Comics in the Arab world. Birth and spread of a new literary genre

Abstract

The research focuses on the birth and development of the comics, a new literary genre in the Arab world. The paper takes into account the dynamics of the advent of comics in the first Arab countries until to our days when comics began to appeal to an adult audience, sometimes taking inspiration from material from the West, sometimes referring to traditional elements of Arab culture. With the advent of the Arab revolutions, this genre has become more widespread and has also been used by artists to express dissent and criticism. Following the fall of dictatorial regimes in some Arab countries, the power of censorship has diminished; this has allowed the proliferation of different types of comics, also thanks to the fundamental role of social networks and the Internet. Through the examination of comics in the Arab world it is possible to shed light on a new literary genre and it is possible to trace the lines of the evolution of its themes and language.