Ahmed Raafat: The Real Power Pal

Photo by David Haller at Portsmouth Comic Con

Ahmed Raafat has done everything from Fiverr commissions to children’s workshops for the Young Victoria and Albert Museum but one thing remains constant ever since his debut graphic novel El Osba, he loves superheroes. Today we talk about everything from his favourite cons to the various ways he’s deconstructed and subverted the superhero genre with an array of creative partners. 

David: Right, so if you don't mind, I'm going to start right at the beginning. I was wondering what inspired your work on El Osba? Sorry if I've pronounced that incorrectly.

Ahmed: No, that's fine. It's El Osba [El Os-buh], which means the league in Arabic. Kind of like Justice League, I guess. Well, the way the project happened is that the writers of the project were looking for an artist and at that time I was just starting to get back into drawing in general. I used to draw when I was younger and there was a time in my life when I kind of nearly stopped. I wasn't doing it at all, but it was always in the back of my head that I wanted to at some point revisit that dream of becoming a comic book artist or just make a comic book to prove to myself that I can do this thing, have a comic book with my name printed on it. So I was just only starting to get back to drawing, doing some fan art, putting some stuff online. They saw some of my stuff and they were looking for an artist and they said, would you like to work with us on the comic book? We're doing this Egyptian themed superhero comic book. Would you like to work on it? And I said, yeah, because at the time I didn't imagine myself writing anything. I wanted to do the art, but writing a full story and putting together this kind of narrative wasn't something that I thought I could do or had in my mind. For the inspiration, there are six characters in the series. Each of them is supposed to represent an aspect of Egyptian culture because we've had the ancient Egyptian time and then there was the Islamic time and then there's the modern time. And also not all parts of Egypt. There's the Nubian culture in the south and then there's the Bedouin culture in Sinai and the desert. So there are a lot of cultures. The cultural makeup of Egypt is very diverse. And we were trying to pick something from each of these cultures and have it represented in the comic book. Some of them were easy, like a character that is basically a contemporary kind of lower class or working class Egyptian is a minibus driver. So it was like stuff that I encountered every day in life. Like, you know, if you're taking a taxi or minibus, the kind of people who work these professions and how they look and how they dress and their own subculture, you know, which kind of influences all that. So that was easy. Other characters were a bit more challenging. I think the most challenging one was Horus, because it's been done to death at this point in American comics. So I wanted something that is, I knew that I wasn't going to be, it's impossible to be one hundred percent different from what's been done before, because, you know, Horus is a falcon. So you have to have a falcon kind of thing in the costume. And Hawkman has did that already. Like, if you look at Marvel and Image, there are like a dozen Horus characters that play on the same themes. But what I tried to do in that case was to draw from actual historic artefacts and history, like not do something that is completely removed from how ancient Egyptians dressed at the time. So like, for instance, the chestplate of the character is taken from the Temple of Horus. And it's in the southern part of Egypt at Edfu, I think. Like this, some boats have this bit at the front that looks like a chestplate. And I thought, you know, that looks cool. Maybe we could use that in the costume. So I was trying to incorporate stuff that exists and doing it with intent, like not just putting it there, because it looks cool. Or, you know, I've seen a magazine or something and it looks Egyptian enough. I wanted something that actually makes sense for the character to wear. And also at the same time, you know, we're trying to do a superhero comic book. So there are some superhero tropes that you kind of have to stick to. Like, you know, with Horus, for instance, him to kind of be like the Batman of the team. So, you know, you have to have a cape and you have to have a mask and you have to have a belt and all that. So we're trying to mix a bit of this and a bit of that. Or kind of take the tropes and shape them in a way that fits the Egyptian culture. So that it looks familiar in terms of how superhero looks, but also doesn't look very alien from the culture of the country. Some of it was like not just eighties films. One of the characters is a ninja and there was like a surge of martial arts films in the eighties, often the surge of martial arts films in American cities. Kind of, it was transplanted to Egypt and in the eighties there were a lot of martial arts films. So the character is kind of a pastiche of that in a way. So, yeah. Again, we knew that we were not doing something from scratch because, you know, superheroes have been around for almost a century now and all the different variations have been done at this point. So we weren't trying to reinvent the wheel, but we were trying to kind of shape it to what we know living in Egypt. 

Credits: Ahmed Raafat

David: Looking back upon your early career, what do you wish you could go back and change? And more importantly, what wouldn't you change?

