COMELY Richard
1975 to 1976 living in Winnipeg Richard did the first 3 issues of Captain Canuck in association with George Freeman and Jean Claude St. Aubin.[i]
In September 1976 Richard moved to Cardston Alberta. George and Jean Claude accompanied him. He ran a community weekly newspaper there. In six months all three moved to Calgary. [i]
“Captain Canuck; A Christmas Story” by Richard Comely and George Freeman was a two page layout that appeared in two newspapers, The Albertan’s Mirror North Side December 20, 1977 and The Albertan’s Mirror South Side December 21, 1977.
From 1979 new investors behind CKR published Captain Canuck issues 4 to 14 plus the Summer Special. The operation ended in 1981. Issue 15 was completed but was not published until 2004 when Richard published it independently. [i]
“Captain Canuck – Power Play, Gold City and Blackwater” were all done at the same time in 1980 as samples to promote a comic strip. They are independent stories and have no chronology among them that is they can be arranged in any sequence. “Power Play” Comely and Freeman did 4 pages with 18 sample days and a synopsis of the rest of the story. “City of Gold”, Comely and Freeman did a 6 day story that ran in 3 newspapers in 1980. “Black Water” Comely and Freeman did a series of Sunday panels. Panel 1 appeared in Captain Canuck The Summer Special advertising it as the first weekend comic page for the proposed newspaper strip.
George Freeman returned to Winnipeg Manitoba.
After CKR ended, Comely himself created and published two black magazines under the title Star Rider and the Peace Machine (July 1982, October 1982) [i]
In 1985 Comely moved to Cambridge Ontario where he illustrated children’s books and greeting cards and did some advertising and film work. [i]
In 1993 Comely launched Captain Canuck again under a new series name Captain Canuck Reborn. In this series the Captain Canuck role is filled by a new character Darren Oakes who has a villainous older brother Nathan. This model will be approximately repeated during the Chapter House Comics years. The Catman figure is now Manuel (Manny) Ferrara. Darren Oakes partner was Daniel. Issues 0 to 2 of this periodical were blended into the cartoon strip collection that is Issue 4.
From 1995 to 1996 (approximately 18 months) the Captain Canuck comic strip appeared in 8 newspapers: one in each of P.E.I., Cambridge, Guelph, North Bay, Ottawa (The Citizen) Sudbury all in Ontario and Brandon Manitoba.[i] (Note that Captain Canuck Reborn no. 3, 1996 was composed of newspaper comic strips 128 to 344. [i]
Also see CANADA POST COMMEMORATIVE STAMPS
CAPTAIN CANUCK
WORK:
CARTOONIST:
PERIODICAL GRAPHIC:
Content:
Serial:
“Captain Canuck: Arctic Standoff.” Captain Canuck, l-1, July 1975.
“ Captain Canuck: The Brain Machine.” Col., George Freeman: Captain Canuck, 1-2, 1975: 1-14.
“Captain Canuck: The Canadian Connection.” Captain Canuck, 1-3, 1975: 1-14.
“Captain Canuck Reborn.” Captain Canuck Reborn Prelude Issue, 0, Sept. 1993. Black & white mini-comic format.
“Captain Canuck Reborn.” Col., Corey Comely. Captain Canuck Reborn Prelude Issue 0, Sept. 1993. Same comic, regular coloured comic book format,
“Captain Canuck Reborn.” Pen. (1-21, 28-29), Leonard Kirk. Colo., R. Comely. Captain Canuck Reborn. 1-1, Jan. 1994.
“Captain Canuck Reborn.” Pen. (1-21, 28-29), Leonard Kirk. Colo., R. Comely. Captain Canuck Reborn. 1-1, Jan. 1994. Collector’s Edition (with cards). No. 1.
“Captain Canuck Reborn.” Pen.(2-19), Leonard Kirk. In.(2-19), Eric Theriault. Captain Canuck Reborn., 1-2, July 1994.
“Captain Canuck Reborn (collected newspaper cartoon strips) Strips 293 – 304, penciled by Sandy Carruthers. Captain Canuck Reborn, 1-3, 1996.
“Star Rider and the Peace Machine.” Star Rider and the Peace Machine, 1-1, July 1982: 4-15.
“Star Rider and the Peace Machine.” Star Rider and the Peace Machine, 1-2, Oct. 1982: 3-16.
