Skip to main content
Outdated Browser

For the best experience using our website, we recommend upgrading your browser to a newer version or switching to a supported browser.

More Information

Graphic Literature

A Happy Childhood

By Mazen Kerbaj
Translated from French by Edward Gauvin
THE LEBANESE CIVIL WAR BEGAN ON APRIL 13 , 1975 .

I WAS BORN THE SAME YEAR , ON AUGUST 24TH !

MAZEN KERBAJ PRESENTS MAZEN KERBAJ IN : A HAPPY CHILDHOOD

THE FIRST YEARS OF MY LIFE WERE SPENT IN TRAINING . AT THE AGE OF 6 , I COULD ALREADY TELL BETWEEN OUTGOING AND INCOMING SHELLS BY SOUND ALONE . A WHISTLING NOISE MEANT THE SHELL HAD PASSED US BY OVERHEAD .

FIRE !

{ZWIIIZ}

HA HA ! SOME OTHER SHMUCK'S GONNA GET IT !

INCOMI-CRAP !

WATCH YOUR MOUTH !
You are cordially invited to A Sound & Light Spectacular 6pm tonight at Tizk Tower



APART FROM DEVELOPING MY SENSE OF HEARING , THE SHELLS HELPED ME LEARN MANY THINGS . I GOT MY FIRST LESSON IN PHYSICS WATCHING THEM BLOW UP IN THE TOWER ACROSS THE WAY .

1. MOMENT M WHAT I SAW

2. MOMENT M {BAOUM} WHAT THE TOWER HEARD

3. MOMENT M WHAT I SAW

4. MOMENT M + n SECONDS {BAOUM} WHAT THE TOWER HEARD


WHAT THE TOWER HEARD LIGHT TRAVELS FASTER THAN SOUND !
FOR ME , THE SHELLS PROVED ONCE AND FOR ALL THAT MAN WAS INFERIOR TO NATURE .

NO MAN - NOT EVEN RAMBO - COULD THRIVE IN A SHELL CASING!

THERE WAS ALSO SHRAPNEL . WE COLLECTED IT . I HAD A BAGFUL . IT AROUSED IN ME, AT AN EARLY AGE , A PASSION FOR ABSTRACT ART .

WHAT FORM ! WHAT BEAUTY ! POOR PICASSO WHAT A DWEEB !

Plaques: 1981 ..79 1975 rare 1984
BUT FOR LAYING DOWN THE LAW IN HIGH SCHOOL , THERE WAS NOTHING LIKE A GOOD OLD HAND GRENADE ( DISARMED )

MINE AT LAST !

IS IT WEIRD FOR ME TO BE IN THE SAME PANEL TWICE ?

Picture caption: Maren Keruge Classe de 12- B

THE DOOFUS WHO DISARMED ! IT FOR ME FOR 10,000 LIRA ( 7 ) EUROS ) LOST A FINGER TRYING TRYING TO COUNT TO TEN
(handout):
HANDY TIP SHEET
No. 231 How to Disarm a Grenade
What You Will Need : a Grenade ; an Empty
figure 1
figure 2
figure 3
Barrel Take the grenade . A Unscrew the top . B ( fig . 1 ) Pull the pin . (fig . 2 ) CAUTION !!! You have 10 seconds before the detonator D goes boom . Throw B in an empty barrel E ( fig . 3 ) .
figure 4
figure 5
figure 6
Wait for D to go boom in E ( fig . 4 ) . Salvage B ( without D ) from E. then stick C back in B and B in A. ( fig . 5 ) .... AND YOU HAVE A DISARMED GRENADE ( FIG . 6 ) !!!
Next Week's Tip Sheet : How to Sweep Your Yard for Mines !

HOW ABOUT , UH , ANOTHER 5000 ?

Tu veux mon doigt aussi ?
Gimme A KISS !

Girl: OW ! OK

PSSST - GIMME THE ANSWERS !

Boy: UH! OK

Sign: LYCEE, FRANCO, LIBANAIS


GIMME THAT SPIROU COMIC !

Boy: NO !

WHAT ?

Boy:IF THAT GRENADE BLOWS YOU'LL GO WITH IT , YOU TOOL !


Boy: TOOL

I'LL LET YOU OFF THIS TIME !

ANYWAY , YOUR SHITTY SPIROU'S NOT EVEN BY FRANQUIN !
IT WAS EASY TO BE A HERO AT RECESS .

I WAS SLEEPING PEACEFULLY WHEN :

{BOOOM}

A MASSIVE NOISE , BUT NOT AN EXPLOSION

MY FAMILY CAME RUNNING !

A DUD SHELL HAD LANDED ON MY BALCONY !

GOD SURE KEEPS AN EYE OUT FOR ME !

KIDS: I HAD A COUSIN WHO ...

KIDS: DAMN!

KIDS: HE'S BLESSED !

KIDS: TOTALLY


IT TOOK A BIT OF LUCK ALL THE SAME . SOME LOSERS MESSED IT UP

WAS SLEEPING PEACEFULLY

IT TOOK A BIT OF LUCK ALL THE SAME . SOME LOSERS MESSED IT UP

KID: I WAS SLEEPING PEACEFULLY...
SCHOOLS CLOSED WHEN THE BOMBING GOT TOO HEAVY . WE WENT DOWN INTO SHELTERS . AH , BOMB SHELTERS , AND THEIR NEVER - ENDING BLACKOUTS . SHELTERS AND THE DUMB GROWN - UPS WHO WERE ALL AFRAID

(Grown ups speaking Arabic)

SUDDENLY...

SHELTERS AND THE HOURS SPENT REREADING THE SAME
ME ? I WAS NEVER SCARED . I KNEW WE WERE BEING PROTECTED BY SOME REALLY GREAT GUYS .

MY FRIENDS THE MILITIAMEN .

WEIRD ... I THOUGHT MY FRIENDS LOOKED MORE LIKE THIS ...


{BANG BANG}

HEY , MAZEN BUDDY !

(our Alberto)

Translation of “Une Enfance Heureuse.” Copyright Mazen Kerbaj. By arrangement with the author. Translation copyright 2008 by Edward Gauvin. All rights reserved.

Read Next