Displaced Region: Graphic Novels of Untold Stories

 Displaced Region: Graphic Novels of Untold Stories

American University of Beirut, 2019

 It is not easy for me as an artist who lived a civil war to talk about a neighboring civil war with an unprecedented magnitude. It is also uncomfortable for me as a descendent -from my mother’s side- of genocide and deportation imposed on the Christian Orthodox community under the Ottoman Empire during, before, and after the 1^st world war, with haunting memories I thought buried forever.

 Not surprisingly though, Comics Authors have always addressed civil wars, displacement, and genocide issues.

Most of us know Art Spiegleman’s graphic novel “MAUS” where the author interviewed his father about his experiences as a Polish Jew and Holocaust survivor.

Many of us are also familiar with the work of Joe Sacco, the other American Comics’ artist and a narrator who went to the frontlines of disturbed areas of conflicts such as the Balkans and his related publications “Gorazde”, “the Fixer”, and “the Journalist”.

 But Joe Sacco is mostly known in our region for his epic work entitled “Palestine”, digging into the roots of wars, displacement, occupation, a colonization that the Palestinian people endure, setting the standards of what we call nowadays “BD Reportage”. He was a pioneer in approaching issues related to our region, where it took others 2 decades to follow his footsteps, and disclose stories about global violence and mass migrations in our Modern History.

 In the last few years, a new wave of graphic novels related to the above issues emerged in the comics market. Maybe, the Syrian ongoing tragedy was the trigger behind such awakening.

It could be also a pure coincidence that in Europe, and since 2014 a major focus on the centennial commemoration of the 1^st World War took place. Funds were spent on publications (and comic books especially) related to that era, where some of the most dramatic and violent events reshaped our region. Publishers unleashed without knowing, demons from the past through the voices and the perspective of those who suffered the consequences.

It could be also that the new “BD Reportage” genre is gaining ground within the graphic novel's audience looking for more real stories rather than fantasy fiction, pushing the Comics authors into fields they never look at before, reporting and investigating big issues in graphical narrative form.

 What these voices point at in common, is the theme of Remembrance. When asked about the Holocaust, Hitler answered: "Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?“. 100 years later, authors (not all Armenians) revisited the remains of history in an attempt to engrave in the minds of young generations, stories, and graphical content so they “never forget”. “Medz Yeghern” (2010-2015) or the Great Crime as referred to within the Arminian diaspora, falls under this category. It might not be the 1^st graphic novel, but definitely, the one that depicted the cruelest scenes, that ISIS might look tolerant in comparison to the absurdity of violence that it depicts. Highly documented, it became one of the visual references of the genocide.

 “Le cahier à fleurs” (2011) another graphic novel put the “Armenian Question” in a modern context. It tries to be less violent, with a romance story in the background, defending a more conciliatory attitude towards the present, although stopping short at the idea of forgiveness.

With an attempt at reconciliation, 2 graphic novels were published in the same year of 2015 commemorating the event. “Le Fantôme Arménien” an account of the visit of an Armenian activist to Turkey accompanied by the ghosts of the past, the reactions of the public to his exhibit portraying photos of the genocide, and “Varto”, the story of a young Turk country boy, Hassan whose father asks him on his death bed to escort 2 little Armenian kids Varto and Maryam to a safe place to escape the genocide. Varto was safe but Maryam couldn’t cross the river, and to save her, Hassan stayed with her on the other side and married her afterward to protect her. Years later the descendants meet in France, but the wounds were so deep to heal.

 If the Armenian genocide is alive today in our memories, other tragedies are barely remembered, such as the atrocities endured by the Christian Orthodox community under the Ottomans before, during, and after World War 1.  

Soloup in “Aïvali” (2015), went in a quest to collect oral history related to the tragedy under which 1.5 million Greeks were forced out of their lands, and most of them died in the process of deportation (many Turkish families were deported under the same agreement). Although most of the book narrates untold historic accounts, Soloup focuses on the present, especially after a friendship started between him and a Turkish family touring the same city. But the weight of history and remembrance is heavier than any reconciliation: “today, when we look towards Asia minor, we wonder what the Turks are doing in our Ports” Soloup told his new friend and received a quick reply “we also wonder what the Greeks are doing in our lands in Anatolia”.

Remembrance means also keeping the memory of the places and not only the narration of events. According to which side you’re on, places change their names.

Therefore, it is common that original names of places surface again in collective memories: Aïvali or Kydoniès, 2 names for the same idea and place. In Greek, it is the Quince fruit, and in Turkish the place, where the fruit grows. Smyrna versus Izmir. 

The international community is more familiar nowadays with the appellation of Kobani rather than Ayn al-Arab, the land of “Rojava” (“the West” of Kurdistan) rather than North of Syria. The same goes for cities in Occupied Palestine where the Jewish nomination overcome the Arabic ones.

Deportation leaves behind unsolved issues. The major one is the identity crisis lived by the descendants. “Les pieds-noirs à la mer” (2013) et “Le petit fils d’Algérie” (2015), are accounts of the deportation of more than a million of French Algerian-born families after the independence in 1962. In the first graphic novel, Daniel ran away and took refuge with his grandparents who live in Marseille. In Algeria, the grandpa was a French dentist who married Louise, a native Jew, yet the grandfather is anti-Semitic and the grandmother hates Algerians but speaks only Arabic. The cousin is going to marry an Arab. The Book depicts the family account that is still anchored in the events of the past, with a mixture of racism, its contradictions, and its paradoxes.

 In the second case, Joel Alessandra asks himself a legitimate question: Were his grandparents' exploiters, racists, or slavers? Were they close to the OAS? They left everything overnight, ruminating forever deep and legitimate resentment against this country, its inhabitants, and of course De Gaulle. In 2013, armed with his passport and a visa (and by the "indispensable" guide on the spot), Joel goes for the first time to Constantine, the city of his family. He is ready to face his fears and doubts. The book traces this journey, ... similar to that of thousands of families, and if it clears the confusion of the past, it deepened the confusion of Joel's emotions towards his family tragedy.

 A perfect sample of autobiographical work of constructed identity is Michelle Standjofski’s graphic novel “Toutes les mers”. the book is divided into chapters collecting her ancestors' backgrounds through her mother’s memories, the evacuation on Greek boats of her Italian grand grandmother Maria Caftaro with her single child EMILIA, among 250,000 people during the infamous Smyrna Grand Fire in 1922. From Piraeus in Greece, she meets her Italian second husband, they move to Beirut. In Beirut, EMILIA meets MIKHAEL, the son of a Russian General killed in the civil war, who himself escaped with tens of thousands of people the Bolshevik persecution and landed by boats in Turkish Gallipoli, and from there move to Beirut. Emilia and MIKHAEL meet in Beirut where VERA the mother is born. Michelle’s father originally from Istanbul (from Polish origin Standjofski) ended up in Beirut where he fell in love with VERA, and …… tada, here comes Michelle. Don’t worry, it took me several readings to grasp the family tree. Michelle embraced the complexity of her ethnic and cultural backgrounds like any third generation of migrants who ended up in Lebanon. and speaking of identity (if Lebanese identity is defined by multi-cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds) Michelle is more attached to her constructed identity than others, embracing her native country and refusing to leave it despite the horrors of the civil war.

 The search for identity backgrounds becomes more difficult when faced with the silence of the elderly who lived the event and moved on. “Si Je t’oublie Alexandrie” (if I forget you Alexandria) (2018) reopens the case of thousands of Egyptian-European communities who were forced to leave Egypt under the rise of the Arab Nationalist ideology in the 50s, and in this case the Egyptian Jewish community after the 1948 Arab Israeli war. Fully integrated into his French environment, Jérémie Dres tries to investigate the whole history behind his grandparents' emigration, a journey that took him from Alexandria to Tel-Aviv, and back to Paris, to end up with a heavyweight of remorse that his grandfather (an old communist activist) dissipates with the closing sentence:  who cares, “after all, this is a very, very old history”.

