New Egyptian Comic Series Featuring Khaled Abol Naga Debuts on Social Media This Friday

We’ve always been huge comic book fans, but they disappeared for a while and still haven’t really reclaimed their rightful space in the literature community. But in the past couple of years, they have started to reappear in the form of graphic novels, e-books, and digital formats, generally. Not only do they still deliver the austere sci-fi styles that we grew up with, but have also increasingly been shedding light on socio-political issues that are often not talked about. Egypt’s most recent comic, titled 'Black Square' kicks off on Friday and it’s filled with all kinds of brilliance.

Black Square is not the average printed comic you’re used to. It is a series of seven comics and each one will address taboo social and personal issues that are often disregarded by the public. One comic will be exclusively published on Black Square’s Facebook and Instagram each week for seven weeks until all of the volumes are complete. The best part about this series is that each comic features one of seven celebrities who have collaborated with Black Square to put together a personalised and thought-provoking book series. The comics will include stars Khaled Abol Naga, Hany Adel, Ahmed Malek, Samar Morsi, Ghida Nouri, Nabil Issa and Tharaa Goubeil. 

Writer and director Ahmed Roshdy - well known for his short films including Tarot and The Unknown Sweet Potato Seller - has drawn all of the illustrations for the comic series. Roshdy is also a fine arts graduate and an animation director.

As the public continues to absorb most of its information from social and digital media, taking on topics that are deemed insensitive through this medium is cognitively changing the way we view them. 

Check out Black Square on Instagram and Facebook.