
Graphic novelist Brenton McKenna’s ability to channel the memories of his childhood in Broome and his Aboriginal and Malay heritage into his visually stunning work have made him a popular figure in the Kimberley.
Mr McKenna showcased his work, faith and life at the Australasian Catholic Press Association Annual Awards Dinner in September last year.
Born into a large family from Broome and the surrounding Kimberley, Mr McKenna was raised in a busy, close-knit household and had fond childhood memories growing up with his siblings.
“My background is Aboriginal/Malay, so Nan, Mum and all of my aunties were beautiful cooks in the kitchen,” he told The Kimberley Community Profile late last year.
From an early age, Mr McKenna was introduced to the Catholic faith and attended St Mary’s College, Broome where he was influenced by the Church’s teachings and served as an altar boy from the ages of 10 to12.
As a child, he struggled to read but developed a passion for storytelling through comics which, in turn, sparked an interest in drawing.
Mr McKenna soon became immersed in the world of comic art and graphic novels. But it wasn’t until he was in high school that he realised he had any talent.
“Storytelling was just fun, and I did that all the time,” he said.
“But once I did art classes, I noticed no one else could do what I was doing and thought ‘maybe I’m good at this after all’,” he added.
Sadly, he had nowhere to take his talent as Australia’s graphic novel industry was non-existent at the time.
“There were very few of us doing this type of work, and we were just doing it on our own,” he said.
“I was turned down by every publisher I came across because no one published graphic novels.
“I had so many doubts and regrets about pursuing my passion; I wanted to stop so many times but I thought if I stop now, I’ll really have nothing.”
In 2003, Mr McKenna started writing his first graphic novel, Ubby’s Underdogs: The Legend of the Phoenix Dragon, inspired by his roots, childhood and Broome’s multicultural history.
The same year, he walked into Indigenous publishing house Magabala Books.
“Magabala knew I had a great story,” he said.
“Telling people about Ubby’s Underdogs wasn’t the hard part: the hard part was educating about graphic novels, what they are, how to read them and their underrated ability to help struggling readers.”
Mr McKenna spent the next eight years perfecting his craft with the support of staff.
Ubby’s Underdogs is a tale about Ubby, a street-wise Aboriginal girl and the leader of a gang called the Underdogs, which takes the reader on an epic journey full of bizarre adventures peppered with myths, legends and secrets.
Bringing the story to life proved to be a massive learning curve for the writer and artist.
“I made every mistake possible but it was worth it. Every mistake hid a small lesson to learn. Once I started to learn, I really began to grow as an artist and an author,” he said.
His hard work and devotion finally paid off when the book was published in 2011.
After the huge success of Ubby’s Underdogs, Mr McKenna followed up the book in 2013 with the critically acclaimed sequel, Heroes Beginnings.
He is now working on part three of the series.
“Each book has had its own challenges,” he said.
“The third instalment is the biggest challenge yet so I’m working on that as well as working on much smaller comic book projects.”
When he is not busy working on the computer, Mr McKenna channels his energies into his other big passion – his family, including wife Tania and their three children, who also share in the Catholic faith.
As an accomplished graphic novelist, Mr McKenna hopes his works will have far-reaching effects in inspiring other emerging writers and illustrators, particularly youngsters who struggle to read and, by sharing his own personal story, inspire them to follow their dream and believe in themselves.
Courtesy Kimberley Community Profile.