 “Le Silence de Lounès” (Lounès Silence) (2013), retraces the reverse path of the identity quest. Noureddine couldn’t deal with his father’s silence regarding the motives of his immigration to France after the independence of Algeria. Thinking that his father was a Pied-Noir and therefore a “traitor”, he goes back to Algeria to join the Islamic extremists. At the end of his journey, Noureddine discovers that his father was a prominent free fighter, a kind of a national hero, who fled to France to escape the persecution against the Kabyle population by the new Arab leaders in power. It is the reverse path, negating the newly acquired identity to reclaim the original one and the deception that comes afterward!

 Ironically, the Past meets with the Present too. Instead of digging into the History of the region, some Authors went to report actual tragedies.

 “Kobane Calling” (2016), is the most influential graphic novel from the frontline. Zerocalcare took the road from Mosul in Iraq to Erbil/ Kurdistan to the Turkish-Syrian borders to the Kurdish Rojava region. He reported for months to the account of the Italian newspaper Liberazione, with sarcasm, black humor but also sadness and bitterness about the heroic fight and resistance by Kurdish women fighters facing alone ISIS in its highest moment of glory in Kobané. during the course of the narrative, Zerocalcare depicts tragic stories of persecution and deportation of the Kurdish population in our modern history.

 Speaking of reporting, what makes comics unique as a genre is that they can represent visually the essence of the situation that a documentary or a photograph, or an essay can’t do. “Our heart is there, from this roof we took over the whole of Kobané. Meter by meter”. “And what strength must this woman have to bear the weight of the wreckage of all this humanity?” or what the wise man of the village always repeats rightfully to the author: “It’s the Derik Martyrs’ cemetery, [what you find here] it’s worth more than a thousand essays on geopolitics”. 

 2 remarkable graphic works stand out by choosing to go personal and intimate. Instead of collecting stories about emigration, the Tunisian collective “Lab619” chose a more artistic and personal approach, which gave each artist the freedom of expressing himself. “Al-Hijra” is one of the most Powerful poetic and personal narrations of the theme, with powerful visual representation. In parallel, “Amour minuscule” tells a love story between an Argentinian young girl IRIS and a Syrian university student Ismail. He has to leave for Syria where the communication is lost. During this forced separation, Iris discovers that she is pregnant while Ismail is fighting to return home. Once reunited the difficulty for Ismail to overcome his trauma leaves the relationship open to an unknown ending.

 A displaced region. from the mountains of Sinjar in Iraq to the forgotten lands of South Sudan, graphic novels were the only medium where artists visually recreated untold accounts of persecutions, deportations, and atrocities committed by terrorist groups or governmental militias.

 A displaced region. From refugee camps in Syria, Turkey, and Lebanon, to the unwelcomed emigrants' camps in Europe, artists volunteered to go, witness, defend and collect stories of people with names, coming from villages and cities that have names, running away from torturers who have names, waiting for an unknown future.

 Artists from Syria, Lebanon, Tunisia, Algeria, France, Great Britain, Italy, Germany, narrating the stories of thousands of people coming out of history books, from the streets of Damascus, down the Iraqi mountains, or crossing the Libyan deserts, to perish in the Mediterranean Sea, or to be stopped at the border of civilization. Through these artists, Madaya mom, la dame de Damas, Salima, Haytham, Noureddine, Zenobia, and thousands of others won’t be forgotten in this region of continuous displacements.

Thank you.

Arabic Comics and Conflicts: Ideological indoctrination vs individual need for change

 Arabic Comics and Conflicts:

Ideological indoctrination vs individual need for change

American University of Beirut, 2016

Comics as a genre reflects usually social, political, and economic changes. In our region (Israel put aside since it’s not in our topic) these factors and the players behind comics publications never hid their goals or intentions. A thorough overview of comics’ production which was and still is mainly for children, leads to an accurate timeline of these developments, with one specific paradox: when inter-state conflicts emerge, the production of the comic is used as a tool of indoctrination and becomes part of the “war efforts” even after the cessation of hostilities, and hence a production where innovation, creativity, and quality of form and content are not taken into account. In contrast, when a wave of internal turmoil occurs, (such as social conflicts, uprisings, civil wars, etc…) this popular art becomes more liberal in its expression, more open, creative, and in our recent times individualistic and provocative as opposed to the mono-ideological authority.

 

Since the beginning the political agendas were set: Aware of the powerful influence of the genre, illustrative magazines started emerging in early 1900, targeting the newly recruited students into public schools, giving them a western education, in contradiction to the local Islamic Madrassa ones. That was one of the objectives of Al-Awlad (1923) the 1^st fully illustrated commercial magazine to adapt, (and badly copy) western comics such as “Charlie Chaplin”, the “katzenjammer kids”, among others.

 

Al-Bulbul (1946) tried to be more focused. While it continued the tradition of publishing western comics such as “Laurel & Hardy”, “Old Mother Riley”, or “Abbud & Costello”, It tried to create local characters and series such as “Sikoko” and “Bulbul the kid” but stayed under the patronage of the monarchy. The cover of the 1^st issue was a full photograph of the princesses Firyal and Fawziyya, and the section of “Great Figures in History” was about Kings, Emperors or Kaisers, among them King Abdul-Aziz ibn Saoud praising his “wisdom” (if there was any!), or the “historic” Queen Marie-Antoinette according to the magazine!

 

The revolution of July 1952 led by the “Free Officers Movement”, the abolition of the monarchy, and the events that followed marked a turning point: although Illustrative publications preserved their status as independent businesses they slowly fell under the direct supervision of the new authorities. “Ali Baba”, who emerged during the “Palestine war” of 1948 (a major cause of popular dissatisfaction within the Arab populations) didn’t hesitate to take a stand in support of the new regime, targeting the British military presence in Egypt. This line of thought was clearly expressed throughout its pages from the covers mostly representing political statements (beautifully drawn by Al-Hussein Fawzi unfairly forgotten by historians) to the comic strips (that became abundant), or editorials and the choice of stories or even games.

 The 1930s “conservative” in look, design, and choice of themes such as the editorial “why do we fast?” in BABA SADEK (1934), was replaced by a clearly secular content, with a sarcastic tone towards religious authorities such as the section of “Sheikh Taltamis Speech” TALTAMIS means literally « idiot ».

 The previous “Motherhood, and how it should be” section and I quote: the “most sacred obligation (for the mother) and the reason she was born for, is to spend her time working for what is beneficial to the family (…)” with ALI BABA this changed into calls for equality of genders and “women political rights” to be part of the new constitution.

 Soon after Gamal Abdel-Nasser seized the power in a coup in 1956, putting General Muhamad Neguib in house arrest, comics magazines became part of the official propaganda policy, aiming at indoctrinating the children into the new pan-Arab nationalistic and socialist ideology.

 

“Sindbad” a magazine sponsored by the Ministry of education used to buy 27000 copies weekly for distribution in public schools, was the first to expand out of the Egyptian borders. It was an effective tool of indoctrination especially through a network of clubs “ندوات سندباد” spread throughout the Arabic countries, gathering young readers around themes such as “the fight against colonialism and Zionism”, or glorifying “the Arabic-Islamic victorious past”. The content became more politically charged especially after the “Canal of Suez crisis” that followed Nasser's Nationalization policy the same year. Series and heroes were created in support of the regime such as “Hazem wa Hatem”, while others were converted to fulfill the same goal such as “Busbus wa Furfur” (Tom & Jerry).

 

It is with the launch of SAMIR (15 April 1956, Dar al-Hilâl) that the situation adjusted itself giving the way to more entertainment in its pages. Preceded by a heavy advertising campaign in newspapers, the 1^st issue of SAMIR long-awaited sold its 50,000 copies the same day of its launch. Part of its success was the adaptation of a modern format simulating magazines formats such as TINTIN and SPIROU and the decision of giving more place to entertain. This renewal granted a major place to Comics within its pages and introduced local heroes who became popular and part of the new pan-Arab collective memory.

