Jay Odjick

Early life

Born in Rochester, New York, Odjick moved to the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg community, where his father was from just outside Maniwaki, Quebec as a child. Odjick developed an interest in heroes and comic books as a child. He began writing stories at age 5 and received his first rejection letter from a comic publisher, Marvel Comics, at the age of ten.

Career

Odjick began in comics by self publishing a three issue black and white limited series called The Raven that he wrote and illustrated in 2004. Odjick is also the author and artist of the graphic novel Kagagi: The Raven, published by Arcana Studio in 2011. The titular character, Kagagi, is a hero loosely based on the trickster/hero character "Raven" from the Anishinabe. In the comic series, a young man named Matthew Carver inherits supernatural powers and uses them to keep an ancient evil known as Windigo, at bay. A television series based on the graphic novel called Kagagi began airing on Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) in Canada on October 5, 2014 and later on FNX in the United States. The series is a half-hour animated series produced by Odjick and Arcana's Sean Patrick O'Reilly. Kagagi, according to scholar Michael Sheyashe (Osage) is part of a trend by Native American writers and artists to create relevant heroes that are not confined to the tropes associated with dated stereotypes and romanticism. Odjick uses the character of Kagagi to entertain, but also to teach Anishinaabe culture and language. Odjick's artwork and the Kagagi graphic novel were used as the centerpiece title and branding of Mazinbiige, The Indigenous Graphic Novel Collection, a permanent collection at the Elizabeth Dafoe library at the University of Manitoba.

In 2014, Jay was the Media Guest of Honour at Can-Con: The Conference on Canadian Content in Speculative Arts and Literature.

Jay's story First Hunt from MOONSHOT, named Best Book of 2015 (young adult category) by the School Library Journal, has been added to the curriculum of Queen's University's Comics and Graphic Novels Course, while the collection itself is being taught at Ottawa University's Comic Books and Graphic Novels Course.

In 2015, Jay’s work was part of the exhibit “Super Heroes: Art! Action! Adventure!” at the Heard Museum, in Phoenix, Arizona.

Television

Odjick serves as the lead writer, executive producer as well as lead designer on the television series Kagagi. In addition to his work on that series Odjick has also worked as a designer for and provided illustrations for the APTN series Mouki.

Activism

Odjick has been cited for his use of graphic novels and television as modern mediums to facilitate the retention of the Anishinaabe language.