Guardian sketch card by Mike Thomas

This is the e-bay purchase I made brief reference to a few days ago.

The card is from the 3rd series of Upper Deck's Marvel Beginnings set, issued in 2012.  Artist Mike Thomas has signed the back of it.  Thomas has a Facebook page specific to his sketch cards.

It is identified as being "1 of 1" so I didn't incude it on the Collectibles page since the only way to collect it would be to buy it from me and that's not going to happen. ;-)

I've seen one other Guardian sketch card from the Marvel Beginnings series on e-bay but did not pull the trigger on it because, honestly, I didn't particularly care for it.  It was essentially a mug shot in front of a Canadian flag. But there are a number of sketch cards displaying Alpha Flight characters so anyone who might be interested in starting a unique little collection has the opportunity.

Mystery solved some more!

A couple of months back, I asked about an action figure of the half-man / half-machine Guardian character that appeared in issues 88 to 100 or so of the original Alpha Flight series.  Shortly thereafter, a reader named Sam Noir identified the collectible as a variant of a Toyfare mail-away offer for a Guardian action figure.

The only thing that seemed inconsistent with what I'd seen was the packaging.  I kept reading that it came shipped in a plain white box, while the one I'd seen about 15 years looked far more professional (like a display item).

While making an e-bay purchase (more on that later...specifically when I actually get the item in the mail) I was directed to an auction for the variant version.  Unfortunately, they only ship within the United States.  Here it is below.

I'm almost positive that THAT is what I saw in a comic book shop in the West Edmonton Mall years ago.  Being that the package is signed by then-Alpha-Flight artist Steven Seagle, they went a little fancier with the display than a plain white box.

"And One Shall Surely Die!" T-Shirt

The shirt below appeared in the August Previews magazine among the merchandise that should be hitting store shelves (or racks) by the end of November.

It is unlikely that you would be here and not recognize this as the cover of issue #12 of the original Alpha Flight series.  It is not a personal favourite, admittedly, since the book concluded in the first of many deaths of my favourite character.  But it was undeniably impactful, if the fact that it generated a shirt almost 30 years after its release is not evidence enough.

So I'm a little undecided.

Mystery Solved!

About a month ago, I asked visitors to the blog whether they'd ever seen a Guardian action figure with the suit's colours reversed.  The character wore such a version of his uniform in issues 90 to 100 or so of the original Alpha Flight series.

In addition to making me aware of the Mego-style Guardian action figure that I posted about a few days ago, Sam Noir located the picture below for me.

It is identified on this page as a variant of the Toyfare mail-in exclusive from the late 90's (seen at right).

The website to which Sam directed me seems awfully familiar, though the specific action figure does not (I thought the one I'd seen was leaner).  I believe that I probably came across that site at some point while looking for an answer to my inquiry, but being that it is dedicated to custom action figures, I probably dismissed it.  I did not believe that the action figure I saw in 1998 was a custom, so probably that site did not seem likely to be helpful.

I now see that "flip" Guardian is specifically identified as a variant and not a custom on the site.  The only thing that caused me to still have some doubt was the packaging.  I had read that the Toyfare exclusive came in a plain white box.  My recollection of the action figure I'd seen was that the packaging was far more professional looking.  But honestly, the most likely scenario is that my memory is wrong.

I also recall (and mentioned earlier) that the action figure seemed unusually costly, and that would be consistent with a rare, variant mail-in exclusive toy.

So thank you Sam, I believe you nailed it and answered a question that had been on the back of my mind for about 15 years. :-)

"Octoyberfest 2013 Exclusive Retro Mego Style Guardian Figure"

Man, I have (accidently) broken the legs of so many of these action figures back in the day...I loved the Human Torch one in particular.

We are pleased to officially announce our next show exclusive, the limited edition (20 total) custom retro Mego-style Guardian 8" figure!

