Canadians are fighting Donald Trump’s trade war in more ways than one — including superhero Captain Canuck, who’s grabbing the U.S. president by his blazer on the cover of a new comic book.
The superhero, co-created by cartoonist Ron Leishman along with artist and writer Richard Comely nearly 50 years ago, wags his finger at the U.S. president on a new issue seen at Toronto Comicon this past weekend.
The art is in response to Trump’s tariffs and his threats of making America’s northern neighbor the 51st state, fueling a rise in patriotism in Canada.
“Captain Canuck is chastising Trump, basically just telling him, ‘No way. This is ridiculous. What’s wrong with you?’” Comely, who drew the new cover, told Canada’s CTV News.
The superhero sports a red and white suit along with a maple leaf buckle symbolizing the Canadian flag.
Comely, in an interview with Canada’s CBC News, noted that the character is taking a “Canadian approach” on the cover as he’s not taking “violent action” against Trump.
“It may come to blows, eventually, but only if we’re pushed way too far,” he added.
Comely signed autographs for fans at the comic convention, including on new art showing Captain Canuck telling Uncle Sam, “Don’t make me fight you,” as the hero decks the American icon with a jab to the face.
Inside Captain Canuck’s universe, Trump has previously referred to the hero as a “loser” and declared that “America doesn’t need anyone’s help.”
“I think Trump is uniting us, he’s uniting Canadians. Everybody’s on pins and needles,” Comely told CBC News. “I wonder, what’s going to happen next, what crazy thing is he going to do next so I banged [the Trump art] out.”
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He noted that the hero’s speech bubble on the cover is empty so Canadians can decide on how to respond to Trump.
“He’s a symbol, Captain Canuck kind of symbolizes Canada, doesn’t he? And this is Captain Canuck expressing what all Canadians are saying in their hearts right now,” he said.