Zahra's Paradise
Encyclopedia
Zahra's Paradise is a webcomic
set in modern Iran
. It has been described as a political webcomic dealing with real-time events. Its story follows a mother searching for her son, who disappeared in around the time of the Iran’s 2009 elections. Serialized online at zahrasparadise.com since early 2010, Zahra's Paradise: A missing son. A stolen election. Is this Iran? published in hardcover
format on September 13, 2011, and has received numerous positive reviews in mainstream press and blogs.
. The search is carried by his mother (the titular Zahra), his brother (a blogger) and their friends.
s, and want to protect their families in Iran from repression
s by the Iranian government. The writer describes himself as "a human rights activist, journalist and documentary filmmaker." It was first published on 19 February 2010. Zahra's Paradise is published three times a week in black-and-white strips. It has been translated into several languages, and a hardcover print edition was published by First Second Books
on September 13, 2011.
Zahra's Paradise is also the English translation of Behesht-e Zahra
, a large cemetery in Teheran. The webcomic's name purposefully draws inspiration from that place, a place of rest for many Iranians from all paths of life, including both the supporters and opponents of the Iranian revolution
and the current Iranian regime. Another name of relevance is that of the Canadian-Iranian journalist, Zahra Kazemi
, known for her investigations into missing people in Iran, who was beaten to death in an Iranian prison in 2003.
noted that "the webcomic is garnering enthusiastic mentions across the mainstream media and... varied blogs ". In 2011, it was nominated in the Best Digital Comic category for an Eisner Award
.
Its theme and style have been compared to that of the Persepolis graphic novel that has been adapted into an animated film
, recipient of numerous awards and nominated for Oscars in 2007
. Another review compared it to the comics Palestine and Maus
.
Webcomic
Webcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....
set in modern Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. It has been described as a political webcomic dealing with real-time events. Its story follows a mother searching for her son, who disappeared in around the time of the Iran’s 2009 elections. Serialized online at zahrasparadise.com since early 2010, Zahra's Paradise: A missing son. A stolen election. Is this Iran? published in hardcover
Hardcover
A hardcover, hardback or hardbound is a book bound with rigid protective covers...
format on September 13, 2011, and has received numerous positive reviews in mainstream press and blogs.
Plot
The story takes place in the aftermath of the disputed Iran’s 2009 elections. It recounts a search for Mehdi, a young activist who has vanished in their aftermath, likely abducted by the government's secret policeSecret police
Secret police are a police agency which operates in secrecy and beyond the law to protect the political power of an individual dictator or an authoritarian political regime....
. The search is carried by his mother (the titular Zahra), his brother (a blogger) and their friends.
Creation and publication
The webcomic was conceived by a Persian writer, an Arab artist and a Jewish editor, who have chosen anonymity for political reasons. Two of them are Iranian expatriateExpatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
s, and want to protect their families in Iran from repression
Political repression
Political repression is the persecution of an individual or group for political reasons, particularly for the purpose of restricting or preventing their ability to take political life of society....
s by the Iranian government. The writer describes himself as "a human rights activist, journalist and documentary filmmaker." It was first published on 19 February 2010. Zahra's Paradise is published three times a week in black-and-white strips. It has been translated into several languages, and a hardcover print edition was published by First Second Books
First Second Books
First Second Books is an American publisher of graphic novels. An imprint of Roaring Brook Press, part of Holtzbrinck Publishers, First Second publishes fiction, biographies, personal memoirs, history, visual essays, and comics journalism.-History:...
on September 13, 2011.
Zahra's Paradise is also the English translation of Behesht-e Zahra
Behesht-e Zahra
Behesht-e Zahra , is the largest cemetery in Iran. Located in the southern part of metropolitan Tehran, it is connected to the city by a metro line. The cemetery has been one of the inspirations for the popular webcomic, Zahra's Paradise.-History:...
, a large cemetery in Teheran. The webcomic's name purposefully draws inspiration from that place, a place of rest for many Iranians from all paths of life, including both the supporters and opponents of the Iranian revolution
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution refers to events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the...
and the current Iranian regime. Another name of relevance is that of the Canadian-Iranian journalist, Zahra Kazemi
Zahra Kazemi
Zahra "Ziba" Kazemi-Ahmadabadi was an Iranian-Canadian freelance photographer, residing in Montreal, Canada, who died in the custody of Iranian officials following her arrest....
, known for her investigations into missing people in Iran, who was beaten to death in an Iranian prison in 2003.
Reception
Zahra's Paradise has received a wide and positive reception; a review in The IndependentThe Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
noted that "the webcomic is garnering enthusiastic mentions across the mainstream media and... varied blogs ". In 2011, it was nominated in the Best Digital Comic category for an Eisner Award
Eisner Award
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, and sometimes referred to as the Oscar Awards of the Comics Industry, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books. The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the...
.
Its theme and style have been compared to that of the Persepolis graphic novel that has been adapted into an animated film
Persepolis (film)
Persepolis is a 2007 French animated film based on Marjane Satrapi's autobiographical graphic novel of the same name. The film was written and directed by Satrapi with Vincent Paronnaud. The story follows a young girl as she comes of age against the backdrop of the Iranian Revolution. The story...
, recipient of numerous awards and nominated for Oscars in 2007
Academy Award for Best Animated Feature
The Academy Award for Best Animated Feature is one of the annual awards given by the Los Angeles-based professional organization, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
. Another review compared it to the comics Palestine and Maus
Maus
Maus: A Survivor's Tale, by Art Spiegelman, is a biography of the author's father, Vladek Spiegelman, a Polish Jew and Holocaust survivor. It alternates between descriptions of Vladek's life in Poland before and during the Second World War and Vladek's later life in the Rego Park neighborhood of...
.