Ahmed:  I've always read that two things that kind of regret not doing is not starting earlier because I kind of spent my twenties wanting to do this, but not knowing how, but not trying to actively pursue it. The comics culture in Egypt is a little bit different from here. You don't have comic shops, you don't have comic conventions. These were all very recent things. We had a comic shop in 2010 and it lasted for five years and then it closed. First comic convention in Egypt that was like a proper comics convention was in 2015, which is when we launched El Osba. So by that time I was already doing it. So we don't have places for fans to gather. We don't have places for independent artists to meet. A writer could find an artist or an artist could find a writer. So for me, I always wanted to do it, but I didn't know where to start, especially being in Egypt. I haven't travelled abroad much at that time, so I haven't been to conventions abroad. So it was all new to me when I first started doing it. And when I moved to the UK, going to conventions here, I was blown away by how different and how much bigger the comics culture and the comic scene in the UK is compared to Egypt. So I always think to myself, maybe I should have pushed harder, maybe I should have tried to travel abroad and go to conventions. If I really put my head into it, I could have had a bit of an earlier start and be at a different place now. I started in my thirties. So if I had started in my mid-twenties or early twenties, that would have been a ten year head start from where I actually started. So that's one thing. The second thing is I studied engineering in university, and I graduated with an engineering degree. But I thought about going to art school after finishing high school. And my parents, both are doctors, so they didn't know anything about the art scene or beyond what they see. If you're going to graduate from art school, you're going to work as a teacher, and that's pretty much it. There's no other avenue to pursue. And certainly that was what I was... It's not a diss on teaching or anything, but they didn't see how many different career paths you can have as an artist, like working professionally as an artist for a publisher or for an advertising agency or that. They only saw one very narrow career path, and they said, you're going to be narrowing yourself into that if you decide to go to art school. And I didn't have anyone else to tell me otherwise at the time. So I decided to... They said, keep it as a hobby and study engineering. There are more opportunities as an engineer in the job market. You can find jobs in many different places. And then keep this thing as a hobby. So not much of a regret, but more of, I always wonder, maybe if I went to art school instead, how different my life would have been like. Would it have made a difference? Would I have still been stuck in doing something other than comics in my twenties, and then started doing it in my thirties like I did anyway? Certainly would have helped skills-wise, because I kind of taught myself how to draw comics. So I think going to art school in general would have been a positive, even if I wasn't learning to draw comics there, at least I would have been learning fundamentals, anatomy, and gesture, and perspective, and all that stuff. Learning it in a more academic way. So yeah, that's also something I think about occasionally, how different things would have been. Maybe I would have ended up not working in comics at all. Maybe I would have been a storyboard artist or something else entirely if I did that. But yeah, the thing I would do is just start, to be honest. That's the most important thing. And that's what I tell people all the time. The fact that I took that step, that I was... Like, it started with just making the comic, and then I put it in my head that I want this as a career. I want to be a comic book artist. I want to work for different people. I want to table at the comic con and I want my stuff there, and I want people to come and buy it and sign it. So yeah, starting is the hardest part, and I'm glad I did that. If I didn't start 10 years ago, I might have still been in the same place I was back then, just wondering if this is ever going to happen or if I'm ever going to do it. So yeah, that's the one thing I keep, just taking that first step. 

David: That does seem to be like, whenever I interview people and I'm like, “Oh, do you have any advice  for a young creative like myself?” It doesn't matter whether they've won fifty Eisners or they've…… literally tabled once at a random con somewhere. They're like, “Just go for it. Why not? “

Ahmed: Yeah, because I think that's the hardest part, and it feels intimidating at first, because it took me a year to make my first comic book, and it was this massive thing. Nowadays, it doesn't take that much time, and it's just like, it's the job now. So if somebody wants me to draw an issue or a four-issue miniseries, that's why it doesn't feel scary. But at that point, when I was starting the first page, and I had it in front of me on the desk, the blind page, it was one of the most intimidating moments in my life. What am I going to do now? What did I get myself into agreeing to work on this? So yeah, starting is the hardest part. Once you start doing it, it becomes easier, and you kind of fall in love, and you want to do it more. After I finished my first comic book, I was like, okay, I did what I wanted to do. I did what I set out to do, which is have my name on a comic book and have it published and selling it. I want to do more. I want the next step. So yeah, definitely doing it or starting it, that's the best advice you can give to anyone who wants to get into making comics.

David Sound…… I'd like to sort of shift focus to an interesting part of your career. I'm wondering what it was like to have your work displayed in the Young Victoria and Albert Museum, because that's quite an achievement. 

Ahmed: Yeah, it's the most my family has been excited about anything that happened in my career. Because I think that's the part that's like, you know, a new book coming out, maybe they're not really into comics, my extended family here, but having your stuff at the museum is something that everyone can relate to that, you know,  kind of big. But yeah, I mean, it was amazing. I had my work next to like stuff from DC and Marvel, which was great. And I was invited to the opening, a couple of workshops there, like……. creating your own superhero. And, you know, with focus on Egypt specifically. So it was, yeah, it wasn't something that I ever thought would happen, to be honest, but I'm glad it did. And it's still one of my career highlights for me.

