Sherif Adel launched his brand new comic book, Pass By Tomorrow, on Friday November 7th. The comic artist, better known online for his famous character Barbatoze, came up with an interesting sci-fi futuristic concept. It was edited by none other than fellow artist Marwan Imam. The best part is how relatable it is to Egypt. The comic book is an all-Egyptian product, with all its inside jokes, tongue-in-cheek comments relating to Egyptian news and society, and modern-day Egyptian lingo.
On the other hand, while staying true to its Egyptian origin, Pass By Tomorrow still has plenty of classic sci-fi inside jokes that might be lost on some. Still, it will not take away from the reader’s enjoyment. If anything, it will introduce them to sci-fi classics! A reader might be introduced to Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey after realizing that 3AL9000 is a hilarious reference to HAL9000.
The comic’s storyline is definitely a page-turner. It sets the mood for a sci-fi while still being intriguing and funny. Everything from the dialogue to character design to the main plot is attractive.
Another hilarious quirk is the fake advertisements in the comic. No one can deny how clever it was to put up ads for fake products with references to Egyptian pop culture here and there.
The event was hosted at Townhouse Rawabet. It was attended by plenty of comic book and art enthusiasts, artists and members of the Twitter crowd. The ever so talented Hany Must performed superhero-themed songs during and after the signing, much to everyone’s delight.
All in all, we can’t wait for the next issue. After all, it’s an all-Egyptian sci-fi comic book, pulled off brilliantly. We couldn’t have asked for anything more! Well, maybe except that more cartoonists follow in Sherif’s footsteps and show us what they can do!
