Crackity Jones' Discovery Of Alpha Flight

[Le Messor]

Thanks, I will.
But before I get through those issues and read the interview, can you tell me this?: Was his art just bad for AF? Was he rushed to draw these AF issues?

Just bad for AF? I can't say. I don't know any other work of his.

Why was it so bad? He was very new at the game at the time. Inexperienced. He has improved since then (he showed some recent AF sketches in the interview).

He did #85, Mark Bagley did #86 (not well), then Mike Bair did #87. He did most, or all of Nicieza's run (which ended with #99).
(I'm not guaranteeing that #85 is Calimee's final issue ever, but if he did any after that, there weren't many.)

Bair will be a bit of a relief after Calimee, but then it gets tiresome in its own way.

~ Le Messor
"Compromise is the cornerstone of democracy."
~ W.G.P.

[Crackity Jones]

Why was it so bad? He was very new at the game at the time. Inexperienced. He has improved since then (he showed some recent AF sketches in the interview).

Ah! That explains it. But, ouch, it was bad. I don't blame him for the coloring (which was just as bad in most places, imo),but, eeeek! it's rough stuff.

[Flightpath07]

Here is a link that lists which comics he has penciled.

http://marvel.wikia.com/Category:John_Calimee/Penciler

Also, if you Google "John Calimee", interesdting that the first thing that pops up is his interview on alphaflight.net !

[Le Messor]

Here is a link that lists which comics he has penciled.
http://marvel.wikia.com/Category:John_Calimee/Penciler
Also, if you Google "John Calimee", interesdting that the first thing that pops up is his interview on alphaflight.net !

Awesome! (That last part.)

Interesting that the only other Marvel things he's pencilled are Strikeforce: Morituri (Alpha was once called 'the least survivable book since Strikeforce: Morituri.') and a New Warriors annual, which I have (but don't remember him pencilling).

~ Le Messor
"Mystery is the essential element in any work of art."
~ Luis Bunuel

[rplass]

A more complete Calimee credits:

Pencil
Acts of Vengeance Crossovers Omnibus (HC) 1
Alpha Flight (I) 68 - 71, 73 - 76, 78 - 82, 84 - 85, 100
Alpha Flight Special 4
The Amazing Spider-Man Super Special 1
The New Warriors Annual 1
New Warriors Classic TPB 2
The New Warriors Omnibus (HC) 1
Spider-Man TPB: The Complete Clone Saga Epic 3, 5
Strikeforce: Morituri 22, 24 - 25
Strikeforce: Morituri TPB 2
Venom: Sinner takes all 1 - 4


Cover
Alpha Flight (I) 70 - 74, 76 - 80
Strikeforce: Morituri 22


Feature
All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z 10.FT
All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z: Update 3.FT
Alpha Flight (I) 69.FT - 70.FT, 72.FT, 74.FT - 78.FT
Essential Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89 1.FT
Mystic Arcana: The Book of Marvel Magic 1.FT
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89 7.FT

[Le Messor]

That's a lot more than I thought!
Did he ever do anything for notMarvel?

OTOH:

Acts of Vengeance Crossovers Omnibus (HC) 1
Alpha Flight Special 4
The Amazing Spider-Man Super Special 1
New Warriors Classic TPB 2
The New Warriors Omnibus (HC) 1
Strikeforce: Morituri TPB 2

Feature
All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z 10.FT
All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z: Update 3.FT
Essential Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89 1.FT
The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89 7.FT

Would all of those, and possibly "Mystic Arcana: The Book of Marvel Magic 1.FT" be reprints? The AF special #4 is that mini-series that reprinted #97-100 for newsagencies at the time the originals were coming to comic shops only, right?

(Also, Crackity, in #100 he'd only have some art - it's one of those issues that had art by artists 'past, present, and future'.)

Alpha Flight 78.FT

A 78-foot issue of Alpha Flight? Why didn't I know about this? Where does anybody store it? Wow!!! Who reads it, Daryl Hannah?

~ Le Messor
"Robert DeNiro's mole has gotta be 3 feet wide!"
~ Weird Al, Frank's 2000" TV

[Phil]

Yeah, a lot of that stuff are reprints, or in the case of the FT (features) just reprinted panels.

Of the stuff Rob posted, his original work is:

Alpha Flight (I) 68 - 71, 73 - 76, 78 - 82, 84 - 85, 100
The Amazing Spider-Man Super Special 1
The New Warriors Annual 1
Strikeforce: Morituri 22, 24 - 25
Venom: Sinner takes all 1 - 4

Alpha Flight (I) 70 - 74, 76 - 80 - Covers
Strikeforce: Morituri 22 - Cover

The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Update '89 7 - Silver illustration

His non Marvel work is at http://comicbookdb.com/creator.php?ID=1177 or http://www.comicvine.com/john-calimee/4040-28774/

AF was his biggest run though.

[Crackity Jones]

You all like Calimee's art on AF (except maybe minus Le Messor?)?

I'm finding it hard to move to #71 because I am dreading looking at it.
Not to be a jerk, but ouch.

[Phil]

Nope.

It's some of the worst stuff in the run.

[Flightpath07]

You all like Calimee's art on AF (except maybe minus Le Messor?)?

I'm finding it hard to move to #71 because I am dreading looking at it.
Not to be a jerk, but ouch.

Oh, NO!!! It's BAD!

But I don't blame John anymore, he did the best he could at the time; but that wasn't very good. He NEVER should have got the job (or ANY job as an artist, at that time).

[Tawmis]

You all like Calimee's art on AF (except maybe minus Le Messor?)?

I don't think most like it, actually. You may have that flipped.

[Crackity Jones]

Nah, I just figured with all the links everyone was posting to his other stuff that maybe I was the strange one here in not liking it.
hahahaha.
You all were just being polite.

[Crackity Jones]

Read issues #71-#74 yesterday, and I really kind of like the story.
And while I think Heather probably never returns to what she was in Byrne's run, I, so far, much prefer Hudnall's Heather. I think he makes better use of her. And so far, I think it's because he doesn't make the stories revolve around her, or force her into the spotlight.
I love that Purple Girl hasn't been in the last two books I've read, but I miss Goblyn and Laura.

But I admit to kind of liking this sorcerer storyline. It got kind of dark and murder-y, which isn't something I typically like in comics, but Alpha Flight needed interesting. To me, Mantlo's run was rarely fun.

Do Purple Girl and Goblyn come back during Hudnall's run, or did Hudnall just officially get rid of all Mantlo's creations (god, that's funny)?

[Phil]

They'll all be back.

[Crackity Jones]

They'll all be back.

Do they come back during Hudnall's run?