MIREAULT Bernie
Mackenzie Queen, 1-3, 1985: Inside front cover.
The Jam may not have been a force in the marketplace, but it did make Mireault a favourite of other comic artists and more discerning readers. He was the definition of an artist’s artist by the time the ‘90’s began, and frequently found himself in collaboration – as a colourist, inker, or backup artist- on the creator-owned books of artists who had fallen in love with his work. Zack Rabiroff, The Comics Journal, October 21 2024: “Remembering Bernie Mireault 1961-2024”:12.
Born 27 June 1961 on a Canadian Forces Base, in Marville France. to Canadian Forces parents. At age two years he moved back to Canada with his parents. The family finally settled in Rawdon just north of Montréal.
He studied art and photography at Dawson College in Montréal. At this time Montréal had two thriving cartoon communities, a francophone and an anglophone. In the francophone group were creators like Jacque Hurtubise, Réal Godbout and Pierre Fournier. Magazines Croc and Titanic which followed many predecessors were the vehicles these creators used. Bernie entered the smaller anglophone community which included among others Mark Shainblum, Chester Brown, Ian Carr, Geoff Isherwood, Joe Matt and Rick Trembles who has described it as “… mega-tiny and the comix nerds one even smaller”. Howard Chackowiez and Bill Mavreas described Bernie’s position in the anglophone community as warm, enthusiastic and that of a senior stateman, a not surprising description as both were seven years younger than Bernie. According to Mark Shainblum, there was considerable interaction between the two communities. Pierre Fournier and his colleagues organized l’Association des createurs de la bandes dessinées du Québec to which Mark, Bernie and others from the anglophone community joined and felt welcome.
Mark met Bernie at a now defunct Montréal comic book shop called Excalibur run by Roger Broughton a would-be publisher who was going to publish a series called Corbo (Crow) with Bernie as artist. It never happened. Later at the 1984 Maplecon, Bernie sought out Mark who was then organizing Matrix Graphic Series and showed him art from both “Mackenzie Queen” and “The Jam”. Mark invited Bernie to create backup stories for Matrix Graphic’s new periodical New Triumph Featuring Northguard. “The Jam” first appeared in issue 1-2, 1985. The hero identified himself as “The Jammer” (aka Gordon Kirby). Later that same year, Matrix published Mackenzie Queen a novel in a series of five periodicals 1985 to 1986. Matrix Graphic Series ceased operations in 1987 with the Jam Special 1-1 being its last publication. Comico published The Jam Urban Adventure, a new story in May 1988 then Slave Labour Comics in its The Jam Urban Adventure November 1989 continued “The Jam” serial from the last story in Matrix’s Jam Special 1-1. Caliber Comics published a collected version of “Mackenzie Queen” in 1990. “The Jam Urban Adventure title moved from Slave Labour to Tundra to Dark Horse to Caliber. It then disappeared from the public eye. From 2005 Bernie worked on a “Jam” novel To Get Her. He self-published it in 2011.
While “The Jam” was appearing in Northguard, Bernie established contact with John Wagner who subsequently offered him the job of illustrating Grendel-The Devil Inside, issues 13, October 1987 to 15, December 1987.which he did about the time that Matrix was closing down. Bernie later coloured several other story arcs for “Grendel’.
He subsequently worked under contract for other publications. In the late 1980’s he became a colourist on DC titles. He worked on the animation direct to video film Heavy Metal 2000 produced by CinéGroupe of Montréal and released 18 April 2000. Bernie also worked with Gabriel Morrissette, Ty Templeton, Joe O’Brien and Salgood Sam on Revolution on the Planet of the Apes issue 2, December 2005. According to Gabriel “His colour sense was as unique as his art and storytelling”.
Bernie created two other protagonists “Bug-eyed Monster” for Nickelodeon, and “Dr. Robot” which appeared first as a backup in Mike Allred’s Madman 12 and later as a Dr. Robot Special, April 2000, published by Dark Horse. But, his most significant creations remain “Mackenzie Queen” and “The Jammer”, and of these two “The Jammer” can be considered his life’s work.
Outside of the visual arts field, he wrote music and was part of the band called Bargain Hunters. See his advertisement below. In The Jam Urban Adventure 11 published by Caliber Comics, he offered for $10, a cassette of ten songs he had recorded on his 4-Track Tape Recorder. The lyrics of one of his songs appears below.
