LETKEMAN Edward G.
Born 1924, he was one of the cartoonist/illustrators to emerge in the 1940’s and is reputed to have worked for a number of the Canadian comic book companies that emerged at that time although he appears to have been an incidental artist. The biggest body of his work appears in a single issue of Captain Commando and the Boy Soldiers published by F.E. Howard Publications. Two of the concepts his name appears on “Zor The Mighty” and “The Space Nomads” were later published in expanded versions by Superior Publishing Ltd.
Another character and story of his the “Cobra” is found only in his artwork in the possession of this writer. It cannot be determined if it was published.
Edward’s “Zor The Mighty” story, probably first appeared in the early 1940’s. It opens in Dr. Boris Papove’s laboratory in the jungles of India. He has devised a system of small mirrors which reflect the light of the moon onto a large mirror. This light brings to the present scenes from a million years earlier. One scene reflected is of a prehistoric man and his companion a saber-toothed tiger. Suddenly the prehistory man and his tiger walk out of the mirror and into Dr Papove’s lab. They immediately rush into the jungle. In the next few scenes, they make a home for themselves, and “Zor” learns to communicate with the apes and monkeys who have a language similar to his. Introduction over, the action begins. The monkeys warn the “blonde giant” to flee that the man things are coming and they kill. Instead of fleeing the “blonde giant” now called “Zor” goes to investigate. He finds they have a “white girl” captive whom they abuse. Full of “hot anger” and “pity for the girl” he rescues her, but soon they are captured and brought before the “cruel and sinister Khazhan Maharaja of the city of Thulak” who orders “Zor” and the “white girl” now named “Dela” to be thrown to the tigers. In the enclosure “Zor” fights the tigers and calls for his partner the saber-toothed tiger now called “Nu”. “Nu” races to the enclosure and frightens away the two guards who leave the door open. “Nu” rushes in and saves “Zor”. All three escape into the jungle. Then “Zor” hears a roaring sound. -To be continued -_.
“Zor” reappears in Zor The Mighty published in 1946 by Superior Publications. A synopsis of it is given in Comic Data Base. There is a significant lack of continuity between the earlier story and the synopsis. In the synopsis there is no mention of “Zor” as a prehistoric man nor of his sabertoothed tiger companion “Nu”. “Dela” is “Zor’s” girlfriend but there is no mention of how they met. The writer of the synopsis admits confusion about whether “Zor” and “Dela” are located in India or a fantastical world “Koz”. The villain is no longer “Khazhan Maharaja of the city of Thulak” but Emperor “Manuf”. “Zor” and “Dea” are part of a rebellion against “Manuf”. “Manuf’s” men have captured “Dela” but “Zor” again rescues her and overthrows “Manuf”. “Dela” jumps in front of a poison dart aimed at “Zor” and dies in his arms. Alone, “Zor” moves on to face new adventures but of course there are no new adventures. No further issues were published. This lack of continuity, forces one to ask in spite of his signature to what extent was Edward involved in this second story?
In the F. E. Howard version of “Space Nomads” Willy the Dip” a criminal fleeing the police stumbles upon the laboratory of a young scientist later named “Rocky Mason” who has just finished building a spaceship. “Willy” forces “Rocky” into the spaceship and to launch it in order to escape the police. After weeks in space, they crash into a “titanic jungle” on Saturn. “Willy” is left unconscious and “Rocky” sets off into the jungle to find fresh water. He hears a scream and dashes towards it. He is horrified to see a young woman tied to the stem of a giant flower with one of two striped creatures threatening her with a whip. He, of course, rescues the girl but immediately dozens of tiny men flying on feathers bear down on him. -To Be Continued_-. How this story was treated in the Superior publication of Space Nomads is not known.
“Thorik the Fearless” is a Viking. He and his crew journey to Africa and cruise up a river to a lake. They land and “Thorik” and a companion set off to search for food. They are attacked by a gorilla. The companion is knocked unconscious. “Torik” and the gorilla fight. He is almost killed but the gorilla is killed by a spear thrown by a man in Egyptian clothing. The Egyptian who we learn is “Pthuto” a prince takes “Thorik” back to his city as a prisoner while “Thorik’s” companion recovers consciousness and returns to the Viking camp. Presented to the Pharoah, “Thorik” is made a slave and must fight in the upcoming “Tournament of Death”. against a giant called “Hulak”. -To Be Continued.
Besides these episodes there are two complete stories.
