Photo courtesy 80% Studios
BY NICHOLAS DESHAW
Hold onto your butts! Because Chickaloonies: Watering Ways has arrived and it is going to take you for a wild ride! Moji and Yelly are back, continuing their journey to not only find their cousin Valley but to become the greatest story tellers ever!
The Saga continues!
Sasquatch E. Moji and Mister Yelly continuing their journey with their trusty snowmobile BOBA! Photo courtesy 80% Studios
The story continues right where volume one (Chickaloonies First Frost) left off with the two friends on their trusty snowmobile, BOBA, following the directions from their grandmother. What follows is a thrilling adventure that neither of them could have expected where they see new places, make new friends and encounter new challenges.
The team at 80% Studios continue to demonstrate their mastery of the comic medium structuring a story that can be enjoyed on multiple levels. On one hand it’s a fun adventure story appropriate for all ages (my preschool aged son thinks it’s great!). On the other it’s a deep take on Native stewardship of the earth, responsibility to ancestors and looking into the kind of legacy we want to leave behind. This story manages to hit so many beats it’s impossible not to find something for you in it!
An epic scene from Watering Ways!
The art comes first and foremost in Watering Ways. Each page knows exactly what to emphasize, drawing your eye to just the right points to guide you through the story. It is a perfect example of the old adage “show don’t tell” and readers will find themselves amazed at the artistry that’s on display in the book.
A truly Indigenous Story
What stood out to me too were the consistent references to Alaska Indigenous cultures. Astute observers will recognize many of the traditional cultural items through the story. Drums, as in many of 80% Studios works, feature prominently but so do traditional weapons. One of my favorites is the prominent use of pacific coast daggers which are unique to the area and feature as a prominent part of the story. The team are very proud to have worked with the Smithsonian institute to make sure they got these parts of Ahtna physical culture right and their dedication to this research really shows.
The author showing that he is a bigger fan than you!
By far the most significant part of the book that marks it as a truly Indigenous story is its use of something that is growing in contemporary Indigenous stories: other than human persons. Defined broadly, other than human persons is the recognition that animals, spirits and ceremonial objects are persons and have rights and consciousness in the same way humans do. This is a common enough idea in traditional stories but it is more and more making its way into modern stories as well.
Watering Ways presents other than human persons in its story as an important feature that feels organic, approachable and critical not just to the plot but to the worldview the story is situating itself in. We understand the significance of spiritual entities, animals and cultural items in a way that honors their unique traditions and that can be appreciated even by those for whom this might be a new idea. It’s truly a story for everyone, Native and non-Native alike.
A love for the medium and community
The authors leading a class on comic art! Photo courtesy 80% Studios
The authors, Dimi Macheras (Athena Athabaskan) and Casey Silver, bring their love of comics to the fore with everything from wordless panels, to humorous video game references to a fourth wall break that play with the medium in ways fans will enjoy. This is not the creation of someone new to the medium but of a team of artists who have studied and love comics deeply. It is an homage to everything that makes comics great, told in a way that is unique to the medium. These guys love comics and you can see that love in every panel.
Creators (from left to right) Dimi Macheras and Casey Silver
Dimi and Casey don’t just keep their love for comics and story telling to the page, they are educators. The huge part of what they do is bring their expertise to schools and communities especially in Alaska. In promoting Watering Ways they have taught hundreds of students the fundamentals of comic creation as well as taken time to promote Alaskan comic shops. The book carries such a love of home and community and Dimi and Casey take that love wherever they go.
Now it’s your turn
I could gush all day about this book and the amazing work Dimi and Casey do. I could tell you how it is my son’s new favorite. Or that he wants to play Chickaloonies everyday. Or that I’m so proud to have excellent Native comics to welcome him both into the comic book tradition and into Native storytelling traditions. I really could but that would be taking time away from you that you could be using to see for yourself. Go buy Chickaloonies Watering Ways now and read it as many times as you can. You’ll thank me later.
