The re-release of the 2018 graphic novel A Blanket of Butterflies is a vivid re-rendering, in full colour, of an already brilliant visual work of Dene storytelling, imagination, and a newly elevated celebration of the contemporary art form that is the graphic novel.

A Blanket of Butterflies was written by Richard Van Camp and Scott B. Henderson, and this new full-colour edition features art by Donovan Yaciuk and Nickolej Villiger. It has been named the first of a trilogy series titled The Spirit of Denendeh to be released over the next two years, with Book Two slated for release in 2023. Van Camp is currently completing Book Three.

Speaking with Van Camp from his home in Edmonton last week, he shared that the pandemic had offered the first time in his career to spend so much time, consistently, at home.

鈥淗ome is where you get to cook and clean and use the crock pot and make a fire and you get a schedule,鈥� he jumps into conversation right away, as soon as the Zoom call starts, hands gesturing excitedly in the air.

鈥淎nd the process and discipline of just showing up every day with a really good heart. Because when you travel, and you tour 鈥� that鈥檚 how writers used to make their money, now we can Zoom 鈥� and you came back, you were tired, and you鈥檙e trying to remember who wanted the one copy of this, and you鈥檙e chasing people for invoices, and you鈥檙e trying to do book orders. And then you gotta hop on a plane again. At the same time, you鈥檙e trying to be a great parent and partner and friend, and it was crazy making, when I actually look back.鈥�

Van Camp speaks with a kind of dynamism that leaves a vivid impression 鈥� hands gesticulating in the air in front of him as he leans in and out of the screen, in a way that feels more like live conversation than a virtual call.

鈥淪o the gift of 鈥榥ow that we鈥檙e home鈥� is that you get to say no to things. Even if there鈥檚 money, you get to say, 鈥楴o, I鈥檓 really going to focus and that opportunity is really for somebody else who may be just starting out or maybe needs that opportunity鈥�. So I鈥檓 good, my house is good. My heart is good, my spirit is full. And it鈥檚 full enough to share the bounty. And it鈥檚 full enough to trust the divine that these stories, the poems, are showing up because I鈥檓 ready and I鈥檓 open.

鈥淪o that鈥檚 really just to set the tone for how A Blanket of Butterflies was born, and The Spirit of Denendeh series was born,鈥� Van Camp said 鈥� breathing, bringing his hands down for the first time in almost twenty minutes. 鈥淚鈥檓 terrified of Book Three because trying to end the trilogy and really honour what was done in Book One and Book Two is actually harder than I realized.鈥� Richard looks at me, with genuine concern blooming across his face. 鈥淚 thought I could go easy but I really want to bring it full circle and leave it in the hands of the readers for them to really think about. We鈥檒l talk when Book Three comes out. No one will party harder than me. You think Metallica knows how to party? Wait until I finish this book. And when it鈥檚 approved, I will do a jig down Franklin Avenue 鈥� because this has been a wonderful journey.鈥�

Book Two of The Spirit of Denendeh Trilogy is out March 2023. Book One was just released this past September.