CINDY UPSHALL, "HISTORY TOLD IN COMICS: WILLIAM LYON MACKENZIE'S STORY OF REBELLION PUBLISHED BY HERITAGE PRINTERY MUSEUM," ST. CATHARINES STANDARD  (FEBRUARY 28, 2002).

Copyright St. Catharines Standard 2002

QUEENSTON - Add William Lyon Mackenzie's name to the list of Canadian comic book heroes.

The fiery leader of the 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion becomes the unlikely subject of a comic-style book published by the Mackenzie Heritage Printery Museum.

"It's a great opportunity to promote Upper Canada history," said Lou Cahill, printery secretary.

And it's natural, he said, that the organization established at Mackenzie's restored Queenston home and dedicated to perpetuating his memory would publish the book.

Written and illustrated more than 20 years ago by high school art teacher Ron Kasman, the book chronicles Mackenzie's life, with specific focus on the rebellion.

"I saw him as being a heroic figure, against great odds, and a great undemocratic force," said Kasman, who created the 32-page publication.

In 1977, Kasman was a young vocational high school teacher, fresh out of art school, when he realized there were few materials designed to help students with learning disabilities.

He decided to write the book using the comic format because he felt it would hold students' attention.

"I'm a lifelong comic book reader. When I was growing up comic books were a broad media. Kids read them the way kids today watch TV or play video games," he says.

The book, however, went unpublished, remaining in Kasman's portfolio for the next 20 years.

Al Teather, printery chairman, discovered Kasman's work by accident recently while sorting through some old newspaper clippings.

An admitted pack rat, Teather said one clipping dated 1980 included a story about an exhibit of the original drawings for Kasman's book at the Market Gallery of the City of Toronto Archives.

For Kasman, who teaches at Queen Elizabeth Park High School in Oakville and has a successful career as an illustrator, the William Lyon Mackenzie work provides an "entry way for kids to learn about Canadian history."

Cahill agrees the book will appeal to kids. "For younger people and English as a second language students, it presents a version of Mackenzie and his life that they might not have otherwise."

He said the book can "open the door to Canadian history."

"Everyone is saying today we don't teach kids enough Canadian history. This is one way of doing it."

About 5,000 copies of the book have been published and will be available, for $2 each, at the Mackenzie Heritage Printery Museum.

In addition, Cahill said a number of copies will be sent to Toronto's Mackenzie House, the restored family home of Mackenzie who served as the city's first mayor.

Kasman said he'll donate "a stack" to the history department at his current school, as well as to the school that inspired the book.