Leo Bachle Archives • Comic Book Daily

Johnny Canuck

by Ivan Kocmarek | Jul 29, 2015 | Whites Tsunami, WECA Splashes | 4 |

Rachel Richey’s new collection of Johnny Canuck pages from the 28 issues of Bell Feature’s Dime...

Saakel’s Satire

by Ivan Kocmarek | Aug 6, 2014 | Whites Tsunami, WECA Splashes | 10 |

The Whites were not only about the cliffhanger dramatics of superheroes, spies, and soldiers taking on the Axis. Satirical strips like Steele’s Private Stuff and Saakel’s Spike and Mike, both in Joke Comics, were just plain tongue-in-cheek fun.

Thunderfist Three Ways: Karn, Bachle, Steele

by Ivan Kocmarek | Mar 26, 2014 | Whites Tsunami, WECA Splashes | 5 |

“Thunderfist,” what a great name for a superhero. E. T. Leagault came up with this early in 1942 after having being the sole writer and artist for Cy Bell and his one title at that time, Wow Comics which featured two other Legault creations, Dart Daring and Whiz Wallace. The first issue of Wow Comics was cover dated September, 1941 and came out on the stands after half-dozen issues of Better Comics and a couple of issues of Lucky Comics issued by Maple Leaf Publications out of Vancouver had already been in the hands of lucky kids across the country.

Whites Mystery Artist

by Ivan Kocmarek | Feb 19, 2014 | Whites Tsunami, WECA Splashes | 8 |

In doing my ongoing research into Canadian war time comics, I recently came across this Toronto Star article about a Whites artist named Michael (Bud) Riled who seems to have created a female jungle heroine called “Terena of the Jungle.” It even has a quote from Peter Berkemoe, owner of The Beguiling about the period of The Whites.

The Canuck Corps.

by Ivan Kocmarek | Oct 23, 2013 | Whites Tsunami, WECA Splashes | 3 |

“Johnny (Jack) Canuck.” He was a personification of our national identity much in the same way that America had “Uncle Sam” and Britain “John Bull,” who started to be depicted in political cartoons just a couple of years (1869) after Confederation. Like all national personifications he is an hyperbole, let’s say like a lumberjack riding a Timmie’s donut inner tube down the rapids a river of maple syrup and using a hockey stick for a rudder.