Canadian Whites

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Golden Age of Canadian Comic Books
Time spanc.1941 – c.1947

Canadian Whites were World War II-era comic books published in Canada that featured colour covers with black-and-white interiors. Notable characters include Nelvana of the Northern Lights,[a] Johnny Canuck, Brok Windsor, and . The period has been called the Golden Age of Canadian comics.

Background[]

See also: The Great Canadian Comic Books

For the most part, the "Whites" had colour covers with interiors printed in black ink on white paper,[1][2] although there was a handful of comics with colour interiors.[1] They proliferated in Canada after the War Exchange Conservation Act[3] restricted the importation of non-essential goods from the United States into Canada, including fiction periodicals.[1]

Four companies took advantage of the situation by publishing comics in Canada, sometimes using imported scripts. Anglo-American Publishing of Toronto and Maple Leaf Publishing in Vancouver started publishing in March 1941. Later, two other Toronto-based publishers joined in: Hillborough Studios that August, and Bell Features (originally Commercial Signs of Canada[4]) in September.[1]

Some of the more notable "Whites" creators included Ed Furness, Ted McCall, Adrian Dingle, , Jon St. Ables, Fred Kelly, and Leo Bachle, all of whom would later be inducted into the Joe Shuster Award's Canadian Comic Book Creator Hall of Fame.[2]

This period has been called the Golden Age of Canadian comics,[5] but the age of the "Whites" did not last long.[2] When the trade restrictions were lifted following World War II,[b] comic books from the United States were once again able to flow across the border.

Influence[]

The 2014 documentary "Lost Heroes: The Untold Story of Canadian Superheroes" began by covering this era.[10]

See also[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ the first female Canadian superhero, predating Wonder Woman by several months
  2. ^ the import prohibition was repealed, effective August 1, 1944,[6] but foreign exchange controls effectively prevented American comics from returning until the end of the war. The prohibition was revived in 1947[7] and continued until the end of 1950.[8][9]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d John Bell (2002-06-24). "Beyond the Funnies: Canadian Golden Age of Comics, 1941-1946". Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on 2011-10-07. Retrieved 2011-12-18.
  2. ^ a b c "Canadian Golden Age Comics Online". Joe Shuster Awards. 9 June 2009. Retrieved 2011-12-18.
  3. ^ The War Exchange Conservation Act, 1940, S.C. 1940-41, c. 2
  4. ^ Walter Durajlija (2011-11-22). "Undervalued Spotlight #103: Better Comics #1, Maple Leaf Comics, March 1941". comicbookdaily.com. Retrieved 2011-12-18.
  5. ^ John Bell, ed. (1986). Canuck Comics. Special contributions from Luc Pomerleau and Robert MacMillan; Foreword by Harlan Ellison. Downsview: Matrix Books/Eden Press. ISBN 0-921101-00-7.
  6. ^ An Act to amend The War Exchange Conservation Act, 1940, S.C. 1944, c. 50
  7. ^ initially under "SOR/47-885". Canada Gazette, Part II. 81 (22): 2190–2204. November 26, 1947., until replaced by The Emergency Exchange Conservation Act, S.C. 1948, c. 7
  8. ^ "SOR/50-573". Canada Gazette, Part II. 85 (1): 7. January 10, 1951.
  9. ^ Kocmarek, Ivan (July 16, 2014). "FECA". comicbookdaily.com.
  10. ^ Veillette, Eric (28 February 2014). "A drink with a producer of Lost Heroes documentary". The Toronto Star.

Further reading[]

External links[]

  • CBC video on the history of "Canadian Whites"
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