David: So I was wondering, sort of, on that topic, if you personally feel comics and their creators are well represented in the UK's cultural institutions, like art galleries, museums, and if not, what do you think should be done to change that?

Ahmed: I wouldn't say they are represented as much as other mediums. Like, in general, I don't see many stuff around comics the same way I do around film, for instance, or literature, even art galleries and museums. Like, you see a lot of different types of art, but you rarely see an exhibition for comics art, unless it's a place that is dedicated to comics specifically, but you don't see it a lot. Or I don't see it a lot, like more mainstream museums and galleries, which is a shame because the UK has a very rich history of comics and comic arts. I think it's improving a little bit from the news I've been hearing. I think there was a group of British comic book artists and writers that went to meet with the Parliament earlier last year.

David: Yeah, the Fund.

Ahmed: Yeah. So I think the attention has been getting more and more attention. It's good. And how to change that, that's a tough question. As I say, I like to ask hard questions I don't know, because we're doing, I mean, I don't think we can do, it's not like we're a niche group that is closed upon itself. The thing with comics is, there are traces of it everywhere. The movies people watch are now pretty much all superhero films. So the culture that is adjacent to comics is everywhere. So I don't know how much more you can tell people that, you know, this is based on a comic book. So, you know, give comics more attention.

David: Absolutely. I can't remember who it is, but there's that quote by that guy and it starts something like the nerd won. And it's the basic paraphrase is he's saying how all of pop culture is now influenced by nerd culture. But yeah, nerds are still like, sort of not pushed aside, but you know, people are still like, oh, you know, they still use nerdy as an insult and stuff. It's like, we built your pop culture from the ground up.

Ahmed: Yeah, and even the attitude changed. I mean, here, most of my friends are kind of into comic books, but like in Egypt, for instance, like 20 years ago, going to see a comic book film was something like maybe two or three of my friends would like to come with me because they're also into comic books. But before I left, like, you know, I left in 2015. So at that time, Marvel was kind of dominating the film scene, right and left. And like everybody, everybody at work, and you know, everybody I know was like excited to see the new Avengers film. And they come and ask me about like, you know, who's this character, whether they appear. So it kind of became much more ingrained in the culture in the past couple of years. And it was for me growing up, like at school. I had one friend who basically also read comic books. No one else did. But yeah, I don't know what can be done. I mean, even here in the UK, you can buy comic books at supermarkets and like a newsstands, which is something that I think in America, you can't do that. Or until recently, there weren't any comic books in the magazine section in the supermarket. But here, you can go there. Or if you go to WHSmith, you know, there are comics everywhere. So how to get people or how to get art institutions to care more about comic books at home. It's their problem. They should solve this. They should care about it.

David: I think that's a fair enough answer. Like, you know, I did bat a massively hard question. 

Ahmed: Yeah, I mean, we're everywhere. Stop ignoring us. That's the best part. 

David: Well, fingers crossed, maybe stuff like, you know, I don't know if you saw Avery Hill Press. Is it Avery Hill Press or Avery Hill Publishing? I can't remember the  technical name. They had an exhibition. 

Ahmed: Where? 

David: It was somewhere in London…. I think I saw it on Paul Cornell's and Lucy Sullivan's social media, on their Instas. 

Ahmed: Lucy Sullivan has been doing a lot of great work and kind of bridging that gap. Because, you know, she had her work featured in a film [The Thing with Feathers] or a TV show recently, and she was at this parliament.

David: Yes, The Crows, something The Crows. 

Ahmed: Yeah. So I feel like she's kind of representing the UK comics scene outside the comics circle. She's definitely one of those people. But yeah, I mean, I think it's definitely improving. But yeah, I hope there's more to come in the future.

Credits: Ahmed Rafaat's Cover for Who Are The Power Pals? Issue 2

David: Fingers crossed. Thank you. I'd actually like to move on to Who Are The Power Pals? Which is, I mean, I think I messaged you once I read it. I really love the first four issues. I need to get the next four because I like, you know what I mean? I just, it was, I think this is just, you picked everything I love, Adam West, Batman, bits of Daredevil. I was wondering, if you could talk about what led you to working on the project, how that, sorry, what led you to working on the project, how that sort of happened? 

Ahmed: So the way it happened is, so Duane Murray, the writer, was looking for an artist and Michael Walsh, the writer and artist, put a tweet saying a friend of mine is looking for an artist to work with him on a pitch. If you have, if you'd like to do that, reply to samples. Friend of mine tagged me. So I replied with samples, Duane saw my work and he liked it, thankfully, because I loved working on that project. And then we did the pitch together. We did a pitch together. He took the pitch and started like shopping it around to different publishers. At that time, right after I finished the pitch, I got to work on Quickstops. Again, it happened through Twitter, which is such a shame that it's like a completely different place now. It used to be a good place to find work and make connections. And then after I, yeah, like six months later, he said that Dark Horse, greenlit, the pitch and would like us to do it with them. So yeah, it was like somebody tagged somebody who was speaking on behalf of somebody looking for an artist. But I’m glad it happened.

