Hello Readers,

Welcome to the world's first comic book about global risk! This is a topic I teach as a professor (NYU) and write about as an author (Future World Order (2020); Covid-19 Effect (2021). But my childhood dream was to be a cartoonist! From 2013-2016, I revisited this passion after a 20+ year break, creating the superhero character of 14 year old Sami who lives in different countries with his family (much like I did – 7 countries by age 14) and observes political problems (much like I do in my day job). In Spring 2016, I finally launched my educational comic book about politics, The Global Kid, which went on to win five awards globally: the 2016 Wonder Woman Award in NY, the 2017 WEF Excellence Award in Iceland, the 2017 INSPAD Peace Award in Pakistan and the 2018-2019 Educators Challenge in Sweden (as a finalist it was also featured at the Nov 2018 Paris Peace Forum! Here is my video explaining the project for the judges and an interview at the May 2019 awards ceremony at the London School of Economics; I donated the $5000 prize to my brother's memorial fund). Its fifth award came in July 2019, thanks to the School of International Futures' Next Generation Foresight Practitioner competition in the UK. The Global Kid also inspired several of my blogs which you can read here.

The Global Kid project was entirely crowdfunded by my Indiegogo investors and all sales from my comic book went to education non-profits that help youth reach their potential (US-based Global Glimpse and Pakistan-based Developments In Literacy). Friends and family supported me through out this project, especially my late brother, Abid Aziz (1974-2017; feel free to check out charity Peace & Sport's donation fund launched in memory of Abid, a lifelong sports addict, with all donations going to their “Live Together” sports program for Syrian refugee youth in Jordan's Za'atari camp.)

The 2016 comic book is still available on Amazon with 100% of profits going to my brother's memorial fund.

THE GLOBAL KID 2.0

As of 2020, the next phase of this project The Global Kid 2.0 is finally moving forward! Thanks to my creative partners and seed funding, I am developing the first spinoff of The Global Kid:

Spring 2021: A VR/AR political comic book for tweens, with a new female superhero Global Kid with creative, tech partner Musemio (award-winning London edtech startup)

I'm also researching a second possible spinoff – a political comic book for adults considering the future of sensitive groups.

That's all for now. Below are photos from the fun 2016 Launch Party at Parlor Club in NYC followed by a snapshot from the award ceremony for The Global Kid :)

My best to you, Readers,

Maha

Spring 2016 Launch Party of The Global Kid in NYC

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