Inspiration
The project as a publication is inspired by “Nazar” the magazine by the designer Mohieddine El-Labbad, where he published a collection of “random” comics, jokes, puzzles, articles, and artworks.
Our visual identity is inspired by the ancient Egyptian drawings, the main characters are an outline trace of jewelry items that were made thousands of years ago. While the comic strips’ text is usually written directly on the background without specific boundaries, just like the ancient carvings.
The need
As an aspiring artist, I realized the brilliance of these ancient designs, how they perfectly fit the needs of the material at hand, nailing the given requirements for a practical object, as well as depicting a living organism in an anatomically correct scale, in other words, making it instantly recognizable.
Following these ancient footsteps is an unmatched experience (art students who tried to draw/replicate something in some museum would relate to this feeling). Some kind of a connection happens right then and there with the original artist, imitating their creative decisions, bringing their art and their creative energy back to life.
Proving my own belief that these designs are timeless was simple, by repurposing these designs for use in the modern world, like comic strips. And counting on the fact that we’ll probably find funny people who would be interested in collaborating on these strips, given some initial success/popularity.
As a creative professional in the same aforementioned modern world, I’m constantly experiencing the inevitable rejections that are embedded in my day-to-day life, AKA, “Client Feedback”, “Edits”, “Revisions”, and “Amendments”. These comic strips are the only activity that I do on my terms, in my time. Which quickly became the most exciting part of my schedule.
The value
We believe that a self-sustained digital publishing platform that is influence-free, and censorship-free, would help the Arab world to accept the realities of the current time. Governments and entities of all sorts, have to follow some rules of public conduct, and creatives often practice self-censorship on the individual level, deeming most creative ideas as inappropriate in some context, to some group and/or leadership.
Swear words and toilet humor are essential indicators – in our opinion – of how free a nation really is, of course, a more profound form of expression would be more impactful and appreciated, but some jokes could help pave that lengthy way, maybe provide the platform for such free expressions.
This new representation of what is okay according to our dominant social values is an endeavor that we are just scratching its rugged surface. Not fully understanding the ramifications of actually making any difference. But we’re hopeful 🙂
We will provide the oppressed creative ideas a platform to live, and a chance to reach their audience. If you have something that you created, and you think that it’s worth publishing but no one else would publish it, drop us a line.
How to help
If you would like to help us achieve these goals, there are many ways we could think of:
- The obvious ones: Like/Follow our accounts, and Share the posts you particularly like with your friends.
- Collaborate with us: Have comic ideas for our characters? Drop us a line.
- Spread the word: Do you write or blog somewhere? Ask for the press kit.
- Something we didn’t think of: Drop us a line.
