Why Not?! Read Alpha Flight with Chris & Tom

We thought during this fallow period between episodes on Alpha Flight we’d drop our Boxing Day 2024 special: our conversation about A Knight’s Tale. These movie convos live on the Patreon so if this is the kind of thing you enjoy from us, maybe consider joining up.

In the meantime, we hope you enjoy our chat and the realization that this ain’t a swords-and-horses or even a historical romance: this is a straight-up sports movie, and one of the best ever made.

Have a great rest of 2025 and we’ll be back with you on January 12th, 2026.

Music: “Golden Years”- Disco Purrfection Version

Written, produced, and edited by Chris Baker and Tom Flynn
Music:"Oh, Canada" by Five Iron Frenzy

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Welcome to our second Holiday Spectacular! In which we share some of the more amusing outtakes that didn’t make it into the show over the last year interspersed with some delightful holiday music. This year we also explore a different and similarly fascinating question to our usual “Why Not?!”: What If?! Giant-Size Alpha Flight???

Thanks for coming along on this ride with us. We have a great time making the show and really appreciate everyone who listens. See you in the new year for more from Canada’s greatest superhero team!

Music: “Just Another Christmas Song” by Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings from the album It’s a Holiday Soul Party

Written, produced, and edited by Chris Baker and Tom Flynn
Music:"Oh, Canada" by Five Iron Frenzy

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Episode 39: “A Sas Called Wanda”

In which Alpha Flight goes on several distinct genre-based adventures over the course of 3 issues…and we feel the whiplash. Lot more on Goblyn; less discernible rules to characters’ power; and the return of…the Great Beasts?!?!?!

In this episode, Chris:

• makes it clear that Heather’s bloodlust is only growing
• gets further confirmation of Jeffries…proclivities
• gives one of the best defenses of Universal Healthcare you’ll ever hear (doesn’t happen on the recording, but just seeing if anyone is reading)

and Tom:

• drops in some great lit references, including the origin of the term “Poohbah”
• almost quit the pod over how all over the place it is
• capably refutes Chris’s points re: healthcare (just closing the loop on the bit)

Issues discussed:
Alpha Flight #54 - "Goblyn!" - cover date January 1988
Script by Bill Mantlo
Pencils by Hugh Haynes
Inks by Wilce Portacio
Letters by Janice Chiang
Colors by Gregory Wright
Edited by Carl Potts
with Tom DeFalco as Editor in Sleet

Alpha Flight # 55 - "Identity Crisis!" - cover date February 1988
Script by Bill Mantlo
Pencils by Jim Lee
Inks by Tony  DeZuniga
Letters by Janice Chiang
Colors by Bob Sharen
Edited by Carl Potts
and Tom DeFalco as Poohbah in Chief

Alpha Flight #56 - "Have you ever heard a spaceship scream?  Warped!" - cover date March 1988
same creative team as last issue

Why Not Read Alpha Flight is brought to you by listeners like you who subscribe to our Patreon, and by the Roxxon Energy Corporation, Parent corporation of the Excelsior Embroidery Company, turning thread into thunder where every piece is stitched with style, sarcasm, and just a dash of superhuman flair. This week we’re featuring a patch of Prince Namor’s trident. You can see these and 2 hundred more designs at excelsiorembroidery.etsy.com where Listeners of Why Not can use the coupon code WN503 to get 50 percent off when you order any 3 items from the etsy store. When Company’s coming over, bring out the good towels. Excelsior!  

Quick note on “Poohbah”

Tim Curry in Command & Conquer

Bell sound Effect by u_7xr5ffk4oq from Pixabay

Written, produced, and edited by Chris Baker and Tom Flynn
Music:"Oh, Canada" by Five Iron Frenzy

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We circle back to a couple issues we skipped over in our zeal to keep the narrative moving and boy do they really expand on Heather’s characterization. Are they groundbreakingly original stories? No. Are they solidly done and enjoyable? Absolutely. Mantlo…you really know how to play with our emotions.

In this episode, Chris:

• points out that the only Alphan with a traditionally stable childhood is Marrina, who opted not to stick around very long
• has some thoughts on Larry Hama writing AF
• offers some recommendations for visitors to the St. Louis Zoo

and Tom:

• manages to get a dig in on Walt
• makes a pretty wild accusation against the McNeil family
• makes an even wilder accusation against JMH

Issues discussed:

Alpha Flight #47 - You Can’t Tell The Forest from the Trees! - cover date June 1987
Script by Bill Mantlo
Pencils by Craig Brasfield, Mike Mignola, and Steve Purcell
Inks by Whilce Portacio and Terry Austin
Letters by Jim Novak
Colors by Bob Sharen
Edited by Carl Potts
and Jim Shooter as Editor in Chief

