MERCER Grace Elizabeth “Betty”                                                                                (Married name Atkinson)

Born 15 April 1923, in Owen Sound Ontario, but moved to Toronto as a baby with her family.

She and Jean McMaster met when Betty was eight years old and they remained steadfast friends.

She graduated in 1942 from Northern Vocational School. Among her teachers was Leonard Brooks a prominent Canadian painter. His World War II painting the “Potato Peelers” hangs in the Canadian War Museum.

She joined Anglo-American shortly after Jean McMaster and did the lettering on all the Anglo-American publications. Interestingly, her mother convinced her not to tell anyone that she worked there as it was generally not considered a reputable job. This was similar to Jean’s experience with the staff at Northern and reflected the general attitude of the time towards comic books.

While working at Anglo-American she and Jean met Priscilla Hutchings and they all became best friends. Priscilla was four years older than the other two. While at Anglo-American Betty and Priscilla developed a unique way of communicating during work. There was some sort of understanding that ‘conversation meant you aren’t working….’ So they conversed through their art. They loved to make each other laugh and so the drew caricatures of each other. For example, Priscilla had a hooked nose. Betty would drawing a picture of a giant hooked nose resting on the edge of a table, and pass it to Priscilla. Priscilla in turn would sketch a giant gapped toothed smile and pass it back to Betty.

Betty was not fond of Jack Calder. She thought of him as a showboat, but she enjoyed working with Ed Furness and Les Gilpin and thought they were good men.

Both Betty and Jean hated fan mail, because it was predominantly criticism. Interestingly, it was predominantly from readers of the old Captain Marvel comics.

Betty Mercer remembered one day Les Gilpin came into the room looking “quite grim”. Betty asked jokingly “You look terrible. We aren’t all fired are we?” They laughed. Gilpin said “Yes.” and left. The office emptied.

After working for Anglo-American, Betty did a number of jobs, such as working for A.C. Nielsen designing Campbell Soap labels. She met Russell. Atkinson, who had just returned from the Second World War. They married and had two children. Unable to find work in Canada, they moved to the just outside Buffalo in the U.S. under the sponsorship of her husband’s brother.

A few years after moving to the U.S. Betty developed cancer, and was not expected to live six months, but she overcame this disease, and went on to work mostly in antique stores helping paint furniture while at the same time raising two children at home. As an avocation she continued to paint pictures. Even though she moved to the U.S., Betty kept in contact with Patricia until sometime in the 1970’s when they lost contact

She painted pictures for family and friends until well into her old age. She had this in common with other Anglo-American artists Ed Furness, June Banfield, Patricia Hutchings, and Jean McMaster.

She died 7 January 2020.

SOURCE:

Correspondence:

Email 1 May 2016, to Ivan Kocmarek from Billy Neill grandson to Betty Mercer quoting his mother.

Email 28 Sept. 2016, to Robert MacMillan, from Billy Neill grandson to Betty Mercer quoting his

mother Mary J. Neill.

Email 13 April 2020 to Robert MacMillan from Mary J. Neill.

Email 1 May 2020 to Robert MacMillan from Mary J. Neill

Interview:

Ed Furness by Robert MacMillan

GALLERY:

 This photo of a painting by Betty Mercer (Atkinson) was provided by Betty’s daughter Mary J. Nicols. She said that her mother painted this portrait of herself as a child presumably based on a photo.

This photo of a painting by Betty Mercer (Atkinson) was provided by Betty’s daughter Mary J. Nicols.

MERCER Betty

See MERCER Grace Elizabeth

 

MENZIE Greg

Born in Winnipeg, he studied fine art there. His influences are Ryan Ottley, Scott Hepburn, Marcus To, Francis Manapul etc.

WORK:

ILLUSTRATOR:

BOOK GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:

Content story:

Toronto Comics, v. 3, Ed., Steve Andrews et al. Toronto Comics Anthology, May 2016: “Hogtown.” Writ. & Let., Phil McClorey”: 78-87.

SOURCE:

Article book:

Toronto Comics, v. 3, May 2016: “Greg Menzie”: 77.

MENNIE Steve

WORK:

ILLUSTRATOR:

BOOK TEXT:

Cover dust jacket front :

A Nice Place To Visit. Writ., Hugh Garner. Ryerson Press, 1970.

