In our attempt to understand the publicity image problem, we dug deep for reports that have been published about the comic book and animation space in Africa. Every time we found any, it was surface-level information, with very few pages, and treated as one with “the Middle East.” But as we continue this mission to solve this problem, taking the African comic book and animation space into the mainstream, we have shone the spotlight heavily on Nigeria and several neighbouring countries, especially in West Africa, while neglecting others.

Ergo, this piece marks the beginning of turning the torch to the parts where African aesthetics, bold lines, folklore, and rhythm are blended with Arabic calligraphy, Mediterranean flair, and French storytelling structure. In Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania, and Algeria, collectively known as the Maghreb in North Africa, there is an entire world of creative brilliance worth exploring.

Let’s Begin

The comic culture of the Maghreb isn’t a modern import. Its roots reach back to the 1940s, when early cartoon strips like M’Quidèch appeared in local newspapers. As of then, many of these comics, like Les Aventures de Tintin (Adventures of Tintin) and  Asterix the Gaul, came through colonial influence, shaped by the French “bande dessinée” (BD) tradition. But post-independence, everything changed.

Comics began to evolve from “funny papers” for kids to cultural tools of expression. Artists started using panels and speech bubbles to question politics, identity, and everyday life, and in doing so, they began to shape a voice that was uniquely Maghrebi: African, Arab, and fiercely local.

Today, al-qissa al-muṣawwara (graphic novel/comic book), as they are referred to, in the Maghreb sits at a fascinating crossroads, connected to both the African comics boom and the rising Arab comics movement that spans from Cairo to Beirut.

In Morocco, artists are telling stories with unapologetic boldness. One of its leading lights is Zainab Fasiki, a feminist artist from Fez whose book Hshouma explores taboo subjects around body, sexuality, and gender in Moroccan society. She’s become an icon of self-expression in a conservative culture.

Then there’s Rebel Spirit (Mohammed Amine El Bellaoui), a comic creator and street artist from Casablanca. His book Le Guide Casablancais is part social commentary, part city adventure, written in Morocco’s Arabic dialect, Darija. It’s rebellious and speaks directly to Moroccan youth.

While print publishing is still tough due to costs and language diversity, digital spaces are helping Moroccan creators find their audience. Platforms like Instagram, Tapas, and even YouTube animations such as Bouzebal, Morocco’s famous meme-turned-cartoon hero, are giving comics new life. New collectives like Al'Khariqun are shaking things up, too. Check; it’s mind-bending illustrations and futuristic Maghreb themes that blend tech, myth, and culture can be found on their Instagram page.

In Tunisia, comics and activism meet head-on. During the Arab Spring, cartoonist Nadia Khiari gave birth to Willis from Tunis, a witty cat character who poked fun at politicians and corruption. Her simple sketches turned into viral commentaries, showing how powerful comics can be in times of change.

Then came Lab619, a collective of Tunisian artists founded by Seif Eddine Nechi and Aymen Mbarek. Their works tackle censorship, identity, and social justice — using both Arabic and French to reach diverse audiences.

Tunisia is also home to some of Africa’s most consistent comic festivals, including the International Comic Strip Festival of Sousse, which celebrates Arabic and Francophone comics, as well as the International Comics Festival of Tazarka, a seaside gathering mixing workshops, exhibitions, and animation screenings. These events are building an ecosystem that supports not only artists but also fans, students, and curious newcomers.

Of the three, Algeria’s comic scene is smaller, but deeply passionate. Their artists face familiar challenges, limited publishers, small markets, and scarce archives, but their stories are rich. 

Algerian creators use comics to document memory, post-war trauma, and the complexities of national identity. And with new digital tools and social platforms, young Algerians are stepping up, sketching, inking, and self-publishing online to keep the local scene alive.

In 2008, one of North Africa’s biggest comic events, the Algiers International Comics Festival (FIBDA), was founded, bringing together creators from across Africa, Europe, and the Arab world.

In Libya, for over a decade, artists have lived between air raids and internet blackouts, yet somehow, the pencils never stopped moving. Habka, Libya’s first-ever manga-inspired comic, created by Tawfik Bensaud and Sami Elkwafi, mirrors the Libyan situation. The duo wanted Libyan youth to see themselves — not as victims of war, but as heroes with grit, humour, and dreams. Tragically, both creators were killed by extremists before Habka could reach its full audience.

The quiet but fierce creative wave is still rising. On Instagram, artists like Ahmed Al-Ghazal, and Salma El-Taher post strips that make you smile and ache at the same time, cartoons of crowded markets, love letters written by candlelight, or satire about fuel queues that stretch into eternity. Their art is personal, political, and painfully beautiful.

