The other day, I was at the local Meijer supermarket, and saw one of the most bizarre things of all time.
In the stationery department, I saw a school folder that looked familiar. Then, I realized: it was altered JB artwork from Alpha Flight # 12! Specifically, the double-page splash of Guardian firing at Diamond Lil as Alpha Flight arrives to battle Omega Flight. Only the Guardian art was used, and it was flopped, so he's firing to the right instead of the left. Here's the breakdown:
The art appears to have been directly taken from the comic (the linework is identical). However, several significant changes have been made. Various boot/mask lines have been added, and the edges of the Canadian flag of Mac's chest have been removed. Further, Guardian has been colored in a hideous combination of dark green, light green, orange, and white. He's also wearing newly-drawn boxer shorts (colored green and orange), and a chest-emblem of the boxers with the letter "W" on the crotch.
Guardian is seen to be firing a crude lightning bolt at a man in a skintight spacesuit with a bubble-dome helmet (looks familiar, but I can't tell where it was swiped from). The word balloons are as follows:
Guardian/"Wedginator": "This is the last time you'll mess with the Wedginator!"
Spaceman: "Oh the burning! The pinching!! Uncle! Uncle!"
On the reverse side of the folder is a blow-up of the Wedginator's head, with the word balloon:
"Wedginator": You'll spend the next week diggin' this one out!!!"
I didn't want to waste 62 cents on the thing, as I don't have a scanner. I memorized certain portions of the linework, and compared it to Alpha Flight # 12: no doubt, it's a perfect duplicate, and not a redrawn version.
The UPC is 02622982505, and it was made by NORCOM.
I found the company site, but no sign of The Wedginator. You are making me want to go to a Meijer store just to see how bad this really is! http://www.norcominc.com/products.asp
I forgot the company link
This message has been edited by greg_cordier on Feb 25, 2004 4:58 PM
You would want to go to a Meijer anyway - it's an awesome store.
Whereas I normally dislike stores like WalMart, I have great affection for Meijer - and respect it for exising mainly in areas where it's needed. I've heard that they used to have some sort of ad campaign or at least the word on the street was: "You can't buy a car at Meijer, but you can buy all the things you'd need to make one, and at 3 in the morning!" That's awesome!
I was visiting Michigan a few years ago, and I made a trip to Meijer/Mecca - and it was all that I had hoped for! I even bought a copy of Fred Meijer's autobiography when I was there.
Ahh, Meijer's. I'm so glad that that store was there during my university years at UM. It served me well, lo those many nights when I needed motor oil and a goldfish at 4 am.