David: So I was just wondering cause obviously we’ve talked about the inspiration, like we’ve said Adam West Batman, stuff like that. How did you make it feel like said superhero shows that inspired the comic?

Ahmed: It was part Duane to be honest and part me…… Both of us kind of grew up in the nineties where there were a lot of superhero shows that were cheaply made, that were trying to capitalise on the speculator boom of the nineties but they didn’t know how to make superhero shows or didn’t have the licenses. So there, there was a lot of weird stuff that was very short lived, that tried to be a superhero show without capturing what makes it work. That was the main inspiration. These two characters were on a show in the nineties that got cancelled, because it wasn’t successful, and they’ve been trying to get their careers back ever since. So we were kind of trying to pay homage to that. But also just the history of comics in general. There’s a section that pays homage to Sunday Strips in Issue 2. We do a riff on nineties Image Comics in Issue 3…. Duane obviously is a fan of comics and a fan of this particular era of comics and the shows it inspired. Same with me. Each of us was bringing the stuff they loved or the stuff they connected with from the time. Him through the story and through the dialogue. And me through the art. A couple of nods to The Killing Joke, you know, thrown around. So yeah, it was kind of like everyone bringing their influences to the table. And thankfully it all gelled together well in the end.

David: It did feel like when I read it almost the ultimate love letter, to the, to as you say to those, to the nineties superhero scene. I mean I’m biased cause I really loved it. Like every trope I loved was in there. So I was just like yep, I’m hooked. This is my type of comic. It was very much a bit of me.

Ahmed: I’m really glad you loved it. You said you wanted to get the next four issues. Unfortunately, it’s just a four issue miniseries.

David: I thought….. There was something in the end about there being potentially a sequel.

Ahmed: We….. We left it open ended because we’d love to do a sequel.

David: Is it a if Dark Horse will?

Ahmed: Yeah. Yeah. So we, we haven’t been approached yet by Dark Horse to pitch a sequel. Duane is working on a couple of things at the moment. But yeah, we’ve got ideas, we…. We’re ready if someone wants to do a sequel for it….. Awards Season is coming  up so maybe if we got nominated for something. That would drum up interest. Fingers crossed.

David: Well you never know, could get bought for TV or something like that.

Ahmed: Or that. If it gets picked for a TV show adaptation or a movie adaptation. I’d love to see that. Or an animated show.

David: The best bit about adapting it for TV. would be like oh this is great for the budget cause half of it, the whole point is it shouldn’t look incredible at times so you can afford to, not cut, but you know what I mean. It doesn’t have to look like the latest MCU suit.

Ahmed: The cheaper it looks the better it’s going to look.

David: Authentic almost.

Ahmed:I think you know we moved to appoint where meta commentary on superheroes is on the rise. You’ve got Deadpool which is very meta. The Boys is kind of a deconstruction. So I think there is room for something like Power Pals, now that we’ve reached the, I don’t want to say the end, but the….. But we were posse to the Marvel phase that was creating the material in the very earliest way and now people are more interested in something that…. A look from above on the genre in general and tropes and all that. I think something like Power Pals, have you seen Wonder Man by the way?

David: Yes. It was incredible. I don’t know what you think but I loved it.

Ahmed: I mean Wonder Man is exactly doing the kind of thing that we did with Power Pals and even the shots and locations in the first episode I’ve drawn with Power Pals….

David: Chinatown. Isn’t it?  

Ahmed: Yeah the Chinese theatre and also Wonder Man’s apartment. There are certain places actors go and stay in whenever they’re auditioning for something in LA. And Duane was very specific about the place, he sent me a layout of the apartment, Power Pals’ apartment. This is how these places look like. And he sent me some exterior shots of the place. And if you look at the layout of the apartment of I can’t remember the main character’s name…

David: Simon Williams.

Ahmed:If you look at the layout of his apartment, it’s the layout of the apartment in Power Pals. So I was sitting there through episode one thinking you know probably going to not get an adaption now cause it’s been done. I mean it goes in a different direction. But yeah, I mean that kind of show was, wouldn't have been made ten years ago because superhero films weren’t that much into the culture. But now it’s kind of a commentary on starring in a superhero show or a movie, you know, a look from outside on how these things are cast so I think there is room for something like Power Pals to exist in that kind of climate right now.

