Collection
Publication
Fulcrum Publishing (2010), Paperback, 232 pages
Description
All cultures have tales of the trickster - a crafty creature or being who uses cunning to get food, steal precious possessions, or simply cause mischief. He disrupts the order of things, often humiliating others and sometimes himself. In Native American traditions, the trickster takes many forms, from coyote or rabbit to raccoon or raven. The first graphic anthology of Native American trickster tales, Trickster brings together Native American folklore and the world of comics. In Trickster, 24 Native storytellers were paired with 24 comic artists, telling cultural tales from across America. Ranging from serious and dramatic to funny and sometimes downright fiendish, these tales bring tricksters back into popular culture.
Language
User reviews
LibraryThing member melydia
Comic artists (mostly based in the DC area) paired up with Native American storyellers to create comic versions of trickster legends. It is, in a word, brilliant. I don't like the art in every case and some of the tales themselves are plain old weird, but by and large it's a fantastic collection.
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Recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member tylerblount
Summary: This is a graphic novel that is set as a Native American Tale. It is an explanation of the stars. The animals of the night go to the "Great Mystery" and ask for more light during the night because it is not fair that the day time animals get so much light. The great mystery tells all of
Personal Reaction: This was a good book that shows students the native american culture.
Classroom Extension: This book, if true to the Native American culture, would be really good to use in a history lesson. We could discuss different cultures and how they reason aspects of our surroundings.
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the creatures what to do and one animal that shows up late decides to rush to catch up with the others and messes up all the other animals had worked on. The animals then figure out that they cannot change things that have already happened but have accept things the way they are.Personal Reaction: This was a good book that shows students the native american culture.
Classroom Extension: This book, if true to the Native American culture, would be really good to use in a history lesson. We could discuss different cultures and how they reason aspects of our surroundings.
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LibraryThing member jen.e.moore
Like so many collections, pretty hit and miss. Some nifty art, though.
LibraryThing member Turrean
A fascinating collection of Native American trickster tales in graphic novel format. It struck me as a mixed bunch. I lacked the cultural context to "get" a couple stories, though from the compiler's endnote, this is something the creators actually anticipated ("The point wasn't to westernize the
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stories...but...to experience authentic Native American stories, even if it sometimes meant clashing with western vernacular.") It's not often that feeling less sure of my own interpretations makes me feel more sure that the stories were true to their roots. Show Less
LibraryThing member ladycato
I have encountered versions of some of these tales before, but this collection is very well done. It's diverse and respectful, ranging from Choctaw to Navajo to one set in Hawaii. The information in the back states that they made sure that the storyteller approved of the art, and that little
Since my 9-year-old son loves graphic novels, I think he might like this book--whereas he wouldn't pick up a standard book of mythological tales. It's the kind of book a child or adult can appreciate.
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editing was done so that the true voice could be preserved. I loved the majority of the artwork--really, a number of panels were just plain gorgeous--though found one in particular to be a bit too contemporary-cartoony for my taste. But hey, that's me. Since my 9-year-old son loves graphic novels, I think he might like this book--whereas he wouldn't pick up a standard book of mythological tales. It's the kind of book a child or adult can appreciate.
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LibraryThing member pussreboots
Trickster: Native American Tales edited by Matt Dembicki is an anthology of supposed Native American trickster tales, each illustrated as comics. Whether they are inspired by, or are retellings of, actual Native American tales is left to the reader to discern.
Trickster tales are certainly a part of
So, what I was hoping to see from this book was a way to expand my knowledge of trickster stories, especially beyond the few tribes / nations I am already familiar with. This book has twenty stories and an afterword with brief biographies of the authors and illustrators. But it doesn't have any sort of introductory information or source material for the stories.
And so while the stories are entertaining, they aren't educational.
Trickster tales are certainly a part of
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Native American and American folklore. As I'm a west coast resident, I'm most familiar with the tales from the Pacific Northwest and the Southwest. The tricksters from here are typically the Raven, Crow, or the Coyote. Tricksters are used to explain the oddities of nature. For the cultures I'm familiar with, the Trickster tales are associated with creation stories. But my knowledge of these tales is limited and lacking a full cultural grounding as my cultural foundation is that of a British and Northern European, multigenerational American mutt.So, what I was hoping to see from this book was a way to expand my knowledge of trickster stories, especially beyond the few tribes / nations I am already familiar with. This book has twenty stories and an afterword with brief biographies of the authors and illustrators. But it doesn't have any sort of introductory information or source material for the stories.
And so while the stories are entertaining, they aren't educational.
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LibraryThing member AgneJakubauskaite
WHAT IT IS ABOUT:
“Trickster: Native American Tales: A Graphic Collection” is a graphic novel anthology of Native American trickster tales collected by editor Matt Dembicki. This collection features twenty-one storytellers from Native American tribes all across The United States as well as the
THUMBS UP:
1) Important.
“Trickster” is a very important addition to the literary world - it’s the first graphic novel anthology of Native American trickster tales. This collection introduces the reader to the worldview, beliefs and cultural values of indigenous people, and does so in a very readable format making it appealing to both children and adults.
2) Authentic.
