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March 2015
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May 2015

Cartooning in Yemen

Arwa Moukbel is a young cartoonist that recently joined our community. She’s from Yemen, not a place where you’d expect to find (female) cartoonists. All the more reason to ask her a few questions.

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Humans are cheap, bullets expensive - © Arwa Moukbel

Why and when did you start making cartoons?

I always saw the daily cartoons in the local newspapers, and I was a big fan of the drawings of Naji Al-Ali. I started drawing cartoons in school, mostly about the Palestinian cause. I knew the bigger newspapers imposed restrictions on what you were allowed to draw, but at the time I hoped to find a small newspaper or website that might be interested in my work.

For a long time, I settled for making cartoons with any place to publish them. Since 8 months, I have a Facebook page.

What are the red lines (subjects you cannot draw about?

A red line in the past was to criticize the system of Ali Saleh and staff. Now, I believe, the biggest red line is criticism of the Saudi regime. My family is afraid, so they prevented me from publishing some of my cartoons that talked about Saudi Arabia 's policy towards Yemen.

But now I am very happy to joined Cartoon Movement. It gives me the chance to publish my work, a chance I do not have here in Yemen, being almost the only female cartoonist.

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The relationship between Saudi Arabia and Yemen - © Arwa Moukbel


Comic: South Sudan Explained

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Our most recent comic was produced in cooperation with the Justice and Security research Programme of the London School of Economics. Written by Alex de Waal, who many consider to be one of the world’s leading experts on South Sudan, and drawn by Victor Ndula, one of Africa’s leading comic artists as well as editorial cartoonist for the Nairobi Star, the 8-page comic explains how South Sudan was bankrupt and at war within just three years after independence.

The comic is an innovative approach to present academic research to a broader audience. It will be published on Cartoon Movement on Wednesday April 15.


New Cartoonist: Agim Sulaj

Sulai

We are extremely proud to welcome renowned artist Agim Sulaj as a member of Cartoon Movement. In his cartoons he focuses on the major social and political problems of the 21st century, such as world poverty, environmental pollution, the life of an immigrant and other social topics. Agim’s work has won many awards and has been exhibited all over the world. To see more of his work, visit his website: www.agimsulaj.com


Cartoon Exhibition at the LSE Africa Summit

The_great_sick_man__gianfranco_uberCartoon by Gianfranco Uber.

That Africa is rising is without a doubt. Despite this, important challenges remain in a wide range of fields, from youth unemployment, to security, to healthcare – of which the latest ebola epidemic is one of the most pressing manifestations. Only once these constraints are taken into account, can sustainable economic growth and successful business ventures prosper across the continent.

Cartoon Movement is producing a series of thought-provoking cartoons on challenges that face Africa. These cartoons will be part of an exhibition at the LSE Africa Summit 2015. This project is part of our ongoing partnership with the London School of Economics