David: Yeah. Well hopefully, fingers crossed, we’re going to get that Power Pals tv show. Get everyone on it. I think as well, I was thinking the one thing I think it does have going for it cause only Wonder Man has done this, a lot of the deconstruction and the meta stuff is hyperviolent. Like you know what I mean, as well, a lot of the emphasis is on like, if you look at Deadpool the emphasis is on stuff like oh he just cut someone’s dick off or, like in The Boys, it’s like the shock is oh they're like  celebrities so it means a lot of them are horrible people who abuse their power. There is no moment in The Power Pals where one of The Power Pals turns around and is like oh by the way like I’m this horrible sort of evil pervert.

Ahmed: We were not, we weren’t trying to be edgy…… in a way Deadpool and The Boys is. Which is not a diss on being edgy. It’s fun in its own way but we were trying to do something a little bit different.

David: I definitely  think that gives it space to breathe in the TV landscape.

Ahmed: Yeah.

David: It’s kind of a look that hasn’t been done before.

Ahmed: It’s been done in other genres. In terms of commentary on the genre it comes from. I always compare it to Three Amigos. What Three Amigos did for the westerns and what Galaxy Quest did for the science fiction, you know, Star Trek kind of sci-fi epic. Power Pals is doing that and I think now is the time. So, yeah, I could use that Netflix money. (Laughs)

David: Yeah, couldn't we all? 

Ahmed: And if it's going to bring interest to doing more, then yeah, absolutely.

I mean, that's the main thing. 

David: Just before I move on to the next question, because I'm now interested, are there any fan casts in your head now for who are the Power Pals instantly? If not, it's all good. 

Ahmed: No, I mean, when I was drawing the Power Pals, I was really trying to riff on 21 Jump Street in terms of the physique of both characters. So, both characters kind of have this Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill thing going on for them. But for now, like if I'm going to cast it now, I think maybe somebody like Ryan Gosling or Glenn Powell for Alex, probably. 

David: I see that.

Ahmed: For Derek, I don't know actually. Duane is very fond of Seth Rogen and he could possibly be a Derek. And he loves comic books, so that may be. Or we might have to go for somebody who's a little bit...  I don't know, because they're supposed to be old. They're supposed to be mid-30s, the characters are late-thirties. Well, not late-thirties, but kind of mid-thirties, like past their prime in Hollywood terms. So, you don't need somebody who is young, but also not somebody who's too old in case you want to do a sequel, I guess. Yeah, I don't know. I mean, Channing Tatum would be great as well, if he's up for us.

David: Do you reckon it's worth ating Channing Tatum, when I release this interview?

Ahmed: I think actually Duane, because Duane is an actor, he's worked with him in the past, and I think they sent him an email or something, or tried to get in touch with his agents to get it in front of him. Because, yeah, I mean, if an actor gets excited about this and wants to do it, that's all you need, really. That's kind of what happened with Ryan Reynolds in Deadpool, for instance. He was very aggressively trying to get this done and that's how Deadpool got made. So, all you need is a big name to kind of say, I want to make this, and that's it. That's all you need.

David: Perfect. I just was wondering, what was the most challenging aspect of illustrating Who Are The Power Pals? 

Ahmed: I think probably the locations, to be honest. Because I've never been to Los Angeles, and I was trying to make it look like Los Angeles enough. And I always worry about the reader who is like, these palm trees are not like the ones in LA, or, you know, the very eagle-eyed readers who will find something, or this is not the kind of buildings you see there. Which is why when I was watching Wonder Man, and I saw that I kind of got things right, I was like, okay, it looks right. But yeah, that, I think, and Power Pals was the first time I coloured a full series by myself. So, that was a little bit challenging as well, kind of finding the right colour palettes. And I think the first issue was, there was a lot of experimentation in the first issue. But I think by the second issue, I kind of settled on a certain palette and certain hue that I carried on for the rest of the series. So, that was a challenge as well when working on it. 

David: Okay, thank you so much. This one's a bit more of a fun question.

With Quick Stops coming out, I'm wondering what your favourite Kevin Smith film is? 

Ahmed: I love Clerks. Clerks will always be my favourite, not just because it's a great film, it's a very nineties film. So, whenever I watch it, I feel very nostalgic to that time. But also, in terms of the making of the film itself, it's a miracle that this film was made at that time, with that kind of budget. It's like, if anybody wants to make a film, like an independent filmmaker, young independent filmmaker, wants to make a film, and feels like it's a huge challenge or doesn't know where to start, Clerks is a template for that. And what Kevin Smith did with maxing out credit cards. And I think it's easier now, because back then he needed to rent equipment, like proper cameras and all that. Now, the equipment's much more readily available. You can shoot a film on an iPhone these days. But yeah, the making of the film, it feels very raw. It's basically Kevin's life before making the film, working on the Quick Stops and all that. The lived experience, you can definitely see it there in the film. I also like Chasing Amy, just because it's about comic book artists. So, that's the other one. We hardly get any representation in cinema. So, it's good to see a film centred around comic book artists that kind of gets them more accurately than anything else I've seen. So, yeah, these two are definitely top for me. I mean, I love them all, but these two are the top ones.

