ACE DEACON

This was the name of a character and of a series that appeared in Canadian Heroes October 1942 to October 1945, a cartoon magazine published by Educational Projects Inc. of Montreal. Created by Sid Barron, the character functioned as bookends around actual events that occurred in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War 2 and as the link that provided continuity between the stories in the series.

MEDIUM:

PERIODICAL GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:                                                                            Published by Educational Projects Inc. Colour cover. Black & white content.

Content:

Information:

Canadian Heroes,..: “Ace Deacon’s Scrapbook: ….”. Cartoonist, Sid Barron.
3-3, Feb. 1944: “Handley-Page Hampden.” 63 3-5, April 1944: “The Bristol Beaufighter.” 31.	4-2, July 1944: Various aircraft. 31.

Canadian Heroes, 3-4, March 1944: “Here’s a few notes about Air-Sea Rescue Service”. Car., Sid Barron: 64.

Serial journalism:

Canadian Heroes…: “Ace Deacon …”. Cartoonist, Sid Barron.
2-3, July 1943: “Bombers to Germany”: 43-48. 2-6, Oct. 1943: “Wings over the Sea”: 22-26. 3-1, Nov./Dec. 1943: “Brave Bomber”: 38-43. 3-3, Feb. 1944:“Bomber Exploits”: 56-62. 3-4, March 1944: “The Turtle: D.F.C”: 59-63. 3-5, April 1944: “Atlantic Battle”: 26-30. 3-6, May 1944: “The Wildcat Crew ”: 17-21.	4-1, June 1944: “Daylight ‘Do”:52-57. 4-2, July 1944: “Rescue at 50 Below”: 26-30. 4-6, January 1945: “Escape From Belgium”: 1-5. 5-1, Feb. 1945: “Battling The Buzz-Bombs”: 21-25.

GALLERY:

Canadian Heroes, 2-6, Oct. 1943: “Wings over the Sea”. Car., Sid Barron: 25.

 

Canadian Heroes, 3-6, May 1944: “Ace Deacon”. Car., Sid Barron: 17.

Canadian Heroes, 3-1, Nov./Dec. 1943: “Ace Deacon”. Car., Sid Barron: 43.

Canadian Heroes, 4-2, July 1944: “Rescue At 50 Below.” Car., Sid Barron: 27.

 

SHIRLEY Susan Thurston

Born in Detroit, U.S.A.

She studied at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn New York and received a Bachelor of Science in Art Education. She continued further studies in Fine Art at Brooklyn College. For seven years she taught art in New York City’s public school system, then immigrated to Canada.

She has since lived in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut for 27 years painting on site, the artic barrens and Hudson Bay region from ice break up into the first snowfall. In a method similar to the Group of Seven, she paints watercolour sketches as a basis for more developed oil paintings.

During this time, she came into contact with Nick Burns and Michael Kusugak . Her partnership with Michael produced “On Waiting” a graphic version of his poem. As far as is known, this is her only entry into sequential art.

ILLUSTRATOR:

BOOK GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY

Content poem:

Arctic Comics. Renegade Arts Entertainment, 2016: “On Waiting”. Writ., Michael Kusugak: 22-35.

SOURCE:

Article book:

Arctic Comics. Canmore: Ed., Nicholas Burns. Renegade Arts Entertainment. 2016: Susan Shirly, 1.

Internet:

“Susan Shirley”. https://polarartists.com/artists/SShirley/SSbio.html Accessed 15 May 2022.

 

GALLERY:

 Arctic Comics.2016: “On Waiting”. Writ., Michael Kusugak. Illus., Susan Shirley.

KUSUGAK Michael & Jose

Michael Kusugak & Vladyana Krykorka. Photo by William Belsey. My Arctic,1,2,3. 1996: Back Cover.

Michael Kusugak was born 27 April 1948 at Cape Fullerton (Qatikatslik) on Hudson Bay in Nunavut. In the same spring the family moved to Repulse Bay, then in 1960 to Rankin Inlet. In 1954, he entered the Chesterfield Inlet residential school and later became one of the first Innuit to graduate from high school. He was further educated in Yellowknife, Churchill and Saskatoon and became an educational administrator for Nunavut Arctic College.

