DIZZY DON/SILLY SOOZIE

“Dizzy Don” & “Silly Soozie” Detective were created by “Manny” Easson who was born Manuel Eisenburg 10 June 1916 in Toronto. He changed is birth name. According to Ivan Kocmarek it first appeared as Bell Features & Publishing’s Funny Comics 1, early 1942, but by issue 2 (actually the issue had no number) the major title was Dizzy Don Detective with a minor title The Funny Comics. Some of the major unanswered questions about Manny is how did he enter the cartooning craft with a competent technique? Did he receive training was he self taught, had he been a cartoonist somewhere previously?

Funny Comics 1was a series of gag strips of various sizes. The second unnumbered issue suggests a change in direction which became the standard format, a major story followed by a section of gag strips, for all that followed. The principal characters for the series are established and a 31 page origin story follows. “Dizzy Don” began as a shoe salesman. Tired of this job he quit and set out to seek his fortune. He came to a carnival and was hired as a cashier. He then became a barker after the regular barker did not show up for work. From this start he became a comedian and entered the vaudeville circuit. Here he met and teamed up with “Bill Canary Bird”, a Stan Laurel type character. After playing the major vaudeville theatres and Broadway, they signed up for the “Sizzle Seltzer Broadcast” sponsored by who else but the “Sizzle Seltzer Corp.” Here they met other principal characters of the series, songstress “Shirley Watson” and “Hy Pressure” the announcer. The success of the show brought them into conflict with “Boss Gobble” head of “Ku Ku Tonic Company” and his thug assistant “Gat Goon”. After several attempts to sabotage the show “Gat Goon” kidnaps “Bill Canary Bird” who they take to a dirigible above the city. From the dirigible “Canary” dropped messages, one of which was found by “Don”. Discovering the messages came from the dirigible, “Don” hired a plane and with a bow and arrows shot down the dirigible. Everyone parachutes out including “Canary” who lands on top of the show’s broadcast building. “Don” also arrives at the building and the show goes on, but “Boss Gobble” vows to break up the show yet.

This issue suggested a major shift in the thinking of the creators and an advertisement in it confirms the shift. The creators and/or publisher offer $1.00 bills to each of the of the 25 readers who send in the best letters stating how much they liked “Dizzy Don” in his “new role” of detective. Manny and/or the publisher wanted to shift “Dizzy Don’s” from being a character in a series of gag strips to that of being a detective in adventure stories. The response was apparently supportive as “Dizzy Don” became an entertainer and amateur detective in adventure stories although he retained the role of “Dizzy” in smaller a backup section of gag cartoons.

Other changes occurred more slowly over the length of the series. The initial conflict between “Sizzle Seltzer Broadcast” and “Ku Ku Tonic Company” slowly gave way to conflicts with Nazi and Japanese agents then domestic criminals. While the early stories were ensemble pieces involving “Dizzy Don”, “Shirley Watson” and “Bill Canary Bird”, they slowly evolved into “Dizzy Don” handling the cases by himself. In issue 16, Manny introduced the “Silly Soozie” character. She became as prominent in the gag cartoon section as “Don” and appeared as a character is the major story of each issue. Finally while early issues involved contributions from other Bell artists, but by issue 13 they came to contain almost exclusively Manny’s work.

Paralleling Manny’s increasing editorial independence from Bell was his increasing business independence. As advertisements for Dizzy Don Paint Book and Silly Soozie Colouring Book both published by Dizzy Don Enterprises a company organized by Manny company appeared in Funny Comics with Dizzy Don issues as early as issue 17 at least. With issue 21, publication of Funny Comics with Dizzy Don was taken over by Dizzy Don Enterprises. The company published both issues 21Sept. 1946 and 22 October 1946 in colour, This was part of an industry wide transition. Companies which were not transitioning to colour were closing down. Bell Features was struggling to make the transition. Anglo-American had completed the process in 1945. Unfortunately no further issues were published after these two efforts..

After about a year had lapsed F. E. Howard Publications which had also taken over rights to the Bell Features & Publishing Co. characters, attempted two issues 3, April 1947 and 4 Sept./Oct. 1947. Issues 1 and 2 seem to have never been published. No subsequent “Dizzy Don” periodicals appeared.

After the collapse of the Canadian industry, Manny left cartooning and became a sales manager in Toronto for Harding Carpets. He died 24 November 1982 of cancer. A final question is why did this man with a talent for story-telling and cartooning appear to abandon the field completely? But then many talents in the industry did just that.

MEDIUM:

PERIODICAL GRAPHIC                                                                                                  Published by Bell Features & Publishing. Colour cover, black & white interior.

Content serial & Cover front:

Dizzy Don Detective: The Funny Comics …: no date: … Car., Manny Easson.

No issue number*: “The Story of Dizzy Don Detective”: 1-37.                                                                          Gag cartoons: 39-41; 44-48; 54-64. 3: “ The Story Of The Mystery Of The Haunted House”: 1-31; 34. Dizzy fights Nazi               Agents. Gag cartoons: 43-48; 51-63. 4: “ Mystery Of The Haunted House” continues: 1-36                                                          ” And Now Let’s Laugh At Dizzy”: 39-42; 49-50; 53-55; 57-58; 60-64. Gag cartoons

* The no number issue must be the second published since it is advertised that “The         Story Of The Mystery Of The Haunted House” will begin in the next issue which is           issue 3.

