Brenton McKenna

Brenton McKenna was born and raised in the northwest town of Broome. He’s a Yawurru man with Malaysian ancestry. McKenna draws his inspiration from a pool of daily happenings, folklore, mythologies and ghost stories, combat studies and pure curiosity. Now, he is recognised as Australia’s first Indigenous graphic novelist with his own acclaimed series ‘Ubby’s underdogs’, including his first graphic novel ‘The Legend of the Phoenix Dragon’ followed by the release of his second ‘Heroes beginnings’. His third ‘Ubby’s Underdogs: the Dragons’ return’ was released in 2019. He is self-taught creator, and was one of twenty successful applicants to be awarded a mentorship with the Australian Society of Authors in 2008. He was one of three successful applicants to be awarded X Media Lab Digital Storytellers $20,000 grants in 2011. He was recently invited as a special guest to The National Book Day Festival 2019 held in Washington DC.