We’re sure we’re not the only comic geeks in Cairo who are excited about the launch of Toktok 14 - the latest edition of the popular Egyptian comic magazine at the Institut Français on March 18th. Along with other comic magazines like Garage, Toktok is putting Cairo on the map as a serious challenger to Beirut’s position as the leading source of creative underground comic art in the Middle East. If you doubt us, here’s our recommendation for nine groundbreaking and talented Egyptian comic artists that you should know about.
1. ANDEEL
(Image courtesy of Andeel on Facbeook)
We begin the list with Mada Masr and Toktok contributor, Andeel, who stands as one of the most popular young satirical cartoonists in Egypt these days, with his snappy and on-point comics regularly going viral. Follow him on Facebook here for his hilarious posts and commentary.
2. ISLAM GAWISH
(Image courtesy of El Waraka on Facbeook)
Islam Gawish’s simple, doodle-like El Waraka comics regularly fill up our newsfeeds, but his name hit the news earlier this year when he was briefly arrested for running a Facebook page without a permit. Ahem, yeah. We're glad that unpleasantness is over and done with, because his lighthearted comic series – now available in book editions - brighten up otherwise drab workdays. Follow him here.
3. HATEM ALY
(Image courtesy of Mehatem on Facbeook)
Now based in New Brunswick, Canada, Hatem Aly is an incredibly talented artist who’s won awards and worked with publications and agencies across the world. We’ve been following his whimsical and child-like illustrations ever since deviantart.com was still a thing.
(Image courtesy of Mohamed Anwar on Tumblr)
Mohamed Anwar is a regular contributor to Toktok as well as news publications like Ros El Youssef and Egypt Independent. His comics are politically light, relevant and snappy - exactly what you need from a comic strip. Read more of them here.
5. TAREK SHAHIN
(Image courtesy of Tarek Shahin on Facbeook)
Cairo-born, London-transplant, Tarek Shahin, has two books published based on his Al Khan series, which originally appeared in Daily News Egypt. His English-written comic strips are subtle in their political content and humour and easy to follow in sequence or separately.
6. DOAA ELADL
(Image courtesy of Doaa Eladl on Tumblr)
As one of the most ‘shared’ artists on our feed, cartoonist, Doaa Eladl, is a regular political comic contributor to Al Masry Al Youm and hit headlines in 2012 after being arrested for ‘insulting religion’. She’s also a heavy contender in a male-dominated industry with her poignant political caricatures.
7. SHENNAWY