Alpha Flight Annual #2 - The Fire Inside! - cover date December 1987
Writer is Bill Mantlo
Layouts by June Brigman
Finishes by Bob McLeod
Letters by Janice Chiang
Colors by Bob Sharen
Editor is Carl Potts 
and Tom DeFalco is credited as Editor in Deep

Why Not Read Alpha Flight is brought to you by listeners like you who subscribe to our Patreon, and by the Roxxon Energy Corporation, Parent corporation of the Excelsior Embroidery Company, turning thread into thunder where every piece is stitched with style, sarcasm, and just a dash of superhuman flair. This week we’re featuring a HOP patch, you’ve seen the image of the Portland Frog set to the classic Shepard Fairey Obama poster motif that says Hop instead of Hope, well I made a patch out of it. You can see this and a hundred more designs at excelsiorembroidery.etsy.com where Listeners of Why Not can use the coupon code WN503 to get 50 percent off when you order any 3 items from the etsy store. When Company’s coming over, bring out the good towels. Excelsior!

Written, produced, and edited by Chris Baker and Tom Flynn
Music:"Oh, Canada" by Five Iron Frenzy

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It’s a proper 3-issue arc! Which feels shockingly novel! In which, the Canadian government finds out just how different an Alpha Flight—and Vindicator—they have on their hands; one of JMH’s failed experiments makes a return; JMH’s GREATEST failure shows up for a bit (yeah, Wolverine is guesting); Wanda muses on her current state (we’ll get to that conversation very soon); and members of the team wonder at, but do not act on, Purple Girl and Knapp’s budding relationship (which is indefensible). But, like, one story over three issues! And no Alphans leave or die! Winning!!!

In this episode, Chris:

• asserts Californian = Canadian
• offers a quick business lesson on comics publishing
• really likes the name “portaputer”...to each their own, I suppose

and Tom:

• deploys a new voice he’s not totally sure about (he misses Northstar and Aurora already)
• really digs June Brigman’s work in issue 52
• enjoys Heather but absolutely calls her out on some bullshit

Issues covered:
Alpha Flight #51 - “Friends in High Places!” - cover date October 1987
Writer is Bill Mantlo
Penciler is Jim Lee
Inker is Whilce Portacio
Letterer is Janice Chiang
Colorest is Bob Sharen
Editor is Carl Potts
Editor in Chief is Jim Shooter

Alpha Flight #52 - “Specters!” and/or “Flashback!” - cover date November 1987
Script by Bill Mantlo
Pencils by June Brigman
Inks by Whilce Portacio
Letters by Janice Chiang
Editor is Carl Potts 
And Editor in Chief is Tom DeFalco

Alpha Flight #53 - “A Blast From The Past!” - cover date December 1987
Writer by Bill Mantlo
Pencils by Jim Lee
Inks by Whilce Portacio
Letters by Janice Chiang
Colors by Bob Sharen
Editor is Carl Potts
And Tom DeFalco as Predator-in-Chief

Why Not Read Alpha Flight is brought to you by listeners like you who subscribe to our Patreon, and by the Roxxon Energy Corporation, parent corporation of the Excelsior Embroidery Company, turning thread into thunder where every piece is stitched with style, sarcasm, and just a dash of superhuman flair. This week we’re featuring a sugar skull girl oversized patch that looks super. You can see this and a hundred more designs at excelsiorembroidery.etsy.com where listeners of Why Not can use the coupon code WN503 to get 50 percent off when you order any 3 items from the etsy store. When company’s coming over, bring out the good towels. Excelsior!

Written, produced, and edited by Chris Baker and Tom Flynn
Music:"Oh, Canada" by Five Iron Frenzy

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Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving! And on this day of days we bring you issue 50: a double-sized offering in which three Alphans depart the team, two of whom get their pasts rather aggressively reimagined. And Loki’s here. There’s a lot going on.

In this episode, Chris:

• brings up the Siege Perilous, which Tom definitely didn’t see coming
• and then almost rage quits over the Knapp/Kara Killgrave…escalations
• gets real excited during some listener mail that mentions Emo Philips

and Tom:

• misses some obvious Shakespeare jokes: he’ll do better next time
• and then almost rage quits over the Knapp/Kara Killgrave…escalations
• gives Mantlo some due; not flowers, but a curt nod

Issue covered:
Alpha Flight #50 - “This Mortal Coil” - cover date September 1987
Writer is Bill Mantlo
Artists are June Brigman and Whilce Portacio
Letterer is Janice Chiang
Colorer is Bob Sharen
Editor is Carl Potts 
and Editor in Chief is Jim Shooter

