What is Samandal?

Samandal is a volunteer-based non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the art of comics in Lebanon and the rest of the world. Based in Beirut, we have published comics anthologies and hosted comics-related events  since 2007.

from the launch of Samandal issue 5 in Beirut

In 2009 three of the four editors were charged by the Lebanese state with inciting sectarian strife, denigrating religion, publishing false news, and slander on account of “Christian personalities” taking offense to two panels from different comics in our 7th issue, titled “Revenge”.

The panels were taken out of context and misinterpreted through a narrow sectarian reading, yet after five years of litigation we lost our case and the following appeal, forcing us to pay 30 million Lebanese Liras in damages.

The Samandal NGO has buckled under the weight of these fines and our latest issue, “Geography”, looks to be our last. We are launching a crowdfunding campaign in a last ditch effort to help Samandal fight this unjust ruling and continue publishing comics.

Read our full official statement about the court case here.

You can also read more about this story in this article in The New Yorker.

Where will your donations go?

Our primary aim is to publish more comics, mainly through our annual anthologies. We would like to secure funding for our next 2 books to be released in 2016 and 2017.

Each book will cost approximately $20,000, which are distributed thusly:

   •   Printing: $10,000
   •   Contributors: $5,000
   •   Translation: $2,000
   •   Release event and communication: $3,000

Second, we are building a comprehensive website in which all our back issues are available to download for free, in English, Arabic and French. It will also include a complete database of past and present contributing artists, cross-referenced with all their individual stories, functioning as a hub for contemporary comics in the region. This will cost $8,000, which are distributed thusly:

   •   Design: $2,700
   •   Development: $5000
   •   Domain registration and hosting: $300

Third, we are hiring an administrator, to organize and manage Samandal Comics Association for the coming 2 years. This will be a part time job paying $500 a month, which will amount to $12,000 in total.

If we manage to exceed the 60 K mark, the following is a list of possible future projects:

   •   Publishing Utopia by Omar Khouri in 2016
   •   International distribution plan
   •   Storage and office space
   •   Publishing additional anthologies and graphic novels

During the history of our association since 2007, we have so far published 15 magazine issues, 4 books and a number of special edition fanzines. We have organized a number of workshops, comics jams, lectures and exhibitions, and collaborated with comics collectives such as L'employé du Moi (our Belgian co-publisher for the above mentioned issue 7), L'association in France, Toktok in Egypt, Skefkef in Morrocco, and many others. Samandal also co-founded Beirut Animated, a biennial animation festival in Lebanon, with Metropolis Cinemas. We have been invited to and taken part in a number of comics festivals around the world including Angouleme International Comics Festival, Lucca Comics in Italy, Erlangen Comics Festival in Germany, to name a few and won 2 awards at the Algetian internationale comics festival (FIBDA). Support over the years has come to us from Xanadu, Foundation For arts Initiative (FFAI), Arab Fund for Art and Culture (AFAC), Young Arab Theater Fund (YATF), Ashkal Alwan and many other local and international organizations.

But our greatest support has always come from our readers and fans, who give meaning to all our hard work and trouble. 

 What will you get in return for your generosity?

Joe Sacco's original cover for his celebrated book Palestine. Drawn February 1994.  Ink on paper, 25.5 x 28 cm. From the list of the campaign's perks

   •   The renowned comics journalist Joe Sacco, author of Palestine, and Notes from Gaza
   •   L’Association editor and Swiss/Lebanese comics artist Baladi
   •   Artist and filmmaker Akram Zaatari
   •   Eccentric artist and musician Raed Yassin
   •   Prolific comics artist and musician Mazen Kerbaj
   •   Delirious Samandal co-founder and Creator of imaginary items Omar Khouri offering to paint an original portrait of the donor in gouache
   •   Belgian artist Valfret and Samandal co-founder Lena Merhej, authors of the two original pages that caused the censorship problem

As well as:
Hatem Imam, Barrack Rima, Andy Warner, Frank Vega, Vito Manolo, Jana Traboulsi, Laure Ghorayeb, Paula Bulling, Lautaro Fizman, Joanna Hellgrin

We have created a page with images of all our perks for you you to choose from. Please click here

Unfortunately, shipping of these perks is not included in the prices, because it will vary depending on origin country and destination of each.

You can also contribute by spreading the word and buying our comics, and remember to use the indiegogo share tools!