 

MENDES Ross Allen

Born 1927 in Toronto.

He and Gerry Lazare attended Oakwood Collegiate in Toronto in the early 1940’s.

This is how Gerry remembers their first encounter.

“I met Ross on a St. Clair streetcar going downtown to deliver some early comic pages to Bell in 1942. He sat down and introduced himself and said he loved my comic strips and wanted to do the same and could I advise him on how to proceed. We became close friends for many years.”

Gerry introduced Ross to Bell Features where Ross created the heroine “Polka Dot Pirate” and hero  “Captain Future”.

Mendes’ first job was with Wookie, Bush and Winter. Both Jack Bush and William Winter were top illustrators and painters. Bush became part of the famous post-war group Painters Eleven. Winter was a regular illustrator at Maclean’s magazine before he became a full time painter. There Mendes learned commercial art.

He married and went to Europe for ten years. He painted in Spain and England. He worked in London England. He became Art Director at Cockfield and Brown. Just before returning to Canada he worked in South Africa.

He became Art Director at Financial Post and began teaching at the Ontario College of Art while still in advertising. He split his time between the Ontario College of Art and painting.

WORK:

CARTOONIST:

PERIODICAL GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:

Content serial:

Active Comics, 28, no date: “Tophat ‘n’ Tales”: 51-54.

SOURCE:

Correspondence:

Email from Gerald Lazare February 14, 2011.

Interview:

From a conversation with Ross Mendes during the “From Freelance to Cerebus” cartoon exhibit at the Brant County Museum in Brantford Ontario, in the summer of 1991.

 

MEN OF THE MOUNTED

On February 11, 1933 there was a announcement in the Toronto Evening Telegram, that a new adventure cartoon strip “Men of the Mounted” would appear on February 13, 1933. This was journalist Ted McCall’s first effort at writing cartoon strips although he had previously wrote adventure stories for boys. For “Men of the Mounted” he wrote stories based on actual events. Harry Hall, an illustrator at the Evening Telegram handled the visual aspect of the strip.

The following year McCall succeeded in making an entry into the U.S. market when Whitman Publishing brought out a Big Little Book, Men of the Mounted in 1934. Here one gets a good look at McCall’s writing skills. The pace of his narrative was at break neck speed. His characters barely got out of one life threatening situation before they were in another. But, it was the underpinnings of his stories that were the most interesting. His focus was on the mounted police as an institution. His stories were about the front line men, the constables and the corporals but at the same time he never let you forget they were part of a larger organization. He also never let you forget that they worked as a team. In the Big Little Book, Corporal Rand is saved by Constable Lanky Booth and in turn saves Booth. They are both saved by the Indian guide and in turn the guide is saved by Rand. Although McCall uses the famous phrase “Get your man.” in the story he emphasizes the Mountie as a protector and an upholder of “Maintiens le Droit”. Although Rand and Lanky are after cattle rustles they take time out to save a family of settlers from a prairie fire and to defend a horse thief from cowboys looking for vengeance.

As told by the Donaldsons, in-laws to McCall he tried to get “Men of the Mounted” syndicated in the United States. He submitted his idea to King Features who told him they already had an idea from Zane Grey; they weren’t interested. McCall always believed his idea for which he had no copy write protection in the U.S. was stolen by King Features. McCall has justification for his suspicions. The team of Zane Grey writer and Allen Dean illustrator only began a Sunday page for “King of the Royal Mounted” in February 1935 two years after “Men of the Mounted” had begun with the Evening Telegram and about one year after it had appeared in the U.S. market as a Big Little Book. “King of the Royal Mounted” did not appear as a daily strip until March 1936.

Nevertheless there are significant differences between McCall’s “Men of the Mounted” and King Feature’s “King of the Royal Mounted”. Essentially “King of the Royal Mounted” is a U.S. Marshall wearing a red serge jacket. He is the American ideal of the lone lawman/vigilante focused on conquering the forces of evil and only incidentally in protecting the vulnerable. Even the name “King” denotes a kind of superior being in control of his surroundings. Compare that with McCall’s “Men” which denotes more human individuals working in teams to prevent harm befalling others. It is obvious that McCall got the mythos of the R.C.M.P. right while the King Feature missed the mark.

