Sharjah24: The straightforward messaging and structure of comics might suggest that creating them is child's play in the world of literature. However, they are as nuanced and rigorous as writing a novel, Abdulaziz Ibrahim, an author, pointed out at the Sharjah Children's Reading Festival (SCRF 2024), whose 15th edition runs at Expo Centre Sharjah until May 12.

Ibrahim, the author of four comics — Mysterioso #1, Mysterioso #2: Mind Games and Beyond, Heroes of the Gulf, and On the Green Hills — started his journey four years ago. Ibrahim hosted a masterclass for children interested in writing their own graphic stories. 

"I have grown up reading comics and watching Disney and Marvel animations. As much as I enjoy them, I often yearned for content from our region. There is hardly any original content. Therefore, I started writing comics in 2020," said Ibrahim while leading a workshop titled ‘Comics Storyboard’.

Sharing his experience with the audience, Ibrahim emphasised the importance of detailing every scene and character thoroughly. "Detailing is the key. To become a comic book author, you must be able to describe your characters and plots in great detail," he explained, pointing at a presentation slide which depicted a fighting scene with the word 'CLAAANG', emphasising the sound of two clashing swords.

"Three essential tips for a comic script are describing the event on each page; determining how many panels to use per page; and deciding on captions, dialogues, and sound effects (sfx)," he told his audience.

When asked why comic writing should interest children, Ibrahim responded, "Imagination feeds creativity. I am happy to be at SCRF. This is a chance for me to educate children and encourage them to write comics. We do not have many in the Middle East. We need local heroes, local stories. There is a lot of potential in this industry."

The 15th annual edition of the Sharjah Children's Reading Festival, organised by the Sharjah Book Authority, will run until May 12 at the Expo Centre Sharjah. The 12-day festival is a must-attend for children of all ages and features a plethora of activities, including workshops, live cooking shows, panel discussions, and more.