about me

Hi! You’ve reached the brand new and updated website of Deena Mohamed. I am an Egyptian comics artist, writer and designer. I first started making comics at eighteen, with my semi-satirical semi-sincere webcomic Qahera about a visibly muslim Egyptian superhero that addresses social issues such as islamophobia and misogyny. After that, I researched the history of Egyptian comics for my undergraduate thesis in graphic design, which inspired me to create Shubeik Lubeik, my graphic novel trilogy.

Shubeik Lubeik is an urban fantasy about a world where wishes are for sale. I originally self-published the first part at the Cairo Comix Festival, where it was awarded Best Graphic Novel and the Grand Prize of the Cairo Comix Festival (2017.) After that, the English translation for all three parts of  Shubeik Lubeik was acquired by Pantheon Books for North America and Granta for the UK, for publication as a single collected volume in Jan 2023. The Arabic trilogy was published as three separate graphic novels in Egypt by Dar El Mahrousa and all three parts are available for purchase.

When I’m not working on my own comics, I also do freelance illustrations for local and international clients such as Insider, Viacom, Google, UN Women, Harrassmap and Mada Masr. I love working on projects that involve community development, awareness and outreach (particularly editorial illustrations) as well as childrens’ books.

Other than that, I am largely asleep. I work and reside in Cairo. You can check the FAQ below for more information, as well as the press page for interviews I’ve done, and the events page for past talks and conferences, and the media kit for self-portrait and images of my work.

You can contact me at deenadraws@gmail.com, or for business inquiries you can contact my agent, anjali@anjalisinghagency.com. You can also find me @itsdeenasaur on twitter and instagram.

F.A.Q.

PERSONAL QUESTIONS

  • I’ve been drawing my whole life, so lots and lots and lots of practise.

  • From my family, books, and the internet.

  • I am indeed based in Cairo, Egypt, but sometimes I travel for residencies or events.

  • I grew up doing both, and still do. But for my comics specifically, I usually use Clip Studio Paint on the iPad Pro.

  • Some of my favorite comics are the Egyptian anthology Tok Tok, Zahra’s Paradise by Amir and Khalil, Palestine by Joe Sacco, Ces jours qui disparraissent by Timothé Le Boucher. Two of my biggest comics inspirations are Egyptian artists Shennawy, Mohamed Salah (the comics artist), and Hiromi Arakawa, the author of Fullmetal Alchemist.

    I also like the movie Spiderman: into the Spiderverse a lot. I enjoy a lot of television, especially the Egyptian drama series Segn el Nesa (Women’s Prison) and Hatha el Masaa (This Night), the Korean dramas My Ajusshi and W - Two Worlds, and Naruto. And Shrek.

WORK-RELATED & PERMISSION QUESTIONS

  • Sometimes I have time to answer emails like these, but most of the time I dont—or even worse, I forgot to before your project is due (oh no! sorry!) However, most of the questions you have are probably already answered on this website! You can also check out my interviews for answers to any questions you may have. You can still email me if there’s a question you really want answered, but success rate on this is like 50%.

    You can also use my art to illustrate your assignment, as long as it is a) for personal, non-commercial use and b) credited to me.

  • You just need to start. I always advise people to post their comics online for feedback from readers, because that’s how most of us learn what’s working and what isn’t. Done is better than perfect, and don’t worry about making the best comic in the world right away.

    If you’re asking about how to succeed at publishing comics, then that’s a much more complicated question. I am working on a very long answer that will hopefully be helpful to a lot of people, but give me some time.

  • Depending on my schedule, I try to be available to speak at events, whether virtual or in-person (if in Egypt and possible.) I cannot promise I will speak well, but I will speak.

  • Currently, I do not take personal commissions, but for long-term projects and comics work please email me deenadraws@gmail.com or my agent anjali@pandeliterary.com

  • Prints of my work are currently available only at Cairocomix or local events, or through Maamoul Press. If I launch an online print store, I will let you know.

  • I allow non-commercial use of images from Qahera for academic papers and articles, as long as it is appropriately credited. You can save it directly from the webcomic site.

    For other artwork in higher resolution print quality, please email me for permission or printing rights.

  • Qahera is never over, just paused. She’ll be back someday, because it looks like we are never making it out of the patriarchy.

  • You can check out the Shubeik Lubeik in English page for purchase options.

  • You can check out the Shubeik Lubeik in Arabic page for purchase options.

  • Qahera is available for free on the website. There is currently no paid version of Qahera. Some quality prints may be available from Maamoul Press soon.

where i'm at

where i'm at

November 2022

Attending in the Arab American Museum Artists and Residents Convening in Dearborn, Michigan.

October 20th 2022

Speaking at Rutgers University ComiCon comics symposium hosted by the Department of African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian Languages and Literatures.

September 6th 2022

Talk + Book signing at Bibliothek Bookstore in 6th of October, Cairo.

August 18th 2022

Speaking at PenguinRandomHouse LibraryCon’s Real-Life stories panel.

July 20th 2022

Talk + Book signing at Diwan Bookstore in Heliopolis, Cairo.

July 2022

Speaking on Medialities panel for Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence Annual Conference at Universität Bayreuth in Beyreuth Germany.

latest press

latest press

article The New Yorker

WHAT IF WISHES COULD BE BOUGHT AND SOLD?

In “Shubeik Lubeik,” the Egyptian comic artist Deena Mohamed draws on the Arabic fairy-tale canon to create a satire of the global extraction economy.

