A local cartoonist was delighted to discover his book about the new U.S. vice-president was included in a swag bag for attendees of a virtual inauguration event organized by the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa.
Kaj Hasselriis’ book, Kamala in Canada, is a comic book describing five years of Harris’ time spent living in Montreal as a teen.
“A bunch of people got the swag bags and as soon as people started tweeting pictures of them, I was like, OMG,” laughed Hasselriis.
Harris spent ages 12 through 17 in Montreal and the comic zeroes in on the time when she “essentially became a kid politician,” Hasselriis said.
“She was living in an apartment building in Montreal, and the sleazy landlord tried to ban soccer playing by the kids. And Kamala, at age 12 or 13, took a stand and said, ‘That’s not cool,’ and organized her very first protest.”
“It’s all a true story.”
Hasselriis, who has also penned a book called Politikids, said he sent Harris a copy of his book when it published last October.
“I sent it to her Senate office in Washington, D.C.,” he said.
“I also sent a copy of her old high school in Westmount. They were very happy to get it. They put it in the school library.”
He hopes to meet Harris someday, he added.
“I am keeping my fingers crossed that when Kamala inevitably visits Canada as vice-president and we throw a big party for her — hopefully a state dinner, whatever — that there will be a loopback and a comic book will wind up in that.
“And then it will wind up in the hands of the first woman vice-president of the United States. That would be super awesome.”