Review by Jamie McNeil
The countryside is covered in flood waters, the worst in living memory for the Sioux people, and the young protagonist Yakari has been confined to his tipi. As the deluge stops and the sun appears, Yakari and his friend the Mustang called Little Thunder decide to stretch their legs and explore. As they travel and survey the situation, they make an unusual discovery. Swimming in a flooded pool is a creature they have never met before, a mischievous adventurous, and playful white whale far from its ocean home. Naming the whale Peeleepee after the sound it makes, they strike up a friendship swimming and playing in the water together. That is until a grumpy toad points out that flood waters are subsiding and what was a flowing river is now a pond once more. Suddenly the fun-filled day has become a race against time as Yakari enlists his friends for an epic rescue.
Adventure stories specifically aimed at children were a staple of the comics industry for years but most are no longer in print or have dated due to the evolution of morals, values, and styles over the decades. Yakari however is the exception, making his first appearance in 1969 with the latest album being released in 2022. By the time The Cloud Maker was published, the creators Derib and Job had been working together for 28 years and had produced 21 Yakari albums. ‘Well-oiled machine’ is the best phrase to describe their partnership, but inadequate as their output of consistently interesting, unique, and well-illustrated tales is exceptional even at this stage.
While set in North America prior to American Colonial expansion The Cloud Maker is inspired by a real-life news event and as a result conveys the anxious tension when life is in the balance. Job’s immense talent is plotting the story to facilitate how the tension can be hyped, creating room for Derib to convey that in his art. His ideas are charming, but he doesn’t shy away from the danger either. He was a man ahead of his time in how he respectfully portrayed the culture of the First Nations people. While he uses a modern event as inspiration, his ability to pace the tale and cultivate interactions and scenarios results in the story being believable even in a historical context.
By modern standards, Derib’s style is old fashioned, but that shouldn’t equate with poor. While it looks straightforward, few cartoonists can capture the energy of motion he does and there is perfection in the simple lines. He knows when to use plenty of detail and when to be essentialist in his art. When it comes to capturing expressions, Derib makes the animals seem almost human with the standout being the perpetually annoyed owl who features consistently as a minor character throughout the series. The panels of Yakari playing in the water with Peeleepee invoke memories of hot summers, backflips into the pool or swimming in rivers. Peeleepee is mischievously playful and Derib displays that not only through their behaviour but through Yakari’s and the pony Little Thunder’s individual responses to the whale.
The Cloud Maker isn’t one of the best Yakari stories, but was produced during Derib’s and Job’s most consistent period of creative output. During the early to mid-1990s every Yakari story was either consistently good (The Lake Monster) or brilliant (The Wall of Fire). This is no different with the requisite action, suspense, and fun with the art and plot making it very enjoyable and engaging. There are far worse ways to while away an hour.
