AK Comics
Encyclopedia
AK Comics is an Egypt
ian-based superhero
comic publishing venture, and the first large scale production of the genre in the Middle East
. The company was founded by Dr. Ayman Kandeel, (hence the initials); Dærick Gröss, Sr. is the editor-in-chief; Waleed Al-Telbany is the art director; Mohie El-Dein Sideiq is the Arabic-language editor and Sara Kareem is the English-language editor.
AK Comics first began publishing monthly titles in February 2004, and its comics are produced in both Arabic
and English
.
and Marvel
, as well as British comics (for example, 2000 AD
), Japanese animation, and even the Kill Bill
movies.
As explained in the first inside page of various issues, the intention is "to fill the cultural gap created over the years by providing essentially Arab role models, in our case, Arab superheroes, to become a source of pride to our young generations."
Apart from Rakan, who inhabits a sort of sword and sorcery world, all the superheroes live in the near future, in the immediate aftermath of the "55-Year War" between unnamed superpowers, when terrorists and criminals constantly threaten to destroy the fragile peace.
Although the protagonists are clearly Middle Eastern, for the sake of neutrality there is no direct reference to the religion or ethnicity of the characters. As explained in one issue: "The religious backgrounds of the heroes remain undisclosed so that no religion or faith can be perceived as better than another."
AK Comics sells mainly in Egypt and is beginning to be distributed in other Middle Eastern states, as well as having overseas subscriptions (particularly in the United States
). As of September 2005 the comics sell 15,000 copies an issue, and are beginning to break even. Censorship
and a lack of local artists are issues for the company; besides had the initial storylines started by 'Studio G Pub' studio, most of the artwork is produced in Brazil
by 'PopArt Comics
Studio','Daniel Brandão Studio' and 'Legio Studio'. Among some subtle differences on displaying the characters in the middle-east ambient are the sensitive reduction of female features, like the size of breasts and skimpy outfits used by them. Nashar said that in certain cases local censors went through each page blackening out breasts with markers, and only the titles featuring the male characters are currently distributed in Saudi Arabia
.
The comics were received very favorably in the United States, where sales averaged 4,500 copies per issue for the first four issues released. The comics can be ordered at any comic book store through the normal Diamond distribution channels. They are also doing direct sales and subscriptions through their L.A. partner.
The comic books are also available in the UK from comic book stores or by subscription from the AK Comics website. They have a loyal following in the UK, especially amongst Arabic learners - although the comic books are also available in English.
Pilots have been made for a TV series to be broadcast on Arab satellite channels and the first of these was shown at the Cairo Animation Festival in 2006.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian-based superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
comic publishing venture, and the first large scale production of the genre in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. The company was founded by Dr. Ayman Kandeel, (hence the initials); Dærick Gröss, Sr. is the editor-in-chief; Waleed Al-Telbany is the art director; Mohie El-Dein Sideiq is the Arabic-language editor and Sara Kareem is the English-language editor.
AK Comics first began publishing monthly titles in February 2004, and its comics are produced in both Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
Overview
AK Comics are heavily influenced by American comics giants DC ComicsDC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
and Marvel
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
, as well as British comics (for example, 2000 AD
2000 AD (comic)
2000 AD is a weekly British science fiction-oriented comic. As a comics anthology it serialises a number of separate stories each issue and was first published by IPC Magazines in 1977, the first issue dated 26 February. IPC then shifted the title to its Fleetway comics subsidiary which was sold...
), Japanese animation, and even the Kill Bill
Kill Bill
Kill Bill Volume 1 is a 2003 action thriller film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is the first of two volumes that were theatrically released several months apart, the second volume being Kill Bill Volume 2....
movies.
As explained in the first inside page of various issues, the intention is "to fill the cultural gap created over the years by providing essentially Arab role models, in our case, Arab superheroes, to become a source of pride to our young generations."
Superheroes
There are four superheroes:- Zein, a philosophy professor and the last of an ancient line of pharaohPharaohPharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
s. He lives in Origin City, which resembles CairoCairoCairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, and uses ancient technology and superpowers to thwart evil-doers. - Aya, a law student driven to fighting crime when her mother is wrongly accused of murdering her father. She has no superpowers of her own, but fights for justice and gender equality.