The Funny Comics with Dizzy Don … no date: … Car., Manny Easson.

06: “ A Complete Story”: 1-42. This time while entertaining military bases he foils a               Nazi agent and Japanese spy ring.                                                                                 “ But This Is Why They Call Him Dizzy”: 49-51; 54-56. 08: “ The Mystery Of The Million Dollar Baby”: 1-41. Moves away from espionage to a          kidnapping.                                                                                                                     “ Laughs with Dizzy”: 42-45; 50-52; 54-56. 13: “ The Black Gas Racket”: 1-30. Another crime story.                                                        “ Laughs with Dizzy”: 31-48.. 17: “ Dizzy Don In The Human Rocket”: 1-35. Fights Japanese agents.                                “ Laugh Your Head Off with Dizzy Don And Silly Soozie”: 37-55. Gag cartoons. 19. “ Dizzy Dawn In Mystery Mansion”: 1-35.                                                                        “ Dizzy Don and Silly Soozie in Laugh Your Head Off”: 37-55.

PERIODICAL GRAPHIC                                                                                                    Published by F.E. Howard Publications. Colour cover. Colour interior.

Dizzy Don Comics, 4, September/October 1947:                                                                      “Dizzy Don in the Fire Deamon”: 1-20                                                                                “Silly Soozie”: 21-22.                                                                                                          “Adventures in Africa with Dizzy Don.” 25-44.

SOURCE:

Article book:

Canuck Comics, Ed., John Bell. Matrix Books/Matrix Graphic Series, 1986: 60, 62.

Heroes Of The Home Front. Writ., Ivan Kocmarek. North End Books, 2018: 124-129.

GALLERY:

Dizzy Don Detective: The Funny Comics No number, no date: 1

Dizzy Don Detective: The Funny Comics No number, no date: From 32-33.

Dizzy Don Detective: The Funny Comics 4, no date: Front cover.

Dizzy Don Detective: The Funny Comics 4, no date: 22

The Funny Comics with Dizzy Don 6, no date: Front cover.

The Funny Comics with Dizzy Don 19, no date: 37.

Dizzy Don Comics, 4, September/October 1947: Front cover.

Dizzy Don Comics, 4, September/October 1947: 4.

Dizzy Don Comics, 4, September/October 1947: 21.

Dizzy Don Comics, 4, September/October 1947: 22.

 

DIXON OF THE MOUNTED

This character seems to have been created by E.T. Legault then taken over by T. A. Steele, and finally by René Kulbach. It was discontinued probably because Kulbach was inducted into the R.C.A.F.

The opening story, involves Dixon’s adventures in rescuing “Ruth Barton” the woman he loves from the clutches of a devil-like creature who turns out to be a “maniac criminal” known throughout the Yukon as “Mad Griffen.” The following stories are more standard R.C.M.P. action stories.

MEDIUM:

PERIODICAL GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:                                                                          Published by Bell Features & Publishing. Colour covers. Black & white interiors.

Content serial:

Active Comics, 1, Feb. 1942: “Dixon of the Mounted.” Car., E.T. Legault: 1-14.

Active Comics, 2, Mar. 1942: “Dixon of the Mounted: Dreadful Dwellings.” Car., E.T. Legault: 18-31.

Active Comics… no date: “Dixon of the Mounted.” Car., T. A. Steele.
3: 35-48.	4: 1-10.	5: 1-10.	6: 1-10.	7: 1-10.	8: 1-9.

Active Comics… no date: “Dixon of the Mounted.” Car., René Kulbach..
9: 1-8. 15: 1-7.	10: 1-8. 16: 1-7.	11: 1-8. 17: 1-7.	12: 1-8. 18: 23-29. End.

Active Comics, 14, no date: “Dixon.” Car,’ unidentified, probably René Kulbach: 1-8.

Cover front:

Active Comics… no date unless otherwise noted: ….
1, Feb. 1942: Illus., E.T. Legault 4: Illus., unknown	6: Illus., Murray Karn 9: Illus., Adrian Dingle	10: Illus., René Kulbach 14Illus., Adrian Dingle

GALLERY:

. Active Comics, 1, Front cover, Illus., E.T. Legault.

Active 1: Car., E.T. Legault: 1.

 Active, 3: Car., T.A. Steele: 35.

 Active Comics, 9, Front cover: Illus., Adrian Dingle..

 Active, 11: Car., René Kulbach: 1.

DISHMAN

“I never exactly thought of Dishman as a superhero satire. I felt like it wasn’t so much that I was satirizing superheroes, but more like by treating them as rigidly realistic as I could, I gave them the opportunity to satirize themselves if people wanted to read it that way. I wasn’t trying to say that superheroes are ridiculous. I just wanted to say they weren’t realistic”

From a Mel Taylor interview.