David: Perfect. Now, shifting on, I think this must be arguably your most recent project….. or at least most recent public project. When doing covers for other people's comics, like The Elf With No Name, how do you balance making it your own whilst respecting the work of the interior artist? 

Ahmed: It's quite challenging, actually. Most of the time, almost all the time, the design is so good that you just want to draw it how it is. You don't want to change it, really. So, yeah, it's a balance. I think, I hope my style is distinct enough that people can tell that I drew this, even if it looks like something that is not created by me. But yeah, for instance, I did a couple of covers for Super Guy. It's a comic book that's also currently funding on Kickstarter. And for the first issue, I tried to draw the character more in my style, but for the cover of the second issue, I got really close to how the character is drawn in the comic book, because it's just, it's a great design, but there isn't, and it's a fun design to draw. There isn't much that I can improve on how it's drawn. So, yeah, it's, again, it's like a balancing act. You see what works in your, what doesn't look very different from how you normally draw, and you put it there, and then you try to do the rest in your style, and you hope the outcome looks coherent in the end. 

David: Nice, thank you. So, what's your favourite comic con in the UK? 

I'll have to say Thought Bubble, honestly. It is, it's definitely the best. I've been at a table at many cons, but I feel that Thought Bubble is the one that is really focused, like one of the few ones that is really focused on comic books, and comic books primarily. Like, a lot of the other cons, you know, you go there, and you see, like, they invite movie stars, and voiceover actors, and you see merchants selling toys, and, which is fine, but it's not what I'm looking for in a comic con, or a comic festival.

But Thought Bubble really puts the focus on comic art, and comic artists, and creators, first and foremost. Rarely see anybody selling anything else other than comics and prints, or, you know, merchandise of their own stuff that they made, but you don't see somebody, like, selling Batman figures there, or anything like that. So, it's definitely Thought Bubble. And also, like, almost as close as Thought Bubble to me, I've been going to MacPow for a couple of years, in Macclesfield. It's a bit smaller, obviously, but it's growing, and it's, it feels very, it's grassroots, homegrown, like, Marc, who organised the festival, really rallies everyone in Macclesfield to support the convention there, the shops offering discounts, and it really feels like a team effort from the whole town to make it a big thing. So, yeah, I mean, Thought Bubble and MacPow, definitely my favourites. Again, a lot of this on the other comic cons, but these are, these are the ones where I feel the most at home. Thought Bubble is, like, an office party at this point, for everyone working in comics in the UK. 

David: See, Lucy [Sullivan] was saying this, she was like, it's just a Christmas party. 

Ahmed: So, just, yeah, you go there, you hang out with friends that you haven't seen in a while, you know. So, yeah, it's the annual, the annual office party for us creators in the UK. 

David: Absolutely, yeah. Last one I did, so I didn't drink at the mid-con party, because I had the [2000 AD Talent Search] pitch to 2000 AD and I was like, don't go to, don't go to that hungover, because I was like, I know too many people, because I already had so many people being like, okay, I'll get you a drink. I was like, if I let people buy me a drink, I will be hungover as. 

Ahmed: Trust me, everybody's hungover on Sunday at Thought Bubblee, so you're not alone.

David: Oh, it was like, you know, when you walk down the Artist's Alley, and everyone's like, God, and like the 10 o'clock sort of happened. 

Ahmed: Go for it next time, you've got to be fast. 

David: So, well, hopefully next year, fingers crossed as well, I'm going to have a bit more to show. I don't think I'll be tabling, but I'll make sure what I'm passing out to publishers, I'll print you a copy this year as well. 

Ahmed: Yeah, definitely, I'd love to, I'd love to see what you're up to. 

David: There's going to be some reprints.

Ahmed: You've done it already, I mean, I was going to say print Ashkens and bring it with you, but you've done that last year, so yeah, keep doing that until you have enough stuff to get a table. 

David: I don't know if you saw the most recent post I did about my comics, but yes, I'm hoping to ask the guy [Jamal Blair]  who I'm doing that with, if I can put it in the ashcans, because I'm also doing another one with him. So that was, he and his partner [Rachel Blair], they have this, it came out as a joke at Macpow, he has this like great detective character, Blakemore, and she has this kid's book called Genny the Giraffe. I was like, what if they teamed up? It would be the funniest stuff, because it'd be like Constantine meets My Little Pony, you know what I mean? And I was like, that's the vibe you go for. And they were like, actually, that would be great. 

Ahmed: You said the artist is not on social media, right? 

David: No, I couldn't find them [Yejiitzy], so I asked them [Jamal], oh, what's the Insta, because I didn't commission the art, and they were like, they couldn't find any social media, and they weren't provided one, so I was like, okay.