Although the editor himself is not Native American, this collection is soaked with authenticity. To ensure the best graphic representation, each of the twenty-one Native American storytellers selected an artist from the pool of contributors and later approved the storyboards. What is more, the vernacular is not westernized, and any editions to the original text had to be approved by the storyteller.
3) Effective format.
Graphic novel format is not only very readable and appealing, but it also enables an easier transition from spoken to written word as it allows more structural freedom minimizing the need to edit the original language.
4) Dynamic.
Each story is written by a different author and illustrated by a different artist, and it ends shortly after it starts leaving no reason for the reader to get bored.
COULD BE BETTER:
1) Underdeveloped.
The stories in this collection have a lot of potential but some of them seem underdeveloped. I can imagine HEARING these stories, but in a written format they are not the most engaging, quite often seem too simplistic and even a little bit illogical.
2) Uneven quality of artwork.
Although I like the fact that each story is illustrated by a different artist, some illustrations are not as appealing as the others, and some styles are harder to “read.”
3) Background information.
The background information on each of the authors and artists provides a useful context; however, I wish it precedes each of the story instead of being listed in the back of the book alphabetically with authors and artists mixed together.
VERDICT: 3 out of 5
Matt Dembicki’s “Trickster” is an authentic introduction to Native American folklore that both children and adults can enjoy. However, some of the stories do not live up to their potential as they lack more development.
“Trickster: Native American Tales: A Graphic Collection” is a graphic novel anthology of Native American trickster tales collected by editor Matt Dembicki. This collection features twenty-one storytellers from Native American tribes all across The United States as well as the
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same number of talented artists. Some of the stories strive to explain the world around us, others aim to teach us a lesson, still others want nothing more than to entertain the reader. However, all the stories have one thing in common: they center around a trickster, a crafty creature - let it be a coyote, raven, raccoon or rabbit - that uses deceit to get what it wants, or simply enjoys causing mischief.THUMBS UP:
1) Important.
“Trickster” is a very important addition to the literary world - it’s the first graphic novel anthology of Native American trickster tales. This collection introduces the reader to the worldview, beliefs and cultural values of indigenous people, and does so in a very readable format making it appealing to both children and adults.
2) Authentic.
Although the editor himself is not Native American, this collection is soaked with authenticity. To ensure the best graphic representation, each of the twenty-one Native American storytellers selected an artist from the pool of contributors and later approved the storyboards. What is more, the vernacular is not westernized, and any editions to the original text had to be approved by the storyteller.
3) Effective format.
Graphic novel format is not only very readable and appealing, but it also enables an easier transition from spoken to written word as it allows more structural freedom minimizing the need to edit the original language.
4) Dynamic.
Each story is written by a different author and illustrated by a different artist, and it ends shortly after it starts leaving no reason for the reader to get bored.
COULD BE BETTER:
1) Underdeveloped.
The stories in this collection have a lot of potential but some of them seem underdeveloped. I can imagine HEARING these stories, but in a written format they are not the most engaging, quite often seem too simplistic and even a little bit illogical.
2) Uneven quality of artwork.
Although I like the fact that each story is illustrated by a different artist, some illustrations are not as appealing as the others, and some styles are harder to “read.”
3) Background information.
The background information on each of the authors and artists provides a useful context; however, I wish it precedes each of the story instead of being listed in the back of the book alphabetically with authors and artists mixed together.
VERDICT: 3 out of 5
Matt Dembicki’s “Trickster” is an authentic introduction to Native American folklore that both children and adults can enjoy. However, some of the stories do not live up to their potential as they lack more development.
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LibraryThing member carrier3
This graphic collection is a collaborative effort of artists and tales that represent the Native American culture. It is lengthy and the artwork is inconsistent, but each tale could taken individually and be specifically used in the classroom to engage students to interpret the style,setting, and
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message. Show Less
LibraryThing member michaeladams1979
A charming sequential-art storybook collection of Native American Trickster tales told by a variety of Native storytellers and artists. The art ranges from cartoon-like and simplistic, to highly detailed and realistically rendered. The stories all have a strong sense of authenticity, and offer
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their own morals and lessons, as one would expect from a series of fables and myths. I would recommend this to anyone interested in myths and traditionally storytelling in an accessibly modern comic-book style. Show Less
LibraryThing member clue
Trickster is a large square book, 8" X 8", and over 200 pages, telling 21 Native American folktales in graphic style. It's an interesting book with each folktale being written and illustrated by a different person. As might be expected I like some better than others. Several of the stories are
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written too simply and some illustrations were too bold for the story so that the art distracted from the story itself. I'm glad I stumbled across it at the library but I really do think folktales are better told than read in any format. Show Less
LibraryThing member eo206
I LOVE this book. I borrowed it on a whim after seeing it at on a library display. It sat on our library book shelf at home for a week, then right before it was due I picked it up. The kids were got interested since it is in graphic novel format. We picked a few comics to read a night. I've since
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ordered copies to donate to schools. I hope another compilation is in the works. Show Less
LibraryThing member reader1009
graphic format, compilation of Native American stories (in my limited understanding, "legends" are generally held as "true" in the same way that Bible stories are regarded), by indigenous writers and a variety of artists, some of whom are indigenous as well.
cool collection, lovely art and
cool collection, lovely art and
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storytelling. Show Less