John MacLeod’s creation “Dishman” was inspired by a dream he had about creating a superhero who could clean dishes. He decided to do a mini-comic series which began in August 1985 and ended in December 1990. The print run for each Dishman was about a thousand copies although issues 1 & 2 were more. The “Dishman” episodes from issues 1-6 were collected into an Eclipse publication in 1988. As the “Dishman” series was coming to a close, John co-wrote a story “I came I Saw I Did The Dishes” with Jeff Nicholson. John did the art. It was published in Ultra Klutz 28, April 1990. “Dishman” continued in a guest appearance in Nick Craine’s The Cheese Heads in 1992. It was a collaboration in which John drew his character and wrote the character’s dialogue and Nick drew the other characters and background. “Dishman” appeared again in Topps Comics Satan Six, 3, June 1993 in a story “Coffee”. Two digital episodes appeared in February 2018 and July 2018. The latter episode indicated future episodes were planned. None have yet appeared. In 2022 Black Eye Books collected into a hardcover edition all the “Dishman” mini-comic episodes plus the two episodes released digitally and the one that appeared in Topps Comics June 1993.

*****

“Paul Mahler” teaches history at Leo Gorcey High School and is engaged to fellow teacher “Joy”. Over the years he has unknowingly used radioactive Fiesta Tableware*. In issue 1 he discovers that because of this radioactive dinnerware he can now telekinetically clean dishes. “Paul’s” reaction to this ability is guided by the comic books he has read. “Spiderman” is guided by: “With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility”. Paul now feels the weight of a great responsibility. How will he fulfill it? First, he must select a pseudonym. All superheroes have pseudonyms. He choses “Dishman”. Next, he must have a costume. All superheroes have costumes. He designs one and has it made by a tailor. Finally, after struggling to get into his new outfit he is ready. Ready to do what?

How does a person fit the fantasy world of the superhero into the real world in which he lives? How does he cope with such mundane issues as the cost of his costume, the difficulty of donning it, the discomfort of wearing it under ordinary clothes, where do you put your wallet and keys in a skin-tight costume – add a pouch. How does acquiring a superpower affect more serious matters like fulfilling your teaching duties when you are up most of the night. How does it affect your relationships? In the case of “Paul” and “Joy” it destroys theirs. “Joy” is upset with “Paul” for using $400 of their honeymoon money to pay the tailor. “Paul is upset with “Joy” for leaking information about his new ability to her friends which starts a rumour in his school. The reaction of his colleagues to this rumour raises the issue how will it affect his status in school and his career? The “Dishman” identity initiates a new relationship between “Paul” and “Helen” who is sympathetic, but defines his persona in terms of theatre theory making one ask how well grounded is she? Unfortunately John ceased doing the serial before we could see where this relationship was going.

How does “Dishman” behave in this real world? Throughout the entire series of thirteen episodes what “Dishman” does mostly is simply walk the streets. There is only one act of violence – against a homeless man – depicted. Is John telling us that the type of crime that requires costumed heroes simply doesn’t exist in reality; that a costumed hero requires a fantastical world of crime in order to exist? How do individuals who come in contact with “Dishman” on the street react to him? The children range from seeing him as an extension of their comic book heroes to insulting him. The adults range from tolerance to bewilderment to hostility. Notably the street people are the ones who most sympathize with and accept him. These include the prostitute who listens to his problems with “Joy”, and a thank you from the friend of the homeless man “Dishman” saved from a beating. Contrast this with the already mentioned threat of contempt from “Paul’s” colleagues should they discover his hidden activity. The last episode leaves us with the expectation that Paul’s hidden identity is about to be exposed by a high school student who recognizes him. This story arch has yet to be completed.

“Dishman” remains a work in progress. After issue 6 the length of time between issues lengthened. After issue10 there was a hiatus for 28 years before the digital episodes appeared. There were the appearances in Cheese Head (1992) and Topp Comics, (1993) but these appear to have been responses to requests from others rather than an effort to advance the story. The two digital episodes appeared in February and July 2018 after John retired. Since then he has been working on a webcomic “Not That Magic”

To further explore the theme of an ordinary guy imitating a comic book superhero look at Bernie Mireault’s “The Jammer” where he takes a different approach.

*This idea is based on an actual situation. One of the ingredients in the manufacture of Fiesta Tableware was uranium which gave rise to the fear it was radioactive.

MEDIUM:

BOOK GRAPHIC COLLECTION:

Content story & Cover book front:

The Mundane Adventures of Dishman. 1, September 1988. Eclipse Comics. A collection of Minicomics 1-6.

The Mundane Adventures of Dishman. Black Eye Books, 2022. A complete collection of Dishman.

PERIODICAL GRAPHIC MINICOMIC:                                                                              All self-published by John MacLeod.

Content story & Cover front & back:

The Mundane Adventures Of Dishman, …. Contents and cover black & white.
1, Aug. 1985. 2, Apr. 1986.	3, Sept. 1986. 4, Mar. 1987.	5, July 1987. 6, Dec. 1987.	7, Nov. 1988. 8, Dec. 1989.	9, Mar. 1990. 10, Dec. 1990

Content story & Cover wraparound:

The Cheese Heads. 5, October 1992. “The Second Coming of Officer Jerry, pt. 3”: 1-29.

SOURCE:

Article book:

The Mundane Adventures of Dishman. Black Eye Books, 2022: “Introduction”: 5 & Back cover.

Correspondence:

Emails between John MacLeod and Robert MacMillan 24 January 2023 to 24 February 2023.

Interview:

A telephone interview by Mel Taylor (not published) 31 March 2018.

GALLERY:

The Mundane Adventures of Dishman, 1, August 1985. Front cover.

