The scoop on Trickster

Trickster is a graphic novel-style anthology of Native trickster tales created primarily by Native writers and artists. In an exclusive Q&A interview conducted by e-mail, writer/artist Matt Dembicki and publisher Christian Beranek give us the inside story on their project.

Let's start with a brief description: What is Trickster?

MD:  Trickster is a comics anthology, comprising more than 20 Native American trickster stories. Each story is written by a Native American storyteller and illustrated by a comics artist of the writers' choosing. The stories cover a range of trickster types—from the more well-know creatures, such as the rabbit and coyote, to less-known characters, such as raccoons and personified spirits such as Moshup—as well as types of American Indian tribes and geographic area.

What's your motivation for doing Trickster? What objectives do you hope to achieve?

MD:  The premise is to compile some wonderful Native American stories into one book so the general public can appreciate stories unknown to many of them and to renew a general understanding and appreciation of the Native American culture.

For the rest of the interview, go to Q&A on Trickster. See also this Trickster sneak peek.

For more on the subject, see Comic Books Featuring Indians.