Maydanyk, Jacob

Jacob Maydanyk was the sole proprietor of the Providence Church Goods store, and he was a remarkable artist: writer, poet, cartoonist, iconographer, and socio-political activist. Maydanyk started his artistic career as an illustrator and caricaturist in the local press. Soon after he created his main satirical character Vuyko Shteef Tabachniuk (Uncle Steef Tobacco) who featured in a humorous almanac published by Maydanyk (ca. 1918-1930). The character of Vuyko Shteef was very popular with the contemporary Ukrainian immigrants which prompted Maydanyk to publish a comic book dedicated to adventures of Shteef Tabachniuk (1930). It is argued that Maydanyk’s comic book is the first comic book to be published in Canada. It sold ten thousand copies and was republished in 1974. Maydanyk was well known in the Ukrainian community and beyond for his iconographic work. In 1977 there was an exhibit of Maydanyk’s work at Oseredok Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Center.