Literally GraphicReview of "Shubeik Lubeik" (5 stars): Five Star Egyptian Comic
https://books.theunseen.city/user/LiterallyGraphic/review/145827
Meepelous@[email protected] This week's read is Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed. Originally published in Arabic, the edition I read was an English translated published by Pantheon Books in 2022.
A thick read, I picked up this urban fantasy title as part of trying to read more books from the middle east for reasons I hope are pretty obvious. Thread incoming of all the books on that reading list.
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Content notes for loss of limbs, smoking, imprisonment, harm to children/death of children, spousal abuse, and needles.
Keywords that came to mind reading this volume: speculative, urban fantasy, alternative presents, philosophy, family, and education.
Check out my full review video & transcript: https://literallygraphic.wordpress.com/2024/11/11/shubeik-lubeik-by-deena-mohamed-cc/
#2024Reading #Egypt #UrbanFantasy
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@LiterallyGAnd here's all my previous reviews of comics and graphic novels related to the middle east. I'm still looking for even more recommendations so please feel free to recommend! One too small way to combat all the propagandist othering of this place and people me and my peers have been force fed.
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One of the first titles I read on the topic back in 2021. Footnotes in Gaza by Joe Sacco was his second book of comics journalism about Palestine and zooms in to a particular flashpoint in 1956 Rafah.
Video review and transcript: https://literallygraphic.wordpress.com/2021/11/27/footnotes-in-gaza-by-joe-sacco-cc/
Power Born of Dreams: My Story is Palestine by Mohammad Sabaaneh - A very poetic story telling style, there’s lots of symbolism, metaphor, & other techniques to expand our emotional & factual understanding of the situation.
Video Review & transcript https://literallygraphic.wordpress.com/2023/10/28/power-born-of-dreams-my-story-is-palestine-by-mohammad-sabaaneh-cc/
Green Almonds: Letters from Palestine by sister duo Anaële and Delphine Hermans.
Keywords that came to mind reading this travelogue? Walls, check points, surveillance, occupation, loss, harm, privilege and slice of life.
Video Review & Transcript https://literallygraphic.wordpress.com/2023/10/21/green-almonds-letters-from-palestine-by-anaele-hermans-delphine-hermans/
Where Black Stars Rise by Nadia Shammas & Marie Enger. Clearly labeled as a remix/response to The King in Yellow collection of short stories by Robert W. Chambers a predecessor to Lovecraft in the whole Eldritch Horror thing.
Video Review & Transcript: https://literallygraphic.wordpress.com/2023/11/04/where-black-stars-rise-by-nadia-shammas-marie-enger-cc/
And of course we have probably the most shared graphic novel on the topic - Palestine by Joe Sacco. Keywords included: lines, family, land, fear, children, and propaganda.
Video Review & Transcript: https://literallygraphic.wordpress.com/2023/11/18/palestine-by-joe-sacco-cc/
White and Black: Political Cartoons from Palestine by Mohammad Sabaaneh is a more editorial cartoon approach. Artistically I also appreciated the use of line and the generous dose of both hatching and cross hatching.
Video Review & Transcript https://literallygraphic.wordpress.com/2024/06/03/white-and-black-political-cartoons-from-palestine-by-mohammad-sabaaneh-cc/
Video Review & Transcript https://literallygraphic.wordpress.com/2024/06/03/white-and-black-political-cartoons-from-palestine-by-mohammad-sabaaneh-cc/
Baddawi by Leila Abdelrazaq - I appreciate the skill in balancing short slices of life with an over arching coming of age story.
Video review & transcript https://literallygraphic.wordpress.com/2024/03/02/baddawi-by-leila-abdelrazaq-cc/
Nayra and the Djinn is a middle grade graphic novel by Iasmin Omar Ata that centres around Ramadan, friendship, and volleyball.
Video Review and Transcript https://literallygraphic.wordpress.com/2024/02/10/nayra-and-the-djinn-by-iasmin-omar-ata-cc/
The Hookah Girl: And Other True Stories by Marguerite Dabaie is a very fast and punchy read. What kinds of keywords came to mind reading this collection? Culture and fashion, colonization, violence, silencing and gender.
Video Review & Transcript https://literallygraphic.wordpress.com/2024/01/20/the-hookah-girl-and-other-true-stories-by-marguerite-dabaie-cc/
Mis(h)adra by Iasmin Omar Ata. A fictional and colourful story based off of their own medical experience. A creative work of graphic medicine.
Video Review and Transcript https://literallygraphic.wordpress.com/2024/01/06/mishadra-by-iasmin-omar-ata-cc/
Squire by Nadia Shammas and Sara Alfageeh - a middle grade genre look at empire. Keywords that came to mind reading this volume were: propaganda, empire, coming of age, community, conspiracy theories, blackmail, & scapegoats.
Video Review & Transcript https://literallygraphic.wordpress.com/2023/12/30/squire-by-nadia-shammas-and-sara-alfageeh-cc/
Restless by Joseph Kai - What kinds of keywords came to mind? Artistic communities, body hair, queer, dreams, closets, threat, and resistance.
Video Review & Transcript https://literallygraphic.wordpress.com/2024/03/30/restless-by-joseph-kai-cc/
A more clear cut Graphic Memoir is Poppies of Iraq by Brigitte Findakly & Lewis Trondheim.
Keywords that came to mind: war, family, diaspora, history, conversation, and education.
Video review & transcript https://literallygraphic.wordpress.com/2021/07/01/poppies-of-iraq-by-brigitte-findakly-lewis-trondheim-cc/
