Today in Comics History, October 31: Happy birthday, John Candy!

Born today in 1950: actor/comedian John Candy, member of the SCTV comedy group who acted in many movies: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles; Splash; Stripes; Uncle Buck and many more!


I've been a huge fan of John since the very early SCTV days, and I've loved him in his film appearances. So naturally, you'll find him in MAD magazine!


from "Mad's Celebrity Supermarket" in MAD #258 (October 1985), script by Joe Raiola and Charlie Kadau, pencils by Bob Clarke



Remember the Universal Second Law of Comics Oughta Be Fun!: you ain't nobody 'til you've been drawn by Mort Drucker!




from "Splash-Dance" in MAD #250 (October 1984), script by Arnie Kogen, pencils and inks by Mort Drucker
But what about John Candy appearances in superhero comics? Marvel's got you covered there, bub, with Earth-616 John Candy as an actor in the (not very authentic) Damage Control: The Movie, opposite Simon Williams (aka Wonder Man)!


from Damage Control (1991 series) #3 (August 1991), script by Dwayne McDuffie, pencils and inks by Ernie Colon, colors by Brad Vancata, letters by Brad K. Joyce
A great cast deserves a second look!


But Bully (you're asking), did John Candy ever get his own Marvel comic book? How can you be considered famous unless you get your own comic book?

Well, now that ya mention it...


Camp Candy was a 1989-1992 3-season NBC/syndicated animated cartoon, with Candy providing the likeness and voice of a friendly camp counselor for a bunch of misfit kids.

Camp Candy, "The Forest's Prime Evil" (season 1, episode 1) (DIC/NBC, September 9, 1989),
starring the voice of John Candy, theme sung by Harry Nilsson, script by Jack Mendelsohn. Find more episodes here!



NBC ad in Marvel Comics cover-dated Winter 1990
During Marvel's post-Star Comics era where they picked up a whole slew of kids' properties to adapt, the show became a 6-issue comic book in 1990.




from (top) Marvel Age Preview #1 (Marvel, June 1990);
(middle) Marvel Age #87 (Marvel, April 1990);
(bottom) Marvel kids' comics cover-dated January 1990
Like the series, the comic featured ongoing plots of evil adults trying to take over the camp, silly jokes and lots of gentle humor, but most definitely an authentic-sounding dialogue for Candy himself.


from "The Return of Headless Harry" in Camp Candy #1 (Marvel, May 1990), script by Angelo DeCesare, pencils by Howie Post, art retouching by Scott Shaw!, inks by Jacqueline Roettcher, colors by Paul Becton, letters by Rick Parker
Like all 80s-90s kids' shows, you could pretty much see the jokes driving up the freeway, but these were all good silly fun.



from "Gorilla Warfare" in Camp Candy #6 (Marvel, October 1990), script and pencils by Howie Post, inks by Roberta Edelman, colors by George Roussos, letters by Rick Parker
So I wish you a happy birthday, John Candy, and I'm sad you left us too soon. Truly, Halloween will forever be a day for CANDY.


from Camp Candy #1
John, you'll always be my favorite Canadian Content. "Cooking with LaRue" from Second City Television, starring John Candy
"Harry Filth" from Second City Television, starring John Candy, Joe Flaherty, and Harold Ramis
"Magnum P.E.I." from Second City Television, starring John Candy