Michael’s love of stories and legends came from his grandmother. He began relating these stories and legends to his own children. In the late 1980’s Robert Munsch while visiting the local school stayed with the Kusugak family. Through this contact Michael co-authored with Robert A Promise Is A Promise (1988). This story was made into a film and a play which was presented in many theatres throughout Canada and the U.S. including The Prairie Theatre Exchange in Winnipeg and the Young People’s Theatre in Toronto.  From this beginning he has written books published in French, Korean, Japanese and braille as well as English. Most of his books have been illustrated by Vladyana Krykorka an author in her own right who migrated to Toronto from Prague Czechoslovakia. His Northern Lights: The Soccer Trails (1994) received the Ruth Schwartz Award for Children’s Literature, and in 2008 for his body of work, he received the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People. Astronomer John J. Kavelaars has named several moons of Saturn, Ijiraq, Kiviuq, Siarnaq and Paaliaq after characters in Michael’s books.

About 1990/91, he came in contact with Nick Burns and Susan Shirley who illustrated his poem “On Waiting”. It appears this was the only time these two artists became involved in sequential art.

His technique for producing his stories is to first say them out loud in Inuktituk, then to write them in English. He is foremost a raconteur and so at his many talks at schools and libraries he does not read from his books but instead tells stories he heard as a child or from his own life complete with facial and body expressions and feedback from the audience. As an Innuit storyteller who shares the stories of his tradition and life with members of other Canadian cultures he has become a bridge between his and those cultures.

********************

Jose Kusugak was a raconteur . He was manager of CBC’s Kivalliq area for over a decade. He helped standardize the syllabic writing system for Inuktitut. He helped negotiate the creation of Nunavut. “Kiviuq Meets Big Bee” which he wrote with Germaine Arnaktauyok illustrating was the only graphic story he did. Unfortunately, he died (2011) before he saw the publication of it.

********************

WRITER:

BOOK GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:

Content story:

Arctic Comics. Renegade Arts Entertainment, 2016:                                                                   “Kiviuq Meets Big Bee”. Writ., Jose Kusugak. Illus., Germaine Arnaktauyok: 3-21.           “On Waiting”. Writ., Michael Kusugak. Illus., Susan Thurston Shirley. 22-35.

BOOK TEXT & GAPHIC:

Content description:

My Arctic 123, Writ., Michael Arvaarluk Kusugak. Illus., Vladyana Krykorka. Annick Press Ltd., 1996.

SOURCE:

Article book:

Arctic Comics. Canmore: Ed., Nicholas Burns. Renegade Arts Entertainment. 2016: Jose & Michael Kusuak, 1.

Article periodical:

Maclean’s, 8 April 1996: Arctic Myths & Magic: A Childhood on the tundra fuels an Innuit author’s [Michael Kusugak] vivid tales”. Writ., Brian Bergman: 76+

GALLERY:

Arctic Comics.2016: “On Waiting”. Writ., Michael Kusugak. Illus., Susan Shirley.

ARNAKTAUYOK Germaine

Born 1946, in Maniitsoq, Greenland.

At some point they moved into Canada and when she was 9 years, she attended a Catholic school in Chesterfield Inlet where she resided for 7 years visiting her family only during the summer months. While there, a nun who was skilled at painting recognized her talent and provided lessons for her. Her first artwork was sold at age 11 years.

She continued her schooling in Churchill Manitoba. In 1967, she took art courses in Winnipeg on weekends and a year later entered the Fine Arts program at the University of Manitoba School of Art. While there she was encouraged in her art by George Swinton a professor in the School and a member of Canadian Eskimo Arts Council. Moving to Ottawa in 1969, she studied commercial art at the Pembroke Campus of Algonquin College. This was not the route she wanted to follow but she gained experience creating illustrations for books at the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs. Still in 1969, she moved to Frobisher Bay, later called Iqaluit, to work for the Frobisher Bay Arts & Crafts Centre. She remained there for 5 years. She moved to and lived in Yellowknife from 1971 to 1976 where she worked for the Government of the Northwest Territories.

