Wham! Bam! Islam!

Naif Al-Mutawa, the creator of The 99, describes reading about a Palestinian businessman who published a sticker book called the Intifada Album that extolled the virtues of suicide bombers. He would cite this as an example to potential funders for his own project, explaining that Muslim children needed new heroes.

When a Kuwaiti psychologist launches a comic series based on the 99 virtues of Allah, he runs up against suspicion from Muslims and the harsh realities of the global marketplace.

The fictional universe was a kind of refuge to the chubby young Al-Mutawa during his childhood in Kuwait. Books became his passport to other worlds...something he would champion through the creation of his comic book, The 99.

Isaac Solotaroff has worked as a documentary producer and editor since 1998. His work has been nominated for an Emmy Award and received a special commendation from the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences.