Maple Leaf Publishing

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Wikipedia

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Maple Leaf Publishing
StatusDefunct (c. 1946)
FoundedMarch 1941
Country of originCanada
Headquarters locationVancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publication typesComic books

Maple Leaf Publishing was a World War II-era Canadian comic book publisher active during the Golden Age of Comic Books. They were one of four publishers—along with Anglo-American Publishing, Hillborough Studios, and Commercial Signs of Canada (later renamed Bell Features)—which published "Canadian Whites", black-and-white comic books with colour covers[1][2] that proliferated during the war years when American imports were restricted.[3] Maple Leaf Publishing started publishing comic books in March 1941 and went out of business when the restrictions were lifted after the end of World War II.[1]

History

Canada declared war on Germany on September 10, 1939, entering World War II. In December 1940, with Canada's trade deficit with the still-neutral United States growing, the government passed the War Exchange Conservation Act, which restricted the importing of non-essential goods—including comic books—from the United States.[1][4]

Four Canadian publishers, Maple Leaf, Anglo-American Publishing, Hillborough Studios, and Commercial Signs of Canada (later renamed Bell Features), independently emerged to take advantage of the legislation.[1][4] While the other three were based in Toronto, Maple Leaf called Vancouver home.[1][4] Maple Leaf and the larger Anglo-American published their first comic books in March 1941, the others following later in the year.[4]

In contrast to the larger Anglo-American, which for example bought American Captain Marvel scripts and simply had them redrawn by Canadians,[5] Maple Leaf focused on home-grown, 100% original material.[4] Maple Leaf's first publication, Better Comics #1, is thus considered to be the first true Canadian comic book.[4][6] It is also credited with the first Canadian superhero, Iron Man,[1][4] debuting in March 1941 in the first issue of Better Comics, preceding Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's unrelated superhero of the same name by over two decades.[4]

Maple Leaf's comics were modeled on the American regular comic format, minus the colour interiors.[4] Other notable titles Maple Leaf published include Big Bang Comics, Lucky Comics and Rocket Comics.[4][7]

However, with the end of World War II in 1945, American comics were once again dominant in Canada; Maple Leaf, Anglo-American and Bell tried to compete post-war, but failed.[1]

Titles published

  • Better Comics (34 issues, March 1941 - August/September 1946)
  • Bing Bang Comics (31 issues, November–December 1941 - May–June 1946)
  • Lucky Comics (34 issues, June 1941 - October–November 1946)
  • Name-It Comics (1 issue, November/December 1941)
  • Rocket Comics (32 issues, 1941–1946)

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Marsh, James F., ed. (1999). The Canadian Encyclopedia: Year 2000 Edition. p. 514. ISBN 0-7710-2099-6. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  2. ↑ Grace, Dominick; Hoffman, Eric, eds. (2018). The Canadian Alternative. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. p. 3. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  3. ↑ Bell, John (24 June 2002). "Beyond the Funnies: Canadian Golden Age of Comics, 1941-1946". Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Bell, John (2006). Invaders from the North. The Dundurn Group. pp. 43–46. ISBN 978-1-55002-659-7. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  5. ↑ Duncan, Randy; Smith, Matthew J.; Levitz, Paul. The Power of Comics. p. 301. ISBN 978-1472535702. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
  6. ↑ "Maple Leaf Comics". comicsyrup.wordpress.com. Comic Syrup Press. 7 September 2011. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
  7. ↑ Beaty, Bart. "Comic Books and Graphic Novels", pp. 221–223.Encyclopedia of Literature in Canada (New, William N., editor). University of Toronto Press, 2002.

See also