About the time To Get Her was released Bernie was diagnosed with leukemia. Shortly after he moved back to Rawdon, due to a combination of his health, financial issues and to look after his aging parents. This move tended to isolate him from the Montréal community, but the community he knew was also dwindling, Jacque Hurtubise and Pierre Fournier had both died, Mark Shainblum and Geoff Isherwood had moved to Ottawa; Chester Brown to Toronto; Joe Matt had returned to the U.S. In July 2018, Bernie learned his cancer had now spread to his bladder. Three months later his mother died. His father passed away in 2020.
In 2021, it seemed like there would be a revival in Bernie’s career. He and Mark Shainblum reunited for a project to publish a new “The Jam” story and a collection of the original series. Later in the year his work was featured on Jim Rugg and Ed Piskor’s Tribute To Cartoonist Kayfab YouTube show. Unfortunately the project with Mark never seems to have materialized. His mental state is revealed in an email he sent to Howard Chackowicz:
“Not much energy to do anything besides wash dishes and sweep the floor. Lawn needs cutting and putting it off for as long as I can, bleh. One of my cats, Kirby, is obviously ill and has lost a lot of weight over the last few months, but I have resolved to let nature take its course because I can’t afford the hundreds of dollars no doubt required to run her through a battery of tests and then have to buy the meds and try to administer them. … Sorry to be a downer, as always. It’s the reason I’m out of touch with everyone. I hate the idea of just being a dark cloud to my friends and family. Feeling like this is new to me, but I imagine that I’m just going through the same thing many of us are in these relatively difficult times, and I do my best to not be a wuss.”
Later his cat Kirby eventually died.
Bernie took his own life 2 September 2024.
WORK:
For work related to “The Jam” see JAMMER (The JAM)
For work related to “Mackenzie Queen” see MACKENZIE QUEEN
CARTOONIST:
PERIODICAL GRAPHIC:
Content song colour:
The Jam Urban Adventure 11, 1995: “Singing Like Frankie”: Back cover. Caliber Comics. .
Content story colour:
The Jam Urban Adventure 1 of 5, Jan. 1992:1 Untitled: 27-32. Tundra Publishing Ltd.
The Jam Urban Adventure 6, October 1993: Untitled: Back cover. Dark Horse Comics Inc.
The Jam Urban Adventure 9, 1995: Untitled: Back cover. Caliber Comics.
The Jam Urban Adventure 10, 1995: Untitled: Back cover Caliber Comics.
PERIODICAL GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:
Content story black & white:
Taboo, 1, Fall 1988: “Cable”: 43-56. Spiderbaby Grafix & Publications.
Content story black & white & Cover front colour (not related to story):
Glass Eye, 1, Summer 2005: “Issac vs. Eli”: 15-22. Blind Bat Press.
Romantic Eye, 1, Summer 2006. “Love Hope Love – A Song”: 38-39. Blind Bat Press.
Wavemakers, 1, January 1990: Untitled: 47-52. Blind Bat Press.
PERIODIAL GRAPHIC MINI ANTHOLOGY:
Content story Black & white:
Wavemakers, 3, October 1988: “Jazz”: 4-10. Blind Bat Press.
CO-CARTOONIST:
BOOK GRAPHIC:
The Everyman. Co-car., Michael D. Allred. Epic Comics, 1991.
PERIODICAL GRAPHIC:
Content story:
The Jam Urban Adventure 7, March 1994: “Dog vs. Cat”. Co-car., Rupert: 34. Dark Horse Inc. Black & white. “Psychographer.” Co-car., David Abu Bacha. Back cover colour.
The Jam Urban Adventure 8, February 1995: Untitled. Co-car., Dave Cooper. Back cover. Dark Horse Comics Inc. Colour.
The Jam Urban Adventure. 13, 1995. “Deputy Stupid.” Co-Car., RHB. Back cover. Caliber Comics. Colour.
ILLUSTRATOR:
BOOK GRAPHIC:
Content story & Cover front:
Gendel-the D’vil Indside. Writ., Matt Wagner. Let., Bob Pinaha. Col., Joe Matt. Comico The Comic Co., June 1989.
BOOK TEXT COLLECTION:
Cover front:
The Canadian Alternative: Cartoonists Comics & Graphic Novels. Ed., Dominick Grace & Eric Hoffman. University Press of Mississippi. A collection of essays.
PERIODICAL GRAPHIC:
Content folio:
Melody, 2, Oct. 1988 “Untitled”: 28. Part of “Strip Club Portfolio” but a very different approach.
