Arab Disney comics

[Fredrik Ekman]

Greetings!

Just yesterday I got Even's Arabic Disney... erm... thing. (Thanks
again, Even!) It turned out to be a very interesting little thing.
25.5 by 17.5 cm large, bound in paperback and very thick. I
interpret the title to "Bar Miki". I won't even try to figure out
the subtitle, but after that comes the figure 51. The contents
consist of all the weekly "Miki" (Mickey) magazines from July to
September 1985 (issues 1263 through 1279). Each of these are 32
pages, except one special issue each month that is titled "Sopr
Miki" (Super Mickey) and is 84 pages.

The covers are very mixed. Some, seemingly locally produced and
undescribably ugly, mostly feature Mickey, Minnie, Mortie and
Ferdie. Others are Danish, while at least two are of a type that I
can't identify, but actually quite beautiful. I would really like
to know where those come from.

The contents are, from what I can make out, only D- and S-coded
stories. Between these are fact pages (sports, et c), games (or
whatever the correct English term for "pyssel" ;-) and ads for
toys and candy. About half the pages are black-and-white and the
other half is horribly poorly coloured.

The pictures are partly (and badly) reinked in order to rearrange
the word balloons, and also to edit away the previously discussed
hats. It seems that all hats with brim (including Goofy's) are
removed while caps and the like are OK. This would seem to support
the "Jewish" theory. It looks kind of stupid at times when someone
is obviously taking on or off a hat that isn't there... I'm no
expert of Arabic calligraphy, but it would seem to me that the
lettering is quite poor as well.

OK, I know that noone asked for this, but I'm giving it to you
anyway. Also, I'd like to know a few things that I can't figure
out myself. For one thing, I'd like to know if the same comic
books are sold throughout the Arab world. One of those I've got
previously looks the same as these, and I bought that one in
Egypt. There is at least one other regular book in Egypt called
"Mickey Guaib" that is in digest format and has only S-coded
stories. But what about other Arab countries? Also, if these are
the same in all Arab countries, where are they printed? And what
is the circulation? From what I could see in Egypt, the Disney
characters are fairly popular there. Actually, the first thing
that meets you at the airport is a picture of Donald Duck that
tells you that luggage carts are one Egypt pound each.

Yours,

  /F