Last Saturday, at the age of 70, renowned Egyptian cartoonist and graphic designer - Mohie al-Dien al-Labbad passed away.

After graduating from the Faculty of Fine Arts in 1962, al-Labbad began publishing his cartoons in the prestigious magazines - Rose al-Youssef and Sabah al-Kheir. He worked among iconic cartoonists such as Salah Jaheen, Bahgat Othman, Hegazi, and Zohdi. Early on, his drawings began taking on folk motifs that gradually became key elements of his work.

In 1964, he co-edited Al-Karawan, a children's magazine thats focus on Egyptian characters and stories was ground-breaking at a time when most magazines featured foreign cartoon characters. His aim was to preserve Arab and Egyptian identity through his work.

In the early eighties, al-Labbad co-founded Al-Arabi al-Saghir (Young Arab), a monthly children’s magazine thats original characters were inspired by Arab traditions.

In another of his children's books, Kashkoul Rasm (Sketch Book), al-Labbad paired sensible and sensitive text with vivid illustrations in order to wittily and simply explain philosophical matters to the younger generation. His illustrations, used metro tickets, old photographs, Arab and foreign super-heroes and Arabic calligraphy as the main components of these books.

Many of his award-winning books have been translated into several languages. For decades, al-Labbad’s designs have graced countless publications. The literary world, in Egypt and abroad, will surely miss his genuine and brilliant touch.

Al Masry Al Youm

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