The leader of Alpha Flight is dressed for action in his distinctive attire, with a fully articulated body! Designed and built by Mego Ed, this true north hero fits in perfectly with the rest of your Mego Superheroes collection and features card art by Toronto artist Christopher Yao. Once again, this figure will be available only at Octoyberfest 2013 at the Mego Museum area.

Something I always look for on any merchandise (or art) involving Guardian is yellow eyes. It shows an attention to detail that I appreciate (like people who look to make sure that Northstar and Aurora are drawn with pointy ears, as they should be).  I find that any collectible that includes always implies a certain level of caring in the character and the workmanship.  Compliments to whomever built this.

The action figure sells for $50 at the show.

Now I didn't come across this on my own; I was directed to it in an e-mail in the name of Sam Noir.  I was provided info on another matter which I post over the weekend (gleefully).

Alpha Flight, Volume Two, Issue Two, Variant Cover

I've just added the trading card at right to the Collectibles page.  As stated there, it is from a Wolverine card set entitled "From Then 'Til Now" from 1992.

The art is Art Adams and I believe Terry Austin.  It served as the cover to Classic X-Men #16, a reprint of Uncanny X-Men 109 which featured the first appearance of Guardian, then known as Weapon Alpha.

The Classic X-Men series not only reprinted the early adventures of the new version of the team after its popularity had begun to soar, but also included a few pages of new material as well.  The point was to, in theory, flesh out the stories a little more and/or add depth to certain characters.  The additional pages from that issue, that involve Guardian, are displayed in this post.

While looking for information about that book/cover, I came across another variant cover that I'd totally forgotten about.  It was for the second issue of Alpha Flight second series.

I forgot about it for the simple reason that I don't have it and probably have not seen it since the book came out in 1997.  Also, it is unusual for a book to have a variant cover for its second issue only.  The primary cover for this particular issue is at right and features frequent Alpha Flight villain The Master.

The second Alpha Flight book was a hit and miss affair for me.  I personally found the art to be difficult to follow most of the time, particularly in the later issues when Duncan Rouleau took over those duties.

When the series started again, with Guardian prominent on the cover, I was excited to pick it up.  But it's quickly revealed that James MacDonald Hudson was "de-evolved" by Department H since his last in-comic appearance and is now a 19-year old.

That would take some getting used to on its own, but he's entirely, frustratingly incompetent as a leader.  He has no respect or authority from his teammates.

The adult Hudson returns later in the book but behind such an idiotic storyline that it's difficult to take it seriously.  In fairness to the writers (Steven Seagle, and I believe Rouleau was assisting in that function as well by then), it seemed as though they got the news of the series' cancellation with rather short notice and wanted to tie up all their loose ends.  Perhaps given the time they could have made Guardian "senior"'s return a touch more palatable.

The young Guardian is killed off in a "now let's never speak of this again" fashion in Wolverine #143.  And that I know of, it was never spoken of again.  Thank you writer Erik Larsen for removing that unnecessary burden from a team and character that already have rather complicated timelines.

Edit Sept 26th: As requested in a comment below, here's the back of the card that I began this post about before rambling off.  It's simple but I quite like it.  I should have thought to include it myself.

The Possible Mystery of the "Reverse" Guardian Action Figure

There have been a few quiet additions to the Collectibles page over the past few days.  None is particularly newsworthy on its own, since most items date back more than a decade, but a couple of them reminded me of a small mystery from a number of years ago.

The two items in question are a Toy Biz mail-in exclusive action figure and a card from the Overpower game.  Both were issued in the mid to late 90's.

The "negative" version of Guardian displayed on the card (at right) isn't in use for merchandise a great deal since it lasted only about a year within comics.  It was the results of Guardian's first of several returns from the dead and was the result of the Building Block storyline that ran from issues 87 to 90 of the first volume.  So the combination of that uniform and a rare action figure reminded me that I once saw an action figure of "negative Guardian" years ago yet have heard or seen nothing of it since.

