Canadian comic creators are caught in a perfect storm: the world’s biggest comics distributor, Diamond Comics, went bust in January, and a tariff-obsessed U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening to slap a 25% tax on imports. From Toronto Comicon to indie studios, the vibe is tense—and the punches are landing harder than Captain Canuck on Uncle Sam.
“It’s a mess out there,” said Mike Rooth, a Brampton-born, St. Catharines-raised artist now calling Oakville home, as he chatted at his Comicon booth. Known for Swamp Thing and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Rooth’s latest gig coloring Captain Canuck feels eerily timely. One cover shows the Canadian hero decking Uncle Sam; another has him scolding Trump. “It’s a funny take on this madness,” he grinned. “The future’s foggy, though.”
Diamond’s bankruptcy has creators and publishers scrambling for new ways to get books into fans’ hands. Meanwhile, Trump’s trade wars are jacking up costs. Most North American comics are printed in Quebec, but U.S. publishers might soon ditch Canada for domestic presses to dodge tariffs. Comic shop owners fear price hikes, and small publishers—always the underdogs—are sweating bullets.
Richard Fairgray, a Vancouver-based, New Zealand-raised indie creator (Frankenstein, Haunted Hill), sees deeper tremors. “It’s not just tariffs—people are scared,” he said. “With the political shift down south, queer and diverse voices need to scream louder.” His response? Doubling down on “gay and feminist” stories. “I’m making my books unmissable.”
Not everyone’s sounding the alarm yet. Brampton’s Jahnoy Lindsay (Green Lantern, Superboy) shrugged, “Prices are up a bit, but that’s it so far.” Ramon Perez, the Oshawa-bred talent behind Hawkeye and Stillwater, runs Toronto’s RAID artist co-op and hasn’t felt the heat—yet. “It could flip overnight,” he warned.
Then there’s Ajax’s “Fearless” Fred Kennedy, radio DJ turned comic scribe (Dead Romans, Assassin’s Creed). He’s seen the fallout firsthand: creators blocked at the U.S. border over social media posts. “It’s terrifying,” he said. “Even if you’re just visiting, one wrong tweet and you’re toast. Nobody’s winning this mess.”
Rooth, fresh off Savage Sword of Conan, hopes humor can save the day. His Captain Canuck gig isn’t just a job—it’s a jab at the chaos. “If we can’t laugh at a guy threatening to annex us, we’re in deeper than we think,” he quipped. For now, Canada’s comic crew is holding the line, pencils sharp and satire sharper. But with tariffs looming and distribution crumbling, the next panel’s anyone’s guess.