It's been 50 years since Captain Canuck first hit the shelves of comic book stores all across Canada, proudly displaying the iconic Maple Leaf emblem on his forehead as he endeavoured to keep serious crime out of his beloved homeland.
One of the creative masterminds behind this classic superhero is artist and writer Richard Comely, who now resides in Abbotsford.
To celebrate this milestone achievement, Comely is attending the upcoming Fan Expo event in Vancouver – alongside Lev Gleason Publishing CEO Fadi Hakim, who purchased the rights to Captain Canuck last year – where attendees will be able to get copies of the new variant cover which features Captain Canuck going toe-to-toe with Donald Trump.
"Captain Canuck is saying what many Canadians want Trump to understand. No, we don't want to be the 51st state," Comely said. "Canadians are not happy and we are very puzzled with Trump's actions and attitude towards our country. Hence the wagging finger."
It's these Canadian values that Captain Canuck has represented ever since he was first created in 1975, Comely explained.
"Nationalistic superheroes like Captain Canuck offer a sense of exclusivity. Many Canadians feel that they have their own superhero in Captain Canuck," he said.
"Back in 1975, I got a letter from a reader who wrote, 'We got our own baseball team [Montreal Expos] and we just got our own superhero. Now it feels like we are a real country!' Captain Canuck has been considered the idealistic representation of a heroic figure dedicated to Canada."
Over the course of the past 50 years, the character has undergone many changes, with three different men taking up the mantle of Captain Canuck. A short-lived animated web series also brought the superhero to life in 2013.
Captain Canuck has expanded far beyond the Canadian borders, even making it onto the cover of Time magazine in 1997. Americans have actually been a consistently large supporter of the Canadian superhero, with 75 per cent of Captain Canuck comic sales taking place in the U.S.
In honour of five decades of Captain Canuck's adventures, Comely is once again teaming up with some previous Captain Canuck collaborators – George Freeman and Claude St. Aubin – to create a special 50th-anniversary edition of the beloved comic.
"I am looking forward to this unfolding," Comely said.
Part of Captain Canuck's historic journey will soon include animated and live-action shows, which are currently being developed in partnership with Lev Gleason Studios and other production companies.
Those looking to meet Comely and/or Hakim can do so at Vancouver Fan Expo on Feb. 21 or 22 at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
Captain Canuck-themed T-shirts will be available at the United Way booth, with all of the proceeds going to the United Way initiative in Ontario.