TEAM EFFORT:
BOOK GRAPHIC COLLECTION:
Content:
Serial:
Captain Canuck, vol. 1. Collected Captain Canuck from the Calgary period. Idea & Design Works Publishing, June 2009.
Captain Canuck, vol. 2. Collected Captain Canuck from the Calgary period.Idea & Design Works Publishing, Dec. 2009.
Captain Canuck. Compendium 1975 – 1981. Collected the first 14 issues of Captain Canuck. Chapter House Comics, July 2015.
PERIODICAL GRAPHIC:
Content:
Serial
“Behind the Mask.” Writ..R. Comely. Illus. , G. Freeman. Col., G. Freeman & Jean Claude St Aubin. Captain Canuck, 1- 4, July-Aug.1979: 1-18.
“Planet Earth 1994.” Car., R. Comely. Captain Canuck, 1-5, Aug.-Sept.1979:1-20.
“Trap of Gold: The Search.” Writ., Pen., Colo.& Let., R. Comely In.& Colo., G.Freeman. Captain Canuck: 1-6, Oct.-Nov. 1979: 1-18.
“Ruse.” Writ., R. Comely. Illus., G. Freeman. Captain Canuck, 1-7, Dec.-Jan. 1979.: 1-18.
“Space Watch Death Watch: pt 1.” Writ. & Illus., G. Freeman. Writ. & Let., R. Comely. Col., G. Freeman & J.C. St. Aubin. Captain Canuck, 1-8, Feb.-Mar.1980:1-18.
“Space Watch Death Watch: pt 2.” Writ.& Let., R. Comely. Illus., G. Freeman. Col., J.C. St. Aubin. Captain Canuck, 1-9, Apr.-May 1980:1-18.
“Masquerade.” Writ.& Let., R. Comely. Illus., Co-colo., G. Freeman. Co-col., J.C. St. Aubin. Captain Canuck, 1-10, July-Aug. 1980: 1-18.
“Chariots of Fire: ch. 1, Operation Extermination.” Writ., R. Comely. Pen., Co-in.& Col., G. Freeman. Co-in. & Colo., J.C. St Aubin. Captain Canuck, 1-11, Sept.-Oct. 1980: 1-18.
“Chariots of Fire: ch. 2, Time Factor.” Co-writ., R. Comely. Co-writ., & Illus., G. Freeman. Captain Canuck, 1-12, Nov.-Dec. 1980: 1-18.
“Chariots of Fire: ch. 3, “Exiles.” Co-writ., R. Comely. Co-writ. & Illus., G. Freeman. Let., & Colo., J.C. St Aubin. Captain Canuck, 1-13, Jan.-Feb. 1981: 1-26.
“Fire-Fight.” Cart., G. Freeman. Let. & Col., J.C. St Aubin. Captain Canuck, 1-14, Mar.- Apr.1981: 1-19.
Captain Canuck, 1-15, Not published. Manuscript only.
“Premonition.” Writ., Pen., In., Colo. & Let., R. Comely. In. & Let., Ron Kasman. Col., Jordan Comely & Shane Drever. Captain Canuck: Legacy, pt.1 of 4, Sept./Oct. 2006..
Artist showcase. Writ., Pen., In., Let., Col., R. Comely. In., Let., Ron Kasman. Col., Jordan Comely & Shane Drever. Captain Canuck: Legacy, 1of 4 Part Series, Special Edition signed by R. Comely, dated August 2006 and numbered 656 of 1000. Sept./Oct. 2006. No more parts published.
ILLUSTRATOR:
PERIODICAL GRAPHIC;
Cover:
Front: Captain Canuck, l-1, July 1975.
Front. Captain Canuck, 1-2, 1975.
Front. Captain Canuck, 1-3,1975..
Front: Captain Canuck, 1-5, Aug.-Sept.1979.
Front: Captain Canuck Reborn Prelude Issue, 0, Sept. 1993. Print. Regular Comic format.
Front: Captain Canuck Reborn 1, Jan. 1994..
Front: Captain Canuck Reborn 1, Jan. 1994. Collector’s Edition No. 1.
Front: Captain Canuck Reborn, 1-2, July 1994.
Front: Captain Canuck Reborn, 1-3, 1996.