The Mundane Adventures of Dishman, 1, August 1985: 5

The Mundane Adventures of Dishman, 2, 4, March 1987. Front cover.

The Mundane Adventures of Dishman, 7, November 1988: Front cover & 7.

The Mundane Adventures of Dishman, 8, December 1989: 1&2.

The Mundane Adventures of Dishman, 9, March 1990: Front cover & 7.

The Mundane Adventures of Dishman, 1, September 1988: Front cover.

 

DISCOVERY PUBLICATIONS                                                                                            Location: 5706 Merrimac Road, Montréal Quebec.                                                            Owner/Publisher: Mark Shainblum.

This company, owned and operated by Mark Shainblum, published Orion, subtitled “The Canadian Magazine of Time and Space”, which was edited by Mark Shainblum.

The goal of Orion was to promote “…the growth and development of a Canadian comics and science-fiction industry.” In its first issue it promoted “Captain Canuck” which was the prominent Canadian hero at the time and featured an interview with Richard Comely. In the second issue it interviewed Gene Day (just before his untimely death) and featured two cartoon stories “White Thunder” by Geoff Isherwood, a serious hero adventure and “Captain Canduck” a spoof on the hero genre produced by John Bell and Owen Oulton . The magazine lasted only two issues.

It was in Shainblum’s plans to use Discovery Publications to publish “Northguard” the character created by him and Gabriel Morrissette, but eventually the character was published by Matrix Graphic Series.

PRODUCT:

PERIODICAL TEXT & GRAPHIC:

Orion: The Canadian Magazine of Time And Space,1-1, Summer 1981. Ed., Mark Shainblum.

Orion: The Canadian Magazine of Time And Space, 1-2, 1982. Ed. , Mark Shainblum.

DIRTY PLOTTE

See DOUCETTE Julie

       DRAWN AND QUARTERLY

 

DIOCHON Alex

WORK:

CARTOONIST:

PERIODICAL TEXT & GRAPHIC:

Content history graphic:

Kayak, Canada’s History Magazine for Kids, …. Canada’s National History Society.

…36, Apr. 2011: “Spring Treasure”:24-27. …37, Sept. 2011: “Set Sail For A Change”: 24-27. …38, Dec. 2011: “Fabulous Fakes”: 26-31. …43, Mar. 2013: “Northern Dancer”: 26-31. …44, Sept. 2013: “Comic Crackdown”: 26-31. …45, Dec. 2013: “Punch Dickens The Snow Eagle”: 26-31. …46, Jan. 2014: “The Last Father of Confederation”: 26-31. …47, Mar. 2014: “Cheer Up”: 26-31. …48, May. 2014: “Defend The Fort”: 26-31. …49, Sept. 2014: “In Flanders Fields”: 26-31. …50, Dec. 2014: “Sid The Kid”: 4-5. …51, Feb. 2015: “Fire On The Hill”: 26-31. …52, Apr. 2015: “Fight The Fenians”: 26-31. …53, Sept. 2015: “The Remarkable Little Known Life of Sir Mackenzie Bowell”: 26-31. …54, Dec. 2015: “Thanadelthur The Peacemaker”: 26-31. …55, Feb. 2016: “No Votes For Men”: 26-31. …56, Apr. 2016: “Norse In Newfoundland”: 26-31. …57, Sept. 2016: “A New Life In New Brunswick”: 26-31. …58, Dec. 2016: “Introducing The Dumbells”: 26-31. …59, Feb. 2017: “Dust and Depression”: 26-31. …60, April 2017: “Marathon Of Hope”: 26-31. …61, Sept. 2017: “Remembering Africville”: 24-29. …62, Dec. 2017: “Wildfire: The Story of Tom Longboat”: 24-29. …63, Feb. 2018: “Sergeant Bill”: 24-29. …64, April 2018: “Railway Men”: 24-29. …65, Sept. 2018: “Power Of The People”: 24-29. …66, Dec. 2018: “Stolen Beauty”: 24-29. …67, Feb. 2019: “In Pursuit of Trivia”: 24-29. …68, Apr. 2019: “Fighting For Fairness”: 24-29. …69, Sept. 2019: “The Terrible Magic Flying Canoe”: 24-29.

ILLUSTRATOR:

BOOK GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:

Content story:

Monstrosity, v.2, 2014: “The Beast Within.” Writ., Anthony Del Col.

PERIODICAL TEXT & GRAPHIC:

Content:

History graphic:

Kayak, Canada’s History Magazine for Kids, …. Canada’s National History Society.

70, Dec. 2019: “Crazy Canucks” Writ., Nancy Payne: 24-29. 71, Feb. 2020: “Family Day” Writ., Nancy Payne: 24-29. 72, Apr. 2020: “Flying and Spying.” Writ., Nancy Payne: 24-29. 73, Sept. 2020: “Saving Strokes.” Writ., Nancy Payne: 24-29. 74, Dec. 2020: “Voyage to Freedom.” Writ., Brendan McShane: 24-29.

Song:

Kayak, 40, Apr. 2012: “The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald.” Lyrics, Gordon Lightfoot.26-31.

Cover front:

Kayak, Canada’s History Magazine for Kids, …. Canada’s National History Society.
…37, Sept. 2011. “Loud Mouths.” …48, May. 2014. “Too The Walls.” …54, Dec. 2015. “How Furs Built Canada.” …58, Dec. 2016. “Hee-Hee History.”	…64, April 2018. …68, April 2019. “Canada At Work”.

