1995 Canada Post : Superheroes
On October 2, 1995, Canada Post issued a series of 45-cent
postage stamps and
postcards honoring Canadian creators in the comic book industry. The
Superheroes commemorative stamps and postcards reproduce five different
illustrations by
Joe Shuster,
Adrian Dingle, Leo Bachle, George Freeman, and Gabriel Morrisssette.
The Superheroes stamp series was designed by Louis Fishauf. The Fleur
de Lys stamp was unveiled at CAN-CON '95, held May 12–14, 1995, at The
Talisman Hotel in Ottawa. Fleur de Lys creator Mark Shainblum was in
attendance.
Booklets contain ten commemorative stamps; two of each design. Each souvenir
sheet contains a five-stamp block. The stamp images appear on sets of five
postage-paid postcards, as well as individual t-shirts. All related materials
are printed in English and French. Day of issue envelopes depict an
illustration of Northguard by Gabriel Morrissette. Northguard wears a large
maple leaf emblem, the national symbol of Canada.
The Superheroes collection features the first appearance of
Superman on an official government issued postage stamp. In 2013, Canada
Post issued a series of Superman postage stamps and postcards as part of
the Superman 75th Anniversary celebration.
The Superman stamp (Scott #1579) is a composite edited from the cover and
frontispiece of Superman #3 (Winter 1939). The Superman images were
illustrated by the Joe Shuster Shop, which at the time included Paul Cassidy
and Dennis Neville. The cover feature reprints "Superman and the Runaway" from
the Superman daily newspaper strips, first published June 12–22, 1939.
.png "Joe Shuster Shop, Superman #3 (Winter 1939)")
.png "Joe Shuster Shop, Superman #3 (Winter 1939)")
Superman was created by
Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, debuting in
Action Comics #1
(June 1938). Joe Shuster was born in Toronto on July 10, 1914. At age nine,
Joe hawked newspapers for the Toronto Daily Star while attending
Ryerson Public School. Clark Kent and
Lois Lane
originally worked as reporters for the Daily Star in Metropolis. The
Daily Star was renamed Daily Planet in the
Superman newspaper strip on November 13, 1939.
Heritage Minutes were first released by Historica Canada in 1991. The
series is comprised of one-minute films that depict people and events in
Canadian history. The Superman feature portrays a fictional Joe Shuster and
Lois. Joe is boarding a train to visit his cousin Frank Shuster, a member of
the popular comedic duo Wayne and Shuster. Joe Shuster was played by Adam
Greydon Reid. Lois was played by Catherine Colvey. The
Heritage Minutes film erroneously places the
creation of Superman
in 1931. Jerry Siegel is completely omitted.
The Joe Shuster Canadian Comic Book Creator Awards (Joe Shuster Awards)
are administered by The Canadian Comic Book Creator Awards Association.
The Joe Shuster Awards have been presented to Canadian industry figures
since April 2005.
Joe Shuster Way is a residential street in Toronto that was built in 2006. The street was designed and named by Urbancorp. The shape of Joe Shuster Way and the connecting streets resembles the pentagonal Superman 'S' emblem.
On December 6, 1940, the government of Canada enacted the War Exchange
Conservation Act (WECA), restricting the importation of all non-essential
luxury goods. Comics books from the United States were banned in
Canada during
World War II.
In March 1941, Maple Leaf Publishing released Better Comics #1, the
first Canadian comic book. Publisher Vernon Miller featured a superhero
named The Iron Man, a character similar to Namor the Sub-Mariner. The issue features stories in black-and-white or color. The
black-and-white comics of the war era are known as "Canadian Whites." In
September 1941, Toronto printer Cyril Bell released Wow Comics #1,
the first full-color Canadian comic.
Nelvana of the Northern Lights is credited as the first Canadian
national superhero. Nelvana was created by Adrian Dingle, founder of
Hillborough Studios in Toronto. The mythological heroine debuted in the
pages of Triumph-Adventure Comics #1 (August 1941). Her final
appearance was in Super-Duper Comics #3 (May 1947).
Johnny Canuck first appeared in Dime Comics #1 (February
1942). The character was created by 15-year-old Toronto native Leo Bachle.
The original Johnny Canuck features were printed in black and white. Bachle
advised Canada Post on the proper color palette.
Captain Canuck was created by Ron Leishman and Richard Comely. The
original character first appeared in Captain Canuck #1 (July 1975).
The stamp image was illustrated by George Freeman. The series ran for 15
issues published over a span of 29 years. The final issue of
Captain Canuck was released in June 2004 by Comely Communications
Inc.
Fleur de Lys is a French-speaking superheroine from Quebec, created
by writer Mark Shainblum and artist Gabriel Morrissette. Fleur de Lys (Lily
flower) first appeared in New Triumph featuring Northguard #1
(September 1984). The fleur-de-lys symbol was depicted on the coat of arms
of France throughout various periods in history.