In 1976, she married, had a daughter, moved to Langley British Columbia, and largely gave up art for about 10 years. In 1989, she separated from her husband, returned to Yellowknife ,and resumed her career. It was at this time she collaborated with Jose Kusugak and Nick Burns to illustrate the legend “Kiviuq Meets Big Bee”. This has been the only time she has been involved in sequential art. Years later she teamed up with storyteller Henry Isluanik to illustrate the book Kiviuq’s Journey (2014). In 1992, she moved back to Iqaluit and for a year studied printmaking with Kyra Fisher at Arctic College. Since then, she has produced etchings and drawings reflecting her personal life. She has also written and/or illustrated many books including My Name Is Arnaktauyok The Life and Art of Germaine Arnaktauyok and a colouring book Innuit Spirit.

Content story & Cover front.

Arctic Comics. Renegade Arts Entertainment, 2016: “Kiviuq Meets Big Bee”. Writ., Jose Kusugak: 3-21.

SOURCE:

Article book:

Arctic Comics. Canmore: Ed., Nicholas Burns. Renegade Arts Entertainment. 2016: Germaine Arnaktauyok, 1.

Internet:

“ Germaine Arnaktauyok”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germaine_Arnaktauyok, Accessed 15 May 2022.

GALLERY:

Arctic Comics.2016. Front cover. “Big Bee”.

                                    Arctic Comics.2016. Back cover. “Big Bee”.

 

STABLES John “Jack”                                                                                                    Used the pen name Jonn St Ables.

Born 23 December 1912, in Ulverston, England. He and his mother migrated to Winnipeg in June 1919 to join his father and older brother. In 1930, he apprenticed as a sign writer at Eaton’s department store. In 1932, he joined Smith’s Signs a commercial advertising agency. While there he drew advertisements for Salisbury House a restaurant chain owned by Ralph Erwin who had a friend Brock Windsor on who John would later model his character “Brok Windsor”. At this time, he took commercial art courses and irregularly attended art classes. During the Depression of the 1930’s he left Winnipeg for Chicago looking for work but soon returned. In 1938, he began drawing illustrations for Country Guide a Winnipeg agricultural magazine. The following year at age 27 years he was running the display department for Winnipeg’s electric utility.

IN 1941, He left Winnipeg again. This time he set out for Victoria with friend Jack Butler a painter and decorator. They were joined by two other friends Al Watson and Bill Speed whose name would eventually adorn another of John’s characters. In Victoria John and Jack launched a company Stabbut Studios whose title combined their two names. This effort was not successful and they took on jobs painting and sign writing in the ship building industry.

In May 1942, John married Ester Biggar his Winnipeg sweetheart. In an effort to join the war effort as an illustrator, John with Ester left Victoria to stay with her brother in Toronto in order to pursue this goal. While there he met Harry Smith owner of Maple Leaf Publishing. Moving to Vancouver and joining this company, John began producing cartoon stories in 1943, with one of his first creations being “Bill Speed”. In addition to the characters he created including “Brok Windsor” and illustrated for other writers like “Circus Girl”, he became the leading cover artist for Better Comics and Lucky Comics. In 1946, he replaced Vernon Miller as Art Director at Maple Leaf Publishing, but the end was in sight. The company ceased publishing at the end of the year.

Just before the end, Harry Smith organized Maple Leaf Syndicate to sell Maple Leaf Publishing characters as strips to newspapers an effort like Ted McCall’s attempt to syndicate “Freelance”. As far as is known only John’s “Bill Speed” made the transition appearing in The Coastal Weekly News, but of course one newspaper was not enough.

John attempted to make a living freelancing illustrations and working with Harry Smith producing colouring books and. He developed the narrative and characters for a title The Man In The Mushroom Hat. Harry Smith would be the publisher, but it never got to the print stage.

