Byrne on Alpha, Beta & Gamma

[Phil]

http://www.byrnerobotics.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=54878&PN=1&totPosts=66

[-K-M-]

Wow. He really was winging it and making it up on the fly

thats pretty impressive

[Caliber]

I'd love to register there and pick his brain, but the requirements are a little onerous.


That said, this is pretty impressive. I suspect Byrne is the kind of writer who likes challenges like that - "hey, create a whole backstory for these generic twins you drew in Beta Flight" and then boom: Flashback.

[brer rabbit]

I would ask him what would he had done with some of the characters Bill Mantlo had introduced (Kara Killgrave AKA Purple Girl, Laura Dean AKA Pathway, and Dr. Whitman Knapp AKA Manikin) if he was still writing the book at the time?

[Phil]

I'm guessing his answer would be that he wouldn't touch them at all.

[brer rabbit]

You really don't know that, maybe yes he would do something with them and then again maybe not.

[Garry/Al-Fan]

What would you do with the Mantle characters?

[brer rabbit]

I'm perfectly fine on how they turn out, I just wished gotten more of them.

[Garry/Al-Fan]

What reason/motivation would you say Laura Dean, Goblyn, and Whitman Knapp have for protecting Canada?

[Tawmis]

A lot of times, writers don't "keep up" on their books that they wrote, once they left. Fabian always talks about that.

[Le Messor]

I think Byrne has said he also didn't keep up with Alpha.

I'd ask what his original plans for Nemesis were.

Is anybody here on his forum? Maybe we could 'port these questions across?

~ Le Messor
"We know what we are, but know not what we may be."
~ Shakespeare

[Phil]

You really don't know that, maybe yes he would do something with them and then again maybe not.
True, but I’ve read enough Byrne interviews, posts and comments over the years to know that if Stan, Jack or he didn’t create them he doesn’t want to know. Plus he’s not complementary about ANYTHING that happened to Alpha after he left.

[Caliber]

They were discussing on the most recent Flight Stuff Pod (which is great BTW) an interview JB did just before Alpha Flight #1 came out where he envisioned them as a Mission Impossible type team. Basically, they'd have a large pool of characters to draw from and for each mission they'd assemble a specialized crew. Not only is this a great idea (especially given how geographically separated most Alphans are), but it would be a perfect way to use some of these B-level guys. Alpha would have to have a sort-of HQ team which helps manage and co-ordinate things. Pathway would be essential in getting Alphans to and from locations, Manikin could be the team doctor and Madison Jeffries could be the tech guy. A great way to pair new or lesser known characters with established Alphans to see who works. Alpha can't just keep going to the well with the 1983 roster over and over.

[Garry/Al-Fan]

Yet, if the more-known/major characters had a hard time finding/keeping an audience, why would lesser-known/minor characters do what the originals haven't?

[Caliber]

Garry - If Alpha Flight got another shot at a series, I think they'd need to mix in some new blood. The small but established Alpha fanbase would want the originals back and they would be the characters a casual fan might be familiar with, so they'd have to be in there, but as you say they've failed to keep a mainstream audience. New or b-level characters also gives the A-listers something new to react with, which might make them more appealing. Mixing in some new characters in an ensemble way means writers can throw a few things at the wall and see what sticks, as well. Send Puck, Northstar and the Manitoba Mangler on a mission and if people don't care about the Mangler, he fades into the background. Send Shaman, Sasquatch and Dr. Flin Flon out and people love the Doc, then we can see more of her.

Alpha Flight tried to do this with their various re-boots, but I don't feel like many of the characters really caught on (I'm not clamoring for more Manbot comics haha). I just think that maybe instead of introducing 5-6 new characters in issue #1 and splitting time thereafter, have one or two new guys rolled out each issue so that we get to flesh them out a bit and see if there's something there. That's the advantage of JB's Mission Impossible idea.

[Phil]

I think we're starting to edge into a new era where Fans, especially younger fans, are looking for new, younger, characters to find attachments to; definitely compared to when Vol's 2 & 3 launched.
It's just a case of hitting on that rare Ms Marvel or Snowguard as opposed to say Flex or Radius.

I'll always want the mostly Byrne characters, but I shouldn't be comics' primary audience anymore.

[Le Messor]

They were discussing on the most recent Flight Stuff Pod (which is great BTW) an interview JB did just before Alpha Flight #1 came out where he envisioned them as a Mission: Impossible type team.

I've read that somewhere. Marvel Age?Alpha Flight #1?


Yet, if the more-known/major characters had a hard time finding/keeping an audience, why would lesser-known/minor characters do what the originals haven't?

Stranger Things has happened.
It's a great show, btw, I highly recommend it to people who love 80s horror.

… but I digress.
The right team with the right writer / artist could be made to work, even if they're obscure. Publicity is the first key.

I'd prefer going back to something more like the original 1984 version myself, but I like the idea Caliber has outlined above. I think it really works.


Alpha Flight tried to do this with their various re-boots, but I don't feel like many of the characters really caught on

For me, v2-Omega Flight really weren't Alpha Flight. v2 wasn't even an enjoyable comic, v3 was but in a stupid way, and I liked Omega. So, those characters never caught on with me.
Your idea, Caliber, of new characters teamed with old ones is a great way to balance off the needs of the originals against the needs of the new, and it echoes one of the original ideas I loved about v1; that it wasn't the whole team every issue.

~ Le Messor
"However rare true love is, true friendship is rarer."
~ La Rouchefoucauld

[Le Messor]

(Wow, Phil and I just posted simultaneously. I don't know why mine doubled, though.)

[Garry/Al-Fan]

That makes sense to me; having some of those "newbies" include a lot of Mantlo-era characters does not. I have always liked the "Mission Impossible" approach, so a mixture of old and new is something I'd really like to see. As Le Messor asked in another thread, it will depend on the creative team (AND the editorial commitment, because it was sorely lacking during the Mantlo era).

[Le Messor]

Oh, yeah… editorial commitment. You're not wrong.

[Phil]

Thirded.

[Garry/Al-Fan]

On Facebook, there is a notification posting of James Hudnall's passing. Sad news.

[Phil]

I mentioned it at http://alphaflight.net/showthread.php?10578-James-Hudnall-Passes-Away about 11 hours ago but it got lost in all the Byrne talk.

Sad news indeed.

[Le Messor]

What happened? :(

[Le Messor]

... Never mind. I found the article you posted, and we have no information.

[Tawmis]

1. In regards to "new" characters teaming up with old characters... A lot of times that'd work, but let's face it. For as few issues (all things considered) that Alpha Flight has been in - just take volume one alone - Alpha Flight members have been put through the wringer and do come with an excessive amount of baggage. All of them do. There's not one single character that I feel like doesn't come with excessive baggage. All characters should go through things to "change and grow" - but I feel like Alpha Flight characters were put into a grinder. That's why I liked the latest one (after their "resurrection") in the Fear storyline or whichever it was. It felt like a very clean slate.

2. As for James, I know he struggled with diabetes. It's why one of his legs was amputated. So I suspect (have no info), that it may be related to (complications of) diabetes. :(