 

This wave of innovation received a huge step back with the Arabic-Israeli war of 1967. Arabic Comics entered a dark age that extended for decades and was marked by the direct governmental and military control of all media and press, including juvenile publications. Only one message should spread out: the indisputable endorsement of the “military resistance” and the “unbreakable will” to fight the enemy. A period that affiliated the production of comics to the state policy of war. The funny heroes were sent to the battlefields raising the slogan “all for popular resistance” and “all against Israeli-Zionist aggression”.

Samir, Tahtah, Zaghloul Effendi, Tanabilat al-Subian, lost their innocence and through this metamorphosis lost the interest of young readers repelled by the excess of ideological propaganda. Even Mickey Copywrite by Disney couldn’t but drop a tear on the death of General Nasser “the spirit and soul of Egypt”.

 

The war of 1967 and what followed opened the way and set the sample for other countries falling under military dictatorships for decades to come: Majallati and Al-Mizmar in Iraq, Oussama in Syria, and others in Libya, Sudan, and so on. Or to other monarchies in the area.

 

It is with the civil war in Lebanon that comics went into a different path claiming a personal expression and targeting an adult audience. “CARNAVAL” (in 1980) (a personal narrative of the Lebanese civil war), marked the birth of the 1^st comic book (comics publication being through magazines and newspapers).

Followed the same year by the ABU SHANAB character in the pages of a local newspaper and continued different platforms. 1983, in Arabic “SIGMUND FREUD” (accounts from the life of the Jewish thinker, that tackled the issue of minorities, and tolerance, a major unresolved issue in Lebanon at that time and in the Arab world till now), followed in 1984 by the series of “SHEHRAZAD 1001 nights, ألف ليلى وليلى” a twisted adaptation of the traditional narrative structure based on stories of different women named Leyla (Leyla “night”, and ليلى. The name of a woman has the same pronunciation in Arabic. Unfortunately, these publications were banned in the Arabic countries: Carnaval because it criticized authoritative systems, Freud, because of non-Islamic religious symbols and sexual content, and 1001 nights for the sexual visual provocative content.

 

A parenthesis for the Lebanese French-speaking comics (specificity of the Lebanese bilingual cultural identity), another eminent figure played a key role in the Lebanese comics scene at that time and is still doing it: Michèle Standjofski. From a comics critic to an artist, author of the famous Abu-Antoun character in “Beyrouth Déroute” comic strips published in L’Orient-Le Jour. Her album “Toutes les mers” is the outcome of all her experience. Standjofski’s major merit though is in establishing an academic comics program at “Académie Libanaise des Beaux-Arts” (ALBA), the only program of its kind in the region, fueling the market with French-speaking adult comics and young artists dedicated to this new Art. Among the names who are now major contributors: The skilled Ralph Doumit, the talented and sensitive Joseph Kaï, the sarcastic intellectual Kamal Hakim, Ghadi Ghosn, and the list can go on.

 

The civil war also witnessed in the mid-80s the emergence of the 1^st collective under the name of JADWORKSHOP. its manifesto (that became like a guideline for later adult comics) focused on issues that might seem trivial today but not evident 30 years ago, insisting on the exclusivity of adult production, personal themes with no religious, political, social, or any restriction or self-censorship, the exclusivity of the use of Arabic colloquial language. And the prominent role to the visuals at the expense of story narratives.

JADWORKSHOP experience extended for 8 years and was like a voice with no echo. If it failed to create a movement or to trigger pan-Arab parallelism, it succeeded at least in imposing Comics as an Art Genre within the intellectual scene of Beirut.

 

In the new millennium, Internal conflicts and political turmoil witnessed 2 parallel events that reshaped the comics scenes in Lebanon and Egypt: SAMANDAL magazine in Beirut, and Magdi El-Shafei “Metro” graphic novel in Cairo.

 

Samandal (2008) went out of the box acknowledging COMICS as an ART form. It started as a collective of young artists and writers passionate about comics, trying to publish their own production, and came up with the brilliant idea of creating an NGO for funding purposes. Since its start, SAMANDAL insisted on being different. Arabic language comics done by Arabs weren’t its vocation. The focus was on “stories from here and there” as they put it, by artists, who can push the limits of experimentation in the field of “Visual narrative” (Comics terminology vanished).

 

Nevertheless, the major pan-Arab event in graphic novels came from Egypt in (2008) and hit the Arab world. One of the most mediatized Comics in the press, media, and online, the 1^st of its kind in Egypt METRO Magdi Al-Shafei shook the lazy Comics scene and turned the focus again to EGYPT. The new Graphic novel book is born.  With a high quality of drawings (authentic Egyptian characters and sets), a smart treatment of the story, and a fluidity in sequential narration, MAGDY Shafei made us feel and smell the streets of Cairo and the turmoil within predicting the explosion to come. 

 

From a historic point of view, it is early to talk about trends and characteristics of contemporary Arabic Comics, but some ideas can always be developed and explored:

 

1- The most important is that adult comics publications are not run, controlled, or sponsored by governmental authorities or political or religious institutions. These independent magazines adopted the formula of collectives, founded, and run by the artists themselves in each country. All these magazines are driven by the common passion of the founders that goes beyond market or economic studies or rules. The continuation of some is due in part to funding programs in the case of Samandal, Toc-Toc, or Garage…), others continue running by pure philanthropy (Skef-Kef, Massaha, etc…). A situation that makes it difficult to assess their success in the market and questions their continuity if deprived of the original funding source. Samandal edition went down from being a quarterly magazine to a yearly one or “when the funds are there”. Al-Fan Al-Tase3 stopped after the 5^th issue, Massaha according to its founders “will continue for free until we run out of money”. The market doesn’t help either: after being a wide pan-Arab one it is fragmented into local markets contained within the borders of each country already struggling with their internal conflicts after the “Arab Spring”.

 

2- 2^nd the fact that Artists are mainly behind the launch of these magazines, the content is focused on personal expressions. For the 1^st time since the 80s, social taboos regarding issues such as sexuality or religion are broken and become explicit: nudity can be found in pages of Toc-Toc or lab 691, Samandal went far in its last issue gathered around the theme of “sexuality and poetry within the young generation”.

 The first comics publications Ali Baba and Sindbad came on the eve of the 1952 revolution in Egypt. Tok-Tok magazine made a huge change in the comics scene and came at the same time as the 2^nd revolution in Egypt. The new Lebanese comics was born in the civil war in the early 80s, and Samandal saw the light right after the political turmoil that followed prime minister Rafic Hariri’s assassination and the Israeli war in Lebanon in 2006 and as if Comics’ faith has always been to witness, reflect, participate or instigate social and political changes. My fears are that these adventures of today could be recuperated and abducted by emerging totalitarian ideologies like their previous ones. But also, my hopes are in these young guys I’m discovering every day, who have a different texture, wider dreams, and unbreakable will.

Young women and young men are making history today.

La Bande Dessinée d’expression Arabe (2011)

La Bande Dessinée d’expression Arabe

Après la seconde guerre mondiale la Bande dessinée est devenue un moyen d’expression universel. Contrairement à ce que l'on a tendance à croire, le monde arabe n'a pas échappé à ce phénomène international. La Bande dessinée a cependant évolué dans des conditions différentes de celles du prototype occidental.

La première caractéristique réside dans le fait que les premières planches étaient strictement réservées aux pages de revues juvéniles déjà existantes, ce qui en soit constituait un obstacle à l'évolution du genre. La seconde, est d’ordre culturel et géographique : si les publications étaient dès leurs débuts panarabes, le modèle d’influence basculait toutefois entre deux centres ; Le Levant (et à son centre Beyrouth) et l’Egypte par son hégémonie politique et culturelle dans la région. Le Maghreb, suivait un itinéraire séparé vue la primordialité de la langue française dans ses publications ce qui allait limiter sa circulation panarabe. 

