‘The Chronicles of Shamal’: A comic book digest with a difference

Manama : Al Riwaq Art Space launched The Chronicles of Shamal, an imaginative and uniquely executed Bahraini-themed comic book yesterday during a media event at Al Riwaq’s official venue in Adliya.  

Created by Bahrain-based artist and illustrator Anna Thackray, The Chronicles of Shamal has taken exactly 39 months to bring to completion, and she has undertaken all aspects of its creation including the storyline, illustrations, colouring and production. 

Considered a pioneer in the comic book industry in Bahrain, Thackray is thought to be the first female expat comic book creator and publisher in the Kingdom.

 “The Chronicles of Shamal has been a labour of love,” said Thackray, “I draw inspiration from the Kingdom of Bahrain itself, the people, the scenery, the weather and the old fables told by many Bahraini friends. The story started to live in me and I needed to get it out, hence Shamal was born.” The three books, originally published individually, have now been released as part of an anthology.

Thackray has been living in Bahrain since 2008, working on commission for various high-profile art projects. In 2011, she was contracted to illustrate a guidebook about the Kingdom - Streetsmart Bahrain. It was during this point that she started to scribble various roughs of the Shamal characters in the margins of her sketchbook.

Asked about the central character’s name in the story, she stated, “Before Bahrain I had never experienced a dust storm or even raging winds, until one day a dust cloud appeared over the horizon and engulfed the island. I asked a Bahraini friend what it was and he said it was the north-westerly wind Shamal.”

Impressed by the natural phenomenon, in Thackray’s mind the wind painted a picture of an event that is both powerful and destructive at the same time. Later, she decided that this conflict of sorts would make a brilliant lead character name, bringing Shamal alive.

“I was basically scribbling intuitive drawings and suddenly the idea snowballed,” she said.

Thackray is already working on the next instalment of the comic, which sees the Shamal character travelling to the UAE, fighting evil along the way. However, Bahrain is Shamal’s home and he will always return.

In real life, the Shamal franchise is diversifying, branching out into the accessories market and looking into the film and gaming market.