“Men of the Mounted” ended in the February 16,1935 edition of the Evening Telegram (note the coincidence with the entry of “King of the Mounted” into the market). It seems that McCall concluded that a cartoon strip for the Canadian market alone was not viable. Within a few months he had a new strip “Robin Hood and Company” published  in the international market. For this strip he partnered with Charlie Snelgrove another Telegram illustrator. Harry Hall in turn went on to produce a humorous strip “News ‘n Nonsense” published in the Evening Telegram.

Although “Men of the Mounted” had ended as a cartoon strip its career was not over. About seven years after 1935, McCall brought it back to life in Anglo American’s Three Aces Comics, 1-8, September 1942 by the same method he used for “Robin Hood and Company”. He republished the newspaper strips. They continued to Three Aces Comics, 2-8, September 1943 where the last panels coincide with the last panels of the strip in the Evening Telegram February 16, 1935.Reprints from the Evening Telegram also appeared in Robin Hood 2-2, May/June 1943 and 2/3, July/August 1943.

For Robin Hood  2/12, January/February 1945 McCall wrote a new “Men of the Mounted” story, introducing “Constable Kip Keene”. There had been a Corporal Keene in the Evening Telegram strip. According to Ed Furness, June Banfield became responsible for the finished artwork on “Kip Keene”. This series next appeared in a new black and white title Freelance/Robin Hood 3-1, March/April 1945. The first “Men of the Mounted” story in colour appeared in Freelance/Robin Hood  3-27, July/August 1945 which immediately followed 3-1. (Yes the numbering is inconsistent.) For the next three issues to Freelance/Robin Hood 3-30 January/ February 1946, “Men of the Mounted” was a coloured backup story. Then the title changed again and “Men of the Mounted” appeared under Robin Hood 3-31, June/July 1946. In this issue we are introduced to “Bastien” who became “Kip’s” unofficial partner in following issues. This fell into McCall’s style. In the Big Little Book there were three more or less equal partners.

Anglo American was collapsing and so it is virtually impossible to say if we have the full colour record of “Men of the Mounted”. The only thing that can be said with certainty is that “Men of the Mounted” and the titles listed below are the minimum. Anglo American then went out of business and “Men of the Mounted ended its long and varied career.

MEDIUM:

BOOK TEXT & GRAPHIC:

Content novel & Cover book front:

Men of the Mounted: Adventures of the Canadian Royal Mounted.” Writ., Ted McCall. Illus., Harry Hall. Racine: Whitman Publishing Co., 1934.

PERIODICAL GRAPHIC:                                                                                                  All written by Ted McCall and published by Anglo-American Publishing Ltd..

Content serial:

Reprints from Evening Telegram [Toronto].

Three Aces Comics. 1-8, September, 1942: “Men of the Mounted: The Border Patrol.” Illus., Harry Hall: 28-39. Black and white.

Three Aces Comics…:“Men of the Mounted ” Illus., Harry Hall: …. Black and white
1-9, October, 1942: 28-39. 2-1, February, 1943: 33-44.	2-2, March, 1943: 35-44. 2-3, April, 1943: 33-44.	2-4, May, 1943: 34-45.

“Men of the Mounted”, now called “The Scarlet Sentinel.” is transferred to Robin Hood Comics, 2-2, May/June 1943.

Robin Hood, 2-2, May/June 1943: “The Scarlet Sentinel.” Illus., H. Hall: 27-55.

Robin Hood, 2-3, July/Aug.1943: “The Scarlet Sentinel.” Illus., H. Hall: 29-53.

Robin Hood, 2-4 to 2-9: Unknown.

Robin Hood, 2-10 Sept./Oct. 1943: Does not appear..

Robin Hood, 2-11 Nov./Dec. 194: Does not appear.

New material.

Robin Hood, 2-12, Jan./ Feb.1945: “Men of the Mounted.” Illus., Unidentified: 29-47. Black & white.

Freelance/Robin Hood, 3-1, Mar./Apr. 1945: “Men of the Mounted.” Illus., Unidentified : 42-47. Black & white.

Freelance, 3-2, May/June 1945: “Men of the Mounted.” Does not appear.

Freelance/Robin Hood. “Men of the Mounted featuring Kip Keene.” Illus., Unidentified. Colour.
3-27, August.1945: 26-33. 3-28, September/October 1945: 25-32.	3-29, November/December 1945: 27-32. 3-30, January/February 1946: 15-22.