GALLERY:

 Kayak, 36, Apr. 2011: “Spring Treasure”:24.

Kayak, 48, May 2014: Front cover, “Defend The Fort”.

 Kayak, 58, Dec. 2016: “Introducing The Dumbells”: 28

DINSMORE E. J.

A Torontonian, he studied at the Central Ontario School of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of Art and Design and worked under artists C.M. Manly, Daniel Garber, Joseph Pearson and Henry McCarter. His work appeared regularly in Maclean’s, Canadian Home Journal and Canada Weekly.

WORK:

ILLUSTRATOR:

BOOK TEXT & GRAPHIC:

Content history:

A Picture History of Canada. Writ., Jessie McEwen & Kathleen Moore. Thomas Nelson & Sons Ltd., No date: …
26: A Jesuit Missionary. 44: A Clue To The Western Sea. 74: The First Canadian Railway. 86: Confederation Day	68: The Governor Of Red River Travelling By Canoe. 70: A Canadian Stage-Coach In Winter 94: Building Of The Canadian Pacific Railway.

PERIODICAL TEXT:

Content story:

Maclean’s, 15 Mar. 1936: “Junk.” Writ., Eugene Jones: 16-17.

Maclean’s, Dec. 1917: “Love and the Locksmith.” Writ., Ethel W. Mumsford: 26-28.

SOURCE:

Article periodical:

Canadian Bookman, Jan. 1919: “Some Canadian Illustrators. “ Writ., St. George Burgoyne: 24.

DINGLE Pat 

The wife of Adrian Dingle, she used pseudonyms Pat C. and Pat Hamilton.

“I wrote ‘Clue Catchers’ the detective story with the father and son team, and some of the one-page stories that we had which were just a printed story not an illustrated one. Some of those I wrote. But my heart really wasn’t in them. I didn’t like doing it.”                Pat Dingle. Now and Then Times, 1- 2, Oct. 1973

WORK:

COLLABORATION:

PERIODICAL GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:

Content serial:

Active Comics, 27, no date: “The Brain.” Identified as “P and D” probably a collaboration between Adrian & Pat Dingle: 40-45.

WRITER:

BOOK TEXT & GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:

Content story:

Thrilling Stories For Boys, Bell Features & Publishing, no date: “Unfinished Business.” Writ., Pat Hamilton. Illus., Adrian Dingle.

PERIODICAL GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:                                                                            Published by Hillborough Studio. Colour cover. Black & white interior.

Content serial:

Triumph Adventure Comics…: “Clue-Catchers …..” Writ., Pat C. Illus., Adrian Dingle: …
1-1, Aug.1941: “…”: 40-49. 1-2, Sept. 1941: “…”:54-62.	1-4, Nov.1941: “…”: 18-22. Based on story submitted by Fred Butland of Fredericton, N.B. 1-5, Jan.1942: “…”:1-10. 1-6, Feb. 1942: “…the Maniac’s Revenge”: 44-53

SOURCE:

Article periodical:

Now and Then Times, 1- 2, Oct. 1973: “A conversation with Adrian and Pat Dingle and Bill Thomas.” Writ., Dave Sim: 27+.

---

DINGLE John Adrian Darley                                                                                          Adrian used the pseudonyms Darian and Jon Darian.

I’ve never regretted those exciting days of fantasy. The experience has been most beneficial to me as a painter. We had to draw fast and produce for a tight schedule. While I was endeavoring to pull my weight as Art Director for Bell. I was still writing and drawing four or five strips till the wee small hours. We all had dreams although short-lived.                                                                                        Now & The Times, 1-2, Oct.1973: 27.

Born 4 February 1911, in Barmouth, North Wales he came to Oakville, Ontario with his parents in 1914 at the age of three.

He worked in an insurance company in Oakville until about 1930 when he quit his job to study art. In 1931 he took the Ontario College of Art summer course studying under J. W. Beatty who was its founder and a close associate with members of the Group of Seven. From 1935 to 1937 he was in England where he studied at Goldsmith’s College of Art and exhibited at the London Portrait Society while working as an illustrator at Stillwell & Darby. Returning to Canada he regularly exhibited his paintings at the Ontario Society of Artists shows, and sold them through the T. Eaton Company Fine Art Gallery. At the same time, his illustrations were appearing in several magazines including the Standard and Star Weekly.

When, World War 2 began. Adrian attempted to join the military but was rejected because of his ear problems. He and several other artists who couldn’t enlist for health reasons organized a large petition volunteering to be war artists. They were more or less ignored probably because there was an abundance of older more experienced artists like members of the Group of Seven.

The market for fine art and for illustrations shriveled as the war effort ramped up and so, having failed to be accepted by the military, Dingle with artists André and René Kulbach took advantage of the War Exchange Conservation Act introduced December 2, 1940 and formed Hillborough Studio with about $400 from their one and only backer. He was the weak link in the organization. Dingle in a 1973 interview, described him as a “worry wart”. He, according to Dingle, “used to come in every morning and say ‘Well now, fellows, what worries me is this.’”

Quite the opposite, Pat (Dingle), who would become Adrian’s wife, thought organizing the company was a marvelous idea. “Isn’t this great, now maybe we’ll be able to get married.” she recalled during the same 1973 interview. They did get married and Pat recalled “… Adrian took his script along on our honeymoon and worked on the drawings.”