In 1949 and 1950 he worked for Keystone Press Ltd. then moved to California in an effort to find work at the animation studios like Disney or just to work in film. After three months he returned to Vancouver. Then in 1954 he and family returned to the U.S. locating in Washington state, where in the late 1950’s he joined the art department at Boeing Aircraft, producing advertising materials. For his own pleasure he painted in watercolour and mixed media plus some sculpting but did no cartooning. John’s affection for his Better Comics creation can be summed up in 1958 when he became an American citizen. He had the opportunity to change his name and so he added “Brok” as a middle name.

He retired in 1973 and died 31 December 1999 at 87 years old.

 

CARTOONIST:

PERIODICAL GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:

Content:

Information:

Better Comics, 5-10, June/July 1945:“Here’s How To Draw Funny Pictures”:  24.

Serial:

Better Comics, 3-2, February/March, 1944: “Bill Speed: The Treasure of Tisingal”: 25-32.

Rocket Comics, 5-4, May/June 1945 “Bill Speed: The Green Glint”.

Better Comics… “Brok Windsor…”. Maple Leaf Publishing Co. Black & white

3-6, October/November 1944: “The Tailor’s Treachery Works Backwards”: 2-17. 3-7, December/January 1944/1945: “The Horned Lions of Ganshee Valley”: 2-17 4-8, February/March 1945: “Amush At Magic Springs”: 24-39.* 5-9, April/May 1945: 24-39.* 5-10, June/July 1945: 25-39. 6-1, August/September 1945: 10-17.

*Note volumes 4 & 5 are as shown in Better Comics.

ILLUSTRATOR:

PERIODICAL GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:

Cover front:

Better Comics, (Brok Windsor).
3-6, October/November 1944. 3-7, Dec./Jan. 1944/1945.	4-8, February/March 1945.*	5-9, April/May 1945*

*Note volumes 4 & 5 are as shown in Better Comics.

Better Comics, 5-10, June July 1945. (Circus Girl).

Better Comics, 6-1, August/September 1945. (Outlaw of Chilcotin).

SOURCE:

Article book:

Brok Windsor 1944-1946. 2015:                                                                                                   “Brok Winsor: He-Man in a Halter” Writ., Ivan Kocmarek: x-xi.                                           “The John St. Ables Story” Writ., Peter Hansen: 216-223.

 

BRENNAN T. Casey

WORK:

WRITER:

PERIODICAL GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:                                                                            Published by Orb Productions

Content serial:

Orb,1-2, July 1974: “Northern Light: The Guardian of Mars Pt. 1” Illus. & Col., John Allison: 33 – 39.

Orb,1-3, Dec.1974: “Northern Light: The Guardian of Mars Pt 2.” Illus., Jim Craig. Col., Matt Rust & Waylee: 30 – 39.

Story:

Orb Magazine 1-5, Jan./Feb. 1976: “One Man’s Madness.” Illus., Gene Day. Let., Michael Cherkas: 2-7.

 

 

FLUFFHEAD

See BOIVIN Jacques

 

SALTY LANE

This serial appears to have been cartooned by both Clayton Dexter and Howard Buchanan Cowan although it is suggested that Howard created it. It appeared in the last issues of Commando Comics. “Salty Lane” named in the title as “Secret Investigator” also appeared to be the owner/skipper of a small commercial boat. He was based in a Canadian coastal port and had close connections with the R.C.M.P. In the story in issue 18, he notifies the Mounties that his boat has been stolen. Together they apprehend the thieves just after they have transported packages to a foreign vessel. It turns out the recipients were Japanese agents. Even though World War 2 was winding down and the stories are becoming more civilian and domestic, they still rely on attachment to the war.

MEDIUM:

PERIODICAL GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:                                                                          Published by Bell Features & Publishing Co.

Commando Comics, 18, no date: “Salty Lane Secret Investigator.” Car., Clayton Dexter: 43-49.

GALLERY:

Commando Comics, 18, no date: Car., Clayton Dexter: 43.

Commando Comics, 18, no date: Car., Clayton Dexter: 48.

