SALISH BATMAN

CREATED BY: SNAKEBITE CORTEZ & JOSHUA ORTEGA

MASTER MASK BY: DIGGER T. MESCH

MASK BY: JOE ALLARD

STORY BY: JOSHUA ORTEGA

PICS BY: RJ LAMENDOLA

Salish Batman

It was a cold day on the Strait of Georgia, and it was a most unusual time.

The long overcast of the Northwest winter covered overhead, light mist filtering down, soft, and not at all unpleasant. However, Luk was confused.

Whereas salmon were typically abundant throughout the year, something different was transpiring on this misty spring day.

Namely, the salmon were simply not there, as if they had decided on a whim to go somewhere else that season. Since it was still early spring, his parents were concerned about food supplies for Luk and his siblings, and they decided to venture out, further into the sea than they had ever gone before.

Luk saw a bat that day, he thought nothing of it.

Not until later.

At sea, his parents found bountiful amounts of herring, filled their boat with the miraculous catch, but didn't see the pirate coming.

They said he was of Salish and Makah heritage, but regardless, there was no doubt he was a pirate. He stole the full bounty of their catch that day, and when Luk's parents protested, he killed them, threw their bodies to the sea, and towed their boat back to shore, keeping everything for himself and his crew.

Luk saw another bat that night, it seemed to speak to him, telling him of what had transpired, making him see fevered visions of the tragic events.

Already skilled in traditional sculpture, that night he made a mask. A mask for the bat; a mask for his parents.

A mask for revenge.