“Freelance” and “Robin Hood” plus “Men of The Mounted” split to separate periodicals again.

Robin Hood. 3-31, June/July.1946:Men of the Mounted Kip Keene Meets Comet.” Illus., Ed Furness: 27-38. Colour.

“Men of the Mounted featuring Kip Keene.….” Illus., Unidentified. Robin Hood. Colour.

3 -31, June/July.1946: “… and the Race of Death”: 39-48. 3-32, August/September 1946: “ … and the Lost Valley Of The Totem Builders”: 2-15. 3-32, August/September 1946: “…”:33-46 3-33, October/November 1946: “… in Flaming Gold”: 33-46 3-34, December/January.1946/47: “… and the Counterfeit Ambergris”: 2-13. 3-34, December/January.1946/47: “… in the Case Of The Sunburned Crooks”: 35-46.

Cover front:

Robin Hood …: Illus., Unidentified.
2-2, May/June 1943. ( Called “The Scarlet Sentinel.”) 2-3, July/Aug.1943. (Called “The Scarlet Sentinel.”)	3-31, June/July.1946. 3-32, Aug./Sept. 1946. 3-33, Oct./Nov. 1946. 3-34, Dec../Jan.1946/47.

Note that while the periodical is called Robin Hood Comics all of the front cover illustrations for the final coloured editions feature “Kip Keene of the Mounted.”

Three Aces, 1-8, September 1942: Illus., Unidentified.

NEWSPAPER:

Content strip cartoon:

Toronto Evening Telegram, Feb.13, 1933 to Feb.16, 1935: “Men of the Mounted”, Writ., Ted McCall. Illus., Harry Hall.

SOURCE:

Article book:

The World Encyclopedia of Comics, Ed., Maurice Horne. Chelsea House Publishers, 1976: “King of the Royal Mounted.” Writ., Peter Harris.

Interview:

With Mr. and Mrs Donaldson, brother and sister in law to Ted McCall.

GALLERY:

                         . Men of the Mounted, 1934: Front cover. Illus., Harry Hall

Three Aces Comics, 1-8, September/October 1942: Front cover.

Threes Aces Comic, 1-8, Sept. 1942: 35.Reprints from the Evening Telegram.

 Robin Hood, 2-2, May/June 1943: 29. Reprints from the Evening Telegram.

Robin Hood, 2-2, May/June 1943:41.Reprints from the Evening Telegram.

Robin Hood Comics 2-3, July August 1943. Front cover.

Robin Hood Comics, 2-12, January February 1945: 29.

This the first new art. The best sequence I’ve seen in Anglo-American products. Although unidentified probably Ed Furness did the layouts and June Banfield did the finished art.

Robin Hood Comics, 2-12, January February 1945: 30.

Robin Hood Comics, 2-12, January February 1945: 31.

Robin Hood Comics, 2-12, January February 1945: 32.

Robin Hood Comics, 3-31, June/July 1946: Front cover. Illus., Unidentified.

Robin Hood Comics, 3-31, June/July 1946: 34.

 Robin Hood Comics, 3-31, June/July 1946: 36.Kip meets Bastein.

Robin Hood, 3-32, August/September 1946: Front cover. Illus., Unknown.

Robin Hood Comics, 3-32, August/September 1946: 44.

MELODY

Sylvie Rancourt, cartooned this memoir about her life in Montréal as a nude dancer. She titled it “Melody”, her stage name.   Later she teamed up with illustrator Jacques Boivin to produce a series of periodicals which pushed the story back to her early life with her first husband Nick first in Abitibi, then brought it forward into Montréal.

MEDIUM:

BOOK GRAPHIC:

Content memoir & Cover book front:

Archives Mélody 1à7. Car., Sylvie Rancourt. Les Éditions du Phylactère, 1989.

Melody: Story Of A Nude Dancer. Car., S. Rancourt. Trans., Helge Dascher. Drawn & Quarterly, June 2015.

Content memoir & Cover book front:

The Orgies Of Abitibi. Writ., & Layout, S. Rancourt. Translation, Finished art & cover illustration, J. Boivin. Kitchen Sink Press Inc. 1991. Collects the stories from the first four periodicals below.