Doctor Justice is a crime fighter whose identity is known only to his trusted assistant Jocko. Instead of a costume he uses makeup creating a number of personas to disguise his identity. In this story, he is asked to prove the innocence of a pickpocket “Fingers” accused of robbing and murdering a millionaire. On his way back from seeing “Fingers” he comes across “Dick the Dipper” another even better pick pocket. He and his partners robbed and killed the millionaire and planted evidence on “Fingers”. Now “Dick” has been shot by his partners who want his share of the loot. He dies. With makeup “Dr. Justice” assumes “Dick’s” identity, finds the hideout and is spying on the partners when “Dick’s” wife spots him and thinking he is “Dick” asks him what he’s doing. He tells her the partners tried to kill him. She shoots them. It turns out she is the boss of this gang. “Doctor Justice” manages to contact “Jocko” who brings the police. Thinking Doctor Justice” is “Dick” they arrest him as well. This confusion is straightened out but the inspector insists that the “Doctor” can’t take the law into his own hands and takes him into his office. Later the inspector emerges from the office and tells the police officers not to go in for fifteen minutes until “Doctor Justice” finishes writing a confession. The police go in and find the inspector tied up. “Doctor Justice” has escaped disguised as the inspector.
“Dusty Rhodes is a western. Our hero rides into “Wildcat” and immediately encounters a group of cowboys racing out of town one of them throws a satchel at him. Right behind them is a posse. “Dusty” races away with the posse now following him. He gets rid of the satchel and eventually eludes the posse only to be lassoed by a girl. She takes his horse “Satan” to ride off but “Satan has other ideas and bucks her off. In the conversation that follows between “Dusty” and Tess Trumore”, “Dusty finds out she and her father are plagued by a cattle rustling gang called the “Blackston gang” whose leader no one knows. As the two ride off to the girl’s ranch a figure silently follows them. At the ranch they meet two ranch hands “Pedro” and “Big Bear” who themselves attempted to catch some rustlers. Although they failed, they did find the rowel of a spur from one of the rustlers. “Dusty” decides to go into “Wildcat” to see if he can find a cowboy with a missing rowel. “Pedro” and “Big Bear” accompany him. “Dusty’ walks into the bar and two of the bank robbers chased by the posse recognize him as the man they threw the satchel at. They capture him and are about to torture him to make him tell where he put the satchel when “Pedro” and “Big Bear” bust in. They capture the two and discover one of them has a missing rowel. “Dusty goes and gets the sheriff. The sheriff follows “Dusty’ but signals a group of men to follow him. The stranger who followed “Dusty” and “Tess” now follows the group of men. One of the men that “Pedro” and “Big Bear” were holding names the sheriff as the leader of the “Blackston” gang. A gunfight follows in which “Pedro”, “Big Bear” and finally “Dusty” are wounded and out of ammunition. The sheriff is about to kill “Dusty” when the stranger who it turns out is a government marshal disarms the sheriff. A doctor tends the wounded and “Dusty and “Tess” kiss.
Since Edward’s name appears on these creations it would suggest that he is the cartoonist. But, these stories, unlike their counterparts in the periodicals of the other major wartime Canadian publishers are not about World War two in which Canada was deeply involved . The themes are rather themes that dominated American Pulp and cartoon periodicals of the time. That these stories originated in the U.S. have other telltale signs like marshals and sheriffs rather than the Mounted Police as was common in the publications of other Canadian companies. The War Exchange Conservation Act which was in force at the time did not allow the plates for U.S. cartoon stories to be imported but did allow the characters and stories to cross the border. It is likely Edward was given U.S. stories and characters to be redrawn for the Canadian market.
In the mid 1970’s a previously unpublished work of his” appeared in Captain Canuck, 1-3, 1975 entitled “Canuck Kid. Edward likely did cartoon this work. Although titled “Canuck Kid” it is unlikely that Edward thought of him in those terms. The only name given to the character is “Billy” and what there is of the story refers to a boy who doesn’t like history being sent back by Father Time to the Gulf of St. Lawrence circa 1534 where he is about to meet Cartier. Undoubtedly, Edward was planning a history of Canada as see through “Billy’s” eyes.
WORK:
CARTOONIST:
PERIODICAL GRAPHIC:
Content story:
Captain Canuck, 1-3, 1975: “The Canuck Kid”: 28-29.
ILLUSTRATOR:
PERIODICAL GRAPHIC:
Captain Commando and the Boy Soldiers., no number, no date: “Dusty Rhodes”: 8-19. “Zor The Mighty”: 20-27. “Dr. Justice”: 28-35. “The Space Nomads”: 36-41. “Thorik the Rearless”: 42-48.
SOURCE:
https://canadiancomicsdatabase.fandom.com/wiki/Zor_the_Mighty. Accessed 30 October 2025.
GALLERY:
Captain Commando and the Boy Soldiers., nn, nd: “Dusty Rhodes”: 17.
Captain Commando and the Boy Soldiers., nn, nd: “Space Nomads: 36.
Captain Commando and the Boy Soldiers., nn, nd: “Space Nomads: 37.
Captain Commando and the Boy Soldiers., nn, nd: “Space Nomads: 39.
Captain Commando and the Boy Soldiers., nn, nd: “Zor The Mighty: 20.
Captain Commando and the Boy Soldiers., nn, nd: “Zor The Mighty: 21.
Captain Canuck, 1-3, 1975: “The Canuck Kid”: 28-29.