He was the mainstay in the company. For Triumph -Adventure Comics, he cartooned “Nelvana of the Northern Lights”, and a humorous filler called, “The Mums: Maxi and Mini”. He illustrated stories written by Pat and he drew portraits of military heroes. In a second periodical called Top Flight Comics, Adrian contributed “The Sword Of Destiny”. One can speculate that “Sword of Destiny might have later been resurrected as “Sign of Freedom”.

Pat along with Doris Slater, who appeared in Anglo-American’s Three Aces Comics and Shirly Ley Fortune who worked for Maple Leaf Comics are the only three female contributors to have their names regularly appear in the 1940’s Canadian comics, although in fact in Anglo-American many unacknowledged women were significant contributors to the features produced by that company.

In 1942, Hillborough Studios was bankrupt, and Adrian was left with a bundle of debts. In the same 1973 interview he commented, “I remember taking all the debts and the broken partnership down to Cy Bell. To my surprise, I found the masthead for Triumph Comics was already made up and ready to roll. He was anticipating me. So he took over all the debts. And I was on salary then. And that’s how I really got started for those few years.”

Triumph-Adventure Comics became Triumph Comics, and Adrian became Artistic Director at Bell Features. Each Monday afternoon the cartoonists brought their finished work to Dingle who checked it for story content, spelling, reproductive clarity etc. He rejected any that didn’t measure up. “We had a lot of young kids coming down who didn’t stand a Chinaman’s chance. And they’d be bringing stuff in and then occasionally one had a spark and we’d cultivate that spark.” “Jerry Lazare, for instance, was quite young. And he, of course, has become a first rate illustrator.”

In addition to editing, “… we were all doing our own thing right from the start, script and drawings as well. We were at it night and day.” In addition to Nelvana, Dingle created “The Penguin” (which was later named Blue Raven) a crime fighter in a birdlike mask dressed in white tie and tails, “The Sign of Freedom” an RCAF pilot turned underground hero and “Nils Grant Private Investigator”.

He also succeeded other artists on “Active Jim”, “Rex Baxter”, “Clift Steele” and “Guy Powers Secret Agent” the last two done under the name Darian. He took on the task of drawing most of the covers either under his own name or under Darian after the principal cover artist Edmond Good left for the U.S. to take over “Scorchy Smith”.

Jerry Lazare said of him, “I think Dingle was a guy who could’ve done a strip in the States and have been successful because he was I think the best of the group.” Adrian described his own style as “Hurried. No time for anything. I enjoyed trying to break up the pages a bit, having a continuity going through various shapes. And that sort of broke up the monotony of the constant drawing ….”

When the Canadian industry ended after World War Two, Dingle returned to painting full time. He had carried it on part time even when he was editing and cartooning. An illustration by Adrian appeared on the front cover of Maclean’s, 58-4, Feb. 15, 1945. In the mid 1950’s he was illustrating books: Redcoat Sailor & Tecumtha to name two. He developed into one of Canada’s foremost landscape and semi-abstract artists travelling and painting in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Eire, New England and Canada’s Atlantic provinces until his death. He taught at the Doon School of Fine Arts. He was elected an associate member of the Royal Canadian Academy in 1948. In 1961 he was awarded a life fellowship in the International Institute of Arts and Letters (F.I.A.L.) . In 1967 he was President of the Ontario Society of Artists.

As Dingle later recalled, “… it was an exciting time … we sort of lived the world that we were working in. We got our heroes and heroines into terrible scrapes and had to get them out before the next issue. It would often take a lot of hashing back and forth among a lot of the lads to find out what we were doing so we wouldn’t be stepping on the toes of someone else’s script. So, it was a hectic thing – working right through the night.”

As for the effect this experience had on him as a painter: “Drawing from imagination, if one can call it that, without any time for research has certainly, for me, provided a sort of mental retention by which I can see something and paint it later. Which has been very useful [to me] as a painter. I couldn’t have done it without this sort of experience. It’s very much like court artists of the earlier days before photography, how they’d have to go in and draw like mad. C.W. Jefferys, of course, developed his drawing ability tremendously through his court art work. These things are useful and I certainly don’t regret going through it. It was a very happy five years plus.”

He died from cancer in Erindale Ontario 22 December 1974.

See CANADA POST COMMEMORATIVE STAMPS

WORK:

CARTOONIST:

BOOK GRAPHIC COLLECTION:

Content serial & Cover book front:

Amazing Adventures in the Life Of Nelvana. Bell Features & Publishing Co., no date. Collects stories from the series “Nelvana of the Northern Lights in the Strange Frozen World of Glacia” Triumph Comics, 8 to 13. Apparently the last story “Nelvana and the Death-Dealing Double.” was included in error instead of “Death From Above” the concluding chapter of the “Glacia” series,

Nelvana of the Northern Lights. Ed., Hope Nicholson & Rachael Richey. Nelvana/LAC, 2014. Collected the complete “Nelvana” serial.

PERIODICAL GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:                                                                            Published by Bell Features & Publishing Ltd. Colour covers. Black & white interiors.