 

JOKE COMICS

See:

BILLY BEAVER & CHUBBY JONES BLADE [THE] CAPTAIN BLUNDER COLONEL BRAGGART DARING DISCOVERIES DOODLEBUGS [THE] JINX LUCKY THE UNBEATABLE MAJOR DOMMO & JO JO MARVO ESPIONAGE AGENT NIGHT HAWK NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH

OFF THE GOB PHANTOM GANG [THE] PIERRE & THE JOE PRIVATE STUFF SHORTY & STEVE [OR SAM] SPIKE & MIKE STEVE STORMS SUPER COMMANDO TERROR [THE] WAR HAWKS WING [THE]

 

GOSSELIN/ELVERUM Geneviève

Born Gosselin, and later married to Phil Elverum, Geneviève used the nom de plume Geneviève Castrée for nearly all of her visual work.

Born 1981, in Loretteville Québec.

From an early age she read Tintin and ultimately entered and won a Tintin competition. At age fifteen she travelled throughout Canada and lived and worked in the Pacific northwest where she made visual art sculpted small objects.

Largely self-taught, she began publishing minicomics and signed them Geneviève Castrée. Her influences were Hergé, Renée French, Chester Brown Quino and particularly Julie Doucet. Her first book Lait Frappé was published in 2000 and was followed by Die Fabrik in the same year and Roulatheque, Roulatheque, Nicolore in 2001. All were published by L’Oie de Cravan.

She was also a self-taught musician and in 2004 she combined her two career paths producing Pamplemoussi, a combination 68 page book with a silk screened cover and 12 inch album that was recorded in Victoria British Columbia. She was helped by Thomas Shields and Matt Skillings of the Victoria band Run Chico Run. Under the name “Woelv” she released in 2006 the EP Gris under Phil Elverum’s label P.W. Elverum & Sun Ltd. They were married in 2004. Her final release under “Woelv” was Tout Seul Dans La Forêt En Plein Jour, Avez-vous Peur? In 2009, she established her own label and began releasing music under the name Ô Paon. In 2010, she released the album Courses and in 2015 Fleuve which also featured her husband Phil.

In 2012, her graphic novel Susceptible chronicling her childhood in Québec was published and later released in an English translation by Drawn and Quarterly. She gave the central character her childhood nickname “Goglu”. This was followed in 2015, by Maman Sauvage her book of poems describing her feelings as a mother.

She died 9 July 2016 of pancreatic cancer. After her death she was represented in The Best American Comics 2016. In 2017, Bubbles the graphic novel she was working on when she died was completed by Andres Nilsen and Phil Elverum and published by Drawn and Quarterly. A final book of her poems Maman Apprivoisée was published in 2018.

WORK:

CARTOONIST:

BOOK GRAPHIC:

Content novel & Cover book wraparound:

Susceptible. Drawn & Quarterly, Sept. 2012.

BOOK TEXT & GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:

Content story:

Drawn and Quarterly: Twenty-Five Years …. Drawn & Quarterly, May 2015: “Blankets Are Always Sleeping”: 448-455.

Cover book front:

BDQ: Essays & Interviews On Quebec Comics. Ed., Any Brown. BDang/Conundrum, 2017 (permission of estate).

SOURCE:

Article book:

Susceptible. Drawn & Quarterly, Sept. 2012: 80.

BDQ: Essays & Interviews On Quebec Comics. Ed. Andy Brown. BDang/Conundrum, 2017: “Geneviève Castrée.” Interview, Robin McConnell. 180-189. Originally a radio interview on “Inkstuds” CITR101.9 FM, Vancouver 2012.

Internet:

For an extensive account of Geneviève’s life and career see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genevi%C3%A8ve_Castr%C3%A9e#:~:text=Genevi%C3%A8ve%20Elverum%20(born%20Gosselin%3B%20April,%2C%20Lait%20Frapp%C3%A9%2C%20in%202000.                                                                                                      This was accessed 7, March 2022.

GALLERY:

Susceptible. Sept. 2012: Front cover.