https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KACTtF5K5A

Such a fun and insightful tour of your studio. You come across as such a genuine and humble guy - I thought you weren't made out to be that way!

John, do you mind if I ask...

1) How many issues of ELSEWHEN have you penciled at this point?

2) Have you drawn any covers yet? I'm curious if you'll be hiding issue numbers like you did on HIDDEN YEARS

Thanks

Couple of questions:

And (and you don't have to be specific unless you want us to explode with excitement) is there any particular new character you're really excited about?

Inkers: I do wanna see a JB and Neal Adams collaboration (despite JB's assertion).  Crazy that it hasn't happened yet, and Neal does have a certain X-Men/Savage Land connection.

2nd project: ALPHA FLIGHT: ELSEWHEN.  Our Merry Mutants are on an alternate path, maybe those ripples find Guardian & Co.  Just imagine AF as reimagined by JB with his storytelling powers of today.  Sorry, I'm greedy!  :)

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What's that sound, you ask? That's just my inner child sobbing hysterically. If you need me I'll be huddled in the corner in a fetal position.

Seriously, JB, I wish you could see AF through my eyes. Those 28 issues are pure joy for me, both then and now. Thanks for the memories.

So I think we won't see/ask for any AF, F4, Hulk,...

Meself, I'd not be too heavily expectant to see all of Alpha Flight... or even any of their individual members.

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Last year I met up with someone I used to work with 25 years ago. We were sharing stories from the old days when she became really animated and brought up a story about a co-worker with much delight and enthusiasm. "Remember when....!"

Nothing. I remembered nothing about it at all and the look of surprise turning into disappointment turning into disbelief from her was palpable. What the hell was wrong with me that I couldn't remember what was, to her, such a clearly remarkable story that we both participated in?!

The night of reminiscing cooled after that and the promises to stay in touch (made earlier in the evening) remain unfulfilled to this day. My failure to remember - and remember enthusiastically! - something that happened a quarter of a century ago was treated as something of a betrayal.

....far be it from me to ever denigrate your fondness for the [memory]. Just don’t look for me to share it!

I get it and am grateful enough for the stories (and memories) that I wouldn't want JB to ever work on something he wasn't 100% enthusiastic about, but I still wish he could briefly see Alpha through my eyes, if only to feel his characters standing equally amongst those of Stan's, Jack's and Steve's. I miss their stories just as much as I miss the stories of the FF or X-Men.

They deserved better than what Marvel did to them.

In an attempt to pull us back towards the topic of the thread, I have to say that I'm excited that there is a possibility that the X-Men of the Dark Phoenix era will have another chance to see the light of day and be a part of new stories. They also deserve better (IMO) than what I last saw them getting. Here's to hoping!