“Pens and Cartoons: Arab comics in motion” includes a complete overview of current comics and graphic novels in the Arab world through 23 works produced from 2007 to 2015, all very representative of the creative response by Arab writers and illustrators to the social and political transformations occurring over the last decade.

Fresh, imaginative, talented, innovative, daring… these are just a few of the common denominators used to describe the world of Arab comics, surprising not only to those abroad, but also to the people in their own countries. It is a form of expression that has used a smooth and self-assured style to connect with a growing audience which follows and interacts with works written on such different topics as superheroes, traditional tales and stories of a social and personal nature. Lebanon and Egypt have been the main focal points for this creativity in recent years, but the production of comics in both the Maghreb region and the rest of the Arab world is increasing thanks to the creativity of authors who unhesitatingly connect with the international comics scene, in which they are also beginning to earn recognition. 

This show, the first time Arab works of the “ninth art” are being brought closer to the Spanish public, is divided into three sections, each focusing on a different type of medium in which comics are produced: “Magazines: The predecessors of new Arab comics,” “Books: The rara avis of Arab comics,” and “Internet: The natural space for creativity in Arab comics.” 

All of the excerpts in the exhibition are shown with translations into Spanish by a network of translators who specialize in the various dialects of the Arabic language. All of the work was coordinated by curator Pedro Rojo and the Al Fanar Foundation. Moreover, visitors may view the full stories of each comic using an app for their mobile phones, which will help them take the exhibition with them outside the exhibition halls of Casa Árabe itself.

This display was presented for the first time at La Alhóngida in Segovia as part of the Hay Festival last September. After being shown at the Casa Árabe’s headquarters in Madrid, it will travel to Cordoba, Barcelona and other cities. The European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed) has collaborated with Casa Árabe on this initiative.