SINDIBAD/AL-SAHEB et les autres

Naissance de la BD Arabe

Le début des années 50, vue la naissance de magazines les unes au pays du Levant (AL-SAHEB 1952, DUNIA AL-AHDATH 1955, Libanaises), l’autre en Égypte (SINDIBAD 1952), premières revues juvéniles à publier dans leurs pages des Bandes Dessinées, à raison de deux à quatre pages par numéro. Si les premières éditions Libanaises furent de courtes durées malgré leur multitude (financées par un secteur privée en voie de développement), leur homologue Égyptien «unitaire» (éditée par la presse gouvernementale) connue une continuité ininterrompue, et du fait, une revendication d’antécédence. La contribution d’artistes professionnels dans SINDIBAD tel HASSAN BIKAR (alias Morelli) dans «Les aventures de Zouzou» ou «Chaddad et Aouad», et la diversité des styles de dessins ajoutaient à son attraction visuelle. Il est à noter que ces histoires –souvent d’auteurs anonymes-  étaient rédigées en langue littéraire (problème que l'occident ne connaît pas), et ne s'inspiraient - pour les personnages, thèmes et décors- d'aucune Bande Dessinée étrangère; le moindre détail reflétait le contexte arabe : "Tarbouchs" et "Gellabieh" des citoyens, espace désertique typiquement arabe, etc...

Vers la fin des années 50, l'arrivée de MIHIEDDINE LABBAD, donnait à la revue un style d'expression et de dessin particulier, plus proche du style local de la caricature. LABBAD a réalisé plusieurs séries isolées de gags dont les personnages et l'esprit n'ont pas été exploités après lui. Parmi ces créations, Tamatem le pèlerin, Merjan, Le Professeur Fassoulia, Le Cow-boy, Zakzouk Marzouk et Maatouk. La revue a connu cependant toutes les formes du genre (nouvelles, séries à suivre, gags, etc...) traitées avec des techniques variées. Le texte de son côté a adopté le langage littéraire, la revue s'étant placée des objectifs pédagogiques et sociaux traditionnels suivant les directives gouvernementales.

 

SAMIR vs BISAT EL-RIH

L'essor de la Bande Dessinée arabe

C'est avec la création de SAMIR  (1956) que la situation s'est redressée. Dès ses débuts, cet hebdomadaire égyptien se démarquait de SINDIBAD en essayant de suivre un modèle de publications pareil à TINTIN ou SPIROU. Ce renouvellement, accordait une place importante à la Bande Dessinée, et redonnait confiance à des artistes qui s'étaient éloignés. Très vite, les dessinateurs de SAMIR s’étaient imposés par la vivacité du mouvement du personnage, aussi bien que de l'image elle-même et l'enchaînement des vignettes. Les planches de dessinateurs comme WASSIM (Samir et Tahtah) ou LOUTFI WASSFI (Antar et Ibn Jarjoun, Farid cœur d’acier) se caractérisaientt par la liberté du mouvement des personnages, la force d'expression et la diversité des postures, gestes et mimiques. Si NASSIM a suivi dans l'ensemble de son œuvre l'école belge, LOUTFI WASSFI a été plus loin dans son expression locale, utilisant un style propre à lui et une liberté de mise en pages, encore peu courante même en Europe.

La revue doit aussi sa réussite au texte en langue parlée de la majorité de ses histoires, ce qui les a rendus plus accessibles et moins imposantes. SAMIR est incontestablement la première publication à avoir compris (problème que l'occident n'a pas eu à affronter) que seul le langage parlé pouvait harmonieusement s'intégrer aux narrations graphiques et par là  même toucher la masse. C'est dans SAMIR  qu'apparaissaient aussi les onomatopées qui, avec NASSIM et les successeurs, seront utilisées systématiquement. Les dessinateurs de cette période étaient aussi les premiers à employer les étoiles, gouttes de sueur, ou autres idéogrammes, et à donner aux bulles des formes variées, pour évoquer voix douces, tonitruantes ou répliques intériorisées. Dans ses numéros aussi les noms d'auteurs étaient associés aux œuvres. Des écoles s’étaient même crées autour d'artistes particulièrement représentatifs. Il est à noter ici que les BD arabes (à l'exception de certaines aventures comme Tanabilat al-soubian réalisées entièrement par HIJAZI et Zaghloul par LABBAD) étaient le produit de scénaristes et de dessinateurs travaillant de façon totalement indépendante et même parfois incohérente. Si cette autonomie du texte allait nuire à la cohésion des récits, elle jouait cependant un rôle important dans la variation des thèmes, et a permis l'apparition de genres aussi variés que le polar, la Bande Dessinée historique et les légendes populaires. A noter les légendes d’Antara reprises par WILLIAM AL-MIRY (scénariste) et LOUTFI WASSFI (dessinateur), Hassan Toubar, AL-Nadim le révolté en fuite par AL-BARJINI, ou l'adaptation des histoires de Juha (personnage traditionnel comique connu dans tout le Moyen-Orient) par DARACH, ou mieux, avec la reproduction de conversations et scènes, glanées dans les souks, les cafés, les rues... LABBAD est avec son Zaghloul Effendi un des dessinateurs à avoir le mieux réussi dans ce style de la Bande Dessinée.

Le Liban, caractérisé par une ouverture culturelle, économique et politique à l’Occident, optait de son côté pour une formule qui cohabitait la production locale à d’autres importées et traduites. Ainsi naissait la revue BISAT AL-RIH (1962), où se côtoyait Zouzou de Bahija (Gigea Tomassian), Alaeddine de TAREK ASSLI et les gags de MAHMOUD KAHIL avec un Lucky Luke ou un Tintin (parlant l’Arabe littéraire), et autres héros européens. La qualité de l’impression (Beyrouth devenue le centre de la publication et de l’imprimerie du monde arabe) ainsi que la variété des séries proposées faisaient de cet hebdomadaire la première revue juvénile de l’époque. Encouragé par ce succès son éditeur (ZOUHEIR BAALBAKI) publiait une série de magazines, mais cette fois complètement traduite, et basées sur des héros occidentaux sous des titres arabisés : AL-MUGHAMER, RIN-TIN-TIN, et autres. Un autre éditeur (AL-MATBOUAAT AL-MOUSAWARA) lançait une série parallèle basée sur les supers héros américains (SUPERMAN, BATMAN, AL-IMLAK, AL-BARQ, TAREQ etc…) et d’autres productions anglo-saxonnes (Loulou et Tabboush, Zeina, etc..) ainsi que des aventures du géant américain Walt Disney. Ces publications (une trentaine à Beyrouth), dont certaines étaient éphémères (loi du marché et de la compétition), envahissaient les marchés arabes des années 70 et 80. Le public arabe s’était vu exposé à toutes les formes de Bandes Dessinées: les séries en albums Silsilat Arwaa Al-Kissass (Série des Belles Histoires), Silisilat Al-Mughamarat Al-musawara (série des Aventures Illustrées) traduites et adaptés des classiques littéraire mondiales,  les formats livres de poche, recueils et livres éducatifs scolaires, etc.. Mais si cette éruption exhortait et répandait ce nouveau genre d’expression, elle marquait en sorte le recul de la production locale.

LA GUERRE DE 1967

«La bande dessinée confisquée»

L’été 1967, et le traumatisme de la guerre israélo-arabe, annonçait une nouvelle période marquée par un esprit de résistance et une volonté de combattre, reflétés jusque dans les publications pour enfants et donc la Bande Dessinée, qui se fit «confisquée» et encrée dans le domaine de la politique d'état et la propagande guerrière.

Très vite les héros de Bandes Dessinées ont été envoyés aux champs de combats, avec pour slogan "Tous pour la Résistance populaire", en couverture du numéro 592 de SAMIR, chanté par des personnages comme Juha et Samir lui-même. Dans la mesure de leurs moyens, les dessinateurs s’engageaient en se partageant les champs d'action: c'est ainsi que Samir et Tahtah se transformaient par NASSIM en commandos, alors que Farid cœur d'acier accomplissait des missions militaires. Seul Zaghloul Effendi -bien qu'impliqué dans la guerre- a conservé ses caractéristiques, son humour et sa naïveté, contrairement aux autres héros qui s'en étaient départis au profit d'un militarisme poussé. Une caractéristique propre à la Bande Dessinée arabe  -et n'ayant pas été exploitée par l'Occident au cours des deux guerres- est d'avoir tenté de propager un enseignement militaire, à travers les Leçons de résistance populaire de LOUTFI WASSFI parues dans les numéros de SAMIR en 1967.

