Cartoons

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
Afghan refugee confronts his past

"Flee", one man's story

Jonas Poher Rasmussen's Oscar-nominated animated documentary “Flee” focuses on the life of a refugee from Afghanistan. Based on a true story, it centres around the question: when does flight end? By Jane Esher
Mohamed Abla awarded Goethe Medal

Telling stories through art

Mohamed Abla is the first visual artist from Egypt to be awarded the Goethe-Institut’s Goethe Medal, Germany’s highest honour in the area of foreign cultural policy. Stefan Weidner sheds some light on the artist’s work
Anti-Semitism at documenta15

"The documenta is in ruins"

Anti-Semitic motifs have no place at Germany’s documenta art show or anywhere else in the world, stresses Meron Mendel, director of the Anne Frank Educational Centre in Frankfurt. But he also says: this is not an anti-Semitic documenta. Interview by Stefan Dege
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
Pete Katz and "The Prophet: A Graphic Novel"

Romantic ideals for a new generation

Often disdained by intellectuals, Kahlil Gibran’s "The Prophet" has remained immensely popular for nearly a century since its publication in 1923. Now one of the most translated books in history has undergone another translation – into the visual sphere – by Pete Katz, who both adapted and illustrated the new volume. By Nahrain Al-Mousawi
Rabbi Elhanan Miller on interfaith dialogue

"People of the Book" brings Jews and Muslims together

Conceived by Israeli journalist and rabbi Elhanan Miller, "People of the Book" is a YouTube project designed to provide information on Judaism in Arabic. Disarming prejudice with humour, Miller's cartoons aim to promote mutual understanding between Jews and Arabs. Interview by Claudia Mende
Turkish views on Erdogan's feud with Macron

"Religion is the President's last resort"

Relations between Ankara and Paris have reached a new low, with presidential communications contributing to the escalation. To describe recent bilateral exchanges as undiplomatic would be the height of diplomacy. By Ronald Meinardus
Muhammad cartoon controversy

Macron and the Muhammad tempest in a Twitter teapot

French President Macron's statements that caricatures of Muhammad may still be published have triggered outrage in a number of Muslim states. Turkish President Erdogan is among the most vocal critics. Karim El-Gawhary reports
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
Mohammad Sabaaneh′s "White and Black: Political Cartoons from Palestine"

Punching through the glass

Packed with more than a hundred single-page political cartoons, this compilation of Mohammad Sabaaneh′s work, which draws on different periods of the artist′s life, offers a complex and often surrealist take on the daily struggles facing those in the West Bank and Gaza. By Marcia Lynx Qualey
Interview with graphic novelist Riad Sattouf

The eternal fascination with coming-of-age

The French graphic novelist Riad Sattouf is best known for his memoir, "The Arab of the Future". Bettina Baumann met him to discuss his latest series, "Esther's Notebooks", which tells stories from the perspective of a young girl