Tunisia.
القصص المصورة
Tunisia
1920
القصص المصورة
Tunisian comics grew from satirical press cartoons.
Mustapha Osman, the first Tunisian caricaturist, drew for the weeklies Al Moudhik and Al Moumathil in the 1920s and was sentenced to six months in prison in 1924. Press cartoonists such as Lotfi Ben Sassi and Chedly Belkhamsa later worked at La Presse de Tunisie, while comics magazines were rare or struggling under the old regime. After the 2011 revolution, Nadia Khiari's cat Willis from Tunis and the Koumik collective gave Tunisian comics a new start, and Tunisian-born authors like Néjib publish graphic novels in France.
13
13
1920
2010s
Artists from Tunisia in the archive.
Comics from Tunisia in the archive.
Al Moudhik, the earliest comic from Tunisia in the archive.
The decade when the most new comics from Tunisia began.
القصص المصورة
Tunisia in 3 chapters
A short history you can leaf through. Click a page, use the arrow keys, or press Turn the page to read on.
Tunisia.
القصص المصورة
3 chapters
Chapter 1
1920
to 1924
Satirical weeklies
1920
to 1924
Chapter 01
Satirical weeklies
Mustapha Osman co-founded Al Moudhik in March 1920, the first Tunisian humour paper to print local caricatures. He then worked on Al Moumathil with Slouma Ben Abderazek, and the French resident general suspended it on 15 December 1924, after which both men were sentenced to six months in prison.
1925
to 2010
Chapter 02
Press cartoonists and children's magazines
Ali Douagi, a short story writer who also drew caricatures, was published in Tunisian weeklies and monthlies in the 1930s and 1940s. Lotfi Ben Sassi began at La Presse de Tunisie in 1978 and still publishes a front-page cartoon with his BokBok characters, and Chedly Belkhamsa worked there as caricaturist and illustrator. The children's magazine Qaws Qazah, built on caricature and cartoon stories, began in February 1984, and in 2007 an anonymous architect known as Z started the cartoon blog DébaTunisie.
2011
to today
Chapter 03
After the revolution
Nadia Khiari started Willis from Tunis on Facebook in January 2011, and its first book followed that year. The Bande de BD collective prepared the 130 page Koumik for October 2011, with fourteen artists. Comic Con Tunisia has been held in Tunis since 2016, and Néjib's Stupor Mundi was in the official selection at Angoulême in 2017.
The comics to know
- Al Moudhikالمضحك1920 · satirical weeklyMustapha Osman and Abdelaziz Mahjoub. First Tunisian humour paper to print local caricatures.
- Al Moumathilالممثلsatirical weeklyMustapha Osman and Slouma Ben Abderazek. Satirical weekly suspended in December 1924.
- Qaws Qazahقوس قزح1984 · comics magazineVarious. Monthly children's magazine with caricature and cartoon stories.
- Willis from Tunis2011 · webcomicNadia Khiari. Cat character created to comment on the revolution; four books to date.
- Koumik2011 · comics anthologyBande de BD collective. 130 page collection of comics and illustrations by 14 Tunisian artists.
- Stupor Mundi2016 · graphic novelNéjib. Graphic novel in the official selection at Angoulême 2017.
The people to know
- Mustapha OsmanFirst Tunisian caricaturist; co-founder of Al Moudhik and Al Moumathil.
- Ali DouagiWriter and caricaturist of the Taht Essour group.
- Lotfi Ben SassiBorn 1959Press cartoonist at La Presse de Tunisie since 1978; creator of the BokBok.
- Nadia KhiariBorn 1973Creator of Willis from Tunis.
- Z-ز-Born 1979Anonymous political cartoonist behind the blog DébaTunisie.
- NéjibFranco-Tunisian graphic novel author published by Gallimard.
More artists from Tunisia
- Chedly Belkhamsaالشاذلي بالخامسةBorn 1947 · cartoonist
- Takoua Ben MohamedBorn 1991 · comics artist
- Nejib KacemBorn 1976 · comics artist
- Tahar FazaaBorn 1947 · cartoonist
- Lilia Halloulcartoonist
- Adn Adenovcartoonist
- Anis Mahrsicartoonist
- Taoufik Koukiتوفيق الكوكيBorn 1956 · cartoonist
- Soufeina HamedBorn 1989 · comics writer
- Mustafa Osmanمصطفى عصمانBorn 1906 · caricaturist