Northern (Genre)

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The Northern is an American and Canadian genre in literature and film. It is similar to the Western genre but the action occurs in the Canadian North and typically features Mounties instead of, for example, Cowboys or Sheriffs. The genre had some popularity in the inter-war years of the twentieth century (1920s, 1930s & 1940s).

Contents 1 Common Themes 2 Common Features 3 Examples of Northerns 3.1 Pulp Magazines 3.2 Comics 3.3 Radio 3.4 Serials 3.5 Television 3.6 Movies 4 See Also 5 External Links

[edit] Common Themes

Northerns are frequently based around the concept that "The Mounties Always Get Their Man". Frequently this is a prolonged chase where the Mounty ends up catching the criminal through courage and tenacity. The landscape and countryside itself can often be the main obstacle facing the hero.

[edit] Common Features

• Mounties
• Trappers
• Lumberjacks
• Prospectors (from the Klondike Gold Rush)
• First Nations/Indians

(Note: "Half-Breeds" and French-Canadians are often either outright villains or simply undesirables.)

• Dog Sleds
• Snow
• Avalanches
• Huskies
• Moose
• Caribou
• Wolves

[edit] Examples of Northerns

[edit] Pulp Magazines

• North West Stories (Originally published in 1925)
• North West Romances

[edit] Comics

• King of the Royal Mounted
• Dick Daring
• Jim Canada

[edit] Radio

• Challenge of the Yukon (1939-1955) featuring Sergeant Preston

[edit] Serials

• King of the Royal Mounted
• Canadian Mounties vs Atomic Invaders

[edit] Television

• Sergeant Preston of the Yukon

[edit] Movies

• The Riders of the Plains (1910)
• Flower of the North (1921)
• The Flame of the Yukon (1926)
• The Lodge in the Wilderness (1926)

[edit] See Also

• "The Scarlet Riders: Action-Packed Mountie Stories from the Fabulous Pulps" edited by Don Hutchison. A collection of Northern stories from the Pulp magazines. (ISBN 0889626472)

[edit] External Links

"Looking for Dudley Do-Right" at Pulp and Dagger Fiction
Northern Romances Editorial at Pulp and Dagger Fiction
"Romancing the Redcoat: A Canadian Hero Lost in Hollywood" at Canuxploitation
The RCMP in Popular Culture