Bell Features Archives

Probably the single most historically famous comic book published in Canada during the Golden Age and certainly featuring the most famous Canadian superhero from that era from our modern perspective, the 1945 Nelavana of the Northern Lights one-shot comic book has often been called the Action Comics #1 of the Canadian Golden Age.  In the[...]

Far and away the most famous Canadian superhero of the Golden Age from our modern perspective, Nelvana of the Northern Lights debuted in Triumph-Adventure Comics #1 (cover-dated August 1941) from Hillborough Studio. Hillborough was founded by Nelvana creator Adrian Dingle, brothers Rene and Andre Kulbach, and an unknown financial backer.  After publishing the first six issues of[...]

Doom in Young King Cole #2, and that version ended up in Bell Features' Unusual Adventures #52 in 1949.  There's a VG/FN condition copy of this interesting and obscure comic up for auction in the 2025 March 13 Canadian Golden Age Comics Showcase Auction #40290 at Heritage Auctions. Brewster's Millions, Dr Doom in Unusual Adventure #52[...]

As we've recently explained, Canada's Bell Features had its own set of challenges that were not all that different from those faced by Marvel: continued difficulties in getting paper and a changing post-WWII market dynamic Several of Bell's original core 1941/1942 titles, including Wow Comics, Commando Comics, Triumph Comics, and others, ended in 1946.  Active Comics, Dime Comics,[...]

comic books while allowing reprint materials.  Bell Features' 1949 release Comic Toons #37 with its Namora cover is an example of one of the unusual items that were published during this era. Comic Toons #37 (Bell Features, 1949) Unlike the case of 4most #22, where Bell pulled an interior Jack Kamen splash panel to use for the[...]