TESHKEEL RELEASES FIRST ARABIC SPIDER-MAN ISSUE

[MattBrady]

Press Release

The wait is finally over. After significant buzz surrounding Marvel Comics’ expansion into the Middle East, Teshkeel Media Group has begun its licensed publishing program with the release of the first ever issue of Spectacular Spider-Man in Arabic.

Spectacular Spider-Man, the first children’s magazine to feature the popular character in the region, is now available in 13 countries including the GCC, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon. The magazine, which caters to pre-teens, hopes to address the lack of quality children’s entertainment in the region.

“We are thrilled at the chance to bring the excitement and universal appeal of Marvels’ superheroes to the Middle East. This is our first step in establishing a new direction in children’s media that will fill the void and provide quality entertainment for the Arab audience,” says Dr. Al-Mutawa, founder and CEO of Teshkeel Media Group.

Spider-Man was chosen as Teshkeel’s first release because of the character’s international following based on the success of the comic book series and the Hollywood blockbuster films.

The magazine, which is published by Teshkeel Comics, will follow Spider-Man’s adventures each month. Every issue comes individually wrapped and includes a free gift, as well as exclusive access to upcoming events, contests and promotions. Subscriptions for the magazine will be available through www.teshkeelcomics.com.

Upcoming publications from Teshkeel will include comic books and trade paperbacks featuring several of Marvel’s most well known and successful titles like Fantastic Four, X-Men and the Incredible Hulk. Additional titles are also being planned for release to coincide with the upcoming X-Men 3 and Ghost Rider motion pictures.

With its combination of world famous licensed properties and its high quality, locally developed content, Teshkeel is well positioned to become a major multi-media company and the leading international player in the publishing of Arabic language juvenile properties throughout the Arab-speaking world. Teshkeel is the exclusive publisher for Marvel titles in Arabic throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

[thorn]

I wonder how this will play out. I suppose it'll be a long time before we see characters like Wonder Woman and Power Girl in the Middle East.

[jayvee]

Mary Jane's a strong female character.

With her, who NEEDS Wonder Woman or Power Girl?

[cncoyle]

That's great. Kids across the world could use a cool character like Spidey for entertainment.

Has anyone heard how the Indian Spider-Man is doing?

[thorn]

Jayvee: you're absolutely right. But what about clothing? I wish I could see a preview page, just to see if they adapted the art to the market (which I assume they did, just to be on the safe side).

...or do I have a completely wrong image of the Comic-Buying-Middle-Eastern people? I mean, I've been to the middle east, and I saw women both in burkas and western clothing but, in a medium predominantly read by men, I'm curious how Middle eastern women in these comics are portrayed.

[Slick]

Originally posted by thorn
I wonder how this will play out. I suppose it'll be a long time before we see characters like Wonder Woman and Power Girl in the Middle East.

Sure we will, they'll just be wearing sheets

[c_andrew_s]

This is really cool

[Piferelli]

Great idea. I'd like to get my hands on a copy of this first issue. Seems like it would be an awesome issue to come across again in say 15 or 20 years when my son is grown up, maybe flipping through the infinite amount of boxes his dad has accumulated over the years. Just seeing the cover would spark a worthy discussion about why I had it, and what was going on in the world at the time of it's publication. Interesting to say the least.

Does anyone know if this issue, and others after it, will have an english translation? Just curious.

[bloodfish]

Originally posted by thorn
... in a medium predominantly read by men, I'm curious how Middle eastern women in these comics are portrayed.

I'm curious how woman are protrayed in a society that is male-dominated... But the medium is only dominated by male readers in the United States. I don't know that this statistic necessarily applies to the readership of other countries; especially in Europe - I can't fathom what type of readership is in the Middle East.

[jephyork]

Does anyone know if this issue, and others after it, will have an english translation?

From the looks of things, this book is going to be the Arabic translation of the pre-existing UK Panini "Spectacular Spider-Man" series. So if you want the English versions, order them from Panini's website. :-)

-Jeph!

