Red: A Haida Manga told and illustrated by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas
This creative book founded a new art form, combining traditional manga with Haida imagery. The story is a traditional Haida Gwaii folktale from the oral tradition. Red is an orphaned leader, a man blinded by revenge, leading to a tragic situation.
When he was young, raiders attacked his village. Red escaped, but his sister Jaada did not. Red is angry and wants to exact revenge on the men who kidnapped his sister. He wants to find her and save her. But his anger doesn't allow for the feelings of anyone else affected by the situation, not his sister, not his people, no one.
The art here is in full colour and hand-painted. Taken as a whole the panels create a Haida formline image thirteen feet long. A miniaturized version of this image is shown on the inside cover of the book. Really understanding this work and the art that depicts the story takes time to reflect, to think, to learn about the culture. The form is a key part of the story and neither can stand alone.
Moving and thought-provoking.
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