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Johnny Canuck

© David Newman

It seems that certain countries have created a person to personify the country.

In Great Britain they have John Bull, a fat gentleman-like man often wearing a top-hat and holding a cane , who was invented by Scot John Arbuthnot in 1712, and became commonly used in satirical and political cartoons and in literature to represent England or Great Britain. In the United States they have adopted a similar character with a star and stripped top hat named Uncle Sam. He was probably named after some Samuel guy who fought in the War of 1812 who appeared at least a century later. After the French Revolution, France had its own symbol, Marianne, a woman warrior of the Revolution wearing a cap that symbolises freedom. What about Canada? There must be someone for Canada isn't there? Yes there is Johnny Canuck.

Canuck? You mean that derogatory term used to signify English Canadians in 1849? You mean that derogatory term used to signify French Canadians in 1855? Well like Yankee or frog, depending on who says it and how, it could be a word of pride or a derogatory term. Now that we have that cleared up. Yes Johnny Canuck.

Johnny Canuck appeared in three different phases. First off, he was found in political comic strips around 1869 and was seen as Uncle Sam's or John Bull's younger cousin. This Johnny Canuck was often a farmer, a lumberjack, a 'habitant'. Unlike Uncle Sam and John Bull, Johnny was young and innocent, much like the country itself compared to the older nations. Johnny changed very much when he was brought back to life by young cartoonist Leo Bachle in the middle of the second war, more precisely 1942, as Canada's fighter against NAZI Germany. Johnny was no longer a man of the land, he was a soldier in the Canadian army. His quest, defeating the evil Nazis. Johnny was no longer in cartoons but in full comic books.

After about ten years after the end of the war, Johnny Canuck was done in the Comic book industry. In 1975, this Canadian hero was replaced by a superhero, named Captain Canuck who wore traditional superhero uniforms. Captain Canuck is not Johnny Canuck though, he is just the replacement of Canada in comics.

Although he is a representation of Canada, even Canadians know little of Johnny. I guess he acts like our culture and our identity. Canadians aren't too sure what that is either.

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