Ahmed: Okay, I was going to say, if they don't have social media, I mean, the art looks great, so it's a shame they don't have a place to, I can't find a place where I can see more of it.

David: I'll message Jamal and see if there's any sort, even if it's just an email that I can pass to you. 

Ahmed: Yeah, yeah.

David: Sound. This is gonna, I feel like this will be interesting. What's the weirdest commission request you've ever had? 

Ahmed: Um, yeah, I was, when I first started, I was on Fiverr. So I used to get a lot of stuff that is, like, this is how I got Gorilla My Dreams through Fiverr. But that was the one serious comic gig that I got through there. Most of the other stuff was like, you know, my anniversary is coming up, can you grow a comic about me and my girlfriend, things like that. I wouldn't say it's odd, but I did illustrations for a law firm in America. They wanted the... 

David: (Laughter) Sorry, I just didn't expect that. I'm gonna be honest, I thought someone would do the classic, like, they just something genuinely scandalous. Like, they'd be like, draw my scantily clad D&D character. I wasn't expecting that. 

Ahmed: No, surprisingly, I haven't got any of the, like, almost any. I don't think so. But in terms of odd as in very unconventional to the kind of thing I normally do through Fiverr. A law firm wanted me to draw their team as superheroes, so that they can put it on business cards and use it to advertise their websites. So I had to do that. And one of the guys was really unhappy with how I drew him. And he was very mean about it. Like, I was talking to one guy out of three of them. So he was kind of relaying the information. So it's like, you know, I really like how he drew me and the other person's great. But, you know, this person had this to say about how he drew him. And then it was a very mean quote, like, why are you doing me hugging my briefcase? Like, I can't remember the comment, but it was something very like, hmm, you know, pats in the grass. 

David: Yeah.

Ahmed: But yeah, I think I think that that is probably that odd as in, you know, unconventional, like something I would normally do. To be fair, I was just, I did not expect that, if I'm honest. 

David: So I got a good answer out of that question. Also, a little off topic. Is that the Primark Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle shirt? Because I have the exact same t-shirt. It's amazing. I love the art on it. I ruined my own. There's a pub I go to and it's the cheapest pub ever. So I should have expected this. The paint on the table came off on it. It now has like the slats of a wooden table on it. 

Ahmed: Oh.

David: Yep. It's a climbing t-shirt now. 

David: Um, this one's actually a hard question. What's been the biggest challenge of your career so far? 

Ahmed: Um, I think last year has been a bit tough for everyone. I think I've been pitching a lot of things, but it's just been taking a bit longer to get any solid feedback from anyone. And I think it's just the current climate in general. Like there's a lot of economic instability in the world and especially in America. Because of you know who's being president. So, um, so, uh, like publishers and I think that's across the creative industry. There's much less risks taken on original stuff.  Um, and it's just been like, I've been pitching right and left. 

David: I think that leads to the question about what's next. 

Ahmed:  What's next is I'm pitching a lot of stuff at the moment, basically. And I'm still waiting to see where that goes. But yeah, I think like I used to think that the toughest part is breaking in or like getting  your big break. And once you've done that, things are going to be smooth. But, uh, but after this year, I'm thinking the bigger challenge is after you've done that, how do you keep getting more consistent work like, uh, going forward? Because like for me, quick stops happened in 2022. And then, uh, in 2023, uh, I got, uh, asked to do Quickstops Two and Powerpals at the same time. And of course said, you know, finish Quickstops Two and then, uh, you can, uh, you can start working on Powerpals. So for two years, I knew what I was doing, like, uh, like I had it all planned out. Uh, and then after I finished Powerpals, Quickstops Three came along right after. So kind of, there wasn't much of a gap. But then after that, uh, it's just been like, uh, you know, working on this pitch and sending it off and, uh, waiting to see where it goes and then working on another pitch and sending it off and, you know, hoping something clicks somewhere. So, uh, I think that's the, yeah, the tough part is, uh, like maintaining consistency. And also for me, figuring out the business part of the industry is, has always been tricky. Like learning how to draw, um, there's a clear path to it. You know, you practise, you learn, you improve, you go to previews, you ask for advice. Somebody tells you, you need to do this in a different way. You need to work on your anatomy or whatever, but no one tells you how to navigate the business side of things. Like, uh, you know, is it proper to email somebody you don't know well, you know, can I send a message to that guy, uh, you know, like that kind of thing. Uh, how do I expand my network in the industry? Uh, and you're also careful that you don't want to be overbearing or ask too much or, you know, so, uh, so that, that part has always been tricky to me. Like, um, getting to learn to navigate the industry in a, in a business or a career kind of way. 

David: Absolutely. I get, I had, um, you might find this a funny story. So I had an artist who's worked for IDW, you know what I'm saying? How much one day I'd love to write for IDW's TMNT cause massive [I’m] fan. 