- Jalila, a female scientist who at the age of 16 survived an explosion at the Dimodona nuclear plant (a reference to the DimonaDimonaDimona is an Israeli city in the Negev desert, to the south of Beersheba and west of the Dead Sea above the Arava valley in the Southern District of Israel. Its population at the end of 2007 was 33,600.-History:...
nuclear plant used by IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
to build its undeclared nuclear arsenal), and gained super-powers from the radiation. She protects the City of All Faiths (based on Jerusalem) from the warring Zios Army and the United Liberation Force. - Rakan, a medieval warrior who survived a Mongol invasion of Mesopotamia and was raised by a saber-toothed catSaber-toothed catSaber-toothed cat or Sabre-toothed cat refers to the extinct subfamilies of Machairodontinae , Barbourofelidae , and Nimravidae as well as two families related to marsupials that were found worldwide from the Eocene Epoch to the end of the Pleistocene Epoch ,...
. His country is constantly attacked by MongolsMongolsMongols ) are a Central-East Asian ethnic group that lives mainly in the countries of Mongolia, China, and Russia. In China, ethnic Mongols can be found mainly in the central north region of China such as Inner Mongolia...
, TurksTurkic peoplesThe Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
and Crusaders. Through the techniques of "sheba" (wisdom and peace) he is an invincible warrior. Rakan's most known enemy to date is ChessMaster (AK Comics), created by Felipe Ferreira and Rafael Albuquerque, from PopArt ComicsPopArt ComicsFounded by the artist Rafael Albuquerque, PopArt Comics strives to work for foreign publishers, dealing with well-established characters and developing stories that are, not only, reader-friendly and very entertaining, but also the customer's satisfaction, through market share analysis and focusing...
.
Apart from Rakan, who inhabits a sort of sword and sorcery world, all the superheroes live in the near future, in the immediate aftermath of the "55-Year War" between unnamed superpowers, when terrorists and criminals constantly threaten to destroy the fragile peace.
Although the protagonists are clearly Middle Eastern, for the sake of neutrality there is no direct reference to the religion or ethnicity of the characters. As explained in one issue: "The religious backgrounds of the heroes remain undisclosed so that no religion or faith can be perceived as better than another."
Reception
AK Comics started an initial United States venture in 2004 and found the market crowded.AK Comics sells mainly in Egypt and is beginning to be distributed in other Middle Eastern states, as well as having overseas subscriptions (particularly in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
). As of September 2005 the comics sell 15,000 copies an issue, and are beginning to break even. Censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
and a lack of local artists are issues for the company; besides had the initial storylines started by 'Studio G Pub' studio, most of the artwork is produced in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
by 'PopArt Comics
PopArt Comics
Founded by the artist Rafael Albuquerque, PopArt Comics strives to work for foreign publishers, dealing with well-established characters and developing stories that are, not only, reader-friendly and very entertaining, but also the customer's satisfaction, through market share analysis and focusing...
Studio','Daniel Brandão Studio' and 'Legio Studio'. Among some subtle differences on displaying the characters in the middle-east ambient are the sensitive reduction of female features, like the size of breasts and skimpy outfits used by them. Nashar said that in certain cases local censors went through each page blackening out breasts with markers, and only the titles featuring the male characters are currently distributed in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
.
The comics were received very favorably in the United States, where sales averaged 4,500 copies per issue for the first four issues released. The comics can be ordered at any comic book store through the normal Diamond distribution channels. They are also doing direct sales and subscriptions through their L.A. partner.
The comic books are also available in the UK from comic book stores or by subscription from the AK Comics website. They have a loyal following in the UK, especially amongst Arabic learners - although the comic books are also available in English.
Pilots have been made for a TV series to be broadcast on Arab satellite channels and the first of these was shown at the Cairo Animation Festival in 2006.
External links
- Home Page
- AK Comics Storm The Arab World! - Publishing Industry Network