Suivant l’exemple Egyptien, d’autres revues du Levant (Syrie et Iraq en particulier) voyaient le jour. Editées par des gouvernements à parti unique Baathiste, prônant le nationalisme Arabe et la gloire du Zaïm (leader), les revues Oussama en Syrie (1969), Majallati (1969) et Al-Mizmar (1970) en Iraq, étalaient timidement sur leurs pages des bandes dessinées dont le nombre et la qualité prenaient de plus en plus d’ampleur avec le temps.

Oussama se distinguait dès ses débuts par des écrivains de renommée exclusivement syriens, tel Saadallah Wannous, Zakaria Tamer et Adel Abouchanab (noms prestigieux de la littérature arabe) accompagnés d’artistes venus du monde des arts plastiques ou de l’illustration, comme Nazir Nabaa, Youssef Abdlaki et Assaad Arâbi. Le contenu à vocation politique et idéologique, et la qualité pauvre de la production (mauvaise impression, auteurs ne maîtrisaient pas le langage et la technique de la bande dessinée) rendaient la revue non attractive pour son public, et faisait que sa circulation se limitait à l’intérieur des frontières nationales. Cependant, son bas prix (1 euro environ) et sa distribution souvent gratuite (subventionnée par l’état), assumaient sa continuité même de nos jours. L’absence d’autres choix de publications juvéniles (pays de contrôle strict sur tous les médias, et une censure encore plus sévère) empêchait le développement du genre. Il est à noter toutefois le passage dans ses pages des artistes qui feront la renommée d’autres publications arabes (mieux payantes). Citons : MUMTAZ AL-BAHRA et ses séries d’aventures humoristiques et historiques, et  LUJAYNA AL-ASSIL avec ses contes enfantines ou les légendes héroïques arabes.

En Iraq, pays pétrolier et riche, où la propagande du régime représente la pierre angulaire de sa politique, MAJALLATI et AL-MIZMAR bénéficiaient d’une qualité de production de haut de gamme (impression, format, etc…), et de la présence de dessinateurs et d’auteurs plus professionnels que son homologue syrien. Son message qui encourageait le panarabisme ouvrait les portes à des participants arabes et même occidentaux (moins nombreux) pourvu qu’ils adhèrent à «la cause arabe». Parmi les arabes citons TAREK ASSLI (influence importante sur les publications),  SAFWAT FARID, ABDELFATTAH AL-SAYYED, MUSTAFA KANNAOUI, et parmi les occidentaux les italiens ALAIN SANCHEZ et ROVERI, et le turc  SWAT YALAZ. Ces derniers furent spécialisés dans les bandes dessinées historiques ou héroïques aux styles figuratifs réalistes. Quant aux iraquiens, citons HAIFA ABDELHUSSEIN, SALAH MOHAMAD ALI, MALEK MATLABI et CHAFIK MAHDI. La particularité de MAJALLATI et AL-MIZMAR (qui fusionnèrent en une publication conjointe du nom de la première après l’embargo contre le régime de SADDAM HUSSEIN dans les années 90), fut le développement de séries de bande dessinée à suivre et des héros adoptés par le public des jeunes lecteurs, tel Kalboun wa Bazzoun (SAFWAT SHARIF), Fatfat wa Mecano (MAY ALSUZ), Juha (ATHEER SATEH) et la série la plus populaire Chayboub du scénariste ABDALLAH RAOUF et du dessinateur DIA’ AL-HAJJAR.

La Renaissance des années 80

«Beyrouth plate-forme d’un renouveau?»

L’hégémonie politico-culturelle Égyptienne face au singularisme Libanais se joua une fois de plus. La Bande Dessinée égyptienne (et par la suite syrienne et iraquienne) devenue outil de propagande de l’État, commençait à perdre son éclat vis-à-vis son public. Les chiffres de distribution chutaient, l’intérêt du public à l’encontre de la production locale se réduisait, et changeait de cape vers la production importée et traduite des publications libanaises. Il fallait attendre la fin des années 70 et la parution à Beyrouth du magazine SAMER, et l’introduction de la Bande Dessinée adulte avec JAD pour que la production locale de bande dessinée reprenne le souffle.

Dès son lancement en 1979, SAMER reprend l’expérience de SAMIR à ses débuts. Elle a misé sur une production exclusivement panarabe, où le divertissement est le mot d’ordre (sans oublier toutefois les limitations sociales). Financée par un éditeur privé indépendant, à vocation politique nationaliste arabe, la revue devenait le point de rencontre des dessinateurs et écrivains arabes. Rassemblés autour du comédien et scénariste syrien NOUHAD KALAI (le caractère des aventures principales de la revue dessiné par MELHEM IMAD) des auteurs qui ont déjà fait carrière dans d’autres magazines rejoignaient le projet. Parmi ceux qui ont fait la gloire de SAMER à citer le dessinateur MUMTAZ AL-BAHRA et le scénariste ADEL ABULCHANAB dans la série Maymoun le singe, NASRI SAYEGH, YASEEN REFAIYEH (scénaristes),  LOUJAYNA ASSYL (dessinatrice) et ses contes de fées populaires, et MIKE NASREDDINE et la série Chater Hassan au style sophistiqué des supers héros américains.

De par son originalité, et la place primordiale donnée à la bande dessinée dans ses pages,  SAMER influencera une série de publication qui restaient toutefois moins audacieux : AHMAD, MAJED, AL-ARABI AL-SAGHIR, BASSEM, et autres, tous à tendances conservatives et plutôt islamiques. Les évènements du 11 Septembre 2001 vont encourager le retour en force de publications affiliées ouvertement à des partis politiques (surtout islamistes) ; MAHDI (de contenu religieux «Shiite», subventionné par le Hizbollah), et FARES dédiée à la cause palaisienne et proche de l’idéologie du HAMAS.

Il faut aussi attendre le début des années 80 pour qu’une nouvelle BD, pour adultes, voie le jour : Au Liban avec JAD (Georges Khoury), Carnaval (1980), une première BD influencée par la guerre civile est publiée en album (innovation du genre), suivi de deux autres Sigmund Freud (1983), Shéhérazade (1984). C’est avec lui que la BD fut introduite en tant que telle dans les quotidiens à grande diffusion (An-Nahar, As-Safir), et les magazines littéraires (Al-Makassed). En 1986 il fonda un atelier de Bande Dessinée qui regroupa des amateurs devenus par la suite professionnels, et publiaient sous le nom de MUHTARAF JAD (JadWorkshop). L’équipe regroupait des dessinateurs qui ont marqué le monde de la BD libanaise et le monde du dessin animé libanais jusqu’à nos jours tel que LINA GHAIBEH et EDGAR AHO. Leurs publications couvraient quotidiens et magazines, et leur album Min Beyrouth (De Beyrouth) qui retraçait des scènes de vie quotidienne de guerre est devenu iconique pour le genre.

Une expérience reprise tardivement avec un groupe de passionnés de bande dessinée publiant une revue-fanzine AL-SAMANDAL, qui ouvrait ses pages à la libre participation d’amateurs ou de professionnels, arabes ou occidentaux. Parmi ceux d’expression arabe citons, TAREK KHOURY et sa série Tarek Al-Khurafi, et Lena MERHEJ dans son récit autobiographique Mrabba Wa Laban. Entre-temps MAZEN KERBAJ jouait en solo, et auto-publiait ses albums d’expression française, avant de s’étaler en arabes sur les pages du quotidien AL-AKHBAR. ZEINA ABI-RACHED quant à elle, se distinguait par ses récits autobiographiques de guerre à travers ses albums.

