In celebration of gaining my Canadian Permanent Residency, I am running down an A-Z of Canadian comic book creators.

For the index list of creators featured, please click here.

We kick off with:

‘A’ is for Adrian Alphona

[Updated on January 30^th, 2010]

Adrian Alphona’s first published comic work appeared in March 2003, in X-Men Unlimited #41. X-men Unlimited was an anthology title that printed stories by a variety of creative teams, designed to fit in between those told in the main X-Men titles. Adrian Alphona, along with David Newbold providing inks, and Brian Reber doing colours, provided a pinup of the characters Blink and Nocturne.

A couple of months later Alphona really exploded onto the comic scene when he co-created the title Runaways with super-star writer Brian K. Vaughan. Initially part of the Tsunami line, Runaways proved to be the imprint’s sole success. Runaways featured a group of teenagers who try to make up for the evil done by their super villain parents (the Pride) by becoming superheroes. In 2006, the series won the Harvey Award for best continuing/limited series and was nominated for a Shuster Award. Adrian Alphona decided to leave the series, along with co-creator Brian K. Vaughan, after issue #24 of the second volume of the title, having drawn nearly fifty issues, with only two delays and three guest spots from other artists.

Adrian Alphona is known for his intricate linework, incredible grasp of the human figure, as well as a good understanding of teen fashion. Many fans of Runaways have commented that the characters actually look like people you could find in Los Angeles, the city which provides the primary setting for the title.

Alphona was set to pencil the second volume of Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane with Terry Moore writing. However, due to a rumoured conflict, he was replaced on the title by Humberto Ramos. According to sources at Marvel, he has gone to find work outside the comics field, which is a real shame; however, he did provide an incentive cover for Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane #1:

Adrian Alphona briefly returned to comics in August 2009 to provide interior artwork for Captain Britain and MI:13 Annual #1.

Bibliography:

March 2003:

• X-Men Unlimited (1993) #41

July 2003:

• Runaways (2003) Marvel Must Haves - ‘Runaways #1 & #2, plus Sentinel #1 & #2′
• Runaways (2003) #1 - ‘Pride and Joy, Chapter 1′

August 2003:

• Runaways (2003) #2 - ‘Pride and Joy, Chapter 2′

September 2003:

• Runaways (2003) #3 - ‘Pride and Joy, Chapter 3′

October 2003:

• Runaways (2003) #4 - ‘Pride and Joy, Chapter 4′

November 2003:

• Runaways (2003) #5 - ‘Pride and Joy, Chapter 5′[
• Runaways (2003) #6 - 'Pride and Joy, Chapter 6'

December 2003:

• Inhumans (2003) #7
• Mystique (2003) #7 - 'Tinker, Tailor, Mutant, Spy: Chapter 1'
• Runaways (2003) #7 - 'Teenage Wasteland, Chapter 1'

January 2004:

• Runaways (2003) #8 - 'Teenage Wasteland, Chapter 2'

February 2004:

• Marvel Previews (2003) #4 - 'Marvel Knights Fantastic Four'
• Runaways (2003) #9 - 'Teenage Wasteland, Chapter 3'

March 2004:

• Runaways (2003) #10 - 'Teenage Wasteland, Chapter 4'

April 2004:

• Runaways (2003) Digest TPB vol. 01 - 'Pride & Joy'

May 2004:

• Runaways (2003) #13 - 'The Good Die Young, Chapter 1'

June 2004:

• Runaways (2003) #14 - 'The Good Die Young, Chapter 2'

July 2004:

• Runaways (2003) #15 - ‘The Good Die Young, Chapter 3′

August 2004:

• Runaways (2003) #16 - ‘The Good Die Young, Chapter 4′

October 2004:

• Runaways (2003) #17 - ‘The Good Die Young, Chapter 5′

November 2004:

• Runaways (2003) #18 - ‘Eighteen’

2005:

• Runaways (2003) Digest TPB vol. 02 - ‘Teenage Wasteland’
• Runaways (2003) Digest TPB vol. 03 - ‘The Good Die Young’

April 2005:

• Runaways (2005) #1 - ‘True Believers: Chapter 1′
• Runaways (2005) #1 (Sketch Variant) - ‘True Believers, Chapter 1′

May 2005:

