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Abstract

This paper explores how graphic art, specifically in the comic-strip form, can represent events of the past and engage readers in historical narratives. Chester Brown’s Louis Riel: A Comic-Strip Biography tells history in a unique way by depicting heightened moments of drama in Riel’s life during the Red River Rebellion. Through vivid illustrations, Brown involves readers in the imaginative process and helps readers uncover Riel’s character and the choices he made during the series of events before his hanging for high treason in 1885. This paper contains original interpretations of Brown’s comic-strip biography, coupled with scholars’ opinions and critical analysis of Brown’s work. Brown’s comic-strip biography reveals how images in graphic novels can uniquely represent historical events and engage readers in historical narratives. The potential of graphic art at successfully representing the imagined communities of Canada should not be underestimated.

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