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For 28 issues back in the '80s, John Byrne both wrote and drew Alpha Flight, before jumping over to do the same for The Hulk for what turned out to be only half-a-dozen mags. So though I've shown these covers before along with their splash pages (in 2021), I thought it would be fun to remind you Crivs of what they looked like in a cover gallery omnibus. Aren't I a great guy?! (Huh! You could hear a pin drop in here.) Feel free to comment. (Are you out there, McScotty? Neal Adams!)
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26 comments:
By chance, I just did a couple of ALPHA FLIGHT articles, though they were specifically about the mutant twins Northstar and Aurora, and how they were handled by both Byrne and his successor Bill Mantlo.
I'm just off to my scratcher this very moment, GP, but I'll read them when I awaken after a good kip.
The first issue of Uncanny X-Men I ever bought was #120 (April 1979) which featured Alpha Flight but their own comic didn't come out until late 1983 by which time I'd stopped buying Marvel comics (until 2007 anyway).
Just got up for a wee, CJ, and decided to check for comments, but it's straight back to bed for me after I've replied. Remember that although dated August, comics usually come out a few months before the cover date, so it was early-to-mid 1983 AF #1 went on sale. (I bought mine in May.)
Kid, I always bought my US Marvel comics from WH Smith's and they always went on sale in the actual month shown on the cover (usually early in the month) so AF #1 wasn't available until August 1983 where I lived. By that stage I think I was still only buying Fantastic Four anyway - I've looked at the comics for 1983 on Mike's Amazing World Of Comics database and the FF covers are the only ones I recognise.
I notice the corner-boxes look different on every issue of Alpha Flight which is a bit gimmicky.
I must've been getting advance copies from somewhere then, CJ, but I don't recall having a standing order at any comic shops at the time. Maybe some shops just got them in early. John Byrne will be hurt. He goes to all the bother of making each corner box different and you dismiss his efforts as 'gimmicky'. He was only doing it all for you as well.
James Earl Jones, the voice of Darth Vader, has died aged 93.
That's a shame, CJ. To think that Dave Prowse believed he could've done Darth Vader's voice as well as wear the outfit shows he wasn't quite in-sync with reality, eh?
Very true, Kid - Darth Vader with a West-Country accent indeed!
And although he trained Christopher Reeve for Superman The Movie, he believed he could've done that role also. Right, off to my scratcher, will reply to any more comments after a good kip.
Did you buy all these issues when they originally came out, Kid, and if so, did you continue buying Alpha Flight after John Byrne left?
Also, do you prefer the original masthead or the replacement? I like both of them but I think the replacement just edges ahead.
What you see is the original issues I bought at the time, CJ. I did continue with the series after Byrne left, but I can't recall for how long. I think I later dispensed with some of Bill Mantlo's issues, but kept at least the first three. I'd have to find them again to see for sure.
Oh, masthead? Not really fussed to be honest, but leaning towards the original. (Today, that is. Tomorrow might be different.)
I think it might've been Carrie Fisher, remarking on how Prowse's voice sounded when he spoke the Vader lines, who dubbed him "Darth Farmer."
It wouldn't surprise me, GP - she was quite a wit.
Today (Sep 13th) is exactly 50 years since the first episode of the POTA TV series was broadcast on American TV. The series arrived in the UK a month later and as you know ,Kid, it was hugely important to me because that's how I discovered the POTA weekly and Marvel comics.
Today is also the 25th anniversary of September 13th 1999 - the date on which the moon is blasted out of Earth's orbit in the first episode of Space: 1999.
I've never yet seen an episode of the POTA TV series, CJ - don't think it was shown in Scotland back then, as far as I know. And I never watched Space: 1999, though I caught bits of it while channel-hopping from time-to-time.
Kid, the POTA TV series was cancelled after only 14 episodes but they were all available to watch on YouTube a few years ago as was the entire first season of Space:1999 so I duly watched all the episodes of both series but when I last checked only 4 or 5 POTA episodes still remain on YouTube and all the episodes of Space:1999 season one had vanished. The second season of Space:1999 was never shown in my ITV region so I have no nostalgic memories of it but I know it was very inferior to season 1 anyway as I discovered when I finally watched season 2 on BBC2 in the late 1990s.
I somehow doubt I'll make it a priority to watch either POTA or 1999 anytime soon, CJ. How come your latest comment is anonymous?
Although I remember Alpha Flight from the Uncanny X-Men, I didn't remember any of these covers. Then I read Colin's comment about it not appearing until 1983 by which time I'd stopped collecting US Marvel. The folly of youth. #22 looked vaguely familiar but I could be thinking of Judge Dredd Fatties story.
There was a POTA cartoon series (it's on YouTube) and that reminded me of the Star Trek cartoon series, which in turn reminded me of the absence of Chekov and replacing him with an alien character. Just looked on Wiki and this apparently was because the budget could not afford the whole cast! How sad! He also missed out on the original run of Mego figures.
That's odd about Chekov. They could have alternated him with Sulu and given both actors a turn. I just bought the animated series a few months ago, but have only watched the first episode so far. I only bought it because I recall seeing it on TV in the early '70s - Saturday mornings, I think.
Kid, my comment was anonymous by accident due to this new-style comments page which sometimes marks comments as anonymous unless you sign in with your Google account which I forgot to do on this occasion so I must be more careful in future. You mentioned that John Byrne left Alpha Flight to write and draw the Hulk but only lasted half a dozen issues so was there a reason for that?
Yes, there was a reason, though I'm not sure I remember all the details. It had something to do with him revamping Superman for DC and Jim Shooter not allowing him to work for both companies, so he quit The Hulk. I think Byrne would've been happy to do Supes and The Hulk for both DC and Marvel (respectively), but 'twas not to be. And who knows - maybe he thought it would be good to match the number of issues on the first run of Hulkie - as though it'd make his issues as significant as Lee, Kirby, & Ditko's six?
Of course, Kirby drew five, Ditko only one. Lee scripted all six.
I'm afraid that Alpha Flight passed me by in that period from 1986-2006 when I was really out of comic collecting. Is it worth collecting? I really don't think I've encountered any of John Byrne's work, but he seems well regarded.
I never really regarded Alpha Flight as 'A'-listers, B, though the Byrne issues are okay for some casual reading. If you want to experience him at his best, I'd say go for collected editions of his Fantastic Four series.
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