MOLLY HUNT: BLAK SUPERHEROES, MURALS AND THE POWER OF MATRIARCHY
BY SHARON WOOD AND ASAD KHAN
Wyndham-born creative Molly Hunt is a proud Balanggarra and Yolŋu woman, deeply connected to her East Kimberley roots and Galuwinku on Elcho Island.
She is fast becoming a household name in the Australian arts and storytelling scene, known for her bold, culturally rich work that spans journalism, animation, mural art, and now — comic books.
Her latest venture: co-writing Dreamwalker, the Kimberley’s first Blak, female superhero.
“It’s all about powerful, proud Blak storytelling,” she said.
“Everything I do celebrates and empowers Blak women, especially those from the community. Because we are the backbones.”
Dreamwalker: A Blak Superhero is Born
Dreamwalker is part of the Indigiverse, a ground-breaking First Nations superhero comic universe co-created by Ms Hunt and her longtime friend and collaborator Scott Wilson.
While Mr Wilson originally conceptualised the Dreamwalker character, inspired by his niece and grandmother, Ms Hunt co-wrote the comic and lent her own experiences and creative voice to the story.
The comic’s central character, Mungala, has drawn comparisons to Ms Hunt herself.
“Everyone’s like, ‘That looks like you.’ And I kind of wish! Because I’ve got short hair right now,” she laughed.
While comics weren’t always central to her own upbringing, they were present in her world through her father, a “super intelligent man from Galiwin’ku” who loved the medium.
“He was always into comics. Maybe that rubbed off on me.”
Art, Identity and Knowing Who You Are
Ms Hunt runs her own creative business, Hey Molly, where she works with clients including Google, EA Sports, and The Body Shop.
However, she’s clear that her cultural identity underpins everything she does, and that staying true to herself has been essential to navigating mainstream creative spaces.
“I think the way I keep my roots is just being strong in who I am and what I’m doing,”
“That’s many years of building myself up. And having a good community around me, too — mob who are going through the same stuff. No one’s gatekeeping. Everyone wants to help each other out.”
Her experiences as a former journalist have also shaped her journey.
“I got burnt out. I was trying to be the token Blak person who knows everything. But I made a choice, I’m going to be Molly Hunt. I want to tell the stories I want to tell.”
From the Kimberley to Garma and Beyond
As well as her comic work, Ms Hunt is also a muralist and animator, currently facilitating an animation workshop with fellow creative Josh Yesri.
“Josh and I come from two different sides of the country, me from the bush, him from the academic side. It’s this beautiful collaboration, showing how we’ve both learned in different ways.”
Next on her agenda is a return to Garma Festival, where she will paint the main mural for its 25th anniversary.
Ms Hunt says painting a mural is 'like therapy' and a way to connect with people around the country. (Keira Jenkins/AAP PHOTOS)
“I went last year and brought my cousin Scott Corbett, it was his first time at Garma, and it was beautiful.
“This year they’ve asked me back to create a six-metre-long mural. I’m so excited. I love going back that way. It feels like home.”
For Ms Hunt, it all comes back to her matriarchal upbringing, raised by six aunties and the oldest of 25 grandchildren.
“I had the first pick of all the aunties,” she joked.
“No pressure! But they raised me strong, and that’s what I bring into all of my work.”
Listen to Sharon Wood speak with Molly Hunt: