Can you use canned corn, or frozen? If so, would you suggest cream of corn or just kernels?

If you use frozen corn, I wouldn't even bother cooking it. Just thaw it under running water. Frozen veggies are blanched before they're frozen, so they've been "cooked" a bit already. I use frozen peas, corn and green beans "uncooked" all the time in things like salads and relishes. For use in stews/soups/braises, I don't even thaw them. Just toss them in frozen about 5 minutes before service, and they'll be fine.

I wouldn't use creamed corn because you are adding milk to achieve the creaminess. I think frozen corn will be a fine substitute when fresh isn't in season. Just make sure you taste the mixture to adjust for salt. You also may want to reduce the cooking time by a tad--keep an eye on it.