An Egyptian man creates Middle East superheros: http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2004/09/19/wonder_woman____a_mideast_version____finds_her_niche/
http://makeashorterlink.com/?F31A12B4B CAIRO -- Jalila finally tracked down the terrorists who stole plutonium from the nuclear power plant where she worked. They had set up a camp right outside her native City of All Faiths and were clearly up to no good. The next thing Jalila knew, she was surrounded by dozens of menacing, gun-toting thugs who had somehow detected her stealthy approach. They picked the wrong woman to mess with: Bolts of radiation leapt from her hands and melted their weapons, and she was upon them in a whirlwind of devastating kicks and punches... ...Turmoil in the Middle East is a thing of the past in a future inhabited by the superheroes. It is a region at relative peace, though still threatened by terrorists and other forces of extremism. ''The whole concept goes back to the issue of a large, peaceful Middle East. That's a vision I've had all my life, and I think it's possible," said Kandeel, adding that he kept the religious and ethnic background of the characters in the books vague. But in some cases, the symbols are obvious, such as the Jerusalem-like City of All Faiths defended by Jalila in which Muslims, Christians, and Jews live in harmony. It is menaced by the terrorist United Liberation Front and the Army of Zios. The introduction to Jalila's story describes these two evil forces as ''still clinging to their extreme views, both wanting to solely control the City of All Faiths..." ...While young males are expected to be the comics' main audience, some girls appear to find them appealing. ''Jalila is someone who does serious things and defends her country," said 9-year-old Alaa Mohammed after reading the comic. She said it was much more serious than Mickey Mouse, which currently rules the Cairo comics scene. Alaa was also taken by the Arabic names of the heroes, such as Aya, a mysterious female crime fighter, especially since it is Alaa's sister's name. The other two characters are Rakan, the lone warrior; and Zein, the last pharaoh. Both are men. Marwan Al Nashar, managing director of AK Comics, said that part of the company's original concept was to have strong female characters. ''We are stressing gender equality," he said. ''both the women are successful -- one is a scientist, one is lawyer." >From another article, from Lebanon: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=4&article_id=11163 http://makeashorterlink.com/?G25A22B4B ...The flagship superhero is Zein, dubbed "The Last Pharaoh," one of the immortal sons of the final rulers of ancient Egypt before that civilization disappeared. Zein spends his time fighting evildoers, including his own brother Ho-Ra who wants to use the family's Pharaonic mega-powers to enslave mankind. A university professor by day, Zein dons a black jumpsuit adorned with a golden scarab to fight the good fight. The other three characters are Jalila, "Defender of the City of All Faiths," a buxom nuclear scientist gifted with radioactive powers living in the not-too-distant future; Aya, "The Princess of Darkness," a mysterious, angst-ridden crimefighter; and Rakan, "The Lone Warrior," who drifts through medieval Arab cities - a sort of Conan the Barbarian figure fighting Persians, Mongols and anyone else who gets in his way... ..."The whole point is that people's religious beliefs are between themselves and God,' Kandeel argues, "and that people need to stop focusing so much on these labels." As their main target is the 8-13-year-old market, sexuality also doesn't feature - even if AK Comics has borrowed the American conventionality of depicting its characters as brawny and shapely. The heroes do not even seem to have love interests. What they do have, though, are troubled families, with siblings drafted into fanatical movements or becoming addicted to drugs. Sometimes the character itself offers a moral lesson: Rakan, who was paralyzed as a child, manages to overcome his disability and develop super-human strength through persistence and training... I hope that at least one of them has (or will have) a fiery Arabian steed as their trusty transportation. ':D Debbi who is pleased with the progress Cezanne is making (although she still needs to lose a pound or 50) __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Read only the mail you want - Yahoo! Mail SpamGuard. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
