Skip to content
Responsive image
Vendor
Fritz Agency
Christian Dittus
Original language
English
Weblink
http://www.mny.ca

RED

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas

A Haida Manga

An innovative graphic novel, RED is the epic tale of a Haida hero, his rage and his quest for retribution.

Referencing a classic Haida oral narrative, this stunning full-colour graphic novel documents the powerful story of Red, a leader so blinded by revenge that he leads his community to the brink of war and destruction.
Set in the islands off the northwest coast of B.C., it tells the tale of orphan Red and his sister, Jaada. When raiders attack their village, Red, still a boy, escapes dramatically. But Jaada is whisked away. The loss of Jaada breeds a seething anger, and Red sets out to find his sister and exact revenge on her captors.

RED blends traditional Haida imagery into a Japanese manga-styled story. Tragic and timeless, it is reminiscent of such classic stories as Oedipus Rex, Macbeth and King Lear.

This innovation in contemporary storytelling consists of 108 pages of hand-painted illustrations. When arranged in a specific order, the panels of the narrative create a Haida formline image four metres long. The sequence for this complex design is displayed on the inside jacket.

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas challenges native stereotypes through illustrative story telling. His artwork is informed by many years of dedication to public service and political activism, mostly on behalf of the Haida. Yahgulanaas creates pop-graphic narratives that riff on traditional Haida stories and painting techniques, and developed "Haida Manga" - the distinctive art form for which he is widely known. A trickster-like sense of humour contributes to his work's appeal.

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas has exhibited in several major galleries, including the Bill Reid Gallery, the McMichael Gallery, the Museum of Anthropology, the Glenbow Museum, and the National Arts Center in Ottawa. His Haida Anime "Flight of the Hummingbird" is featured on YouTube. For the past two decades, besides developing his unique visual style, Yahgulanaas has spent most of his time working with other Haida people to prevent their homeland, Haida Gwaii, from being logged.
Available products
Book

Published 2009-09-01 by Douglas & McIntyre

Comments

This Haida manga intriguingly blends graphic storytelling with a fine art sensibility...Yahgulanaas communicates via an arresting series of images evoking the traditional visual arts of the Haida people...A unique work with appeal both for those looking for something different in graphic novels, and for those with an interest in the expression of contemporary Native American culture.