But the seeds had been planted long ago...

Born in Egypt, I spent a large part of my childhood in Libya, where my parents—like millions of Egyptians in the 1970s—had moved seeking better opportunities in the wider Arab world. My years in an international school in Tripoli moulded me into a “citizen of the world”.

Shy and awkward, I was an overachieving student, saved from being branded a total nerd by the fact that I could draw. Really well! And that was considered cool! Despite a total lack of social skills, I could always count on a crowd watching me draw in the classroom, and pretty girls asking me to do their portraits. Although I was still too timid to make friends, I was never alone again once I had discovered comic books and rock’n’roll… my best friends to this day!

With pretty good grades and a passion for art, deciding what to do with my life would soon become a dilemma. My family moved back to Egypt just before I reached high school. Soon, the voices of reason prevailed in the difficult choice between pursuing studies in art versus engineering. Art was relegated to a hobby, and thus began my career in IT. A few years later, life took another turn as I moved permanently to France. A lucky father of two wonderful children, I had settled into (or become stuck in?) an IT career with a huge multinational.

… and it’s never too late for the flowers to grow.

The desire to draw and tell stories never left me, however. I managed a few projects here and there: public multimedia talks about the story of rock’n’roll; a newsletter, and later a blog about current popular music; a few short comics, etc. During Covid lockdown, I finally found the time to start drawing regularly, and began working on my dream comics project.

Lady luck came through, with my company offering a generous package for employees who wished to leave. I seized the chance, took the plunge and let my inner artist out of the closet.

Sherizo was unleashed!

Some called me brave, some thought I was crazy, both are probably right…

I believe in the power of comix art and rock’n’roll to change lives and save the world (they did for me, so…) I want to be part of it. I want to make it happen.

Come and join me!