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THE BLOG AT THE CROSSROADS
Article: Current Comics in The Middle East
Posted: January 22, 2012
To this day, one measure of the freedom of expression in any society is how outspoken its cartoonists are allowed to be in newspapers, magazines and increasingly in book-length comics or ‘graphic novels’ aimed at adult readers. Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi‘s memoir of growing up in Tehran and as an exile in Europe, and Palestine, a first-hand account of what trained journalist Joe Sacco witnessed in Gaza, are two best-selling examples published in the West.
The role of socially and politically engaged comics of this kind, through their techniques of reportage, autobiography, satire, and commentary on everyday life, has also become increasingly significant in the Middle East, where the medium has typically been confined to a juvenile audience. Censors may have tried to suppress them, but throughout the ongoing ‘Arab Spring’, new types of comics are also enjoying their own ‘Spring’ as one of the most accessible, low-tech ‘social media’ to spread personal viewpoints and protests. Read my full article here…
Read The Blog At The Crossroads here.
