Jump to: About B&B | Latest Strip | B&B Strip Archive

About Perry:
Boozhoo (Hello)! My name is Perry McLeod-Shabogesic of the N'biising Nation (Anishinabek Crane Clan) and I am creator of an Aboriginal comic strip called "Baloney & Bannock". I was born and raised on Nipissing First Nation in Ontario, Canada. My toons are not widely known and are printed in a small Aboriginal newspaper called the Anishinabek News and a local non-Native newspaper, The North Bay Nugget, on occasion. It's been over 15 years now that I've been drawing Baloney & Bannock and I thought it was about time I shared this wonderful and humorous journey I've been on with these two characters.

View some of my strips! (new strips added regularly)

Perry, posing as "Baloney", his modern Native character.

Indian Humour:
Expressing Indian humour through my cartoons has always been something of a mixed bag of emotions for me. As an observer of our Indian world, I have always known that humour has been an important part of our survival and a way of sometimes expressing our anger towards those who continually annoy us. It seems the angrier we get the funnier we become!

Our humour is not only used in anger but in every emotion we have. If we are depressed a good joke will bring us around. If we are sad, a funny situation will make us laugh. If we are too full of ourselves some one will bring us back down to reality. We didn't invent humour, but we seem to use it more than other nations. I am told by some non-Native friends that our humour tends to be on the dark side...You know, "Black Humour". I like to call it "Red Humour" myself. No matter what you call it, our sense of humour is honest and direct. Through our laughter we celebrate sexuality, human nature, life and yes - even death.

Indian humour is truly cultural and is also reflective in the nicknames we give each other. In my community we have names like Cigar, Hop Sing, Hot Dog, Zeke, Kizzy, Twiggy, Skid Mark, Bunker, Scone and so on... I'm sure you have a few of your own.

Baloney and Bannock:
My two cartoon characters are based on just about every interesting personality in my community, as well as many other people I have met on other First Nation communities. Baloney and Bannock represent all the funny, quirky characters I know or have heard about. Some of you may be wondering which one is which. Well, when I first created them I really didn't know myself. Baloney is the one with stringy long hair and a grungy old cap. He's the more current looking one - named after contemporary cuisine.

Bannock is of course the one with the braids and "Billy Jack" hat with the tattered eagle feather. He tends to be the more cultural-looking one who is named after a traditional food. I haven't decided if they're related or should I say - how related they are. As you all know, most everyone on a reserve is related in some way no matter how distantly. Each one depicts many of the personalities that make up our own colourful communities. I like to think that they view the world through our eyes. Sometimes angry, sad, naive, silly, or sarcastic but always looking for something or someone to laugh at (usually ourselves or some well deserving bureaucrat).

Sitting Duck First Nation:
Baloney and Bannock live on a community called "Sitting Duck First Nation". I came up with the name when I was doing a strip on the two as they were entangled in a land negotiation meeting. As you can see by the name of their community, they did not fare very well in this episode. They also hang out at a local establishment called the "Road Kill Cafe", where their motto is "You hit it...We cook it!" They also have a local tanning salon named "Blisters", a local Airline called "Breakin Wind", and a soon-to-open shopping centre called "The Grizzly Bear Mall (maul)", just to name a few. As you can see, this community is very progressive!

Choices of Subject Matter:
When picking a topic for my strips, I always try to stay away from or be extra sensitive to the serious issues like welfare, spiritual diversities, family violence, alcoholism, unemployment, death and of course Bingo (the forbidden subject). I do feel that most issues (not all) do have a lighter side to them. You just have to look for them...very carefully. Most people I meet who have seen the strip (all two of them!) usually have a favourite one that they always try to share with me. I must say that usually makes my day. Sometimes I'm even introduced to other people as "This is ... you know...what's his name - the guy who does those Baloney & Bannock cartoons". It does put a smile on my face.

Cartoonist Mentors:
I do have mentors that I can say have helped me along this journey. Lynn Johnston (For Better or For Worse) is a friend of mine and has given me much valuable direction. Why just the other day I went to her home and she said "Perry, do you see that door? Well take it and get out of here!" Seriously, Lynn is a very gracious and generous person who has shared with me a great deal on this curious industry. She also hooked me up with her best friend, the "Great Pumpkin" himself, Charles Shultz (Peanuts) before he passed away. I sent him some samples and he wrote me back and was delighted with my strips. He also encouraged me to continue. He offered to assist me in developing my characters further. This was an enormous boost to my creativity, not to mention my ego! Which, of course, my lovely partner Laurie soon deflated.

Other Contributors:
As I mentioned earlier it's been over 15 years since I've been drawing these strips and I sincerely hope you enjoy reading them as much as I have enjoyed creating them. I first drew them to somewhat fill up space and bring some flaky humour to the Anishinabek News and today I look back and see... things haven't changed much, have they?

"Baloney & Bannock" is and will always be a small reflection of our strength and survival as a people. My strip walks and sometimes crosses over (ever so slightly) that invisible line of tasteful humour (as we all do in life). I make no apologies and expect none from you. Many of the jokes and situations depicted in my strip are generously given to me by my First Nation brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers (Thanks Mom!) I would like to thank all those who shared and continue to share with me their funny stories and jokes. A special mii-gwetch to my life partner Laurie who allows me to print the wife jokes and always lets me know when I'm not funny.

Please help me continue the life and times of Baloney & Bannock by keeping those cards and jokes coming in!

Read the B&B strips!

It's been a slice!

In Life & Laughter,
Perry McLeod-Shabogesic
redroad@onlink.net