Why Not Read Alpha Flight is brought to you by listeners like you who subscribe to our Patreon, and by the Roxxon Energy Corporation, who wishes all our listeners a Happy Canadian Thanksgiving.  Was your turkey a time-intensive hassle?  Between thawing, cooking, and basting, making a thanksgiving turkey can take days.  Well, A wise man once said that every frozen pizza in the grocery store is cooked to perfection at a certain distance from a nuclear blast and Roxxon has taken this insight and applied it to turkeys.  So if you’ve got a minimum of 5 acres and a Nuclear Regulatory Agency license to handle plutonium, you can cook your next turkey in a literal flash with Roxxon’s Turkey Nooker.  You will need to have a minimum diameter of 10 acres of continuous land you both own and don’t care about to use the Turkey Nooker.  

Support for this podcast also comes from the Excelsior Embroidery Company, turning thread into thunder creating original iron-on patches with a flair for punk, niche memes, and comic book chaos!  Every piece is stitched with style, sarcasm, and just a dash of superhuman flair.    From tea towels to tote bags, if it can hold a stitch, it can hold a story!  You can see a hundred designs at excelsiorembroidery.etsy.com where Listeners of Why Not can use the coupon code WN503 to get 50 percent off when you order any 3 items from the etsy store.  When Company’s coming over, bring out the good towels.  Excelsior!

Order a copy of True North here!

Written, produced, and edited by Chris Baker and Tom Flynn
Music:"Oh, Canada" by Five Iron Frenzy

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Another two-fer this episode as we bring to a close our time with Roger Bochs. Y’know, given the way things were going, this might not be the worst possible…nah, this is still a pretty bad way to go out. Plus: Whitman Knapp shoots up the “worst character” rankings; Aurora is barely in either issue; and Wanda Langkowski works her way into our hearts.

In this episode, Chris:

• provides a great update on his Baldur’s Gate 3 playthrough
• needs to be more careful about what links he clicks
• suddenly has A LOT of voices to do

and Tom:

• suggests there may have been some ghostwriting during Mantlo’s run: just, you know, saying things on the internet
• may also have incriminated himself in the destruction of a beloved kids restaurant franchise
• makes quite assertion vis-a-vis the English language

Issues covered:
Alpha Flight #48 - cover date July 1987 - “Madness”
Script by Bill Mantlo
Pencils by Terry Shoemaker
Inks by Steve Leialoha and Hillary Barta
Letters by Ken Bruzenak
Colors by Glynnis Oliver
Editor is Carl Potts
and James Shooter as Editor in Chief

Alpha Flight #49 - cover date August 1987 - “Flesh of My Flesh”
Script by Bill Mantlo
Pencils by June Brigman
Inks by Wilce Portacio
Letters by Janice Chiang
Colors by Bob Sharen
Editor is Carl Potts
and Jim Shooter as Editor in Chief 

Why Not?! Read Alpha Flight is brought to you by listeners like you who subscribe to our Patreon, and by the Excelsior Embroidery Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Roxxon Energy Corporation, which is celebrating its 88th anniversary this year by releasing 14 different collectible coins highlighting the company’s role in American history. Roxxon: as American as Apple pie.

As part of the celebration, Excelsior Embroidery Company has released a new patch that is He-Man’s face from that YouTube video where he sings 4 Non Blondes terribly. You can see this and a hundred more designs at excelsiorembroidery.etsy.com. Listeners of Why Not can use the coupon code WN503 to get 50 percent off when you order any 3 items from the etsy store. Remember, when Company’s coming over, bring out the good towels. Excelsior!

Written, produced, and edited by Chris Baker and Tom Flynn
Music:"Oh, Canada" by Five Iron Frenzy

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After a few short-er episodes, we’ve got a bit of a doozy for your ears this week. Two, count ‘em two!, issues of that Alpha Flight…goodness. In which we watch Roger Bochs change in all so many terrible ways! And the return of Tom’s bete orange in a very different form. There’s a lot to go over and even more to say in episodes to come, so onwards!

In this episode, Chris:

• welcomes back his favorite character
• notes the distinctive faces new artist June Brigman brings to the team
• thinks he’s cracked the code re: some of the more uneven qualities of these issues

and Tom:

• is very professional about the return of his least favorite character
• who, Tom notes, isn’t the worst part of these issues
• has some fun bringing the “Scramble!” voice back

Issues covered:
Alpha Flight #45 - cover date April 1987 - “Resurrection”
Script by Bill Mantlo
Pencils by newcomer June Brigman
Inks by Wilce Portacio
Letters by Jim Novak
Colors by Bob Sharen
Edited by Carl Potts
with Jim Shooter as Editor in Chief

Alpha Flight #46 - cover date May 1987 - “Friends…and lovers”
Same creative team as #45

Why Not Read Alpha Flight is brought to you by listeners like you who subscribe to our Patreon, and by the Excelsior Embroidery Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Roxxon Energy Corporation, proud sponsor of the Texas National Guard’s 2025 Tour of Chicago. You can get in on the fun by informing on your brown neighbors, or by coming down to Navy Pier to see the new exhibit on Warcrimes Through The Ages, a joint production of Roxxon with the Carl Jeppson Company, makers of Malort.

