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The future of comics in the Arab world
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By
Ali Abdulla Al Afeefi
Published on
January 29, 2011
Type:
Article | |
Participants at a panel discussion on ‘Middle Eastern Comics And their Place in the 21st Century’ debate on the rise of comics in the Middle East, the educational value of comics and art, and on Abu Dhabi’s role as ‘city of future’, continuously supporting education through entertainment.
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In pictures: World Orchestra for Peace
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By
Shamma Mohamed Al Meqbali
Published on
January 10, 2011
Type:
Multimedia | |
Shamma Mohammed attends the first ever concert in the Arab world by UNESCO Artists for Peace, Maestro Valery Gergiev and the World Orchestra for Peace. The event brought together world’s finest orchestral players drawn from 62 international orchestras and 30 countries, in a unique homage to harmony for humanity.
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| Interview with Dez Skinn | | | By Reem Mohammed Al Meqbali
Published on
January 25, 2011
Reem Al Meqbali interviews Dez Skinn, one of the most influential figures in British comics industry | | |  Photo by Mohammed Abdullah Abdullrahman Al Sharifi
The Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) in
collaboration with NYU Abu Dhabi hosted on January 25, 2011, a panel discussion
on the topic of the graphic novel, entitled: ‘Middle Eastern Comics and their
place in the 21st Century’. The event, which took place at the Al Mamoura
Auditorium in the capital, was part of ADMAF’s ‘Comic strip and cartoon 2011’
educational programme. The discussion brought together three of the leading experts
in the field of graphic novels: Dez Skinn, a prominent editor and author, Qais
Sedki, the writer of the Arabic comic ‘Gold Ring’ and Charles Kochman, the
executive editor of Abrams ComicArts.
Reem Al Meqbali, from the Young Media Leaders programme, caught
up with Dez Skinn after the event, to find out more about the British comic and
magazine editor.
RM: I noticed that most of your work is aggressive and full
of power. What inspired you in doing that?
DS: I think that comic art is the best way of going beyond reality. Comics are
fantasy and can sometimes do a lot more than film or television, which are
often subject to budget restrictions. Comics invite readers to use their
imagination in linking movements and sequences.
RM: Do you think you have reached all of your goals? Or do
you still have more?
DS: Of course I have more and I always believe my next idea is my best idea and
I never look back.
RM: How did you start you career?
DS: I started as a journalist on a local newspaper. It was very serious
and boring, and I wanted to do something fun… and comics are fun.
RM: Who supported you?
DS: Nobody at all. I moved to London on my own and lived in North London.
Everybody told me that I can’t make a career in comics and that I should get a
proper job. They were doing exactly the opposite of encouraging me.
RM: How do you come up with your ideas? Do they
take a long time to actually see them 'come to life'?
DS: Ideas take time. An idea in itself is worth nothing, what is important is
the execution of the idea. If you don’t spend enough time they will fail. We
have an expression in English (the five ‘P’s): Proper Planning Prevents Poor
Performance.
RM: What do colours mean to you?
DS: Life and everything.
RM: How do you choose the appropriate colours for any of
your designs?
DS: There are two main things: contrast and complement. Let’s say, for example,
that you have a lovely brown image and you wish to use that and add some words
or maybe a title for a cover of a magazine. To go with the brown, or to
complement, you may use yellow and will work beautifully for certain types of
books, but if your message is more aggressive you need to use a contrasting
colour.
RM: Will your visit here influence your future work?
DS: Yes, because of a new project involving Abu Dhabi and myself.
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