“I don’t think I’d have the basics needed to do a syndicated comic strip had it not been for Doug Wright.”
—Lynn Johnston (For Better or For Worse)

Doug Wright is one of the most beloved cartoonists Canada has ever produced—one of only a handful of truly seminal twentieth century strip artists, alongside Charles M. Schulz and George Herriman. His weekly Doug Wright's Family (a.k.a. Nipper) appeared in Canadian newspapers from 1949 to 1980, expertly capturing the highs and lows of parenthood with an unsentimental lens that still resonates today.

The Collected Doug Wright: Canada’s Master Cartoonist Vol. 2 picks up where 2009’s first volume left off, covering Wright's career from 1963 through to his retirement, in 1980.

The cartoonist Seth hand-picked the more than 300 strips included in this collection—most of which have never been reprinted—while also lending his world-renowned design skills to the book’s cover and interior.

Nipper and his little brother have aged slightly since their adventures in Vol. 1, allowing them to come up with new, more elaborate ways to frustrate their loving parents.  

Like the previous volume, The Collected Doug Wright Vol. 2 contains dozens of examples of Wright's non-Nipper work. It also features the conclusion of Brad Mackay’s definitive biographic essay of the artist.

This oversized hardcover volume contains 240 pages, and is produced with the co-operation of the Doug Wright estate, by the same team who brought you Vol. 1: Seth, Brad Mackay, and Chris Oliveros.

Help support the completion of this tribute to the creator of one of Canada’s funniest, most heart-warming comic strips.

• 240 pages; hardcover book; 9 inches by 12 inches; offset printing; full colour throughout.
• More than 300 cleaned and restored Doug Wright’s Family/Nipper strips, most of which have not been seen since their original publication.
• Dozens of rare examples of Doug Wright ephemera and non-Nipper work.
• Part 2 of Brad Mackay’s biographical essay on Doug Wright.
• Designed and edited by Seth (Clyde Fans, Palookaville).
• Toronto pickup available to avoid shipping costs.
• Publication date: spring 2024.   

Pledge Tiers

$15: A digital PDF edition of The Collected Doug Wright Vol. 2.
$39: Print edition of The Collected Doug Wright Vol. 2 + digital edition.
$49: Print edition of The Collected Doug Wright Vol. 2 + digital edition + four 4 inch by 6 inch postcards with new, exclusive Nipper scenes by Chester Brown, Michael DeForge, Joe Ollmann, Fiona Smyth.
$59: A Seth-signed copy of The Collected Doug Wright Vol. 2, plus everything else in the previous tier.
Bonus: Each backer pledging $39 or more will be entered in a draw to win a copy of the rare and out-of-print Collected Doug Wright Vol. 1.

“The strips themselves remain masterful, capturing the flavor of their place and time, along with the wild mood swings of children who live intense lives of dark imagination and violent grudges—and then become wonderfully sweet and kind in an instant.” —The AV Club

“Doug Wright is one of my favorite cartoonists of all time. His work is masterful, and he should be considered one of the greats alongside strip artists such as Schulz, Herriman, and Watterson. Everything from his line work and sense of humor to the way he conveys movement and his detailed backgrounds is perfect.” —Leslie Stein (Eye of the Majestic Creature)

“Doug Wright’s comics are a true pleasure for any reader, and an effective class on cartooning for my fellow artists. His books are essential!” —Noah Van Sciver (Blammo, Fante Bukowski)

“There is a realism about Wright’s strips that is far superior to many of the efforts created in his day.” —Terry Mosher (Aislin)

“Doug Wright’s [comics] are a sure pleasure for lovers of elegant cartooning, and remain worth preserving in a readily available format.” —Publishers Weekly

About Doug Wright

Douglas Austin Wright was the critically acclaimed author of Doug Wright’s Family , arguably the most widely recognized Canadian comic strip of the mid–twentieth century. Hailed for his unparalleled draftsmanship and his touching, compact narratives, Wright, alongside Charles M. Schulz (Peanuts) and George Herriman (Krazy Kat), is one of only a handful of truly seminal twentieth-century cartoonists. 

About Seth

Seth is one of Canada's most decorated cartoonists. His books include It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken and Clyde Fans, as well as the ongoing series Palookaville. His comics have been published in The New York Times Magazine, Best American Comics, and McSweeney's, and his illustrations have appeared in numerous publications, including The New Yorker, The Walrus, and Canadian Notes & Queries. He is the designer of several classic comic reprint series, notably collections of work by Charles Schulz, John Stanley, and Doug Wright. In 2022, Seth was named a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters by France's Minister of Culture.

About Brad Mackay

Brad Mackay is an award-winning writer and journalist, the co-founder of The Doug Wright Awards, and the author and co-editor of The Collected Doug Wright: Canada's Master Cartoonist Volume 1. A former reporter at the National Post and the CBC, he has written numerous feature articles and reviews over the past two decades, including a profile of Hungarian Canadian cartoonist George Feyer for Canada’s History magazine, which was nominated for a National Magazine Award. 

About The Doug Wright Awards

The Doug Wright Awards is a non-profit organization founded in 2005 to celebrate excellence in the field of Canadian comics. Each year, it presents awards in the categories of best book, best small-press book, best kids’ book, and best emerging artist. It also annually inducts legendary Canadian cartoonists into The Giants of the North: The Canadian Cartooning Hall of Fame.