In celebration of the new Alpha Flight release today (I’m genuinely excited), I’ve decided to take a look at another famous Canadian superhero, Richard Comely and Ron Leishman’s Captain Canuck.
Designed and created in 1974 and 1975, Ron Leishman created the original look for Captain Canuck. After this though, the main comic team consisted of Jean-Claude St. Aubin, George Freeman and Richard Comely. During that year they released only 3 issues under the publishing title Comely Comix in Winnipeg. For the next few years, Captain Canuck, or Tom Evans, took a haitus, as Comley tried and failed at running a newspaper business. During these three issues, though, many artists and comic contributors assisted the team in creating one of Canada’s greatest silver age heroes. Owen McCarron came on for an issue, as well as Dave Abbott.
From number 4 to 14, Captain Canuck was published in Calgary, changing publisher titles to CKR Productions. This was to be their most regular run, even though they weren’t always regular, from July 1979 to April 1981. This series witnessed a cover page format change in number 13.
Number 13 itself was a special issue. Also in this issue, the the final installment of the Chariots of Fire arc was dedicated to Harold Town and the frontispiece contains a touching memoir of Terry Fox and his accomplishments.
Sadly, like all the other times Captain Canuck has ended, financing the comic was no longer an option. Although a 15th issue was almost completed, it never went to print.*
The last thing I’m going to include in this post is the Summer Special published in July 1980. This 64 page special contained three Captain Canuck comics, as well as a preview for the Captain Canuck newspaper strip. Interestingly, it also includes a Dave Sim rendered Captain Canuck as well as one by Gene Day, Vern Andrusiek and Tom Grummett. Definitely worth having in your Canadian comic book collection.
More information on Captain Canuck can be found here and here is a nifty little blog entry on the subject.
*It eventually published as a collectible in 2004.