Timidement, l’Egypte, avec la privatisation de certains secteurs, suivit le modèle libanais, et commençait la publication de suppléments de quotidiens qui devenaient vite des revues indépendantes. Ainsi ALAEDDINE (1993) née au sein de la prestigieuse Dar Al-Ahram rassembla autour d’elle une nouvelle génération de bédéistes sous la direction artistique d’AHMAD LABBAD. Pour la première fois dans ce pays on voit paraître des noms d’auteurs-dessinateurs. Parmi les plus illustres, WALID NAYEF dans les aventures de ALA’, MUHAMAD JABALI et la série Super Abdo, et le talentueux MAGDY AL-SHAFEI avec Yasmine et Amina, et qui sera le premier à introduire la BD adulte en Egypte avec son album METRO (2008) qui lui attira la colère de la censure et fut introduit en justice. Son album marquait un tournant dans l’histoire de la BD égyptienne.

Le Maghreb cet inconnu

«Dualisme culturel»

Le Maghreb arabe, quand à lui suivait un développement différent, caractérisé par l’influence coloniale jusqu’`une période tardive, et la pratique du français comme langage d’expression, et du fait restait loin de se propager dans le reste du monde arabe. Ainsi des pionniers qui font aujourd’hui la marque de la bande dessinée maghrébine, sont peu connus en Egypte et les pays du Levant. Un pionnier comme RACHID AIT KACI (Algérie, 1940) avec sa série la plus connue Bas Les Voiles et dont l’œuvre se distribuait sur une multitude de journaux, magazines locaux et internationaux, de AL-MUJAHID, JEUNE AFRIQUE allant jusqu’à PLAYBOY!, n’est connu que parmi les professionnels du métier. C’est aussi le cas de SLIM (de son vrai nom Menouar Merabtène) et la série Zid Ya Bouzid (1969) qui débutait dans le quotidien AL-MUJAHID, et où une partie de l’histoire de l’Algérie est ici résumée. Bouzid et Zina deviendront aussi célèbres que Richa crée par MANSOUR AMOURI à la même époque.

Une publication cependant va marquer l’histoire de la BD algérienne et Maghrébine. M’QUIDECH (Algérie, 1969) éditée par la SNED (Société nationale d’édition et de diffusion) aujourd’hui disparue, proposait une alternative aux publications occidentales nombreuses à l’époque. Parmi son équipe des dessinateurs-auteurs qui marqueront l’histoire de la BD maghrébine : Mohamed Aram, Ahmed Haroun, Maz, Slim et Brahim Guerroui. D’autres talents vont rejoindre l’équipe au fil du temps : Tenani, Aïder, Assari, Tidadini, Zeghidour, Rahmoune, Hebrih, Aït Hamoudi, Ferhat, Ryad, Beghdadli, Oulmane, Khiari. M’QUIDECH cessa d’exister en 1974, pour se ressusciter en 1978 exclusivement en arabe mais loin d’égaler le succès de sa version originale (20,000 exemplaires  pour chaque édition arabe et française).

AL-MANCHAR (La Scie) pris la relève en 1990. Un journal bimensuel indépendant sous l’initiative de SID ALI MELOUAH, la publication regroupe des dessinateurs enthousiastes  avec un mélange de textes satiriques, de dessins et de bandes dessinées politiques et sociales. Son succès (200,000 exemplaires) lui assurait un autofinancement, sans toutefois dépasser le cadre géographique du Maghreb (obstacle du langage). Le succès du AL-MANCHAR fut suivi par un autre périodique satirique BAROUD (La Poudre) 1992 crée par une partie de l’équipe de la première.

Une période de terreur dans les années 90 allait mettre fin à l’activité effervescente de la BD maghrébine surtout en Algérie où la violence des islamistes visait les artistes et les intellectuel. La BD arabe a déjà ses noms de martyrs : Dorbane, Brahim Guerroui (dit Gébé), Saïd Mekbe.

Peut-on toujours parler d’une bande dessinée panarabe? D’une bande dessinée d’expression qui dépassera les frontières linguistiques, ethniques, politiques et géographiques d’un monde arabe qui s’étend de «l’Océan jusqu’au Golfe» selon le fameux slogan arabe ? Une question dont la réponse se formule aujourd’hui dans les rues tumultueuses du Caire, de Tunis, de Tripoli et autres villes à venir…

Georges Khoury (jad)

Beyrouth février 2011

A BRIEF HISTORY OF ARABIC COMICS

A BRIEF HISTORY
OF ARABIC COMICS
American University of Beirut

Any overview of the Comics in the Arab world requires two levels of “Readings”: the first one, an autonomous approach, sees the Arabic Comics as a local product having its own path of development and then tries to define the major periods of its evolution. The second level, takes into consideration the international influences that affected the Arabic Comics since its beginning in the early fifties.

This “Layered Reading” doesn’t pretend to come up with a definite and final conclusion (it’s mostly impossible due to the fact that many of the original artworks or copies of the early magazines are not available, even at the publishers), instead it tries to be a tentative revalorization of the Arabic Comics and the major guidelines of its evolution.

This Reading will also take into account the only Arabic Comics produced by Arabic illustrators or narrators, and not those (magazines, etc…) imported or translated by Arabic publishers.


THE BEGINNINGS

During the 50s a whole movement of re-evalution of Comics spread through out Europe and reached some other corners of the world, either through the translation of Western Comics, or through the foundation of original and specific movements. The Arab world –contrary to the common perception- was influenced by this new phenomena, although it followed a different path of evolution than the western pattern.

The 1st characteristic of the Arabic Comics is that the early artworks were not published in daily newspapers (like in the U.S.) or in form of Comic albums (like in Europe), but in juvenile magazines that already existed, and without them the Arabic Comic strip wouldn’t have found its platform of transmission.

The 2nd characteristic (a derivative of the previous one), is that the Arabic Comics was exclusively directed to a specific audience. This fact created an obstacle to the development of the Comics as an Art form. It’s only in the early eighties that some adult content (scripts or illustrations) emerged in Lebanon, and later in some North-African countries. Even though these attempts didn’t create a movement or samples to be followed, and stayed as individual contributions with no further influence.


SINDIBAD
BIRTH OF THE ARABIC COMICS

In 1952, in Egypt, SINDIBAD started as the first young magazine to publish comics within its pages, at a rate of 2 pages in every issue that became 5 pages at a later stage. These comic spreads started with two stories: the “ADVENTURES OF ZOUZOU” by Morelli (unknown real name), and the adventures of CHADDAD AND AWWAD by HASSAN BIKAR (some Egyptian scholars say that both comics were done by the same HASSAN BIKAR). The latter using the technique of underlying text to the picture (19th and early 20th centuries images D’Épinales style), whereas in ZOUZOU series, MORELLI had already appropriated the techniques of sequential framing “vignettes”, of “Balloon labels”, and mastered the use of the equation of space to time. In spite of the weakness of the drawings, and the static stands of the characters, these pages could be labeled the first comics to be published acquiring the fundamental elements of graphic narration in time. (Movie1)

As for the Journeys of SINDIBAD, they started as simple texts coupled with illustrations, to end up into the form of Chaddad and Aouad, or the images d’Épinal style. It is interesting to notice that the author of the SINDIBAD series had already acquired the graphic requirements of a comic strip; easiness of the character movement, narrative figuration, etc... Added to the fact that it was the first Arabic comics to be continued in several issues. These features permit to say that the Adventures of SINDIBAD were at the time, unique in the kind. (Movie2)

It is to be noticed that the language used in these comics was the classical Arabic language (problem that the west didn’t face), AND NO INSPIRATION was taken from foreign production concerning the Characters, Themes, or backgrounds and decorations. The least detail reflected an Arabic context (not to say Egyptian): Egyptian costume, Tarbushes and Gellabieh of the citizens, typical desert space not to mention the visual conception of details, (you know, drawing a line to express a road, a circle for the moon, etc… minimal, miniature type of expression). (Movie3)

