Indian Comics Irregular #130

In August yet another in a bumper crop of Native-themed comics debuted.
NORTHWEST PASSAGE is a "bite-sized historical graphic novel," according to
blogger David Welsh. He describes the setup:

Northwest Passage opens with the efforts of Eagle Eye, a Cree
shaman, to reunite with his old friend and partner in exploration
Charles Lord. Disturbing events and visions have led Eagle Eye to
fear for Lord's safety. As Eagle Eye encounters some deadly
obstacles along his way, Lord is celebrating his retirement. He's
completing a stint as governor for a trading company outpost on the
Hudson Bay in the heart of Rupert's Land in 1750s Canada.

Lord's efforts as an explorer have given him a legendary status in
his native England, and his years as a bureaucrat haven't quenched
his thirst for adventure and discovery. In fact, he sees his
retirement as an opportunity to resume his search for the Northwest
Passage, an Atlantic-to-Pacific water route through the Arctic
Circle. But before he can pursue that long-held dream, he must
deal with the threat to the outpost that Eagle Eye has foretold.

Welsh's conclusion, with which I agree:

Northwest Passage is Chantler's comics writing debut, and it's nice
to see that his strengths as a visual storyteller translate. He's
clever in establishing enough of the period and its circumstances
without it ever seeming like a history lesson. The exposition is
handled conversationally, and it almost never overwhelms the
characters who deliver it. The cast is a consistently interesting
group, each viewing the outpost experience through their own lens.
And the plot has nice momentum and complexity.

I don't know if I can say that Northwest Passage is a great comic.
There isn't that gasp of surprise that comes from something truly
original. But I can say without hesitation that it's a very, very
good comic, carefully crafted and artistically accomplished. It's
a two-fisted historical adventure in ways that really, really work.

For more on NORTHWEST PASSAGE, go to
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/nwpass.htm . To order it, head to Oni
Press at http://www.onipress.com .

Apropos of the recent spate of historical fiction, novelist Larry
McMurty once said, "[M]ost of the traditions which we associate with
the American West were invented by pulp writers, poster artists,
impresarios, and advertising men." Visit
http://www.bluecorncomics.com/stbasics.htm for more on the origin of
stereotypes.

Golden Age of Indian Comics

Correspondent Kevin Breen has written an excellent summary of Indian
comics from the 1930s to the 1950s. It's appropriately titled "Native
American Heroes in the Comics: An Overview (Part 1)." Among the
characters it covers are:

· The seminal Big Chief Wahoo, "the first major Native American comic
hero";

· Western heroes, war heroes, and superheroes such as Red Eagle, Red
Ryder's sidekick Little Beaver, the Bronze Terror, Nelvana, Red Hawk,
and Mantoka, Maker of Indian Magic;

· White Indians (Anglos who emulated Indians) such as Black Marvel,
Tomahawk, Green Arrow, and Firehair.

Check it out at http://www.bluecorncomics.com/kbreen.htm .

Smart Marketing or Soft Porn?

In 2003, Lise King wrote an article about the Rez Dog line of
calendars featuring scantily-clad Indian women. Rez Dog's owner
described the lovely lasses as "role models for our young Indian girls."

When I reposted King's article this year, it led to an interesting
debate on the use and misuse of Native images. You can see what all the fuss
was about at http://www.bluecorncomics.com/rezdog.htm .

Rob Schmidt
Blue Corn Comics