CAPT. CANADA 4

CAPTAIN CANADA: 4

This “Captain Canada” was created by the father and son duo of Geoffrey and Scott Stirling owners of the Newfoundland media company Apache Communications International (Canada). The illustration work was done by Danny Bulanadi a U.S. artist who had worked for Marvel. “Captain Canada” first appeared in the cartoon feature “Captain Newfoundland” which appeared in St John’s Sunday Herald. He was developed in the graphic novel Atlantis.

The introduction in the newspaper “Captain Newfoundland” became the introduction in the Atlantis story with suitable modifications. For example “Captain Newfoundland” became “Captain Atlantis” although the image stayed the same. As in the newspaper feature “Captain Newfoundland/Atlantis”, the most powerful figure recruited/created other lesser Captains. For “Captain Canada” he selected “Daniel Eaton”. “Captain Canada” was the most powerful of this group that included: “Captain Freedom” an aboriginal and “Mademoiselle” a Canadienne heroine.

The Stirlings were not content to publish a traditional comic book super hero. Instead “Captain Canada” was the vehicle to promote patriotism in youngsters across Canada. In this they bore a marked similarity of intent to Richard Comely (“Captain Canuck”) and Harry J. Halperin (publisher of the 1940’s comic book Canadian Heroes). In addition through “Captain Canada”, the Stirlings explored certain philosophical and mystical ideas and the nature of good and evil.

To promote their publication the Stirlings did not focus on the comic book market but instead worked through television where their connections and experience lay. They even hired an actor dressed in the “Captain Canada” costume to make public appearances. This “Captain Canada” was a short -lived idiosyncratic creation.

MEDIUM:

BOOK GRAPHIC

Content novel & Cover front:

Atlantis, 1-1. Writ., Geoffrey & Scott Stirling. Illus., Danny Bulanadi. Apache Communications International (Canada), no date.

BOOK GRAPHIC COLLECTION:

Content strip cartoon & Cover inside front:

Captain Newfoundland: Special Collector’s Edition No. 1, 1981, Writ., Geoffrey & Scott Stirling. Illus., Danny Bulanadi. St. John’s: Sunday Herald Ltd.

SOURCE:

Article book:

Guardians of the North: The National Superhero in Canadian Comic Book Art, “Captain Canada”. Writ., John Bell. National Archives of Canada, 1992: 29 – 30. A catalogue for the exhibit of the same name.

GALLERY:

CAPTAIN CANADA 2Captain Canada & Captain Newfoundland. Atlantis, 1-1, Cover.

C:\Users\Robert\Documents\CARTOONING ILLUSTRATION ANIMATION\IMAGE CARTOON\IMAGE CARTOON C\CAPTAIN CANADA, Captain Newfoundland, 1, 1981, ifc.jpg“Captain Canada (an earlier version).” Illus., Danny Bulanadi. Captain Newfoundland: Special Collector’s Edition No. 1, 1981: Inside front cover. (Captain Newfoundland in the Background).