Tag: samandal

Comic Explains Lebanon’s Censorship Problem

A new comic on The Nib provides an illustrated look into the censorship problem in Lebanon. The comic by Ghadi Ghosn and Virginie Le Borgne examines how censorship impacts the country’s vibrant arts community. The comic points out that certain…

Experimental Comics Thrive in Middle East Despite Obstacles

Without a doubt, the current world hot spot for underground and experimental comics is the Middle East and North Africa–a fact that might surprise many Americans. From Egypt’s Tok Tok to Lebanon’s Samandal to Nadia Khiari’s radical cartoon cat Willis…

CBLDF’s Charles Brownstein Examines Representation and Free Expression in Comics

Earlier this year, CBLDF Executive Director Charles Brownstein toured the exhibit Our Comics, Ourselves: Identity, Expression, and Representation in Comic Art at Brooklyn’s Interference Archive. The physical exhibit packed up in April, but it lives on as a Tumblr blog…

Lebanese Editors Use Government Censorship to Make More Comics

Samandal covers

Earlier this year, three editors/artists for the independent Lebanese magazine Samandal were found guilty of belittling Christianity, “inciting sectarian strife,” and propagating “defamation and slander” leading to a total of  $60,000 in fines. In a recent interview with The Comics…

Lebanese Comics Collective Counters Government Censure with Crowdfunding Campaign

The Lebanese indie comics collective Samandal, financially crippled after three of its editors were fined a total of $60,000 for charges that include “inciting sectarian strife” and “denigrating religion” through comics, this week turned to crowdfunding in a last-ditch effort…