Canada.
Canada
1960
Canada's comics industry began with the wartime 'Canadian Whites' of the 1940s, made while US comics were shut out by the War Exchange Conservation Act.
Quebec has its own French-language bande dessinée, from Les Aventures de Timothée in La Patrie to Albert Chartier's Onésime (1943), and English Canada produced Dave Sim's Cerebus and Chester Brown's Louis Riel.
336
125
1960
2000s
Artists from Canada in the archive.
Comics from Canada in the archive.
Akwas, the earliest comic from Canada in the archive.
The decade when the most new comics from Canada began.
comics, bande dessinée
Canada in 3 chapters
A short history you can leaf through. Click a page, use the arrow keys, or press Turn the page to read on.
Canada.
3 chapters
Chapter 1
1941
to 1974
Canadian Whites and newspaper strips
1941
to 1974
Chapter 01
Canadian Whites and newspaper strips
With US comics shut out, Bell Features began publishing comics in September 1941 and took on Adrian Dingle's Nelvana in 1942; the War Exchange Conservation Act was abolished in 1951. In Quebec Albert Chartier created Onésime in 1943, and Doug Wright drew Juniper Junction from 1948 to 1968 alongside his own Nipper.
1975
to 1998
Chapter 02
Independent comics
Captain Canuck #1 (July 1975) was the first successful Canadian comic book since the war era, and Dave Sim's Cerebus ran for 300 issues from December 1977 to March 2004. Lynn Johnston's For Better or For Worse began in 1979, and Chester Brown's Yummy Fur started in 1983 as a photocopied minicomic.
1999
to today
Chapter 03
Graphic novels
Chester Brown serialised Louis Riel from 1999 to 2003. Quebec's contemporary exports include Michel Rabagliati's Paul, Dubuc and Delaf's Les Nombrils and the work of Guy Delisle.
The comics to know
- Les Aventures de TimothéeRan in La Patrie; said to be the first French-language comic to use speech balloons consistently. Théophile Busnel continued it until 1908.
- NelvanaAdrian Dingle. Moved to Bell Features in 1942.
- Onésime1943Albert Chartier
- Captain Canuck1975The first successful Canadian comic book since the war era.
- Cerebus1977 · comics characterDave Sim. 300 issues, December 1977 to March 2004.
- For Better or For Worse1979 · comic stripLynn Johnston. Ran until 2008.
- Yummy Fur1983 · comic book seriesChester Brown. Began as a photocopied minicomic.
- Louis Riel1999 · graphic novelChester Brown. Serialised 1999 to 2003; book 2003.
- Dirty PlotteJulie Doucet
- Paul1999 · comic book seriesMichel Rabagliati
The people to know
- Adrian DingleComics artist, 1911 to 1974Nelvana.
- Albert ChartierPainter, 1912 to 2004Onésime.
- Doug WrightComics artist, 1917 to 1983Juniper Junction, 1948 to 1968, and Nipper.
- Hal FosterComics artist, 1892 to 1982Canadian-American; created Prince Valiant.
- Dave SimComics artist, Born 1956Cerebus.
- Lynn JohnstonCartoonist, Born 1947For Better or For Worse.
- Chester BrownComics artist, Born 1960Yummy Fur and Louis Riel.
- Julie DoucetComics artist, born 1965Dirty Plotte and My New York Diary.
- Michel RabagliatiComics artist, Born 1961Paul.
- Guy DelisleComics artist, Born 1966
More artists from Canada
All 336 artists- Jeff LemireComics artist, Born 1976
- Darwyn CookeComics artist, 1962 to 2016
- SethComics artist, Born 1962
- Jillian TamakiComics artist, Born 1980
- Bryan Lee O'MalleyComics artist, Born 1979
- Chris BachaloComics artist, Born 1965
- Faith Erin HicksComics artist, Born 2001
- Todd McFarlaneComics artist, Born 1961
- Stuart ImmonenComics artist, Born 1960
- David FinchComics artist, Born 1972
- Chip ZdarskyComics artist, Born 1975
- Cameron StewartComics artist, Born 1975
More comics from Canada
All 125 comics- Scott PilgrimBryan Lee O'MalleyCanada, 2004
- Chroniques de JérusalemGuy DelisleCanada, 2011
- User FriendlyJ. D. FrazerCanada, 1997
- VG CatsScott RamsoomairCanada, 2001
- Dinosaur ComicsRyan NorthCanada, 2003
- SecondsBryan Lee O'MalleyCanada, 2014
- Ducks: Two Years in the Oil SandsKate BeatonCanada, 2022
- Assassin's Creed: BrahmanKarl KerschlCanada, 2014
- Looking for GroupRyan SohmerCanada, 2006 to 2023
- I Never Liked YouChester BrownCanada, 1994
- Gideon FallsJeff LemireCanada, 2018
- The PlayboyChester BrownCanada, 1992
