Aflamnah

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Wayl (ويل) is the story of Sufyan El-Taher, recently returned to Jordan from a life abroad to take over the family business after his father's death. With tensions rising in the Middle East and crime on the rise, Sufyan must face a city in ruins with crime as societal norm. This is a culture shock he was not prepared for, particularly when the interim CEO of his father's company decides he doesn't want anyone muscling in on the game...a decision that ultimately leads to the creation of a super-being: The Arab World's first real superhero!

This comic project was created and written by myself, Zaid Aladham, an audiovisual artist living in Dubai, UAE. With successful runs in film festivals and television programming, I decided to take a stab at presenting something that the Arab World was truly missing, a comic superhero.

Unlike superheroes created recently in the Middle East with a hidden or obvious political or religious agenda, Wayl aims to be pure entertainment that harks back to the glory days and golden age of comics as seen in DC and Marvel's heyday. This time, there will be a twist to capture home audiences into something that they can relate to. The very first of these is the inclusion of a real-life criminal into the story canon, the infamous Jordanian serial killer 'Abu Shakoosh', who is being given a fictional treatment worthy of comic super-villainy.

Your contribution will help complete and market the project's pilot: issue #1 of the comic, previews of which to be introduced at the 2015 Middle East Film & Comic Con (MEFCC), as well as the next few issues of the beginning of the series. Issue #1 has already been written, and is currently being pencilled, inked, coloured and lettered by one artist: Yasser Alireza. At this point we can use all the help we can get!

Wayl and his initial artwork will be debuted in a live crowdfunding event at the 2015 MEFCC, where prints and posters signed by both creator and artist will be available to purchase. Additionally, fans of the project and those interested to see more will have a chance to bid on live drawings of alternative cover art for issue #1, as well as participate in an exciting sealed-bid auction for a Wayl-themed painting!

Initial drawings of Wayl and Abu Shakoosh (as seen above) have already won 1st Place for "Best Original Artwork" at the very first MEFCC in 2012. We are very excited to bring the project back and look towards an even bigger win and a publishing deal this year. We are confident about our project, we only need your generous support.

• Unlike superheroes created recently in the Middle East with a hidden or obvious political or religious agenda, Wayl aims to be pure entertainment that harks back to the glory days and golden age of comics as seen in DC and Marvel's heyday.
• Led by a team of award winning artists (Yasser Alireza- Main art; Ver Quimpo- Support Art), this will be the most innovative, creative, and pioneering work of original storytelling in the Middle East- guaranteed! 
• Our aim with this project is to also channel home-grown talent, where writers, artists, and panelists from within the Middle East itself can come forward to contribute to the success of the comic when it gets published. We can show the world we can do it, and you can be part of that!

• The comic book industry in the Middle East is growing at an exponentially speedy rate, with new talent emerging regularly and gaining widespread coverage and recognition thanks to media such as Facebook and the very important Middle East Film & Comic Con.
• In the 4 years since the inception of the MEFCC, various artists and projects from the Middle East have garnered success, with some unsigned titles gaining publishing deals with important international publishers such as IDW comics.
• Wayl's appeal lies in the fact that it fills a gap in the comic niche market in the region, not focusing entirely on socio-political issues as most comics in the region do, and appealing to fans of comic fiction that need a more homegrown story to relate to.
• To appeal to a more universal audience in larger comic conventions around the world, the comic will be written and published in English, with Arabic variants to come as per market demand. 
• Contributors will get a mention and credit in the issue once published, plus a choice of donation towards issue #2 if they so choose.

We need the remainder of the funds to complete the art process, then the printing of approximately 500 issues of Wayl #1, with remaining funds going into the funding of the marketing scheme and publicity of the project at worldwide comic convenations (New York, London, Toronto, San Diego)...and hopefully the continuation of the series from issue #2 (which introduces the villain: Abu Shakoosh) onwards.

Zaid Adham: Multimedia Storyteller Zaid Adham is an Arab-Canadian writer, producer, and director with international credits in print, film and television. Born in Amman, Jordan in 1983 and raised in Dubai, he is primarily a writer and director of psychological thrillers whose work in mixed media is an unorthodox blend of abstract surrealism and audiovisual symbiosis. On screen, his work has often been described as Lynchian in tone and reflecting of humanity's fragile state of being. 

Useful Links

• http://www.imdb.me/zaidadham