Active Comics

Active Comics, published by Bell Features from 1942 to 1950, was a lively 38-issue anthology that helped define Canada’s wartime comic boom. Anchored by the energetic work of Jack Cole, Ted Steele, and Leo Bachle—who pulled double duty as both writers and artists—the series showcased a rotating cast of homegrown heroes and adventure strips. It stands as a key artifact of the Canadian Whites era, reflecting the country’s brief but passionate experiment in domestic comic publishing.