Alpha Flight Questionnaire

[beetleblack]

1. How long have you been collecting Alpha Flight?
Well, I had issue #3 bought for me as a child and loved it since then, although I didn't start to seriously collect and get all the back issues until much later.

2. What was your first memory of Alpha Flight? If recent, what was your first reaction?
Sitting at my grandparents house on the Saturday evening that I had the comic bought me, reading it and wondering who these fabulous people where and copying the drawings from it and wishing I could draw like the artist could!

3. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight character?
Aurora (and Northstar... and... and... hell, I like them ALL!)

4. Who is you least favorite Alpha Flight character?
That's a toughy - I'm currently re-reading the original series and haven't gotten to any characters that I can't stand the sight of yet... although I seem to remember that I never saw the point of Windshear...

5. Who is you favorite Alpha Flight villain?
LOVE the Dream Queen!!!!

6. Who is your least favourite Alpha Flight villain?
Can't think of any right now, maybe Bedlam - he seemed so easily defeated!

7. What do you think is the best issue / story-arch from Alpha Flight? EEEK - another hard one, I love the initial Bryne run, also love the Dream Queen saga.

8. What do you consider the Alpha Flight "Dream Team"?
Heather Hudson (maybe call her Guardian but don't have her with powers), Northstar, Puck (original), Sasquatch, Box (Madison), Shaman, Snowbird, Aurora, Talisman, Persuasion and Diamond Lil. I'd also like to see loads of the other ex-Alphans, maybe Pathway, Goblyn and a few others in Beta Flight with Marrina as a teacher for them.

9. If you were to be stuck on a desert island with one member of Alpha Flight, Who would it be (powers can not get you off the island)
Northstar or Puck (original)

10. Who was/is/could be the best leader of Alpha Flight?
Heather as Heather - I always thought it was an interesting concept of having a 'normal' person as leader, also on re-reading the issues with Heather as Vindicator I have to day that I prefer her without the battlesuit.

11. Who is your favourite Alpha Flight writer?
Probably Byrne - like most fans I felt I could do better than all the other writers!

12. Who is your least favourite Alpha Flight writer?
Not sure, I think Mantelo stayed with the book too long and some of his later stories were a bit boring (after issue 50), so possibly him.

13. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight artist?
Probably Bryne - he has a certain style.

14. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight artist?
Not sure, but some of them seemed a bit dodgy!

15. If you could undo one thing in Alpha Flight history, what would it be?
Bringing back Mac from the dead - he should have stayed dead! Killing off Snowbird - she was so underused.

[Jason Eberly]

1. How long have you been collecting Alpha Flight?

Vol. 1, Issue #1. I'd only been collecting comics a few months, and it was my first #1 issue! Stopped and started a few times over the first volume, but always got the issues I missed when I started collecting again.

2. What was your first memory of Alpha Flight? If recent, what was your first reaction?

As I mentioned above, I had only been collecting a few months, and was devouring everything Marvel that I could. I remember seeing the cover at Fred Meyer (a local superstore chain in the Northwest), and two things stood out. The prominent yellow of the cover, and these characters I had no idea about pushing the big Marvel heroes out of the way.

3. Who is you favorite Alpha Flight character?

Overall, probably Puck, but currently I'm digging Guardian's invigoration by Pak and Van Lente.

4. Who is you least favorite Alpha Flight character?

Wyre, but admittedly I've never read Scott Lobdell's Vol. 3.

5. Who is you favorite Alpha Flight villain?

Gotta go with the master himself...The Master!

6. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight villain?

One of the Simon Furman villains...probably Carcass. The way his name is spelled just seems dirty.

7. What do you think is the best issue / story-arch from Alpha Flight?

Best arc was Vol. 1 #1-12 culminating with the single best issue of #12. I remember reading somewhere that Byrne originally intended for the title to end with #12, but it was doing so well sales-wise that he was convinced to continue it.

8. What do you consider the Alpha Flight "Dream Team"?

Pretty much the current team, with perhaps the addition of the Byrne version of Wild Child.

9. If you were to be stuck on a desert island with one member of Alpha Flight, Who would it be (powers can not get you off the island)

Snowbird. I'd convince her to transform into a reindeer, then...well, it'd be venison time!!

10. Who was/is/could be the best leader of Alpha Flight?

Was: Heather. Is: Mac. Could Be: Shaman.

11. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight writer?

Byrne. On that note, I noticed some here take offense to his comments about his time on AF. I always read them a little different. I don't think he ever said that he didn't like the characters, merely that it wasn't fun writing them. I enjoy writing, and there are times I write stories about a character I like and yet find it very difficult to write them. It becomes a chore and not fun. I think this is what Byrne meant by his comments.

12. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight writer?

Simon Furman. His direction seemed to jump all over the place and his original characters were...well, they were bad.

13. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight artist?

John Byrne was at his peak with this title.

14. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight artist?

Without a doubt, Duncan Rouleau. His characters were so distorted that I felt that if I dropped acid, his art would look normal.

15. If you could undo one thing in Alpha Flight history, what would it be?

Add me to the list to those who would change the whole Razer/Puck connection. I could even get behind the Beaubier's being half-elven, as it would still make them mutants (possessing abilities neither parent races had), and could have opened up some crossovers with Thor and Asgard.

[zephyr74]

1. How long have you been collecting Alpha Flight?
I only collected vol. 1 religiously.
2. What was your first memory of Alpha Flight? If recent, what was your first reaction?
I believe the first Great Beasts story. Byrne's art was just fantastic and his gift for writing team books is a special talent.
3. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight character?
Heather.
4. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight character?
Maybe the Auctioneer. LOL
5. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight villain?
Tie between the Master and Dream Queen.
6. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight villain?
The Auctioneer.
7. What do you think is the best issue / story-arch from Alpha Flight?
Heather taking over as leader and eventually becoming Guardian.
8. What do you consider the Alpha Flight "Dream Team"?
Heather, Puck, Sasquatch, Northstar, Aurora, Snowbird, Shaman, Talisman, Madison Jeffries.
Also a big fan of having a Beta Flight junior team.
9. If you were to be stuck on a desert island with one member of Alpha Flight, Who would it be (powers can not get you off the island)
Heather.
10. Who was/is/could be the best leader of Alpha Flight?
Heather, by far.
11. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight writer?
John Byrne.
12. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight writer?
James Hudnall.
13. Who is your favorite Alpha Flight artist?
John Byrne.
14. Who is your least favorite Alpha Flight artist?
Probably Tom Morgan as I'm not a fan of cartoonish art on superhero books.
I know most fans loathe John Calimee because of the spare unfinished look of his art (and I did, too) , but, his draftsmanship and storytelling were actually quite good. I've gone back to his run and if another artist worked from his layouts, they would've been dynamic.
15. If you could undo one thing in Alpha Flight history, what would it be?
Oof, how do I limit this to ONE thing. Honestly...any and all returns of James Hudson. I actually believed and trusted that John Byrne made the right choice for the series.