Néjib's graphic novel 'Stupor Mundi' reimagines Frederick II's court

Tunisian-born French artist Néjib (Néjib Belhadj Kacem) published the graphic novel 'Stupor Mundi' with Coconino Press Fandango in Rome in 2017. The story follows Annibale Qassim el Battuti, an Arab scientist exiled from Baghdad, who arrives at Castel del Monte to present an invention to Emperor Frederick II. At court, he interacts with historical figures including the painter Balthazar, librarian Gattuso, mathematician Fibonacci, and a monk named Sigismondo who uses hypnotism. El Battuti builds the Beit el-Dhaw (House of Light) to create a Suar Dhawya (light drawing) using a camera obscura and chemical processes, but the fixative formula is lost. The plot includes palace intrigues, conflicts between Empire and Papacy, a duel between champions of Christianity and the Orient, and bibliophile challenges reminiscent of 'The Name of the Rose'. The artwork uses fast, synthetic linework with bi- and tri-chromatic color schemes that vary by scene. Néjib, born in Tunisia in 1976 and trained at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, is artistic director of French publisher Casterman. 'Stupor Mundi' won the Prix Révélation Quai des Bulles 2016 and was selected for the official Angoulême 2017 lineup. The book is 288 pages, priced at €22, ISBN 9788876183706.