Seems no one heard this!

[Mokole]

As it Happens did a story on Omega Flight!

Yes, CBC radio show As It Happens, Friday the 16th, interviewed Andy Schmidt at LA Con.

Highlites: They asked about Alpha Flight, talked about the team centered in Ottawa, that Mike Oeming has done tons of research and asks his Canuck friends to correct any of his Canadian errors.
Sasquatch is as strong as the Hulk
They asked about who was on the team, talked about Beta Ray Bill, but then "But what about CANADIAN heroes?"

Talisman got mentioned first, mystic, powerful, blah blah, then Sasquatch, then...

Wait for it....





















Michael Pointer can explode and reassemble himself, and is...




Canadian! :shock:



Friday, March 16, '06

Faster than a speeding curling rock -- more polite than an elderly diplomat! Marvel Comics prepares to unleash its most reasonable superheroes yet: the all-Canadian Omega Flight team.


CDN. SUPER HERO COMIC Duration: 00:06:09


It may be a little hard to believe, but Parliament Hill, is where the forces of good do prevail. And no, that gruff, hairy super hero isn't John Baird with a really bad five o'clock shadow. It's Sasquatch, whose strength rivals that of the Hulk.

Sasquatch is part of Omega Flight -- an elite group of Canadian superheroes headquartered up in the nation's capital. Their creators -- Marvel Comics -- will unleash our furry protagonist and his power-wielding associates next month.

Andy Schmidt is the editor of Omega Flight. And we reached him where we reach most guys like him ... at a comic book fair in Los Angeles, California.

cbc.ca/asithappens/dailyshow/2007-03-16-aih3.ram

Should get you the interview! Go to near the end, about 18 minutes in!!

[-K-M-]

Sadly the audio file isn't there anymore.

[Mokole]

Yes, I just listened to it in Real Audio.

As It Happens Radio site:
http://www.cbc.ca/aih/

Click on the "Latest Show", on the left strip. March 16 will be there until Monday, after that go to Past Shows (OK, after Monday's show).

Clip 3 is the one with the interview, it starts close to 18 minutes in, after a woman's story about brain cancer and marijuana.

Edit: I emailed 5 friends, now it's popping up in message boards! I started a trend or something.

[Mokole]

Oh, and Happy Birthday Ben!

Enjoy it, an interview on As It Happens! Maybe they'll get to you yet! =D>

[Transmetropolitan]

So Mailman Mike... has Nitro's power.

Lovely.

[Canucklehead]

I'm at work so I can't listen to the interview. Does it actually say Mike Pointer is Canadian? Or just that it's a group of Canadian heroes? You'd think Mike Oeming would have mentioned something in the defense of the whole "American in a Canadian suit" and the "I only see one Canadian in that image" etc.

It's gotta be either a typo or he just gets a Canadian citizenship later.

So he can explode? What about that suit they gave him? Unstable Molecules my a$$! 8)

[Adam]

I'm at work so I can't listen to the interview. Does it actually say Mike Pointer is Canadian?

He starts listing the Canadian heroes and says "Michael Pointer, who's from Canada."

[Ottawa Renegade]

I'm at work so I can't listen to the interview. Does it actually say Mike Pointer is Canadian? Or just that it's a group of Canadian heroes? You'd think Mike Oeming would have mentioned something in the defense of the whole "American in a Canadian suit" and the "I only see one Canadian in that image" etc.

It's gotta be either a typo or he just gets a Canadian citizenship later.

So he can explode? What about that suit they gave him? Unstable Molecules my a$$! 8)

For that reason (the first part of your post), I think this is an error on mr Schmidt's part.

Or Mr Oeming's let it go for the sake of getting a legitimate reaction.

Or reaction has been so poor to the decision that they decided to say "Screw it, if it means that much to them, we'll just say that he's Canadian living in alaska".

Or he thinks Alaska/Canada...close enough. :?

As far as his powers go, we sort of see him fly on the cover to #1, so I wouldn't think he just...huh...blows up, but more of "energy manipulation" thing. Kind of like Wildfire in the old Legion comics. The suit probably works more as a regulator than actually providing the power. We'll see.

[Captain Primate]

I'm at work so I can't listen to the interview. Does it actually say Mike Pointer is Canadian?

He starts listing the Canadian heroes and says "Michael Pointer, who's from Canada."

This just smells like a typo or a slip of the tongue - not actual fact.

