Book - Red
Referencing a classic Haida oral narrative, this stunning full-colour graphic novel documents the tragic story of a leader so blinded by revenge that he leads his community to the brink of war and destruction. Consisting of 108 pages of hand-painted illustrations, Red is a groundbreaking mix of Haida imagery and Japanese manga. Now available in paperback, the hardcover edition was nominated for the B.C. Bookseller’s Choice Award, a Doug Wright Award for Best Book and a 2010 Joe Shuster Award for Outstanding Canadian Cartoonist. It was also an Amazon Top 100 book of 2009.
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. 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 time- less, it is reminiscent of such classic stories as Oedipus Rex and Macbeth. Red is an action-packed and dazzling graphic novel that is also a cautionary tale about the devastating effects of rage and retribution.
Prize(s): Nominated Joe Shuster Award - Outstanding Canadian Cartoonist (2010), Nominated Doug Wright Award - Best Book (2010), Nominated BC Booksellers' Choice Award in Honour of Bill Duthie (2010)
Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas is a visual artist, storyteller and public speaker. Raised on Haida Gwaii, he melds cultural hybridity and his political experiences as an Indigenous person with contemporary graphic literature to produce a unique genre called Haida Manga. His books include Flight of the Hummingbird (Greystone, 2008), A Tale of Two Shamans (Theytus, 2001) and Red (Douglas & McIntyre, 2009).
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. 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. Yahgulanaas lives with his wife and daughter on Bowen Island, British Columbia - close to the Two Sisters Mountain in the Salish Sea.
