Saudi Arabia.
قصص مصورة
Saudi Arabia
1959
قصص مصورة
Saudi comics began in children's magazines: the poet Taher Zamakhshari's Rawda (1959 to 1960) printed pages of cartoon stories, and Hasan (from 1974), Al-Shibl (from 1981) and Basim (from 1987) built a young readership for Arabic comics.
Newspaper cartoonists such as Abdullah al-Zamil, Samir al-Dahham, Abdul Salam al-Halil and Abdullah Sayel shaped a tradition of social satire, later joined by Hana Hajjar, the first Saudi woman cartoonist. Since the first Saudi Comic Con in 2017, Manga Productions, part of the Misk Foundation, and the magazine Manga Arabia have turned the scene towards manga-style Saudi comics.
7
10
1959
2020s
Artists from Saudi Arabia in the archive.
Comics from Saudi Arabia in the archive.
Rawda, the earliest comic from Saudi Arabia in the archive.
The decade when the most new comics from Saudi Arabia began.
قصص مصورة
Saudi Arabia in 4 chapters
A short history you can leaf through. Click a page, use the arrow keys, or press Turn the page to read on.
Saudi Arabia.
قصص مصورة
4 chapters
Chapter 1
1959
to 1980
First children's magazines and press cartoons
1959
to 1980
Chapter 01
First children's magazines and press cartoons
Rawda, founded by Taher Zamakhshari as the first Saudi children's magazine, appeared on 17 September 1959 with three pages of cartoon stories per issue and closed on 12 May 1960 after 27 issues. Hasan, a weekly from the Okaz organisation in Jeddah, began on 20 April 1974 with about half its pages in colour comics. Abdullah al-Zamil was among the first cartoonists in Saudi newspapers, and Samir al-Dahham began drawing social cartoons for Al-Jazirah in 1971.
1981
to 2005
Chapter 02
The children's magazine boom
Al-Shibl, a fortnightly from Riyadh with up to 16 pages of cartoons, began in 1981, and Basim, launched in Jeddah on 15 September 1987, ran weekly until 2009 and monthly until 2014 with its own comic characters such as Basim and Saadan. In the press, Abdul Salam al-Halil drew daily cartoons for Al-Riyadh from 1984, and Abdullah Sayel began publishing as a schoolboy in 1985.
2006
to 2016
Chapter 03
Satire magazines and new voices
Character, a monthly published with Al-Majalla from 2006 to early 2010, is described as the first magazine of cartoons and satirical writing in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. Hana Hajjar, born in Medina in 1979, became known as the first Saudi woman cartoonist through her work for Arab News, and Talal Fahid Shasha'a drew for Al-Yaum, Al-Eqtisadiah and Al-Jazirah.
2017
to today
Chapter 04
Comic Con and Saudi manga
The first Saudi Comic Con, held in Jeddah from 16 to 18 February 2017, drew about 20,000 visitors and gave local artists tables of their own. In September 2021 the Saudi Research and Media Group launched Manga Arabia, a monthly that publishes Japanese manga in Arabic alongside Saudi comics such as Manga Productions' Bissa, and from 2024 it began adapting Saudi novels into comics.
The comics to know
- Rawdaروضة1959 · comics magazineTaher Zamakhshari (founder and editor). First Saudi children's magazine; 27 issues until 12 May 1960.
- Hasanحسن1974 · comics magazineOkaz Organization for Press and Publication. Weekly children's magazine built around colour comic pages.
- Al-Shiblالشبل1981 · comics magazineAbdulrahman bin Sulaiman Al-Ruwaished (publisher). Riyadh fortnightly with up to 16 pages of cartoons.
- Basim1987Saudi Research and Publishing Company. Children's magazine with Saudi comic characters, weekly until 2009 and monthly until 2014.
- Characterكركتر2006 · comics magazineAbdulwahab Al-Fayez and Abdullah Sayel. Monthly cartoon and satire magazine published with Al-Majalla until early 2010.
- Manga Arabiaمانجا العربية2021 · comics magazineSaudi Research and Media Group; editor Essam Bukhary. Monthly manga magazine in kids and youth editions, mixing Japanese and Saudi comics.
- Bissaبسّة2021 · comic book seriesManga Productions. Comic about a country cat lost in Jeddah, serialized in Manga Arabia from 11 September 2021.
The people to know
- Abdullah Ali al-Zamilعبد الله علي الزامل1914 to 1987Writer and artist, among the first cartoonists in Saudi newspapers.
- Samir al-Dahhamسمير الدهامBorn 1955Drew social cartoons for Al-Jazirah from 1971.
- Abdul Salam al-Halilعبد السلام الهليلBorn 1962Daily cartoonist of Al-Riyadh since 1984 and a leading cartoonist of the 1990s.
- Abdullah Sayelعبد الله صايلCartoonist and writer, deputy editor of Character, who helped found the Saudi society for caricature and animation.
- Hana Hajjarهناء حجارBorn 1979First Saudi woman cartoonist, known for her work in Arab News.
- Talal Fahid Shasha'aطلال فهد الشعشاعBorn 1977Cartoonist for Al-Yaum, Al-Eqtisadiah and Al-Jazirah and author of a study of the art of caricature.