Cartoonist's new book gives a picture of what it is to be Canadian

When cartoonist Michael de Adder is asked what he discovered about the Canadian identity when working on his new book, You Might be From Canada If, his reply was simple: "We always question what the Canadian identity is." 

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De Adder's new book contains drawings, some humorous, some serious that all begin with the tag line, 'you might be from Canada if.'

The cartoonist, whose works appear in newspapers in Atlantic Canada, said he began drawing obvious Canadian things like hockey, Romper Room and Mr. Dressup when he started but added more subjects as he went. 

"I had hoped by the end it would give you a picture of what it was to be Canadian or from Canada," de Adder told CBC Radio: Mainstreet's Angela Walker 

Changes made

De Adder usually writes the jokes or statements before he does the drawing — but there were a few exceptions, including one he drew about Charlottetown's Fathers of Confederation famous painting.

"I wasn't quite sure where I was going with that. I knew, you know that not many Canadians can name more than one Father of Confederation and I knew that was going to be the joke," said de Adder.  

He spent a lot of time on that one and feels, in the end, it turned out to be one of the best cartoons, he added.

Another one de Adder ended up changing was 'you might be from Canada if the Romper Room lady said your name.' 

"My name is Michael so she said my name every week. So when I showed someone else they said, 'Well she never said my name!' and then I showed someone else and they said 'She never said my name either!' so I changed it to she never said your name."

The one drawing de Adder is was most proud of was one listing Canadian hockey heroes by their first name.

"It's because the sixth one is what you'd immediately expect to see. I had Gordie, Wayne, Bobby, the Rocket and Mario — and the sixth one was Hayley Wickenheiser." 

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