ICYMI Art: Polka Dot Pirate by David Cutler

This is a fun piece of artwork I found on Twitter earlier today. While subsequently doing a little digging for details, I found the same image on David Cutler's deviantart page as well, along with his comments which I've copied below.

My favorite of the lost superheroes of Canada's comic book golden age, I guess Polka Dot Pirate only had a handful of appearances, but one of the greatest costumes of all time. I always thought she'd make a great superhero for the Atlantic provinces.  

If you want to read her adventures, you can't. The books are incredibly rare and lost to time. Luckily, my friend Hope Nicholson--responsible already for reprint revivals of Nelvana of the Northern Lights and Brok Windsor, two great volumes you should totally check out--is including the Pirate's adventures in her next kickstarter project. I can't wait to read them!

And therein lies the reason for my digging. I could have sworn I'd located and read the stories a few years ago but damned if I can find them now either in my own collection (digital, of course, I certainly don't have the originals) or online. So Mr. Cutler appears to be correct on that point and he's certainly correct about the Nelvana and Brok Windsor compilations.

As for PDP, here are a couple of images from her original appearances in Bell Features' Dime Comics and Slam-Bang Comics (from 1945 and 1946 respectively). I'm a little surprised that, at least from my recollection, she did not make an appearance in Northern Guard, being that Mr. Cutler drew that book about updated versions of WW2 era Canadian comics characters. Ah well. Maybe another day.

"Superheroes to call our own"

The following is from a CBC page linked below. For all I know, it's been there for years, but I've only just now come across it.

Because it encapsulates the history of Canadian superhero characters in easy-to-digest, brief fashion, I am copying it for both future reference, and in the event that the CBC decides to remove it one day and it is lost. Anyone sharing this interest with me should view the video that is included on this page.

Superheroes to call our own
• The superhero comic made its debut in the summer of 1938 with the publication of Action Comics No. 1 featuring Superman. Written by Jerry Siegel and drawn by Toronto-born Joe Shuster, the comic was a sensation and spawned the superhero comic genre.

• To learn more about the life of Joe Shuster, go to our clip Superman makes his debut.

• In the winter of 1940, the Canadian government passed the War Exchange Conservation Act. The legislation was intended to stabilize the value of the Canadian dollar by barring the import of non-essential goods from the U.S.

• As a result, all American periodicals - including comic books – disappeared from magazine racks across Canada. Over the next few months, several Canadian companies sprouted to take advantage of the lucrative comic market, including Maple Leaf Publishing, Anglo-American Publications, Commercial Signs of Canada and Hillborough Studios (which later merged with Bell Features.)

• Cy Bell, owner of Bell Features, oversaw one of the more ambitious of the Canadian companies publishing such characters as Dixon of the Mounted, the patriotic Johnny Canuck, the Penguin and Nelvana of the Northern Lights, which was inspired by an Inuit legend.

• The daughter of the king of the northern lights, Nelvana debuted in August 1941 and is considered Canada's first national superhero.

• Based on an idea by Group of Seven member Franz Johnston, Nelvana preceded the U.S. debut of Wonder Woman by three months, making her arguably the world's first female superhero.

• Originally an old lady, the comic book Nelvana was the beautiful young daughter of the king of the northern lights who wore a miniskirt while battling Nazis and the mysterious Ether People.

• Johnny Canuck was created overnight by 16-year-old Leo Bachle. A captain in the Allied Air Forces who had super-strength, Johnny debuted in the February 1942 issue of Dime Comics. Bachle's skill earned him notice in the U.S. and in 1944 he moved to New York City to draw for several comic companies.

• In the 1950's Bachle left comics, changed his name to Les Barker and started a new career as a nightclub entertainer and actor.

• In 1995, Canada Post commemorated Johnny Canuck on a stamp. To see Barker discuss the honour, see our clip Stamp of approval.

• Though Johnny Canuck is well remembered today, the first made-in-Canada superhero was actually a hero called Iron Man.

• Iron Man first appeared in Better Comics No. 1 in March 1941, which is considered to be the first Canadian-made comic featuring original characters. Created by Vancouver native Vernon Miller, Iron Man was the only survivor of a destroyed civilization who lived underwater.

• Other Canadian-made characters of the period include the Polka-Dot Pirate, Freelance, Canada Jack, Stuffy Bugs and Senorita Marquita.

• Despite the popularity of The Whites, the federal import law was repealed after the war ended in 1946. Within a couple of years all of the companies had closed.