Second Issue of Auric Of The Great White North Planned for May

This past Thursday, the cover to the second issue of Auric Of The Great White North was revealed on the Facebook group dedicated to the character.

Of course, you would have already seen it (or at least a nearly completed version of it) if you'd bought the first issue since it appears on the inside back cover. If you did, I commend you on your good taste and instincts. If you didn't, you might want to rethink that.

Last year's Zero Issue detailed the character's background. Issue number one adds detail to that background as well as providing some basics about Auric's monster-fighting operation, his supporting cast and some of the tools of his trade. They both include a respectful bow to a past character which any fan of Canadian comics history is certain to appreciate.

Both can be had digitally from drive-thru or you can purchase print versions directly from Great North Comics' website (remember to include the standard shipping cost).

Writer Davis Dewsbury was recently interviewed for a Timmins Press article which appeared n the February 25th edition. Highlights appear below, but you can read the full versions by clicking here. In case the link goes dead, credit goes to Alan S. Hale.

...The character was initially conceived as a mascot for the 2015 Northern Ontario Expo (the annual comic book convention held in Timmins) and until the release of Auric of the Great White North No. 1 late last month, the only book featuring the superhero was the one printed specifically for last year’s expo. 

The new comic is to be the first in an ongoing series with a story arc that will continue over multiple issues, similar to most other popular comic book series... 

... 

There is no doubt that Auric is a Timmins superhero. The lion-headed warrior’s story takes place in an alternate universe version of Timmins. He uses the McIntyre headframe as a base, and even his name is a play on the chemical symbol for gold: Au. 

Without spoiling anything, Dewsbury said that the story arc for the series starts with Auric returning to Timmins after fighting a war against a race of beasts wreaking havoc in the north. A major theme of the story, said the writer, will be exploring the idea of a superhero who is himself aging. 

“I called the story arc ‘All Things Old’ because I want to show the juxtaposition between a young hero and a hero who is past his prime,” he said. “So throughout the issues, there will be shots back to the past which will show him building him into the great hero he’s known to be, and then come back to the present where he’s not effective as he once was.” 

Two teammates for Auric are also being introduced to the series to assist him, who Dewsbury said he wanted to reflect the diversity of people found in Timmins. 

“I’m trying to keep the cast of characters diverse to kind of show the different races we have up here in the North. One is of native descent, and the other is African-American. I didn’t want it to be whitewashed. I wanted it to show who we have up here in the North,” said Dewsbury. 

With the first comic out, Dewsbury said he and Thomas are working hard on issue No. 2, which they intend to be out in stores before the next Northern Ontario Expo on May 7 and 8.