[swol]

What ever became of the plans for an on-going Spider-Man India title.

I mean with a billion in population, that's a pretty tough market to ignore.

[thorn]

I don't know that this statistic necessarily applies to the readership of other countries; especially in Europe

Well, I can't give you any statistics, but where I'm from (Netherlands) I think there's still more men reading comics then women. Here -to my mind at least (correct me if I'm wrong), comics are still considered kids' stuff, even when a graphic novel like 'Blankets' gets good reviews.

In the middle east, with such strict control placed over the public lives of women there, I would imagine that the readership there is strictly men (and if they're especially young their moms; checking it out to see if it's safe to read which is not always a bad thing, mind you).

Well, at least the invisible woman won't be a problem

[The Champion]

Originally posted by thorn
Well, I can't give you any statistics, but where I'm from (Netherlands) I think there's still more men reading comics then women. Here -to my mind at least (correct me if I'm wrong), comics are still considered kids' stuff, even when a graphic novel like 'Blankets' gets good reviews.

In the middle east, with such strict control placed over the public lives of women there, I would imagine that the readership there is strictly men (and if they're especially young their moms; checking it out to see if it's safe to read which is not always a bad thing, mind you).

Well, at least the invisible woman won't be a problem

I think a lot of people who use the term "middle east" have a far too narrow perception of the region. You can't use the term as one giant blanket to cover the whole region. It's made up of several nations each with a complex mix of social structures and cultures. Not everyone in the region are Islamic conservatives or strict fundamentalists.

[thorn]

It's made up of several nations each with a complex mix of social structures and cultures. Not everyone in the region are Islamic conservatives or strict fundamentalists.

Obviously, but surely you cannot deny that most of the nations that make up this particular region of earth are patriarchical.

Anyway, I apologize for being too general. I should have put it like this: I'm curious as to how comics would do in an (strict) islamic society, especially when it comes to portraying female heroes.

[Brian Jacks]

Originally posted by The Champion
I think a lot of people who use the term "middle east" have a far too narrow perception of the region. You can't use the term as one giant blanket to cover the whole region. It's made up of several nations each with a complex mix of social structures and cultures. Not everyone in the region are Islamic conservatives or strict fundamentalists.

No, but to a one, they're all dictatorships with varying degrees of oppressive policies (with a slight exception for Lebanon, although that's a whole 'nother story). It'll be interested to see what level of censorship, if any, is implemented into these Marvel comics.

[The Marvel]

This is excellent, because Spider-Man now fights the true evils, like the merciless Feminist, the villainous White Devil, the godless Capitalist Pigdog, and the Incredible Thinking Woman.

[TerryX]

Originally posted by MattBrady
Press Release

Every issue comes individually wrapped and includes a free gift, as well as exclusive access to upcoming events, contests and promotions.

Hey...I want a free gift too. What gives??

[MShivers]

Originally posted by The Marvel
This is excellent, because Spider-Man now fights the true evils, like the merciless Feminist, the villainous White Devil, the godless Capitalist Pigdog, and the Incredible Thinking Woman.

I have to admit, this post solicited an uncomfortable laughter from me...

- Michael

[Kayed]

Well let me say this,

Im from the Middle east (Dubai infact). And you can already get the comics in english in the middle east. (Its were i started collecting and reading spidey!!)

Its about time they did an arabic translation, even though i dont like translated versions. With regards to the women, i think some forget that some of these 'middle eastern' countries have a high christian and western population, and so im sure there will be no censorship in the comics, unless there is a drawing with a character wearing very little, things like Shanna and Vampirella.
All the comics ive baught never had anythign censored.

What i would like to see in the middle east is a bigger selection of comics, we only get the big two, and then from those its only the major runs.

My two cent
K

(p.s MY FIRST POST!!!)

