Lebanon.
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Lebanon
1959
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Lebanon was one of the first Arab countries to publish comics magazines: from 1964 the Beirut publisher Al-Mutaba'at al-Musawwara issued Superman in Arabic, and in the late 1970s Bissat el Rih published titles such as Antar and the anthology Ma Wara al-Kawn.
Political cartoonists such as Pierre Sadek, Stavro Jabra and the Lebanese-born Mahmoud Kahil drew the country's crises, and since the 2000s graphic novelists including Zeina Abirached, Mazen Kerbaj and Lena Merhej, together with the Samandal collective founded in 2007, have made Lebanese comics known abroad.
17
22
1959
2000s
Artists from Lebanon in the archive.
Comics from Lebanon in the archive.
Khaled Fata al-Arab, the earliest comic from Lebanon in the archive.
The decade when the most new comics from Lebanon began.
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Lebanon in 4 chapters
A short history you can leaf through. Click a page, use the arrow keys, or press Turn the page to read on.
Lebanon.
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4 chapters
Chapter 1
1959
to 1974
Illustrated magazines and Arabic superheroes
1959
to 1974
Chapter 01
Illustrated magazines and Arabic superheroes
The weekly children's magazine Khaled Fata al-Arab, launched on 1 June 1959, carried comics such as Juha and Khaled. From February 1964 Al-Mutaba'at al-Musawwara published Superman in Arabic, followed by titles such as Al-Watwat (Batman, 1965) and Little Lulu (1966).
1975
to 1990
Chapter 02
Comics in the civil war years
Bissat el Rih launched Antar (1977), a comics series about the hero Antarah ibn Shaddad, the weekly Bissat el Rih (1978) and the anthology Ma Wara al-Kawn, whose Grendizer stories ran for 140 issues. In 1975 Mu'taz Sawwaf co-founded the Arab comics magazine Tosh Fish, and cartoonists such as Pierre Sadek and Stavro commented on the war in the Lebanese press.
1991
to 2006
Chapter 03
Memory and the graphic novel
Élie Klimos drew Le Parfum des Cèdres, a saga about present-day Lebanon, for Glénat in 1997, and Mazen Kerbaj published Journal 1999, a diary in comics form, in 2000 and later posted comics on his blog. Zeina Abirached published her first books in 2006, and Kerbaj's visual diary of the July 2006 war later appeared in English as Beirut Won't Cry.
2007
to today
Chapter 04
Samandal and a new generation
The Samandal comics collective was created in 2007; its December 2009 issue was later fined 20,000 US dollars over two stories, and the group won the alternative comics prize at Angoulême in 2019. The Mahmoud Kahil Award, launched at the American University of Beirut in 2015, rewards Arab cartoons and graphic novels, and winners include Barrack Rima and Joseph Kai.
The comics to know
- Superman (Arabic edition)سوبرمان1964 · comics magazineAl-Mutaba'at al-Musawwara (publisher). Weekly Arabic translation of DC's Superman comics, published in Beirut.
- Antarعنتر1977 · comics magazineBissat el Rih (publisher). Historical comics magazine telling the adventures of Antarah ibn Shaddad.
- Le Jeu des hirondelles2007Zeina Abirached. Memoir of a night in civil war Beirut; published in English as A Game for Swallows.
- Samandal2007 · comics magazineSamandal collective. Alternative comics magazine; the collective won the Angoulême alternative comics prize in 2019.
- Amalgamاملغام2009 · graphic novelMaya Zankoul. Webcomic blog and self-published book about daily life in Lebanon.
- Bye bye Babylone2010 · graphic novelLamia Ziadé. Graphic novel about Beirut from 1975 to 1979.
The people to know
- Pierre Sadekبيير صادقCaricaturist, 1938 to 2013Pioneer of Lebanese political cartooning; first in Lebanon to draw cartoons on television news (1986).
- Stavro Jabraستافرو جبراCartoonist, 1947 to 2017Cartoonist whose drawings on Lebanese and Middle Eastern events ran in the Lebanese press for forty years.
- Mahmoud Kahilمحمود كحيلCartoonist, 1936 to 2003Lebanese-born editorial cartoonist; the Mahmoud Kahil Award bears his name.
- Zeina Abirachedزينة أبي راشدComics artist, Born 1981Graphic novelist of civil war memory, author of Le Jeu des hirondelles.
- Mazen Kerbajمازن كرباجComics artist, Born 1975Comics artist and trumpeter, author of a visual diary of the 2006 war.
- Lena MerhejComics artist, Born 1977Samandal member; artist of Le génie de Beyrouth.
- Barrack RimaComics artist, Born 1972Author of the Beirut trilogy and Dans le taxi; Samandal member for over ten years.
- Joseph KaiComics artist, Born 1989Samandal publication director and author of L'Intranquille.
More artists from Lebanon
- Maya Zankoulمايا زنقولBorn 1986 · cartoonist
- Mu'taz Sawwafcomics artist
- Élie KlimosBorn 1955 · comics artist
- Lamia Ziadéلمياء زيادةBorn 1968 · illustrator
- Roni Saidروني سعيدcomics artist
- Karen KeyrouzBorn 1992 · comics artist
- Tracy Chahwanترايسي شهوانBorn 1992 · comics artist
- Raphaëlle MacaronBorn 1990 · illustrator
- Diran AdjemianՏիրան Աճէմեան1902 to 1991 · caricaturist
More comics from Lebanon
All 22 comics- Amalgam 22010 · graphic novel
- Bissat el Rihبساط الريح1978 · comics magazine
- Khaled Fata al-Arabخالد فتى العرب1959 · comics magazine
- Le Jeu des hirondelles : Mourir, partir, revenir2007 · graphic novel
- Ma Wara al-Kawnما وراء الكونcomics magazine
- Dans le taxi2020 · graphic novel
- Fattoumcomic strip
- Beyrouth Catharsis2006 · graphic novel
- Je me souviens2009 · graphic novel
- Beirut Won't Cry2017 · graphic novel
- Le Piano oriental2015 · graphic novel
- Le Parfum des Cèdres1997 · comic book series