Content serial:

Active Comics …no date: “Active Jim …”. Dingle sometimes identified as Darian. ….
12: “…”:10-13. 13: “…”: 52-54. 14: “…”. Darian” 53-56. .	15: “…” 33-35. Unidentified. likely Dingle 16: “…”:9-11. 17: “…”: 30-33. Unidentified likely Dingle. 18:”…”: 44-48. 19: “…and the Mystery Of The Counterfeit Ten.” Darian: 51-55. 21: “…, Overcoat Racket.”. Darian: 54-56.

Active Comics, 27: “The Brain.” Identified as “P and D” probably a collaboration between Adrian &

Pat Dingle: 40-45.

Commando Comics …: no date “Sign Of Freedom”…. Bell Features. Black & white.
4: 12-17. 5: 11-16.	12: 29-33 14: 43-48.	16: 48-53. 17: 34-39.	18: 51-56.
Triumph Adventure Comics …: ““The Mums, Maxie and Mini.” Dingle sometimes identified as Jon Darian. ….
1-1, Aug.1941.: “…” Jon Darian: 17, 50 & 63. 1-2, Sept. 1941: “…”:30, 40, 63.		1-4, Nov.1941: “…”: 23, 25 & 39. 1-5, Jan.1942: “…”:42. 1-6, Feb. 1942.: “…”:53, (lower half of page).

Triumph Adventure Comics…: ” Nelvana of the Northern Lights…”….. Hillborough Studios, Black 7 white.
l-1, Aug.1941: “…”:18- 35. 1-2, Sept. 1941: “…The Devil Ship”: 1-14. 1-4, Nov.1941:”… Cave-in”: 40-51.	l-5, Jan.1942: “…The Battle of the Arctic”: 19-30. l-6, Feb. 1942: “…Icebergs of Death”: 23- 35.

Triumph Comics…no date: “Nelvana of the Northern Lights…”….. Bell Features. Black & white.

no number: “… The Dictator Strikes “: 1-13. From internal evidence this is no. 7 08: “…:In the Strange Frozen World of Glacia”: 1-12. 09: “ … In Glacia the Land of Frozen Life.”: 1- 12. 10: “… 1- 12. In Glacia World of Ice – Chapter 3,Vultor the Villainous”: 1- 12. l1: “ … Chapter 4,Vultor’s Plot”: 1-12 l2: “…: In Glacia, Chapter 5, The Unmasked Claw”: 1-12 l3: “…In Glacia, Chapter 6, Death from Above”: 1- 11.

Triumph Comics … no date: “Nelvana of the Northern Lights”…. Bell Features. Black & white.
l4: 1- 9.	l5: 1- 9.	l6:1- 9.	l9:1- 7.	20:1-7.	23:1-7.

Super Duper Comics, 3, May 1947: “Nelvana of the Northern Lights.” F.E. Howard Publications.

Colour.

WOW Comics …no date: “ The Penguin …” Bell Features. Black & white.
19: ““Holy Smokes That’s The Penguin — That Was”: 1-8. 22: “…and the Mystery of the Piano Playing Corpse, pt. 1”: 1-7. 24: “…and the Case of High Grade Murder”: 1-7. 27: ““The Penguin’s Double Trouble, pt. 2”:1-8.	28: “… pt. 1”: 1-7 29: “… pt.2”: 6-12

Story:

Active Comics, 27: “’Scoop’ Hilton.” Car., Unidentified probably Adrian Dingle: 46-51. Bell Features. Black & white.

ILLUSTRATOR:

BOOK TEXT:

Content poetry:

Tecumtha. Writ., Wallace Havelock Robb. Abbey Dawn Press, 1958.

Content biography & Cover dust jacket front:

Redcoat Sailor: The Story of Sir Howard Douglas. Writ., R.S. Lambert. Macmillan Co. of Canada, 1956. “A book in a series Great Stories of Canada.”

Cover dustjacket front:

Blue nose Ghosts, Folklorist, Helen Creighton. Ryerson Press, 1957.

BOOK TEXT COLLECTION:

Content legend & Cover dust jacket:

Logging With Paul Bunyan. Writ., John D. Robins. Ryerson Press, 1957.

BOOK TEXT & GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:

Content story & Cover front:

Thrilling Stories For Boys. Bell Features & Publishing, no date:                                                  “Buried In The Skies.” Writ., Vic Griffin.                                                                              “Unfinished Business.” Writ., identified Pat Hamilton; most likely Pat Dingle.

PERIODICAL GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:                                                                          Published by Bell Features & Publishing. Coloured covers. Black & white interiors.

Content portrait:

Triumph Adventure Comics, 1-1, Aug.1941:                                                                                  “Sergeant John Hannah, V.C.”: 36.                                                                                      “Winston Churchill”: 37.

Triumph Adventure Comics, 1-2, Sept. 1941:                                                                                “E.S. Fogarty Fegen, R.N.”: 31.                                                                                          “A.G.L. McNaughton, Commander-in-Chief of Canadian Forces”: 41.

Triumph Adventure Comics, 1-4, Nov.1941:                                                                                  “Capt. Douglas W. Cunnington.” 24.                                                                                    “General Sir John Dill.”: 38.

Triumph Adventure Comics,1-5, Jan.1942: “                                                                                “Sir Archibald Wavell, Commander of the British Forces in India”: 31.                                “John MacMillan Stevenson Patton”: 43.

