Cairo’s Comix Store

Oh my gosh, I wish this place had existed when I was writing Connected in Cairo. Superheroes constitute such a modernist mythology that this would have been a great site for participant observation (not to mention appealing to my inner geek).

Kryptonite is a comic book and figurines/toys located on El Sobky St., off of El Dahaby Sq. in Heliopolis, across from the Alfa Market. It opened a week after Hosni Mubarak stepped down, and so far seems to be weathering the economic mess that’s current in Egypt.

If one can believe the reports in Egypt Daily News and other media, the owners, Ahmed Abbas and Kareem Awny, have some clear notions of how comic books and graphic novels can change society.

They hosted the release of the first issue of the Egyptian graphic magazine Tok Tok with artists Mohamed El Shenawy and Makhlouf in attendance. They say they are going to host workshops and other events at the store bringing comic artists — both local and foreign — for book signings and discussions of their work. Ultimately, they hope to create an animation studio aiming to develop locally produced animated TV series and comic books.

Here’s what they say about themselves in their web site:

“Buy from the only true retailer of comic books, graphic novels, Manga and related collectibles in Egypt.! with our online store as well as our store located at City Stars Mall,Phase 2 level 4. The hottest titles are all here: The New 52, Batman, Green Lantern, Avengers, Captain America, Thor, Flash, Fear Itself, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Hellboy, Spider-Man, X-Men, Superman, Fantastic Four, Wonder Woman, Animal Man, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Wolverine, Ultimate Comics and more. Kryptonite offers the best independent, or alternative, comics selection as well, including Persepolis, Maus, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Scott Pilgrim, Love and Rockets and so many more. Its not just about comics! Kryptonite Toys offers a vast selection of comic book related action figures, statues, movies, books and so much more, all available online and in-store.

They have a Facebook page as well.