[Mario]

Could be that he's Canadian by birth, and simply moved to Alaska at some point. Though that smacks of spin.

[Tiberius Bane]

Could be that he's Canadian by birth, and simply moved to Alaska at some point. Though that smacks of spin.

I was actually thinking a way to fix the whole backlash issue is to just make Mailman Mike a Canadian who moved to Alaska. Canadians move and work in the States all the time.

It may smak of spin, but I'll take it.

MikeM

[Ottawa Renegade]

Could be that he's Canadian by birth, and simply moved to Alaska at some point. Though that smacks of spin.

I was actually thinking a way to fix the whole backlash issue is to just make Mailman Mike a Canadian who moved to Alaska. Canadians move and work in the States all the time.

It may smak of spin, but I'll take it.

MikeM

You know, I would too. I know it must appear silly to the creators and Marvel brass that saying a character is Canadian would make things all better. But it would at least display a willingness on their part to respond to feedback, and I dig that.

Still, I don't see it happening. Even the American thing aside, I don't see how this guy can be expected to be a member of the team. I know he wasn't in control when he killed Flight one, but if I'm putting together a team how do I expect him to be well accepted among them when two of his fellow members had friends/family that were killed by him? It doesn't make much sense to me.

[Adam]

I'm at work so I can't listen to the interview. Does it actually say Mike Pointer is Canadian?

He starts listing the Canadian heroes and says "Michael Pointer, who's from Canada."

This just smells like a typo or a slip of the tongue - not actual fact.

He may have been wrong or lying, but it certainly wasn't an offhand error. Listen to the interview, he's directly asked which heroes are Canadian and he lists these three, stating explicitly that Michael is Canadian.

I'm leaning towards something like "he was born in Canada and moved to Alaska to be with his girlfriend" or something like that. It's a bit of a sly little trick on Oeming's part, but it certainly wouldn't be that unusual even in the "real world."

[Ottawa Renegade]

...I don't see how this guy can be expected to be a member of the team. I know he wasn't in control when he killed Flight one, but if I'm putting together a team how do I expect him to be well accepted among them when two of his fellow members had friends/family that were killed by him? It doesn't make much sense to me.

Seems I'm not the only one. From Augie de Blieck Jr's column on CBR.

"wow, does that Omega Flight lead-in stretch the reader's acceptance for a kind and benevolent Dr. Langkowski. Thankfully, the preview art by Scott Kolins looks so amazing that I'm willing to overlook that for now."

[-K-M-]

Yes, I just listened to it in Real Audio.


When I clicked the link last night it said they took the audio file down. It's back and heard it...interesting.

[Mek]

I'm leaning towards something like "he was born in Canada and moved to Alaska to be with his girlfriend" or something like that. It's a bit of a sly little trick on Oeming's part, but it certainly wouldn't be that unusual even in the "real world."

That wouldn't be a stretch. I know someone who originally lived in Canada, but moved to Vermont to be with her then-boyfriend-now-husband. (She also is a legal US Citizen now too, so make of that what you will)

Also, what did the interview say about Beta Ray Bill? The audio ain't working for me for whatever reason. Wah! D=

[Powersurge]

I would buy Mike Pointer as a Canadian that moved to the States for awhile. It would certainly make me feel better about him wearing "the suit".

I don't know, maybe I just have a soft spot for mutants with dual citizenship who don't know they're mutants and end up causing a major catastrophe in Canada as a result, and so end up doing "community service" in order to make up for it. :wink:

[Mokole]

Also, what did the interview say about Beta Ray Bill? The audio ain't working for me for whatever reason. Wah! D=

Andy said that Beta Ray Bill was ugly on the outside but honourable on the inside, orange, horsehead, otherwise usual BRB stuff, powerful. After he mentioned BRB the host asked about Canadian heroes.

[cmdrkoenig67]

I doubt very much that Mikey is a Canadian, guys...He works/worked for the U.S. Postal service in Alaska. I don't think Canadian citizens can do that.

Dana

[Powersurge]

Why not? They have served in the US Army.

[Mek]

Also, what did the interview say about Beta Ray Bill? The audio ain't working for me for whatever reason. Wah! D=

Andy said that Beta Ray Bill was ugly on the outside but honourable on the inside, orange, horsehead, otherwise usual BRB stuff, powerful. After he mentioned BRB the host asked about Canadian heroes.

Ah, figures.

Well, I guess I won't be shedding tears tonight that I'm unable to hear it then!