Every year, usually around July 4, the Shrine of North America holds a convention. All of the jurisdictions from Canada, Mexico and the United States are invited to send delegates for policy discussions. As an Officer of Khartum Shrine in Winnipeg, I made the trip in 1986. We stayed at the beautiful Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles and the convention was held in their 2000 seat auditorium. Being Hollywood, the local Shrine jurisdiction brought out as many actors who were Shriners as they could. I still get shivers when I think back that I actually saw my childhood idols Roy Rogers and Gene Autry in person on stage!

Gene Autry owned the local baseball team in L.A. and at the time they were not doing very well, so he got a lot of good natured ribbing from Roy Rogers (to the delight of the audience). There were many other celebrities on stage as well: Burl Ives, Don Dufour, Danny Thomas, Ernest Borgnine, Red Skelton, and Mel Blanc. We were allowed to go on stage after the speeches and meet the celebrities. What a thrill! Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny and so many other funny characters. When I came to Mel Blanc he looked at my pocket greeter and saw I was from Winnipeg. He said, “Canada Eh? Like Charlie Thorson”. In the crush and excitement of the moment, I thought no more about this conversation until 1998 when I received a special invitation.

As all the Icelandic community knows, Charlie Thorson was born in Winnipeg. Everyone also knows that he helped design and create Snow White after his girlfriend, a waitress at the Weevil Café on Sargent Avenue. Shame on Walt Disney for not giving him his rightful due. Charlie also lived for a while in Gimli when his father was the town Mayor. My father was a teenager in the 1920s and often told us stories about Charlie hanging out at Mundi Johnson’s Barber Shop. Mundi’s was the Tim Hortons of its day, with the added attraction of a pool table in the back. Charlie would spend his time drawing pictures of the weather-beaten fishermen, the farmers, the dreamers and the dandies, to the delight of the patrons.

Charlie was a free spirit and wanderer all his life. He did many jobs all over Western Canada and had many experiences. To him, Canada was a place where one could do anything and go anywhere. After his marriage, he settled down and worked at Brigdens in Winnipeg. They were the illustrators of the twice yearly Eatons catalogue. In the early thirties his wanderlust took hold of him again. With no job prospects he took a bus to L.A. There he impressed Walt Disney with his portfolio of drawings and was hired on the spot. The rest of his story is told by Gene Walz in his excellent book, “Cartoon Charlie” - a must read.

In October 1998, we were invited to his author reading and special screening of the classic animator. Walz is a master story teller. I felt fortunate to be in attendance. He has researched his subject in minute detail and made Charlie come to life for us all. He says and I quote in part... “this brilliant Icelandic Canadian was the character designer for many beloved icons of animation including Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, Punkinhead and many others.” Sometimes wisps of conversation are embedded in the corners of your mind to come out to be shared later. Welcome to the passing parade.

Ken Kristjanson
June 2015