Thereafter (toward the end of the 50s) other comic strips followed, always published in SINDIBAD. They adjusted quickly to the forms we know nowadays. Some were inspired by foreign well known comics like -as TOM &JERRY for Farfour and Basbous – or trying to base their graphical expression on a local context, as in Kandous and Noussa. (Movie4)

Comics artworks at that time revealed a technical maturity and a professional level concerning the movement of characters (the key feature in comics techniques). But, it is only toward the end of the 50s, with the contribution of MIHIEDDINE EL-LABBAD, that the magazine created a particular style of expression and drawing, close to the local style of the Egyptian caricature. LABBAD achieved several isolated pages of comics of which the style and the spirit have not been followed. Among these series were, Professor KARNABEH, Merjan, The Professor Fassoulia, The Cowboy, Zakzouk Marzouk and Maatouk. (Movie5)

LABBAD’s style was distinguished by a minimal style of the drawing, the simplicity of the features and decors, the absence of the third dimension; as many elements that covered the weakness of the narrative plot. Although, LABBAD will always be considered like an innovator of the juvenile Arabic comic strip and influenced a lot of illustrators in the field of kids books and publications. (SINDIBAD menu)

In Brief, someone can say that SINDIBAD, marked (unwillingly may be) the birth of Arabic Comics the way we define it nowadays, and put the pillars and directives to later comic production. Through its pages many forms of Comics were introduced (series, gags, strips etc…), treated in different styles and techniques. Nevertheless, SINDIBAD sat the unbreakable standard for publications to come: exclusively for kids, promoting conservative educational and social values, (it is to mention here that SINDIBAD like other Arabic publications were state-owned or state-sponsored, or, in the best case, controlled by the state censorship). On the other hand, as we’ll see later, the utilization of local spoken language opened new horizons of diffusion in another magazine: SAMIR.


SAMIR
The “Golden Age” of Arabic Comics

SINDIBAD magazine came short for pushing the evolution of Comics forward, due to the nature and goals of the magazine itself, and to the quality of its artists. As a juvenile publication, aiming to entertain solely and to instruct morally, SINDIBAD never put as an objective the development and diffusion of Comics as an Art. Comics spreads were treated as a side category in the magazine, reaching the number of two or three adventures per issue.

This limitation -the least harmful to the magazine- risked to stop the Artists’ contribution to the magazine, a lot of them preferred to continue their career in other “respectful” form like “Caricature” or “illustration” more valuable in Egypt than simple Comic Strips for kids.

(SAMIR MENU) It is with the launch of SAMIR in 1956 that the situation adjusted itself. Since its beginnings, this Egyptian weekly publication distinguished itself from SINDIBAD trying to follow (not to say copy) the scheme of foreign publications like TINTIN or SPIROU. This renewal, granting a major place to the Comic Strip within its pages, brought confidence back to artists who had moved away.

An overview of the whole production of SAMIR helps us to define the main characteristics of this magazine. These Qualities go from the movement of the Characters, to the diversity of styles, focusing on the narrative expression and especially the liveliness of the language.

a. The graphic narration

From the very beginning, the Artists of SAMIR imposed themselves as professionals expressing skillfully the motion in time, whether through the different positions and angles of the drawings, or the sequential storyboarding. Artists like NASSIM (Samir and Tahtah) or LOUTFI WASSFI (Antar and Ibn Jarjoun, Farid Heart of steel) were characterized by the liberty of the character movement, the strength of expression and the diversity of poses, gestures and mimics. (Movie6)

If NASSIM followed the rules of the Belgian school of comics (traditional Layout and style of drawing), LOUTFI WASSFI went farther in his aesthetic research, using a personal style in drawing, and a liberty in the layout of the pages, which was rare at the time even in European standards. On the other hand NASSIM remained loyal to certain western graphics, particularly to FRANQUIN (same lines, same backgrounds, same elements of the decor, same clothing...).

b. The liveliness of the language

If the dynamism of the drawings was a beneficial element to the launch of SAMIR, the magazine also owes its success to the text written in spoken language trough out the majority of the stories, which made them more accessible and more living. SAMIR is undeniably the first publication to have understood that only the spoken language could integrate smoothly into the nature of Comics as a living and dynamic form of Art, (a problem that the West didn't have to face). (Like in movie making, imagine all the features, series and comedies are in literary classic Arabic). (Movie7)

What helped this shift compared to SINDIBAD, is that the majority of the Artists came from the field of caricature, and were accustomed to this form, and therefore didn't hesitate to venture in this new attempt. It is absolutely important to note that the use of spoken language decreased with the regression of the local Comics to the foreign production profit, the return to the dialect expression only showed up again at the beginning of the 80s.

Beside the use of the local language in SAMIR, appeared the first onomatopoeias (imitation of sounds in written words). NASSIM and his fellows will use these onomatopoeias systematically. Artists of this period were also the first to use stars, drops of sweat, or other ideograms, or to create their own graphic symbols, and to give a variety of shapes to bubbles of dialogues, in order to evoke a variety of expressions and situations. (Movie8)

These innovations helped. Yet, it is mainly the use of the spoken language that was behind the blossoming of the Arabic Comics. The use of popular terms and proverbs, of local twisted meanings, more expressive compared to their classical literary equivalents -if however these exist – helped the Arabic comics to impose itself quickly as an element of the local culture.

c. The diversity of themes

SAMIR gathered in its pages a variety of tendencies, not only in drawing styles, but also in themes and scripts, every artist trying to differentiate himself from his colleagues and predecessors. Therefore many individual styles appeared, and for the first time in middle-eastern Comics names of authors were associated to artworks (usually we don’t know who did what!!!!). Schools and ways to follow were created around some particularly representative artists.

If we exclude the series of Tanabilat al-soubian achieved entirely by HIJAZI and Zaghloul Effendi by LABBAD, It is noticeable that the entire production was the outcome of joint efforts between script writers and illustrators even if, in some cases, the link between them was inexistent, and this, created an incoherent output. Nevertheless, the contribution of a variety of writers played an important role in the variation of themes, giving birth to different categories of Comics, such as Comedy script, Historic, popular legends, adventures, Science-fiction, thrillers etc…. (Movie9)

These topics were most of the time treated in a local context: local morals and traditions, local costumes, etc… In detective novels we see local prototypes of criminals and detectives; or in Historic legends like those of Antara by WILLIAM AL-MIRY (script writer) and LOUTFI WASSFI (artist). A unique genre of the Arabic Comics surprisingly emerged, and has no equal in western Comics: “Lessons in Popular resistance” a series based on military education after 1967 war. Among Artists that specialized in Contemporary History, AL-BARJINI author of Hassan Toubar, and AL-Nadim, should be named . AL-BARJINI developed a style of drawing and composition far more elaborate and without precedent in the history of Arabic Comics. Other Comics worth mentioning at this level are the popular legends like the adaptation of Geha’s stories and proverbs (a prominent comic figure in the middle-eastern popular culture) (Movie10)

d. The diversity of styles

We mentioned previously that some Artists were influenced by, or followed, western schools of drawings, whereas others tried to work out some more specific Local styles. The latter, on which we’ll stop longer, could be put in two distinct categories: the first one represented by LOUTFI WASFI, based on a sophisticated graphic narration, putting the accent on the visual representation rather than the script. The second based essentially on the script and dialogues, better represented by HIJAZI and LABBAD, and was more “Egyptian” (if we can put it this way) in content than the others.

(Movie11) In his adventures of Antara and Ibn Jarjoun, LOUTFI WASSFI granted a primal importance to an aesthetic based on the purity of lines, features, and sceneries, but also on the global composition of the page. He is considered as an innovator in the narrative technique of Arabic Comics, in the sense that he was the first to use various Camera Angles, plongées/contre-plongées, horizontal and vertical compositions, that helped a better rendering of the atmosphere of his narrations, based on battle sceneries. It is regretable however that the WASSFI “school” (if one can talk about school) didn’t perpetuate after SAMIR’s period, and had a minor influence in the production of Arabic Comics to come.