Triumph Adventure Comics, 1-6, Feb. 1942:                                                                               “The Heroic Feat of Sergeant Pilot James A. Ward V.C. Royal New Zealand Air                 Force”: 22.

Content serial:

Triumph Adventure Comics…: “Clue-Catchers.” Writ., Pat Dingle., sometimes under pseudonym Pat C.

1-1, Aug.1941: “…” Pat Dingle: 40-49 1-2, Sept. 1941: “…” Pat Dingle:54-62 1-4, Nov.1941: “…” Writ., Pat C. (Based on story submitted by Fred Butland of Fredericton, N.B.:18-22. 1-5, Jan.1942: “…”: Pat C: 1-10. 1-6, Feb. 1942: “…, the Maniac’s Revenge.” Writ., Pat C. 44-53 (upper half).

Story:

Active Comics, 13, no date. “Hi-jacking Davey Jones’ Locker.” Writ., Vic Griffin: 36-40.

Cover front:

Active Comics … no date: “…”
5, Untitled 9, “Dixon of the Mounted.” 14,“Dixon of the Mounted.” 15, “King Fury and Robot Menace.”	16, “The Brain.” 17, “The Brain.” 18, See illustration below. 20, “The Panthers.”	22, “The Brain.” 23, “Cinder Smith.” 24, “Dr. Blue and Blackie.” 27, “Dr. Blue and Blackie.” 29, Untitled

Triumph Adventure Comics…:
1-2, Sept. 1941.	no number, no date. From internal evidence this is no. 7.	12, no date.

WOW Comics …no date: “…”
19: Untitled.	22: Untitled.	24: Untitled.	27: Untitled.	28, : Untitled.	29, “Thunderfist.”

PERIODICAL TEXT:

Content essay:

Family Herald:  Canada’s National Farm Magazine, ….

…, 10 October 1963: “The Old and The New”. Writ., John McMann: 76. …, 19 December 1963: “A Silk Hat from Demark”. Writ., Gordon Green: 12, 13, 14, 30, 31.

Content story:

Family Herald & Weekly Star, Canada’s National Farm Magazine, … …, 25 December 1952: “Bucket of Roses”. Writ., L. G. Bernard: 14-15. …, 5 June 1958: “Do I Look So Old?”. Writ., Kay Garneau: 21. …, 23 February 1961 “The Brothers Carry On”. Writ., Ross Malcolm: 14. …, 11 May 1961: Crazy About Kids”. Writ., Ross Annett: 36.

Cover front:

Maclean’s, 15 Feb. 1945.

WRITER & ILLUSTRATOR:

PERIODICAL GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:

Content advertisement for crests:

Active Comics, 10: “Would you like to have a FREE Sweater Crest of your FAVOURITE COMIC BOOK CHARACTER??? —“ 24-25, 46.

Content newsletter:

Active Comics… no date: “Active Jim’s …” … Bell Features. Black & white.
09: “…Monthly Message”: 18. 10: “ … Monthly News Letter”: 19              “Club News and Views”: 44-45.	11: “…Monthly Message”: 26.                                                            “Club News and Views.” 38-39. 12: “…Monthly Message”: 40. 13: “…Monthly Message”: 16. Unidentified likely Dingle

Active Comics … no date: “Active Jim’s Message”… Bell Features. Black & white.
15: “…”:21.	16: “…”:34                                                                      “Active Jim’s Club News and Views”: 16	17: “…” 16 & 22.	21:”…”: 8

EDITOR/ART DIRECTOR

Bell Features & Publishing Co.

SOURCE:

Article book:

Guardians of the North: The National Superhero in Canadian Comic-Book Art. Writ., John Bell. National Archives of Canada, 1992. A catalogue for the exhibit of the same name.

Nelvana of the Northern Lights. Car., Adrian Dingle. Ed., Hope Nicholson & Rachel Richey. Nelvana Comics, 2014: “Adrian Dingle”.

The World Encyclopedia of Comics. Ed., Maurice Horn. Chelsea House Publishers, 1976: “Dingle Adrian (1912 – 1974)”: Writ., Peter Harris. 208.

Article periodical:

Canadian Notes & Queries, 93, Summer 2015:“The Landscape: Adrian Dingle”.

Now and Then Times,1-1, Summer 1972: “World of Canadian Whites”: Writ., Bill Thomas: 22.

Now and Then Times, 1-2, Oct.1973:                                                                                            “A conversation with Adrian and Pat Dingle and Bill Thomas.” Interviewer, Dave               Sim. 27+.                                                                                                                            “An interview with Jerry Lazare.” Interviewer, Dave Sim,: 33.

Article newspaper:

Globe and Mail, 23 Oct.1982: “Whatever Happened to …?”: Writ., Peter Harris. Fanfare 7.

Website:

www.robertsgallery.net/dynamic/artist_bio.asp?ArtistID=90, Accessed 3/27/2014.

GALLERY:

Triumph Adventure Comics, 1-5, Jan.1942

Active Comics, 18: One of the finest of the wartime comic covers.

Thrilling Stories For Boys: Front cover.

“Till Infinity, Portugal.” Oil on Masonite 22”X30”. 23^rd Annual Sketches Exhibition, June 14 2017, Roberts Gallery, Toronto. This was a show & sale of historical Canadian art.

DINGBATS

See WARD Dudley