It's a Canada Goose! It's an Air Canada 787!
No! It's Captain Canuck!!
In 1975, artist and writer Richard Comely obtained $8,000 to produce the first issue of Captain Canuck, a Canadian superhero clad in red, white, and maple leaf. For half a century, the bi-lingual former-Mountie has been flourishing with fans in both the US and Canada. "It went over really big with Canadian media, and it sold really, really well. It sold better than Marvel and DC in Canada," says Comely. "Now, eighty percent of the sales of Captain Canuck are in the US."
Although the name and visuals are enthusiastically Canadian, this character's national aspects go beyond the costume. "We are considered, as Canadians, more polite," says Comely. "That's Captain Canuck." Comely also notes that less gun violence in Canada (as compared to the United States) is also reflected in the comics.
Duluth marks Comely's only stop in the U.S. during his travels. He'll be at Rogue Robot (3 S 4th Street W in downtown Duluth) on Thursday the 11th from 3-6pm for a meet-and-greet.
Fifty years into the adventures of Captain Canuck, Comely remains energized about the future. Over the years, various established illustrators and writers have clamored at the opportunity to add their own pages to the character's canon. With a 50-year anniversary edition now on shelves, the Captain appears far from defeated.
MN Reads is a production of The North 103.3 FM that airs every Thursday at 8:20am on Northland Morning.
