Happy New Year!
2012 was a good year. Many cool things happened. My Graphic Novels (The Life of Helen Betty Osborne, 7 Generations, and Sugar Falls) all continued to sell very well, especially in schools and libraries, which is important to me. New publications this year included Sugar Falls and the omnibus edition of 7 Generations (all four books in one big graphic novel, and all in colour), as well the sole sequential art piece in the new Aboriginal writing anthology Manitowapow. I was very honoured to be included in that book, and if you have a chance, pick it up (along with my books of course!). I also started to work on a new series entitled Tales from Big Spirit, which will tell stories of our Aboriginal heroes and role models. This series is aimed at grades 4-6. As always, though, it will do just fine with older readers, because graphic novels and comic books are simply universally readable (and lovable!!).
Last year, though, was also a time for me to expand my horizons and increase my skill set. I started to write some short stories, including one which is under serious consideration to get published in a respected literary magazine called Prairie Fire. My goal is to write a short story collection that is thematically linked, with some recurring characters, too. Writing something that wasn’t a graphic novel was strangely new to me, because I’ve been so devoted to graphic novels for several years now. It was fun and challenging. I also got the amazing news that a series I created (that stemmed from a story I developed with a good friend Jeff Ryzner) that had been optioned a few years ago was officially picked up for production by APTN through an awesome production company called Kistikan Pictures. I’ve always wanted to write for tv (and movies), so this is a big step towards that dream. I’ll get to write a couple of episode for the first season, and hopefully more in subsequent seasons. Love working with Tina Keeper, and am pumped to work with some seasoned writers like S.B. Edwards.
So, the new year…more graphic novels are on the horizon (3 more scripts due for Big Spirit), which will lead to about 6 new graphic novels published this year through the amazing www.pandmpress.com (portage and main press). When those come out, I’ll have 12 published books under my wing, which is awesome. I’m also working on a new graphic novel with my great friend Niigaan Sinclair (www.twitter.com/niigaanwewidam) that will be super kick-ass. I would like to describe it to you, but I would give something away…and I can’t do that. I think it’ll be called The Dreamer. I’ll be writing more short stories for the collection I’ve planned (tentatively called Leaving Here). Finally, I’ll be writing for my tv series (called THE RECKONER!!!), doing the bible and hopefully getting into scripts. I might try to dabble into some movie writing too, for fun. But we’ll see how my time is.
Lastly, pretty pumped that an article I wrote was the 7th most popular story for cbc Manitoba scene. Check it out here.
So, whatever it is you are working on this year, may it be successful. All the best to you!
Pleased to announce that 7 Generations: A Plains Cree Saga, the omnibus graphic novel that includes all four 7 Generations issues (Stone, Scars, Ends/Begins, The Pact), has received not one, but two 2013 Manitoba Book Awards nominations! 7 Generations has been nominated for Best Illustrated Book (thanks so much to the uber talented Scott B. Henderson) and Best Book for Young People! 