Content information text:
Book of the Tarot.1991: “The High Priestess.” Writ., unidentified: 10. Tome Press/Caliber Press
Content portrait, untitled:
The Jam Special, 1-1, 1987: 48. (Mackenzie Queen?) Matrix Graphic Series
Content story:
The Jam Urban Adventure. 7, March 1994: “Half-Hangit Maggie”. Writ., James Robinson.: 23-33. Dark Horse Comics Inc.
PENCILLER:
PERIODICAL GRAPHIC:
Content miscellaneous:
Melody, 1, May 1988: “My dear Melody: 1985: a letter from an admirer.” Writ., unknown. Translated, visualized & Let., Jacques Boivin. In., Gabriel Morrisette. 26-31.
INKER:
PERIODICAL GRAPHIC:
Content story:
The Jam Urban Adventure 10, 1995: “Trapped”. Writ., & Pen., Richard Pace: 28-29.
The Jam Urban Adventure. 13, 1995: “How Sweet It Is.” Writ. & Pen., David Abu Bacha: 25-29.
Jacques Boivin’s Love Fantasy, 1-1, May 1987. “The Perfect Guy.” Writ., Arn Saba. Pen. & Let., Jaques Boivin. (In this story Boivin gives a visual tribute to Saba’s cartoon strip “Eureka Street.)
WRITER:
PERIODICAL GRAPHIC:
Content story:
The Jam Urban Adventure. 9, 1995: “ELI.” Illus., Luc Girard: 16-27. Caliber Comics. Black & white.
WRITER: & ILLUSTRATOR:
PERIODICAL GRAPHIC:
Content advertisement for Bernie’s band:
The Jam Urban Adventure, 5 of 5, May 1992: “Bargain Hunters”. 32.
LETTERER & COLOURIST:
BOOK GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:
Cover:
The Comic Eye, Ed., Mark Innes. Blind Bat Press: 2007. Pen., & In., Dave Sim.
COLOURIST:
PERIODICAL GRAPHIC:
Content story:
The Jam Urban Adventure, 2 of 5, February 1992: “Monsters Attack Manhattan”. Car., Carle Bacha: 27-30. Tundra Publishing Ltd. Colour.
The Jam Urban Adventure, 3 of 5, March 1992: “Ain’t It A Pity The City Never Sleeps”. Car. David Abu Bacha: 28-32. Tundra Publishing Ltd. Colour.
SOURCE:
Article book:
BDQ Essays & Interviews On Quebec Comics.” Ed., Andy Brown. Conundrum Press, 2017: “Bernie Mireault: Well Worth Digging Into.” Writ., Mark Jetté. Trans., Helge Dascher: 60-65. First appeared in Trip, 8, 2014.
Article periodical:
Comics Interview, 83, 1990: “Bernie Mireault.” Interviewer, Mark Shainblum: 54-63.
Taboo, 1, Fall 1988: “Cable: Introduction”: 43.
Internet:
http://www.tcj.com/topic/bernie-mireault/. Accessed December 2024. The Comic Journal, “Remembering Bernie Mireault: 1961-2024”. Writ., Zach Rabiroff, October 21, 2024.
Correspondence:
Email: Mark Shainblum to Robert MacMillan, 21 January 2025.
GALLERY:
The Jam Urban Adventure, 5 of 5, May 1992; 32. This ad by Bernie reveals his musical side.
Madman/Jam, 1 of 2, July 1988: 28. “Dr. Robot.” Car., Bernie Mireault.
Untitled. The Jam Urban Adventure. 9, 1995. Back cover. 1.
Untitled. The Jam Urban Adventure. 9, 1995. Back cover. 2.
Vortex, 1-6, 1984: “Studio I”: 4.
Vortex, 1-6, 1984: “Studio I”: 7.
Vortex, 1-7, March 1984:”Studio II”:13-17.
Vortex, 1-8, April 1984: “Studio III”: 28.
Vortex, 1-8, April 1984: “Studio III”: 29.
Vortex, 1-9, May 1984: “Studio IV”: 27.
Vortex, 1-11, January 1985: “Johnny Slaughter”: 24.
Sharkosaurus: Death Is Inevitable. Col., Adriano Augusta. Renegade Arts Entertainment Ltd., April 2018. Front cover.
Mister X: 2, august 1984: Front cover. Illus., Paul Rivoche.
Print from The Return of Mister X, 1986.
Comics Interview, 39, 1986: Front cover. Illus., Dean Motter,
Around Our Town, 1947: Front cover.