Last Friday, the publisher First Second launched a new web comic, Zahra’s Paradise, which has the potential to be really fascinating. It will be set in Iran and mix real events with fictitious characters. It will also be produced by artists with first person experience of life in Iran, with the publisher keeping their names secret, so as to not expose them to the government of Iran.
There are several aspects of this, which I find interesting. Firstly, of course, the blend of reality and fiction, a mix which in this case, with all the political aspects of life in Iran, promises to both grab hold of the reader and at the same time communicate facts about a historically, socially and culturally interesting time and place.
And then, there's the fact that First Second launches this project as a free web comic, thus aknowledging the impact of this publishing venue not only for up and coming artists to make a name for themselves, or for independent web cartoonists specializing in this way of communicating, but also as a way to build an interest and a fan base for projects realised at major publishers.
Oh well, all of this is purely academical. It will all come down to the story telling abilities of the artists involved. Go and see for yourselves, at zahrasparadise.com.