[read the article]

audio NPR

DEENA MOHAMED ON HER GRAPHIC NOVEL 'SHUBEIK LUBEIK'

When wishes are regulated as commodities, Egyptians wrestle with their morals and their deepest desires. NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with Deena Mohamed about her graphic novel, "Shubeik Lubeik." [listen]


interview The National

EGYPTIAN ARTIST DEENA MOHAMED BELIEVES IN THE POWER OF ARABIC COMICS

“I hope that the future of Arab comics is one where readers get to experience bold creative work and artists get to make a dignified living doing what they love — one that will push our region forward and open everyone’s minds to the power of comics for storytelling.” [continue reading]

PANEL MANIA: SHUBEIK LUBEIK BY DEENA MOHAMED

In this eight-page excerpt, the reader is quickly introduced to the Egyptian wish economy, the kiosk merchant hoping to unload his wish inventory, and an old Christian woman who will surprise him much later in the story. Shubleik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed will be published by Pantheon in January. [view the excerpt]


article The Irish Times

THE IRISH TIMES BEST GRAPHIC NOVELS OF 2022

Funny, moving and brimming with enough showy cleverness to leave you slack-jawed in admiration, Your Wish Is My Command is a masterful modern fairy tale, and a staggeringly assured debut from an artist still some years from turning 30. [read the article]

GETTING YOUR WISH

Egyptian graphic novelist Deena Mohamed talks about her debut urban-fantasy trilogy Shubeik Lubeik (“Your Wish is My Command”). A product of playful self-translation, it’s coming to English as a single volume. It will be unbottled by Pantheon (US) and Granta (UK) on January 10, 2023.  [listen]


article Bookpage

STARRED REVIEW - SHUBEIK LUBEIK

These characters’ struggles and successes are equally heartbreaking and uplifting, creating a wholly satisfying reading experience. Our wish is Mohamed’s command. [read the article]

EXTENDED CONVERSATION: ON WISHES, TRANSLATION, & BEING ‘DEENA SHUBEIK LUBEIK’

After an hour conversation about the development of this boundary-breaking graphic novel in Arabic and the process of publishing in English, we still had more questions about the translation process, the role of research in the creation of this urban fantasy, & more. Fortunately, Deena also had more to say. [continue reading]


article Booklist

STARRED REVIEW - SHUBEIK LUBEIK

Egyptian artist and writer Mohamed deservedly won the Best Graphic Novel and the Grand Prize at the 2017 Cairo Comix Festival for Shubeik Lubeik, the title explained as “a fairy tale rhyme that means ‘your wish is my command’ in Arabic.” Mohamed herself translates this version, ensuring that lucky English-speaking audiences discover her masterpiece exactly as she intended. [read the article]

interview Publishers Weekly

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR IN 'SHUBEIK LUBEIK'


In 2013, when she was 18 years old, Deena Mohamed, an Egyptian illustrator and writer, created a webcomic that went viral. Qahera features a Muslim superhero who can detect misogyny, racism, and Islamophobia with her super-hearing powers. In January, Pantheon will publish Mohamed’s debut graphic novel, Shubeik Lubeik (Arabic for “your wish is my command”), the first title in a gorgeously drawn fantasy trilogy set in a Cairo, where wishes are for sale at the corner kiosk.
[continue reading]

article Kirkus Reviews

STARRED REVIEW - SHUBEIK LUBEIK

The book is exceptionally imaginative while also being wonderfully grounded in touching human relationships, existential quandaries, and familiar geopolitical and socio-economic dynamics. Mohamed’s art balances perfectly between cartoon and realism, powerfully conveying emotions, and her strong, clean lines gorgeously depict everything from an anguished face to an ornate bottle [...] Mohamed has a great sense of humor, which comes out in footnotes and casual asides throughout. Immensely enjoyable. [read the article]


interview Screen Speck

TECHNICOLORED KIOSKS AND WISHES IN A BOTTLE: THE MAGICAL REALISM OF DEENA MOHAMED


Our lives pivot around our dreams, which often tantalize just out of reach. What would you do if you knew your deepest desires hung in the dregs of a vial sold at your local kiosk? The author of the Shubeik Lubeik trilogy spun this premise into a fantastical, highly nuanced tale
. [continue reading]

article Ganzeer Reviews

GANZEER REVIEWS - SHUBEIK LUBEIK

At over 500 pages it is a beast of a thing, the sight of which would strike fear and envy into the heart of even the most accomplished cartoonist. The only lightweight aspect of this impressive tome is that of Deena's touch, daft and never heavy-handed. [read the article]


article Brittle Paper

ARABIC GRAPHIC NOVEL SHUBEIK LUBEIK BY DEENA MOHAMED OUT IN ENGLISH NEXT YEAR

Award-winning Arabic graphic novel trilogy, Shubeik Lubeik, by Egyptian author and illustrator Deena Mohamed will soon be available in English. The three-part work tells the story of three Cairo residents who must grapple with the challenges of living in a world where wishes are bought and sold. [read the article]

article Middle East Eye

FIVE OF THE BEST ARAB COMIC AND GRAPHIC NOVEL RELEASES OF 2021

Over at Middle East Eye, Bahira Amin has put together an excellent list of five of the best Arab comics and graphic-novel releases of 2021. [read the article]


video Arte

FOUR ARAB WOMEN COMIC ARTISTS “CRAYON AU POING”

Four women comic book artists from the Arab World, Tunisian Nadia Khiari, Lebanese Lena Merhej, Moroccan Zainab Fasiki and Egyptian Deena Mohamed open the doors of their studios and tell us about their experiences and their struggles. Ten years after the beginning of the Arab Spring how can they express themselves in the medium as Arab women?

Directed by: Lizzie Treu & Eloïse Fagard [watch with English subtitles].

Media Kit

these are higher-resolution images available to download for screen media use for easy access. right-click to save and download.