital. Nowhere else in the city offers such a wealth of books for children and young people. Claudia Mende took a look around this fascinating shop
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Marvel comics
New Muslim superheroine
A pubescent Muslim immigrant girl in the USA endowed with super powers? Only in the wonderful world of comics! Great things are expected of the small girl from New Jersey with the large "S" on her chest. By Rachel Baig