OWL is a Canadian children's magazine that has been running since 1976. It originally focused on science and nature, but has since come to include other topics as well. It publishes 10 issues a year: one for January and February, one digest size issue for July and August ("summer"), and one for each of the other eight months.
The magazine has run various comics, including:
- Mighty Mites (1976-2002)
- Max Finder Mystery
- The Outrageous World of Alex and Charlie (later renamed The Spruce Street Squad)
- What a Hoot!
- Jimmy & Lupe Tornado
- X-tra Curricular (Jan/Feb 2017-Mar 2018)
- Arrowhead (Sep 2018-?)
- Dinosaurs from Outer Space
Another regular feature was the character Dr. Zed, who instructed readers through DIY experiments and explained the science behind them.
A science/nature show based on the magazine, OWL/TV, aired from 1985-1994 on CBC and CTV in Canada, and PBS and Showtime in the United States. The show featured live-action versions of the Mighty Mites and Dr. Zed.
OWL has been popular enough to receive two Spin-Off magazines aimed at younger children. Chickadee, run since 1979, targets elementary school-aged children and runs comics such as Daisy Dreamer and The Adventures of Chick and Dee, and is also the current home of the Dr. Zed experiments. Chirp, run since 1997, targets preschoolers and features comics such as Chirp and Friends, which stars the magazine's namesake, a large yellow bird wearing red boots, and The Vole Brothers. Chirp received an Animated Adaptation for CBC in 2015, and also aired on Qubo in the United States.
Tropes:
- Fun with Acronyms: "OWL" originally stood for Outdoors and Wild Life.
- The Owl-Knowing One: The magazine is meant to get kids interested in learning. The name and mascot are owls, obviously playing to the owl's association with knowledge.
- Younger and Hipper: The owl mascot got a redesign at one point to appear younger and more modern, complete with a skateboard.
