Saudi Arabia's first Comic Con to highlight local talent Thursday

Mohammad Makki shooting a film set.

JEDDAH: Just like many Saudi children who grew up in the 90s, Arabic dubbed Japanese animations influenced Mohammad Makki as a child and paved the way for his filmmaking career.
Makki, 28, is a Saudi filmmaker with Indonesian roots. He got into the Comic Con world when he was around the age of 6, as he used to read manga comics such as “Dragon Ball Z” in Indonesian, in addition to watching Arabic dubbed Japanese anime cartoons “Plawers Sanshiro,” “Future Boy Conan” and “Romeo’s Blue Skies.”
Makki is filming his new comic show named “Mas7our” or “Bewitched.” He is also the director and producer of the YouTube show “Takki,” a Saudi TV drama centered on the lives of six characters living in Jeddah, and is currently working on the third and final season.
The concept of “Mas7our” was inspired the well-known X-Men character.
“The idea came when I was chilling with my friends and we talked about why there is no Saudi superhero,” Makki said. “We want to create a story that has a universal theme with a local Saudi touch.”
The idea of “Mas7our” was born and will soon come to light with the help of his friends Bador Al-Hethell, Jotaro, and Adham Adel, Makki said in an exclusive interview with Arab News.
Makki does not want capes made of shimagh (headwear for men) nor sirwal and fanelah (traditional underwear for men) as a costume. “We want Mas7our to be a simple concept with compelling and rich characters with superpowers.”
The story will set in modern day Jeddah, where the events will take place between the young Saudis and the clergies or religious police.
The story will show how these two groups of people work together on solving the mystery of a sudden wave of superpowers.
“Of course, like any other drama it needs obstacles and conflict between them, but nothing to an extent that would cause controversies or divides in the real life,” Makki said.
Every group will be presented decently, as no group will be presented in a demeaning way. Makki revealed that the show will have dark moments, but, like any other drama, it all will be resolved.
“It’s a choice between normal life and extraordinary life,” Makki added.
“It’s a choice between being extremely talented and not. It’s a choice between following your deep beliefs and others. Between what you want to do and what you should do. Between what you personally want and what the world needs.”
Makki has never participated in any comic con event before, but he attended Dubai’s Middle East Film & Comic Con Festival (MEFCC) in 2015.
Makki was thrilled to receive the invitation to speak at Saudi Comic Con, which kicks off Thursday. “It is overwhelming,” he said. “It makes me proud and happy. (I) hope it happens every year, as it gives the boys and girls (the opportunity) to create and show their work.”
Makki said that he is not very much involved in the local comic community, but he knows Mohammad Tamimi from Madinah who writes and distributes a Shonen Jump Comic journal (manga anthology) published in Saudi Arabia, where there are three small manga stories in one book and collaborating with other manga creators, according to Makki who is fascinated by his work.
As for the international celebrity guests who will be joining the first Saudi Comic Con event, Makki expressed his excitement about meeting the three announced celebrities: Mads Mikkelsen, Julian Glover and Giancarlo Esposito. “I’m honored to see them. We watch these guys on TV all our lives and [now] we get to see them in real life. It’s too good to be true. Hopefully, in the near future, they’d even film productions here in Saudi.”
Every Saudi child has grown up watching Japanese animations dubbed in Arabic, and Makki is expecting a good number of people to show up for the three-day event.
One of Makki’s biggest supporters is his wife who is also a filmmaker studying at Effat University. He sees a potential talent in his wife. “She’s becoming excellent in her skills every day. [She is] very passionate, always trying new things,” he said proudly about his life partner who also shares the same passion.
“She will be someone really great in the Saudi film industry one day.”
Makki advised comic amateurs who aspire to get their works out there to keep creating and posting their works on Instagram. Making money, in the beginning, may be not an option, but they should never neglect their creation. “Have a job somewhere else, keep creating on the side and share it with the world. Work hard on it that one day it becomes your full-time job,” he said.