Red: A Haida Manga

by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas

Overview

Referencing a classic Haida oral narrative, this stunning full-color graphic novel documents the tragic story of a leader so blinded by revenge that he takes his community to the brink of war and destruction. Consisting of 108 pages of hand-painted illustrations, Red is a groundbreaking mix of imagery from the indigenous Haida culture and Japanese manga. Red is the prideful leader of a small village in the islands off the northwest coast of British Columbia. His sister was abducted years ago by a band of raiders, and when news comes that she has been spotted in a nearby village, Red sets out to rescue his sister and exact revenge on her captors. Tragic and timeless, it is reminiscent of such classic stories as Oedipus Rex and Macbeth. An action-packed and dazzling graphic novel, Red is also a cautionary tale about the devastating effects of rage and retribution.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771620222
Publisher:	Douglas and McIntyre (2013) Ltd.
Publication date:	09/30/2014
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	120
Sales rank:	653,784
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 8.75(h) x (d)
Age Range:	12 Years

About the Author

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas is a visual artist, storyteller and public speaker. Born and raised on the north Pacific islands of Haida Gwaii, he melds his cultural and political experiences as an indigenous person with contemporary graphic literature to produce a unique genre called Haida Manga. His work has been enthusiastically received internationally and is published in Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, Spain, the United States and Canada (English and French). His books include Flight of the Hummingbird, A Tale of Two Shamans and Hachidori, a bestseller in Japan. He lives in Canada with his wife and daughter, close to the Two Sisters mountains on an island in the Salish Sea.

Editorial Reviews

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.” — Publisher’s Weekly

From the Publisher

The work of an artist from the indigenous people of the North Pacific Canadian islands of Haida Gwaii, this “Haida manga” intriguingly blends graphic storytelling with a fine art sensibility. The narrative involves the title character's loss of his sister to a party of raiders and the boy's vow to someday find and rescue her, a goal he puts into effect upon becoming the leader of his people. His quest for vengeance results in a series of tragic events that author Yahmagulanaas communicates via an arresting series of images evoking the traditional visual arts of the Haida people. Designed so its pages can be torn out (provided the reader has two copies) and arranged according to a provided layout, the separate pages combine to form a stunning tapestry; when the layout is followed and the book is seen as a cohesive piece of visual art, the story does not fall prey to moments of confusing storytelling that occur when read as a page-by-page work, and the legendary feel of the piece shines through. 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. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Gr 7 Up—Red's life is changed forever when his sister is kidnapped by raiders. As years pass and he rises to power in his small village off the coast of British Columbia, he dreams of elaborate scenarios for getting even with the people who took her away from him. When his revenge fantasy is finally fulfilled, it turns out to be both his greatest victory and his tragic downfall. The idea of "Haida manga," an artistic fusion invented by Yahgulanaas, might cause confusion among readers, or at least send them running to Google to find out what "Haida" is. This artistic style, used by the Haida tribe of Native Americans, will be familiar to readers who have seen the stylized faces on totem poles. The bright and colorful artwork is definitely unique, but sometimes it is so overwhelming that it overpowers the story, which might leave readers confused about plot details. "I welcome you to destroy this book" is never something a librarian wants to hear, but that's what Yahgulanaas encourages his readers to do in order to assemble each page into a "formline illustration." It is only when the pages are assembled in this manner that readers will be able to see how every panel connects to other panels and appreciate the true complexity and vision of Yahgulanaas's art. Luckily, this "complete" image is reproduced at the end of the book and inside the dust jacket, so readers should not find it necessary to vandalize more library books than usual.—Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library

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