PERIODICAL TEXT & GRAPHIC:
Cover:
Front: Orion, 1-1, Summer 1981.
Front: The Walrus. Feb. 2007.
PENCILLER:
PERIODICAL GRAPHIC:
Cover:
Front: In., Drue Langlois. Captain Canuck – Unholy War,1, Oct. 2004.
WRITER:
BOOK GRAPHIC:
Content:
Story graphic:
“Captain Canuck Enter The Crime Stopper.” Pen., Tom Grummett. In., G. Freeman. Col. G. Freeman & Laurie Smith. Captain Canuck Enter Crime Stopper, 1 Mac’s, Jan. 2016. In association with Ontario Crime Stoppers Association of Ontario and Mac’s Milk.
PERIODICAL GRAPHIC:
Content:
Serial:
“Beyond.” Illus. & Col., J. C. St. Aubin. Let., R. Comely. Capt. Canuck, 23-30, Apr./May 1980.
“Beyond.” Illus., Col.& Let., J. C. St. Aubin. Capt. Canuck, 1-10, July/Aug. 1980: 25-31.
“Beyond.” Illus., Col. & Let., J. C. St. Aubin. Capt. Canuck,1-11, Sept./Oct. 1980: 23-30.
See below under CO-WRITER.
“True North.” Illus., & Let., G. Freeman. Col., G. Freeman & L. E. Smith. Captain Canuck Summer Special #1 Canada Day Edition, 2014.
Serial cartoon strip:
“Blackwater: A sneak preview of the Captain Canuck comic strip:.” Illus., G. Freeman. Captain Canuck, First Summer Special, July-Sept. 1980: 15.
Story:
“Monster Mentality.” Illus., J.C. St. Aubin. Captain Canuck, First Summer Special, July-Sept. 1980:11-14.
“The Money Run.” Illus., G. Freeman. Colo., J.C. St. Aubin. Let., R. Comely. Captain Canuck, First Summer Special, July-Sept. 1980: 16-25.
“Nightmares.” Pen., G. Freeman. In., J.C. St Aubin, Verne Andrusiek & G. Freeman. Colo., J.C. St. Aubin & G. Freeman. Let., R. Comely. Captain Canuck, First Summer Special, July-Sept. 1980: 37-63.
PERIODICAL TEXT & GRAPHIC:
Content:
Serial:
“Steel Chameleon.” Illus., Royston Evans. Star Rider and the Peace Machine, 1-1, July 1982: 47-56.
“Steel Chameleon.” Illus., Royston Evans. Star Rider and the Peace Machine, 1-2, Oct. 1982: 39-55.
“The Raft.” Illus. Tom Grummett. Star Rider and the Peace Machine, 1-1, July 1982: 17-28.
“The Raft.” Illus. Tom Grummett. Star Rider and the Peace Machine, 1-2, October 1982: 19-35′ (Incomplete).
CO-WRITER:
BOOK GRAPHIC COLLECTION:
Content:
Serial:
Beyond: The Meadan Quest. Includes first six published episodes Captain Canuck 9-12, 14, plus unpublished episode 7. Two new episodes by writer R. Comely, illustrator G. Freeman and colourist Laurie Smith complete the story. Chapter House Comics, 2015.
PERIODICAL GRAPHIC:
Content:
Serial:
“Beyond.” Co-writ., G. Freeman & J.C. Aubin. Illus., J. C. St Aubin. Capt. Canuck, 1-12, Nov./Dec. 1980: 22-29.
R. Comely stops participating. See FREEMAN George & ST AUBIN, Jean-Claude for the more of this series.
Story graphic:
“The Filler.” Co-writ., J.C. St. Aubin. Illus., J.C. St. Aubin. Captain Canuck, First Summer Special,
July-Sept. 1980: 27-31.
OWNER/PUBLISHER:
Comely Comix Ltd.
Comely Communications Ltd.
Star Rider Productions Ltd.
SOURCE:
Book graphic:
“Forward.” Beyond: The Meadan Quest. Writ., R. Comely. Chapter House Comics, 2015: 1.
Periodical text:
“Orion Interview: A Conversation with Richard Comely by Mark Shainblum.” Interviewer, Mark Shainblum. Orion, 1-1, Summer 1981: 16-22.
Interview:
Richard Comely July 16, 2007 at his home in Cambridge Ontario.