From Mohammed to Ayn Rand

A Sample of Bosch Fawstin's Work

Here's a nice interview with ex-Muslim, writer and illustrator Bosch Fawstin. Mr. Fawstin explains his reasons for leaving Islam and what he is currently doing to bring the problem of Islamic Jihad to the publics attention. His approach is a bit different, but his art may well strike a chord with younger folks while his message is for everyone.

FROM FRONTPAGEMAG.COM:

From Mohammed to Ayn Rand
By David Swindle

Whether it’s a religion or a political movement, the most effective critics are always those who were once believers. Whether it’s David Horowitz dissecting the American Left, Bart Ehrman challenging fundamentalist Christianity, or Ayaan Hirsi Ali critiquing Islam, those that have been on the inside can cut the deepest.

Not all critics write academic tomes. Ex-Muslim cum Objectivist Bosch Fawstin's new book will contain several essays explaining his challenging, often controversial views on Islam and the War on Terror. But as a cartoonist, Fawstin is the ideal person to make the definitive anti-Jihad superhero: Pigman. For the past several years, cartoonist he has been posting images of the characters from his upcoming graphic novel The Infidel on his blog. As the time grew near to begin releasing The Infidel in serial form Bosch realized he had created enough images to warrant a separate book. ProPiganda: Drawing the Line Against Jihad is a collection of the images that have appeared on his blog.

I recently got the opportunity to ask Fawstin some questions about ProPiganda and The Infidel.

DS: Where did ProPiganda, your upcoming graphic novel The Infidel, and Pigman come from? What life experiences led you to develop the ideas you express in ProPiganda and to create this character and this art?

BF: The Infidel came from my desire to respond to 9/11 through my art. While I'm not a soldier, I want retribution against those who had a good day on 9/11. My Muslim background played a part in my desire to take on this subject, and having left Islam years before 9/11 helped me fully absorb the truth about it with no problem. I had initially planned to write and draw a Captain America story, but I realized that there would be no way in hell that Marvel Comics would allow me to say what I had to say about Islam, nor would they allow me to have Cap do what needed to be done to this enemy. I then stepped back and started thinking about what would be the perfect hero to fight against Jihad. Enter Pigman. The Infidel's hero is Killian Duke, who leaves Islam after 9/11 and creates Pigman, the jihadist's worst nightmare. Pigman is an ex-Muslim who fights jihad, wearing pigskin leather to exploit the enemy's pigotry. Salaam Duka, Killian's twin brother, on the other hand, falls back into Islam in response to the atrocity, breaking their bond for good. I've spent over three years developing this story while researching all things Islam, and my blog has been a way to get myself out there while I work on The Infidel. After realizing that I had over a hundred pieces of art, along with a few essays, I decided to collect it all in a 'remastered' collection I call ProPiganda: Drawing the Line Against Jihad.

DS: As an ex-Muslim creating a graphic novel about an ex-Muslim who creates an anti-Jihad superhero is there an autobiographical element to The Infidel? Are characters inspired by you and people you know?
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