And as usual, the Excelsior Embroidery Company is here to help outfit you for whatever your 2025 Tour of Chicago adventure brings, with lots of new patches suitable to the season available 24/7 at excelsiorembroidery.etsy.com. I’m particularly proud of the GOP Delenda Est in white block serif letters on a red background, really befuddles the folks who haven’t read a book since they left high school. Listeners of Why Not can use the coupon code WN503 to get 50 percent off when you order any 3 items from the etsy store. When Company’s coming over, bring out the good towels. Excelsior!

Written, produced, and edited by Chris Baker and Tom Flynn
Music:"Oh, Canada" by Five Iron Frenzy

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Short but impactful one this week as we bid farewell to a founding member of Alpha Flight…looks like that Dead Alphans list is gonna grow a bit in Episode 34! We also get more amazing characterization for Madison Jeffries, the continuation of miserable Puck, and, well, a lot of other characters are…there. Oh, and Bochs having the Bends gets resolved in 5ish panels.

Like we said, an impactful one.

In this episode, Chris:

• references Rush of all bands; just struck Tom as surprising
• in the Watchmen-like vs not-Watchmen-like comics dividing line, Chris puts the initial 12 issues on the Watchmen-like side of the line
• is totally getting hosed by Roxxon

and Tom:

• makes a very specific Simpsons reference that the old heads will have never forgotten
• seems to be accepting that Walt will return and is maybe at peace with it (he’s not)
• on which note, he may or may not be in the next episode: tune in to find out!

Issue discussed:

Alpha Flight #44 - “Plague [Exclamation Point]” - cover date March 1987
Script by Bill Mantlo
Pencils by Dave Ross (for the last time)
Inks by Whilce Portacio
Letters by Jim Novak
Colors by Bob Sharen
Editor is Carl Potts
Editor in Chief is Jim Shooter

It’s back to school season and Chris’s youngest picked a minimalist Superman backpack on her own and asked me to make her a Krytpo patch, which I did.  Along with a Devil Dinosaur and Jeff the Shark patch.  You can see picks of the coolest backpack in 3rd grade by following Excelsior Embroidery on Bluesky and Instagram. You can also see my “Being Kind is Punk Rock” patch now on sale by going to excelsiorembroidery.etsy.com.  Listeners of why not can use the coupon code WN503 to get 50 percent off when you order any 3 items from the Etsy store.  When Company’s coming over, bring out the good towels.  Excelsior!

Written, produced, and edited by Chris Baker and Tom Flynn
Music:"Oh, Canada" by Five Iron Frenzy

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Just one issue this week but it’s a doozy as we get another situation designed to keep Kara Killgrave on the straight and narrow. Really: that feels like the only reason we get this villain this month. But! We do get some interesting characterization for Misssster Jeffries (who might be extremely overpowered?!) and there’s a decent chance Roger Bochs will stop having the bends sometime soon. Maybe.

In this episode, Chris:

• takes an unnecessary shot at the USPS right from jump, but reels it right back in
• accurately conveys how bonkers terrifying tornadoes are
• rails against Mantlo’s…inconsistency (don’t be mostly frustrating if you can actually be quite good; it’s confusing and upsetting!)

and Tom:

• might do decent voicework but is no Michael Winslow
• suggests the twins have at least one additional mutant power
• is enjoying Madison Jeffries quite a bit

Issue discussed:
Alpha Flight #43 - “Strike Across the Border!” - cover date February 1987
Story by Bill Mantlo
Pencils by Dave Ross
Inks by Wilce Portacio
Letters by Ken Brusenak
Colors by Bob Sharen
Editor is Carl Potts and
Editor in Chief is Jim Shooter

Why Not?! Read Alpha Flight with Chris and Tom is brought to you by the Excelsior Embroidery Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Roxxon Energy Corporation. Listeners of Why Not?! can go to https://excelsiorembroidery.etsy.com and use the code WHYNOT20 to get 20% off any 2 items. When Company Is Coming Over, Bring Out the Good Towels!  Excelsior!

Written, produced, and edited by Chris Baker and Tom Flynn
Music:"Oh, Canada" by Five Iron Frenzy

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