If I recall correctly, I was at a comics store on the upper floor of the West Edmonton Mall.  I don't believe that the action figure was a custom piece because it seemed to be expertly packaged.  This would have been in the summer of 1998.  It was fairly pricey, which is why I chose against buying it at the time (now regretfully).

Does any of this ring a bell with anyone?  Is anyone aware of some such "exclusive" or rare piece?  If so, feel free to drop be a line at jf4nier@gmail.com and tell me what you know.  I'm not necessarily interested in buying it now (but not uninterested either ;-) ).  Either way, I'm certainly curious.

Guardian Statue by Arahom Radjah

Aw, man...

Most fans are aware of the Bowen line of busts and the Eaglemoss figurine/magazine combos.  As they relate to this character, you can click on the "Collectibles" button at top right for a quick look.

I found the small statue at right during an ebay search.  I was surprised to have never heard of it, but that is likely because there were only 20 made.

As I write this, there are just under 16 days left to bid on it.  I'm not going to link to it since the link will eventualy die anyway, but I found by simply searching "Guardian Alpha Flight".

I also won't include it to the Collectibles page because with fewer than two dozen made, finding it would probably border on the impossible anyway (plus the last thing I need is competition for an affordable one).  But I do want to stash the details about it for future reference, so...

• As stated in the subject line, the statue is the work on Arahom Radjah.  Radjha is the owner of ARH Studios.
• The statue was manufactured in Brazil in 2004.
• There was no box made for this item.
• 11" tall and the base is 1.5" high for a total of 12.5".

Let's have a closer look at that base.

Overall, this seems like a high quality product.  I wish the picture of the statue itself was more clear but using the close up function on ebay didn't reveal any flaws.  The Bowen status drops to #2, and this thing now becomes my new Holy Grail.

Edit: I've found a quality picture of the piece on a message board.  I include it below.  There are far more pictures on this page of not only that particular statue, but of the poster's collection, which is quite attractive.  Enjoy!

Warming up to Minimates

Minimates.  I'm normally stoked to see Alpha Flight included in any type of merchandise release, but I hated these on sight.  They just struck me as being brutally ugly.

As a result of adding the Guardian minimate on the Collectibles page, I looked into them a little more and I admit that they are winning me over. If you also heard of these 2" inch toys but dismissed them as I did, here's some cause to reconsider.

There is a degree of detail involved that I didn't appreciate at first.  The accessories are interesting.  Whomever designed these toys (this set, the first of two, includes Northstar, Marrina and Puck) knew his or her stuff or, at the very least, did the necessary research.

The helmet is removable, which I did not realize at first.  But not only can you reveal a rather surly looking Mac...

...you can also substitute the head of that evil metal bitch, Delphine Courtney, that impersonated him shortly after his death (huh...the first one) in the original series from the early 80's.

Neat!  Not that I would use that feature a whole lot, frankly, but the salute to history is appreciated.

The last-but-not-necessarily-least piece is the flight base (or whatever name it goes by) shown at left; a clear stand to give your minimate the illusion of flight.  The first thing that occurred to me when I saw it is that it may have worked better with a yellow tint to simulate the trail from Guardian's suit, but it's still a cool idea and handy for display purposes.

So I may find myself getting my hands of these after all. They offer more than the initial glance revealed.  And of course, it would be tough to get only half of Alpha Flight, so you'd be compelled to get the second set which includes Aurora, Shaman, Snowbird and Sasquatch.

What, no Heather?  Sure, she is in a separate set with Box.  Throw that in the cart too!

Note: Some of the pictures used for this post are cropped versions of images displayed on this Luke's Toy Store page.

The Guardian Fury Files

Does this happen to you?

You look for information on the internet and are unable to find it.  You give up.  Weeks later, you try again for the hell of it and find it within two minutes. I don't know how that can be.

It happened to me again a couple of nights ago.  My original failure took place while I was looking for  info on the action figure below while creating the Collectibles page.

