Arab Comic Strips: Politics of an Emerging Mass Culture

'"Arab Comic Strips" uses popular culture to reveal the dynamics of Arab politics and society from North Africa to the Gulf, from Gamal Abd al-Nasser to Saddam Husayn, from secular to Islamic comic strips. A singular and fascinating contribution to scholarship' - John L. Esposito, College of the Holy Cross. 'This book makes us feel we are listening, finally, to Middle Eastern voices, in all their variety, close-up' - Michael Beard, University of North Dakota."Arab Comic Strips" introduces the rich fund of comic strip literature of the Arab world. Through a variety of critical techniques, the book examines the publishing history, political positions, and audiences of Arab comic strip magazines; the Egyptianization of Mickey Mouse; the transformation of political figures such as Nasser and Saddam Husayn into comic strip heroes; the work of the popular Egyptian cartoonist Ahmad Hijazi; and the uses made of Islamic comics. Chapters on Syria, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, and the Franco-Arab Beurs reveal an extraordinary variety of artistic approaches. Insights into the changing roles of women in contemporary Arab society, the evolution of cultural patterns across national boundaries, and the interplay of international and regional politics emerge from the authors' lively reading of this little-known genre.