From October 1 till 3, comic enthusiasts in Cairo are in for a treat at the American University in Cairo’s (AUC) Greek Campus. From talks to workshops, comic book sales and exhibitions, the CairoComix Festival, the capital’s newest comic fair, will put past and present Arabic comics under the spotlight. According to Jonathan Guyer, who could be dubbed as the Egyptian Cartoon and Comic Expert, the comic scene in Egypt is doing more than well. “As ever, Egypt’s comic scene is bustling,” he wrote on his blog in August 2015. “Some recent developments: Makhlouf’s Martian portrait drawing hangout, Mohamed Wahba Elshenawy’s comic classes, a ‘zine called Garage, and the Ministry of Culture’s touring political cartoon gallery.” A while back, in September 2014, Mohamed El Baaly (owner of Sefsafa Publishing House) had set up the Egypt Comix Week for the first time. As a seemingly natural continuation to the activity on the comics scene, CairoComix builds up on these positive developments. The first edition of the festival “aspires to promote the growth of visual art entertainment, and create a nurturing environment that entertains the audience and fosters the development of an…
Comics Enthusiasts Rejoice as CairoComix Festival Kick-Starts in Egypt
October 1, 2015