While Libya’s artists roar, Mauritania’s whisper. Its comic language is still finding its voice, but it’s distinctly its own: poetic, bilingual, and steeped in desert mysticism. You won’t find comic billboards here (not yet), but if you look closely, online or in community art corners, you’ll catch a glimpse of something rare.

In Nouakchott, the capital tucked between the Sahara dunes and the Atlantic breeze, a quiet creative revolution is unfolding. Cheikh Ahmed Mohamed, a painter-turned-comic artist whose soft, watercolour panels capture the rhythm of nomadic life. Fatimetou Mint Baba, whose digital pieces blend Arabic calligraphy with comic storytelling to explore themes like migration, climate change, and the strength of women in desert communities. Mohamed Vall, whose 3D short film Desert Soul (2023) quietly exploded on Facebook. In their respective storytelling prowess, sandstorms morph into spirits, guardians of lost nomadic wisdom. Vall’s studio, Studio Sahel, is a small collective teaching Mauritanian youth animation and visual storytelling with almost no formal infrastructure, just passion and persistence.

There’s no official comic festival yet, but Mauritanian artists are showing up in pan-African art contests, collaborating with creators from Morocco, Senegal, and France, and uploading their work to platforms like ComicsAfrique. The beauty of it all? Mauritania’s pace. It’s unhurried, like the dunes themselves. The artists know what the desert knows: true art takes time.

Let’s Get Deeper

This beautiful story is not without its dark spots. In the Maghreb, according to The Markaz Review (TMR), the lack of institutional and financial support is compounded by censorship and incrimination of cartoonists. State authorities, for decades, censored cartoonists and even went as far as accusing some of them of blasphemy. In 2017, an armed group shut down a comic convention in Tripoli, Libya, because it breached the country’s “moral and modesty” (BBC 2017). Creators of Habka, Libya’s first Manga comic book, Tawfik Bensaud and Sami Elkwafi, were assassinated by extremist groups before they could see their works come to life. Young artists worked under strenuous conditions before experiencing a moment of liberation in the aftermath of the Arab uprisings in 2011. 

Despite the long history of official restrictions on graphic and comics, the Maghreb is one of Africa’s visual frontiers where heritage meets hip-hop, calligraphy meets graffiti, and old myths meet futuristic design. So, whether you’re an illustrator, an animation student, or just a comic-lover, this region offers stories that feel fresh yet deeply connected to Africa’s spirit.

While the return to authoritarianism lingers on the horizon and despite Maghrebi authorities’ maintenance of a set of religious, social and political redlines that artists of comics, graphic novels and cartoons avoid for fear of jail, comics have gained both importance and readership. Counterintuitively, many artists have opted to stay in the region despite the occasional crackdown on their colleagues who engage in the critique of the state’s human rights, political and social records. There is a relatively growing positive attitude in the region towards comics as a viable means of knowledge production, self-critique, and democratisation. Comics have been anchored not just as a practice but also as an intelligent and subtle way to nuance both local and global issues.  (TMR 2021)

Across North Africa, creators are merging comics and animation, turning still frames into motion stories. The rise of web-comics, Instagram reels, and short digital animations is fueling a new wave of creativity that speaks directly to Gen Z audiences. Think of it as “comic meets TikTok energy.” It’s fast, expressive, and deeply rooted in local culture. And because these platforms are borderless, Moroccan, Tunisian, and Algerian creators are reaching readers across Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa, thereby bridging African audiences in real-time.

As we shine the spotlight northward, we encourage the followership and support of Maghreb artists like Zainab Fasiki, Nadia Khiari, and the Alkhariqun collective. Submitting artistic works to North African comic festivals like FIBDA or Sousse BD will also create a network effect necessary for a thriving industry. Collaborations amongst artists across regions are also guaranteed. Just like the Ethiopian-based Etan Comics, Nigerian scripts illustrated by Tunisian hands or Moroccan stories animated in Kenya is not a far-fetched idea. And while most of their works are in their dialects, there are still Maghreb comics on social media that can be read, shared, and appreciated by all to expand the culture.

The Maghreb is a creative bridge between Africa and the Arab world. From Casablanca’s bustling art alleys to Algiers’s vibrant festivals, a new generation is proving that panels and ink can tell stories as powerful as any film or novel. So, when next you’re scrolling through art on Instagram or hunting for indie comics online, pause to discover the North. Because somewhere between the Sahara and the Mediterranean, Africa is drawing its next big story.

Sources: The Markaz Review, BBC, The New Arab