I bought this guy on ebay and when I received it, the packaging looked like it might have been tampered with.

As indicated at the bottom left of the box, the figure came with a S.H.I.E.L.D. file and a "secret code".  It seemed as though someone had tried to slip the file out of the package then reseal it.  It wouldn't matter a whole lot, as the Fury Files website is no longer active, but nonetheless.  I had paid for the whole package and wanted the whole package.  So I went looking for what I might have been missing and crapped out until just a couple of days ago.

If you're already a fan of Alpha Flight in general or Guardian in particular, you are likely aware of the information below.  For those who refuse to take an action figure out of its packaging and who may have similarly struggled in a search to know what you're missing, I'll share my findings.

The images below are from the Cool Toy Review website.  I include them in case the page is taken down at some point (the toy is from almost four years ago now), but as long as it's active, you should visit it for a much greater variety of photography and scans.

The first is a fact card of dubious accuracy...

Wormholes?

The next is a communication between S.H.I.E.L.D. Commander Maria Hill and some guy called Anthony Stark.

Apparently, based on a comment I've seen on a message board, entering the secret code into the furyfiles.com website would reveal a response to the message above.

I wonder if Stark took Hill to task for her terrible grammar and spelling?  This has the feel of something that was written in another language and translated to English.

I don't buy action figures often, but when I do I always find myself debating whether to take them out of the package.  The accessory ideas are neat for this one, but the execution is rather poor, so in this case I'm glad I left it as it.

New Eye Candy

I've added an "art" page at top right, something I've been meaning to do for some time.  I won't dwell on it much here since the content is explained at the top of the page itself.  I should, however, take the opportunity to point out that the saluting Guardian at the bottom of the right section of the page is by Ken Steacy, if the distinctive style wasn't enough of a giveaway.

It has, however, reminded me to make another addition to the blog roll at right with Phil's Alpha Flight Sketches.  Pretty self-explanatory; Phil posts scans and pictures of commissioned sketches that he's acquired of Alpha Flight characters.  The bulk of the art on display on the blog is of Sasquatch, but there are a few Guardian ones as well.  It wouldn't be right to copy them here so I'll link to that page instead.

And while we're talking about graphics and updates, a couple of trading cards have been added at the bottom of the Collectibles page, including the rather awesome Weapon Alpha one (with that Wolverine guy) at right which I just stumbled across today.  What can I tell you, I've never been a trading card guy where comic characters are concerned!  But I'll have to get my hands on that one for certain.

To this point, that page had only displayed busts and action figures and I wanted to add another aspect.  Other types of collectibles and merchandise will be added soon, such as Heroclix piece(s) and mini-mates (even though I personally find them hideous. To each his own.).

Incoming! The Guardian Eaglemoss figurine!

But more importantly, the magazine that comes with it.

I didn't know much about the Eaglemoss figurine series until I gave the Snowbird one a try earlier this year.  I stumbled into that one while looking for information about the Alpha Flight action figures that came out in the late 90's.  I knew that there was a Guardian figurine as well one (among other members of Alpha Flight) but it took starting this page to get me to take the plunge and purchase it.

To be entirely honest, I really paid for the 20-page magazine.  The figure is almost an extra.  The Snowbird book either clarified, or tied together, a few parts of her history that I couldn't quite piece together (because I was unaware of some of her appearances in non-Alpha Flight books).  As...let's call it "unique"...as Guardian's background is, I could probably use the quick reference guide for him too.

Not that the figurine itself is so awful.  It's still quite cool to even have the option to buy it!  But I was disappointed in the paint job on my snowbird version.  It was a little sloppy.  I've seen other pictures of the Guardian edition and the same seems to apply to him.

I'm going to start working on a page of collectible soon that will display the various toys, cards, etc, related to this character. But before I do, I'd like to acquire a few of them so that I can comment on them from experience.  I doubt that the wife will buy that as a reason, but I'll do my best to make it sound logical. ;-)