[swol]

Originally posted by Kayed
Well let me say this,

Im from the Middle east (Dubai infact). And you can already get the comics in english in the middle east. (Its were i started collecting and reading spidey!!)

Its about time they did an arabic translation, even though i dont like translated versions. With regards to the women, i think some forget that some of these 'middle eastern' countries have a high christian and western population, and so im sure there will be no censorship in the comics, unless there is a drawing with a character wearing very little, things like Shanna and Vampirella.
All the comics ive baught never had anythign censored.

What i would like to see in the middle east is a bigger selection of comics, we only get the big two, and then from those its only the major runs.

My two cent
K

(p.s MY FIRST POST!!!)

Well let me welcome you to the forum.

Nice to see another perspective from somebody who has first hand knowledge on the subject.

You have to understand that many of us here, (in this forum), have only the media representations of areas of the world that we do not personally see to rely on.

That being said, the media shows what it wants to show. Be it a right wing view or left wing view. All media is biased to some degree, albeit they are not always conciously doing so.

With the current political and military environment of the world, it is perfectly understandable that large groups of people are painted with the same brush. This is aggrevated by the perceived closed attitude that we are shown, again by the media, to exist in the middle east as a whole.

I'm not saying that any of this is right, only that it happens.

Just my opinion.

Again...welcome to the group.

[metlaneth]

Originally posted by Brian Jacks
No, but to a one, they're all dictatorships with varying degrees of oppressive policies (with a slight exception for Lebanon, although that's a whole 'nother story). It'll be interested to see what level of censorship, if any, is implemented into these Marvel comics.

Well, I'm from Turkey and it's considered as an East European and also a Middle-Eastern country. Turkey is a democratic country. Please don't make commends with a narrow perspective and bad geographic knowledge.

We're reading all kinds of DC, Marvel ext. stuff in here for decades and we are buying originals from the internet. Lots of publishers in Turkey are publishing all kinds of comic books (American, European, Japanese) and there're absolutely no censorships in these books (American Comic Code is making much more censors in comic books than my country).

Originally posted by Slick
Sure we will, they'll just be wearing sheets

And as for "women in black sheets" thing: Women don't wear black sheets in all Middle-Eastern countries (some -thankfully not all- western people are stupid enough to think all Islamic women are in black sheets). I hate news media when they desperately try to reduce people into cliche images from which part of the world they live in.

[Superman4ever]

Originally posted by The Marvel
This is excellent, because Spider-Man now fights the true evils, like the merciless Feminist, the villainous White Devil, the godless Capitalist Pigdog, and the Incredible Thinking Woman.

How original!

[Brian Jacks]

Originally posted by metlaneth
Well, I'm from Turkey and it's considered as an East European and also a Middle-Eastern country. Turkey is a democratic country. Please don't make commends with a narrow perspective and bad geographic knowledge..

As you don't know my background or depths of knowledge, please don't presume to judge. But to clarify, I wasn't including Turkey as part of the Middle-East (whether it is or not depends on your accepted definition of the geographically ambivalent term). And to further clarify, Turkey may be more democratic than its fellow Islamic brethren, but it's not a true democracy in terms of the amount of freedoms that citizens of the West enjoy.

[metlaneth]

Originally posted by Brian Jacks
And to further clarify, Turkey may be more democratic than its fellow Islamic brethren, but it's not a true democracy in terms of the amount of freedoms that citizens of the West enjoy.

Turkey will be a full member of European Union in several years, so I think that makes your "it's not a true democracy in terms of the amount of freedoms that citizens of the West enjoy" word wrong, doesn't it? If what you say is true do you really think they'll agree to accept a member like you said?

PS: I apologize from everybody to write out of topic.

Returning to the topic:
I think comic books could be great when they can be used as a bridge between different cultures. It's great to see different kinds of people from all over the world have a common love for certain comic books and always fun to read their thoughts about that comic books over the internet.

[curefreak]

im curious if theyll show peter parker as a middle eastern and living in the middle east or will it be the original american one living in manhatten?