(Movie12) In opposite, HIJAZI and LABBAD put all their creative efforts in the humorous script reducing to the minimum the function of the picture: rather than to express the idea, the drawing was limited to the sole role of supporting the narration and not guiding it. Movements and attitudes of characters were limited, the cinematographic language minimized if not at all exploited. The reason of this extreme simplification of graphics is due to two factors:

• · The nature of the Strips: WASSFI brought up real adventure narrations of several page, while HIJAZI and LABBAD limited themselves to the humorous gags of one page or a spread of 2 pages, and could transmit their idea with a text and simple fast sketches.
• · The influence of a prominent established Egyptian school of illustration: The Caricature. Based on this background, HIJAZI and LABBAD’s Comics were accessible and common, and it was normal that their production knew a bigger success, imitation and continuity than those more elaborated of LOUTFI WASSFI. The simplified graphics was already more accessible to readers comfortable with the caricature style. On the other hand, the absence of commentary texts that invaded the pages of Antara and Ibn Jarjoun, facilitated the reading of these Comics already geared toward the direct hold on the daily life.

e. Attempts to assert a local style

Through elaborated techniques, dynamism of drawings, vivacity of the language and diversity of themes (although still for children), the Comic Strips of SAMIR reached to a certain extend the level of western Comics. If we put aside the bad quality of printing (that did –with other factors- ruin the continuity of the publication), it is fair to say that SAMIR’s period could be labeled “the Golden Age of Arabic Comics”.

It is however deplorable that Arabic Comics of that era couldn’t compete with other forms of illustrated arts like the caricature which preserved the favor of adults, and limited itself to an exclusively children public. The reason -as we already mentioned– is that the first Comic Strips were born in kids’ magazines which limited the evolution of the kind, plus the governmental policies to keep these magazines as a tool of propaganda as we’ll see later.

THE WAR OF 1967

(Movie13) June 5, 1967. The Arabic-Israeli war. A turning point in the history of Arabic Comics. A new era marked by the direct governmental control of all publications, with only one message to spread out, the indisputable endorsement of resistance and the will to fight, reflected even in publications for children. A period that affiliated the Comics production to the state run policy of war.

Very quickly, Comics heroes were sent to the battle front, with one motto “All for the popular Resistance”, as it appeared in the cover of issue 592 of SAMIR, surprisingly summoned by characters like Jehha and Samir themselves. Artists were committed to the new mot-d’ordre, dividing between themselves the fields of action: Samir and Tahtah were transformed by NASSIM into commandos, whereas FAREED KALB HADEED executed some military missions behind the enemy lines. Activities were also diverse: Direct involvement into fights in Samir and Tahtah’s case, spying on and delivering documents to feddayyins in the case of FAREED KALB HADEED. To his merit, Zaghloul Effendi -involved as well in the war efforts- preserved his features, humor and innocence, awkwardly to the other heroes who became part of an excessive, unjustified militarism.

And, as if these efforts weren’t enough, new sets of Characters were created for the sole purpose of promoting “war against the enemies of the nation”, such as Dandache and his friends (text of SOBHI EL-JAYYAR, drawing of SALAH ASKAR) who, at the end of the war reconverted into detective missions. New series were born -of which “Nadim and Rachid: The battle of the heroism and heroes” by BARJINI - based on the contemporary history of the Middle East aiming at creating a spirit of solidarity, fraternity and resistance. A unique genre to be created -and not having been exploited by the west during the two world wars - is the attempt to propagate a military teaching, through “Lessons of popular resistance” by LOUTFI WASSFI that covered all the issues of SAMIR in 1967.

STEPING BACK FACING IMPORTATION:

LEBANON THE NEW CENTER

It is mainly in the 60s that western Comics “invaded” the Egyptian and middle-eastern publications, whether through translation in existing magazines (like TINTIN in SAMIR) or by launching Arabic versions of western magazines (like MICKEY or THE CASTORS from lat Disney),

Quickly, the children preferred the imaginary adventures and exciting characters of Walt Disney and other western Comics to those highly politicized local heroes. The success of Mickey and other translated series and magazines, aggravated the crisis of the local production. One after the other, Atrists of Samir and other publications regained their jobs in the world of caricature, or tales illustration.

Motivated by the success of Mickey, publishers invested in publications for children, importing and translating foreign Comics, with a lesser cost (no Artists or writers to pay, No pre-printing cost value, etc) and better quality of scripting, drawing, and especially of printing. There, came the role of LEBANON as a center to this new wave of highly qualified production. It is in this period of mid-60s (1965) that the center of Comics production shifted from Egypt to Lebanon, due to the fact of the vanced adevelopment of this country in matter of import, reproduction and distribution. More than 35 magazines dedicated to comics flooded the Lebanese and Arabic market making any attempt to re-launch local production a highly risky business.

IRAQ: FAST EVOLUTION, AND SUDDEN END

In 1970, the Iraqi government published MAJALLATY, the juvenile magazine entirely produced by the Iraqi artists.

In Parallel another monthly publication AL-MIZMAR showed up. In spite of the political orientation of the two publications, it is interesting to notice the quality of the graphics that, without abandoning the European influence completely, kept an original local character. Among the names: Ali Saad, Necha'at Toufic, Mehyi Khalifé, Sabih Hamid, Necha'at eI-Aaloussi, Safwat Farid and Mohammad Jaber.

Iraq was also the second country after Lebanon to publish albums of Comics (1980). Of relatively high technical quality (printing, color, format...) these albums (printed in Lebanon) were exclusively of baathist political and educational aims.

Unfortunately, all the Iraqi publications stopped during the war with IRAN, and never showed up again.

 
SYRIA, TIMIDLY INCLUDED

In 1969, USAMAH started as the state-run magazine for children. Of a socialist baathist guidance, it remained far from the Egyptian magazines of the 50s and on. However, many of USAMAH’s artists like Mumtaz el-Bahra and Hassan Ayyash, knew their fame through Lebanese comics publications toward the end of the 70s.


LEBANON - NEW BOOM

With the step-back of local production, one magazine tried to gather a wide number of pan-Arab script-writers and artists to work from or through Beirut which became the new center of Comics.

Appearing in 1979, SAMER is undeniably the No.1 magazine (for kids of course) to publish comic strips entirely produced by the pan-Arab authors: Nabil Kadouh (Lebanese), Loujayna el-Assil (Syrian), Taha el-Khalidi (Palestinian), Mumtaz el-Bahra (Syrian), and the famous Mike Nasser (Lebanese) were the most noticeable artists. But, In spite of the technicality, SAMER remained as a whole, less innovative in styles and scripts compared to the advanced Egyptian comics of the 50s.

1980 – A HOPLESS ATTEMPT

One cannot conclude this overview without a stop at one of the most daring attempt to reshape the perception of comics in the Arab Culture and I mean: JADWORKSHOP.

Adult aimed publications, spread a breath into the stagnant Arabic comics with Jad (these are not my words, but NUMA SADOUL’s. a French historian of comics, in Encyclopedie de La Bande Dessinée). My production in Comics covered since 1980, daily newspapers (An-Nahar, As-Safir), Cultural magazines (Al-Makassed, Abouab), Albums (Carnaval, Freud, 1001 Leyla), exhibits (Beirut, Angoulême, etc…), museums acquisitions (Musée Nationale de la Bande Dessinée, France). A turning point still was the foundation of JADWORKSHOP in the mid-80s, where a group of artists gathered around one objective; to promote non-commercial Lebanese comics, and to spread this genre as an Art form into the Arab world. The adventure lead to many exhibits in Lebanon and abroad, and 3 publications… to end up in a dramatic way with their last album and exhibit in 1989 with a very strange title: “From Beirut…” as if it was a premeditate farewell to the most intriguing experience. The names to remember were: Edgar Aho, Lina Ghaibeh, Wissam Beydoun, May Ghaibeh, Shoghig Der-Ghogassian…..