We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Marguerite Dabaie a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Marguerite, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you have an agent or someone (or a team) that helps you secure opportunities and compensation for your creative work? How did you meet you, why did you decide to work with them, why do you think they decided to work with you?

My agent is someone I’ve known for a long time, but was previously unrelated to agenting. I met them 10 or so years ago through comic convention circles, and we kept in touch as colleagues and friends. In that time, they recommended me for a couple of big jobs that really helped forward my career. I was also unable to find an agent previously, even though I was thoroughly looking. My work is a bit niche AND deals with Palestinianism. I felt that agents didn’t want to take a chance on me, and I went unagented for over 15 years.
My current agent has been great, because they’re so familiar with my work already, and who I am as a person. It was a long time coming but I feel like it was worth the wait, instead of utilizing the services of someone who doesn’t understand my work. This is also a great example of how in long-term freelancing, you never know how things will shake out.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a Palestinian American illustrator, cartoonist, and graphic designer. My first comic was a graphic novel called “The Hookah Girl and Other True Stories,” a bio/autobio piece about growing up Christian Palestinian in America. My upcoming middle grade graphic novel, “Legends in the Heights,” is about a half-Palestinian, half-Mexican 12-year-old girl living in Jackson Heights, Queens, with her family, who accidentally befriends a legendary creature one day.

I have worked with many types of clients with my illustrations and graphics, including publishing, social media, and fundraising.

My work taps into social issues with a colorful and decorative flair. I pride myself in creating meaningful, impactful work.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

There needs to be more respect for the arts and the effort needed to create artistic output.
I feel very strongly that the move toward AI ultimately harms the arts–there’s the detrimental moral dilemma that AI places itself in because it ultimately steals art from actual artists creating the work. It also feeds into the simultaneous envy of artists while downplaying the years of practice it takes to become proficient: That “everyone can be an artist.” I personally think anyone CAN be an artist, through years of practice. AI is trying to shorthand that effort, but all it does is spit out bad copies.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

There’s a saying amongst Palestinian circles that “existence is resistance.” I have always felt that to be very relevant, when industries will often suppress Palestinians since they’re deemed “too controversial” by virtue of being alive. I had a horrific time myself, trying to find a publisher for “The Hookah Girl,” and dealt with a lot of publishers not wanting to touch it, when I knew the content was publishable. I ended up self-publishing it for years until Rosarium picked it up in 2018. The experience lit a fire in me to continue creating “unpublishable” content, because I have a lot to say.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mdabaie.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mdabaie/

Image Credits

Portrait photo: Giovanni Jackson