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Release date: Sunday, September 22, 2024, 3:17 PM
Graphic novels set in the Gulf are hard to find, and even rarer when written by women, but Anna Thackray is an exception.
The 50-year-old artist is the creator of the exciting nine-volume comic book series The Chronicles of Shamal, inspired by Middle Eastern fables, heritage, history and landscapes.
Originally from South Africa, Tackley moved to Bahrain in 2008 and then to Abu Dhabi in 2017. She told Khaleej Times: “Ever since I was a child, I have been fascinated by stories from the Middle East.”
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“When I moved to Bahrain I made friends with an older local man and we would go for coffee and he would tell me all sorts of stories about Qatar, Bahrain and the whole region.
“They were so amazing. All my comic ideas started there. For example, my anti-hero is based on the legend of ‘The Donkey Mother,’ a famous story told throughout the Middle East.”
Telling local stories
Her series is set primarily in Bahrain, but the ninth book, “Operation Shield,” features Abu Dhabi.
“Towards the end of the book, I completely deconstruct the Louvre Abu Dhabi, so I sent it to the CEO before publication to be careful not to offend him. He loved it and didn’t mind that I made him a woman,” she said.
“I’m always careful not to offend people or take things out of context.”
In addition to graphic novels, Thackray is also a painter, sculptor and, more recently, a children’s book author.
“ADHD is my superpower”
Thackray, who was diagnosed with ADHD in 2021, manages his symptoms with the help of art.
“Art quiets my mind and helps me forget my worries. My ADHD is also my superpower – it gives me an incredible ability to focus. No matter how difficult or boring the task, I don’t want to stop until it’s finished,” she said.
Her intense focus often means she forgets to eat or drink: “If I don’t take a break, I can work 12 hours straight without feeling hungry or thirsty. I can get dehydrated, which is obviously not good. But the good thing is that I can finish projects very quickly. I love my work so much that I don’t need to take time off. Art is a stress reliever for me.”
Thackray is a regular at Comic Cons in the UAE, Bahrain and London, but his ADHD means he sometimes struggles in crowds.
“At events, I have to pretend to be a completely different person, so I’ve found different ways to cope. I spritz myself with my own perfume to feel more secure and I always visualize myself at home at the end of the day. Thankfully, my husband is very sociable and sometimes he takes over if I feel like I can’t do it anymore. Afterwards, I feel like a zombie for three or four days – I’m totally exhausted and like someone has unplugged my energy source,” she said.
“But it’s a great honour to be able to take part in these events. For some reason, I have a particularly large fan base in Saudi Arabia, so I would love to attend Comic Con in the Kingdom as well.”
She went undiagnosed with ADHD for most of her life, but a diagnosis has given her a lot of understanding.
She added: “I’m also on the autism spectrum. Knowing this has really helped me and I think it’s been good for my husband too. Now we both understand why I get upset in large groups of people, why I’m so fidgety, why I’m forgetful and distracted so often.”
Embracing sustainability
The threat of climate change is another theme in her cartoons, and her sculptures of local animals are all made from discarded items she finds near her home on Saadiyat Beach.
“Millions of golf balls are lost every day around the world, releasing harmful substances as they decompose. I live right next to Saadiyat Golf Club and I find golf balls and tees all the time,” she said.
“I decided to make a gazelle sculpture and am now making a falcon. I also made a hawksbill turtle out of trash I found. Next I want to make an octopus out of a big cardboard box I got with a delivery recently. I’ve been making artworks using everyday items since I was a student. My work has been sustainable long before it was recognised as such.”
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