Ahmed: Yeah. 

David: And they said to me, just send the editor a script. So I found the editor and I just sent it. I just basically sent him like a link to the script. I went, “Hey, I'm sure you get this all the time because he didn't have a contact email. Just going to send you a link to the script. Like, you know, I'd love it if you could take a look and just, you know, say whether you like it or not, obviously forget you're a busy person, no hard feelings.” And he very politely responded like, “Oh, I can't read that because there's an editor if I do. And there's any similarity, you've not signed a contract…..  Don't send, uh, like, unless you're asked to pitch to a publisher and, you know, sign all the forms and all that. They're, they're, they're not allowed to read anything, any submissions that are sent to them, cold submissions. Because yeah, if, if, if you send a script that is similar to something that's coming out, you can easily claim that, you know, they stole your work, even though it's not the case. Uh, so yeah, it's, uh, it is, it is very tricky.

Ahmed: I wish, like there are a million classes out there to teach you how to grow. I wish there was a class to teach you how to navigate the industry. And it's something that's not very outspoken. Like a lot of people talk about, like, you know, this is how I did this effect, or this is how I do this, or I use reference, or I use a modelling software to, you know, grow this or that. But I don't see somebody saying, uh, like this is how I got the gig for, for that. Or, uh, you know, it's fine, it's fine to, to email that person or it's fine to DM that person. Like it's, it's, it's, um, people do not speak about it as much as the technical side of, of, you know, being a creator. So, um, yeah.

David: I think the best advice I got was from Alison Sampson, who went, if you don't ask, you don't get. The worst they can say is no. And I was like, you know what, actually she is so right. Like the worst you can say is she, cause she was like, if you want to do something, go up to someone, give them your work and say, this is my work and go, I'd love to do this. mAnd if they say yes, great. If they say no, you just respectfully go off. Thank you for letting me show you my work.  But it's just, it's hard doing that.

Ahmed: Yeah, it's a, I mean, she's, she's absolutely right. And Alison is one of the people who are very helpful in general. She always gives great advice. She always wants to like push other creators into the spotlight. Like if you tell her that, you know, you're looking for work, she's going to send herself to people. So she's, she's, she's, she's, she's one of the best people in the comic scene. And she is right. You have to put yourself out there in this industry, or I think in any creative industry, you have to, you have to go and talk to people and show them your work and give people your, you know, your portfolio or your ash cans or, and, you know, business cards and send emails and follow ups. So you always have to be very actively pursuing different avenues to get work. But at the same time, like you don't want to be emailing an editor every week saying, yeah, have you had a chance to read this or have you had a chance to look at this? Because you don't want to be off-putting. There's a delicate balance to it to, you know, stay in the minds of the editors and people who can give you work. But on the other hand, you don't want them to find you annoying. And I don't want to work with that. If they're going to be like that, without even having started to work, imagine how they're going to be like when we actually work together. So, so yeah, it is, it's a balancing act again.

David: Absolutely. I was wondering, which indie Egyptian comics should everyone be reading, in your opinion? 

Ahmed: I don't know if it qualifies as indie now or not, but it started as indie. There's a, there's a comic book called Your Wish Is My Command. That's the English translation. It's called Shubeik Lubeik in Arabic by an Egyptian artist called Deena Mohamed.. It's been translated and it's been published and you can easily find it now in comic shops here or across the world. But yeah, I mean, like it started as an indie comic that was being sold only in Egypt, published by a small publisher…… And I think the fact  it got picked to be translated and published abroad is a testament to how, like, it’s easy to relate to and understand for somebody who’s not from Egyptian and, at the same time, it’s a good representation of the culture so it bridges that gap. It’s a story you can relate to but it’s set in Egypt so you’re gonna, you know, learn more about the culture and the country. So I always recommend that.

David: Now we’re onto the signature question of Freeze Frame.  What’s the next big thing for Ahmed Raafat?

Ahmed: Like I said I’ve been pitching a couple of things for the last couple of months. I’m still waiting for…… see where any of them goes. They’re stories in different genres, with different writers, they’re all writers who are established in the industry so yeah hopefully one of them lands somewhere. If I can work on all of them, that would be great. I’d love to work on any of them if one is, is interesting enough for a publisher. And Quickstops, the hardcover, is coming out at the end of this month. I have an issue in that so that’s. That’s going to be the thing that’s coming out for me.

No matter what waits for Ahmed Raafat in the future, no one can argue that he’s set the standard for himself incredibly high and I’m exciting to see how he challenges the comic scene’s perceptions of the medium again. 

If you love Ahmed Raafat’s work, make sure to vote for Who Are The Power Pals? In the Ringo Awards via the link below.

Ringo Awards 2026 Nominations