Comics in Canada: a Beginner’s Guide

While the US may seem to be the spiritual home of the comic and the graphic novel, its neighbour to the north also has plenty to offer.

In fact, the reading public seems to be increasingly willing to experience this form of storytelling as research carried out by BookNet in 2022 showed. Readership had increased from 2021 when 3% of respondents said they had read a comic up to 15% a year later. The corresponding figures for graphic novels were 7% and 12% respectively.

Part of this may be down to changing reading and leisure habits, but it is also being driven by the sheer talent of Canadian comic book creators.

Some names to watch

Crossing multiple genres and even working on some of the biggest comic franchises out there, it’s an extensive list of names.

For example, the Toronto-based Ho Che Anderson has shown huge crossovers with his work ranging from King, the biography of the legendary civil rights activist martin Luther King to horror tales like Sand and Fury.

Or, for a completely different style and approach, there is Gregory Gallant who creates under the name Seth. With work often appearing in magazines like The New Yorker and the New York Times he specialises in writing contemporary stories while using a distinctly retro graphic style – as his latest work Clyde Fans perfectly illustrates.

Meredith Finch is another name to look out for. She’s not only worked extensively for DC Comics on the Wonder Woman series, she’s also created her own Rose series that skilfully blends mythology with modern issues.

But perhaps the best-known of all Canadian comic creator is Bryan Lee O’Malley. Author of acclaimed graphic novel Seconds and now collaborating with Leslie Hung on a series called Snot Girl, he’s best-known for Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life. This tells the tale of our music-obsessed hero who is set on the mission to destroy his girlfriend Ramona Flowers’ seven evil ex-partners.

So successful was the story that it was picked up and made into a film directed by Edgar Wright and starring Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Kieran Culkin.

The expanding world of comics

Of course, this is far from being the only example of a comic being used as a starting-point for life in another medium – as the Marvel universe goes to show.

But it can also go off in other more unusual directions too. For example, anyone getting into the latest Spinaway casino bonus offers may well find themselves playing on a slots game based on a comic creation. In the broader world of gaming, there are also countless video games that first saw life in the form of comics or graphic novels, and no doubt there are many more to come. These may well include one of the works of any one of these talented Canadian storytellers.

Birds of Maine by Michael De Forge

This is a story about what might happen in a post-apocalyptic world when the birds take over. The answer, without giving any spoilers, is a fairer, more equal world – at least until a human being suddenly appears and everything suddenly starts to change, and definitely not for the better.

A Train in the Night by Anne-Marie Saint-Cerny and Christien Quesnel

This is based on Saint-Cerny’s book Mégantic that told the true story of a train crash in 2013 caused devastation in the Quebec town of the title. Quesnel’s graphic interpretation spells out the links between the event itself and the faceless corporations and other parties who played a part in the disaster that cost 47 lives.

Shelterbelts by Jonathan Dyck

This is another story about a community split apart. This time it’s a Mennonite one where their traditional values and modern ways come into conflict with each other. It combines the personal, with the pastor and his gay daughter fighting prejudice, with the political as activists campaign to prevent a pipeline being built across the land.

Time Zone J by Julie Doucet

An autobiographical work from the Montreal artist uses entries from her diary from her early 20s to tell the story of a love affair that started with a long-distance correspondence. The graphic novel takes us from her native Canada to France to meet up with her soldier love interest and intrigues us all the way.

Rave by Jessica Campbell

Graphic novel and young fiction meet in this story about 15-year-old Lauren. Deeply religious and brought up by creationist parents her life is turned upside down after she sleeps over at her friend Mariah’s house one night and has to battle to accept her true sexuality.

So if you’re looking to explore a whole new range of comics and graphic fiction, look no further than Canada for inspiring stories, great artwork and a great deal more besides.