Entertainment | Television
Daring to laugh
Through word of mouth, Facebook and YouTube postings, cartoon characters B'ro and Shadi from Mawqef Micro are fast becoming household names. Meet the creators
- By Jay B. Hilotin, Chief Reporter
- Published: 00:00 September 30, 2010
- Image Credit: Francois Nel, Gulf News
- Ammar Daba, left, and Ahmad Darwish at work in their studio at International City
DUBAI : Mawqef Micro (micro bus stop), a 2D Arabic animation series is witty and bold with its social commentary. Produced by two Dubai-based artists, Mawqef Micro is making waves with reruns slated in major regional satellite TV channels following its successful Ramadan debut. Its Facebook fan page is flooded with requests for more such shows from the creators of the 30-episode series.
Life at a Bus stop
Produced by Dubai-based Free Dome Media, the cartoon series revolves around two characters, B'ro and Shadi, who meet regularly at a bus stop where they discuss matters that concern the Arab street.
B'ro (short for Ebrahim), the show's temperamental 40-something hero, mans a news-stand and cigarette kiosk. He wisecracks with sharp observations about life around him - people's misfortunes, inflation, the recession, sports, power interruptions, salaries, Eid, life and death - in a funny way. Shadi, a cool young student in his 20s, absorbed in Hollywood movies, provides a counterpoint. Together, they bring to life one of the first Arabic cartoons that speak the language of the Arab street - a sort of Family Guy or Southpark of the Middle East.
In their unconventional studio-cum-office based in Dubai, the show's creative director and animator Ahmad Darwish said they focus on the smaller details of everyday life.
"Comedy is a big part of Arab show business," said Darwish. "We let the characters speak to the funny bone of our viewers. We wanted to produce something that respects the mind of our audience and intellectually interacts with the reality of our societies."
It's also the first cartoon series where the characters actually curse - albeit inaudible (a bus would zoom past as B'ro starts to blurt out swear words). "We belong to a polite nation," explained Ammar Daba, Free Dome House co-founder, who is also the show's creative writer and the voice behind both B'ro and Shadi.
"It does not offer to solve the problems of the world," explained Dima Al Malakeh, the publicist of Free Dome. "People easily relate to the characters and enjoy their stories."
Al Malakeh said audience feedback had been heart-warming. "Word-of-mouth advertising, Facebook references and YouTube postings of the episodes are getting the message out."
Darwish said he is not concerned some of the episodes have found their way to YouTube. "Once the work is out there, we don't have control over it, it's the ‘knowledge sharing' culture," said Darwish.
More animation projects are in the offing, said Darwish, but declined to give details.
What B'ro said to shadi...
Episode: Death With Envy
B'ro: Nothing can be done! Nothing my friend! Everyone has their own time…when your time comes, you're dead!
Shadi: Can you please not include "me" in this!
B'ro: We're all gonna die Mr Shadi! How can I possibly offend you by this?
Shadi: With all due respect … would you be kind enough to exclude me from your lecture about death? Why don't you use the first person for a change?
B'ro: What do you mean?
Shadi: You can say, ‘When my time comes, I'll be dead'!
B'ro: That's exactly what I was saying, ‘When your time comes, you're dead'.
Episode:The Golden Spoon
B'ro: You see? It's all about double standards! This would only happen because I'm poor and helpless while he's rich, born with a golden spoon in his mouth!
Shadi: Honestly … I think you're both the same.
B'ro: How the hell is that possible?
Shadi: Seriously, you're both the same, only with a small difference. He was born with a golden spoon in his mouth … you were born to find out that it wasn't a spoon … wasn't made of gold and wasn't "shoved" into your mouth.
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