PERIODICAL GRAPHIC:                                                                                                  All published by Kitchen Sink Press

Content:

Folio:

Melody, 2, Oct. 1988: “Strip Club”:. .
“France: One of Melody’s Co-workers at Miracle Bar, 11 Feb. 1987.” Illus., Jacques Boivin.
No title. Illustrator listed below.:
Bernie Mireault. Gabriel Morrisette.	Christine Laniel/88. Vivian Katz/1988.	R, Walker/1988 (Omaha)

“Strip Club”: Melody, 5, Apr. 1990: No title: Illustrator listed below.:
Gabriel Morrisette Zeronik/ Lausanne, Suisse, Juin ’88. Sylvie Rancourt sketched Gabriel Morrisette and Jacques Boivin. Eric Theriault/1989.	Mary Fleener/1988. Dave Stevens/1955 Luc Giard/1989 Julie Doucet/1989. Mark Schultz.

Memoir:

Melody…: “….:” …. Writ., & Layout, Sylvie Rancourt. Trans. & Finished art Jacques Boivin: 1-24.
1, May 1988: “Rural Routes, 1979”. 2, Mar 1988: “Lunatic Lola”.	3, Mar. 1989: “Sisters in Crime: Abitibi 1979”. 4, Sept. 1989: “Debauchery”.

Melody…: “….:” …. Writ., Sylvie Rancourt. Pen. Gabrielle Morrissette. Trans., Let., J. Boivin: 1-24.

5, Apr. 1990: “A Father’s Ire.” Ink Jacques Boivin. 6, Dec.. 1990: “Isoscelles.” Ink (1-9), Jacques Boivin. Ink (10-24) G. Morrissette. 7, Feb.. 1992: : “The Way Out.” Ink Jacques Boivin. 8, Jan. 1993: “Big City Welcome.” Ink, Jacques Boivin.

Melody, 10, 1995: “Birthnight.” Writ., S. Rancourt. Trans. & Illus., J. Boivin: 1-24.

Miscellaneous:

Melody, 1, May 1988: “My dear Melody: 1985: A letter from an admirer.” Writ., unknown. Translated, visualized & Let., J. Boivin. Pen., Bernie Mireault. In., G. Morrisette. 26-31.

Melody, 3, Mar 1989: “Love Strip: 1988.” A letter in cartoon format Car., unknown. Adapted & illustrated by Gabriel Morrisette. Ed., & Let., Jacques Boivin. 26-32.

Melody, 4, Sept. 1989: 26-31: “Swingers, Sorrow: 1975 near Sarrela.” Writ., Sylvia Rancourt. Translation, Jacques Boivin. Illus., Gabriel Morrisette.

Melody, 6, Dec. 1990: “From the Bottom.” A letter May 1987.” Trans.& car. Jacques Boivin.

Melody, 10, 1995: “Esoterotica: Illus: Jacques Boivin: 26-32.                                                                         “The Vault of Smut.” Car., Jacques Boivin Back cover.

Cover

Front::

Melody,…: Illus., Jacques Boivin.
1, May 1988. 2, Oct. 1988.	3, Mar 1989. 4, Sept. 1989.	6, Dec 1990. 7, Feb 1992.	8, Jan. 1993. 10, 1995.

Wrap around:

Melody, 5, Apr. 1990: Illus., Jacques Boivin.

GALLERY:

Melody: Front cover. Illus., Sylvia Rancourt

Melody 7, Feb. 1992: Front cover. .Illus., Jacques Boivin.

MELLINGS Kelly

Co-owner of Pulp Studios in Edmonton. His work has appeared in graphic and textual magazines, apps, museum exhibits and online games.

WORK:

ILLUSTRATOR:

BOOK GRAPHIC:

Content novel & Cover book front:

The Outside Circle. Writ., Patti LaBoucane-Benson. House of Anansi Press Inc., 2015.

SOURCE:

Article book:

The Outside Circle. House of Anansi Press Inc., 2015: “Kelly Mellings.” Back page.

MELKI

See MELGAREJO Melquiades

 

MELGAREJO Melquiades

A well known illustrator in Paraguay Peru, he lives in Montréal.

WORK:

CARTOONIST:

BOOK GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:

Content cartoon editorial:

Caricature . Cartoons Canada. Ed., Terry Mosher. Linda Leith Publishing, 2012: 88.

SOURCE:

Article book:

Caricature . Cartoons Canada. Ed., Terry Mosher. Linda Leith Publishing, 2012: 84.