• Runaways (2005) #2 - ‘True Believers: Chapter 2′

June 2005:

• Runaways (2005) #3 - ‘True Believers: Chapter 3′

July 2005:

• Runaways (2005) #4 - ‘True Believers: Chapter 4′

August 2005:

• Runaways (2003) HC vol. 01 - ‘Runaways Vol. 01′
• Runaways (2005) #5 - ‘True Believers: Chapter 5′

September 2005:

• Runaways (2005) #6 - ‘True Believers: Chapter 6′

October 2005:

• Runaways (2005) Digest TPB vol. 04 - ‘True Believers’

December 2005:

• Runaways (2005) #9 - ‘East Coast/West Coast: Chapter 1′

January 2006:

• Runaways (2005) #10 - ‘East Coast/West Coast: Chapter 2′

February 2006:

• Runaways (2005) #11 - ‘East Coast/West Coast: Chapter 3′

March 2006:

• Runaways (2005) #12 - ‘East Coast/West Coast: Chapter 4′

April 2006:

• Runaways (2005) Digest TPB vol. 05 - ‘Escape to New York’
• Runaways (2005) #13 - ‘Dead Ringers’

May 2006:

• Runaways (2005) #14 - ‘Parental Guidance: Chapter 1′

June 2006:

• Runaways (2005) #15 - ‘Parental Guidance: Chapter 2′

July 2006:

• Marvel Tales Flip Magazine (2005) #11
• Runaways (2005) #16 - ‘Parental Guidance: Chapter 3′

August 2006:

• Marvel Tales Flip Magazine (2005) #12
• Runaways (2005) #17 - ‘Parental Guidance: Chapter 4′

September 2006:

• All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z (2006) #7 - ‘Victor Mancha to Phantazia’
• Runaways (2005) #18 - ‘Parental Guidance: Chapter 5′

October 2006:

• All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z (2006) #8 - ‘Nekra to Quoi’

November 2006:

• Runaways (2005) Digest TPB vol. 06 - ‘Parental Guidance’

December 2006:

• Runaways (2005) HC vol. 02 - ‘Runaways Vol. 02′

2007:

• Runaways (2003) TPB vol. 01 (Panini) - ‘Pride & Joy’
• Runaways (2003) TPB vol. 02 (Panini) - ‘Teenage Wasteland’

January 2007:

• All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z (2006) #11 - ‘Stranger to Ultimo’
• Runaways (2005) #22 - ‘Live Fast: Chapter 1′

February 2007:

• All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A-Z (2006) #12 - ‘Ultragirl to Arnim Zola’
• Runaways (2005) #23 - ‘Live Fast: Chapter 2′

March 2007:

• Runaways (2005) #24 - ‘Live Fast: Chapter 3′
• Runaways Saga (2007) #1

April 2007:

• Runaways (2005) Digest TPB vol. 07 - ‘Live Fast’

May 2007:

• Runaways (2005) HC vol. 03 - ‘Runaways Vol. 03′

August 2007:

• Street Fighter II (2005) TPB Vol. 04
• World War Hulk: Gamma Files (2007) Oneshot

2008:

• Runaways (2003) TPB vol. 03 (Panini) - ‘The Good Die Young’

July 2008:

• Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z (2008) HC vol. 03 - ‘Captain (Nextwave) to Elements of Doom’

October 2008:

• Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane Season 2 (2008) #1 (Incentive Variant Cover)

2009:

• Runaways (2003) Premiere HC vol. 02 - ‘Teenage Wasteland’

March 2009:

• Runaways (2003) Premiere HC vol. 01 - ‘Pride & Joy’

July 2009:

• Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z (2008) HC vol. 09 - ‘Pandemic to Sage’

August 2009:

• Captain Britain and MI13 (2008) Annual 01 - ‘The Harrowing of Hell’
• Runaways (2003) TPB vol. 01 - ‘Pride & Joy’

September 2009:

• Runaways (2003) Premiere HC vol. 03 - ‘The Good Die Young’

October 2009:

• Runaways (2003) TPB vol. 02 - ‘Teenage Wasteland’

December 2009:

• Runaways (2003) TPB vol. 03 - ‘The Good Die Young’
• Runaways (2005) Premiere HC vol. 04 - ‘True Believers’

January 2010:

• Runaways (2005) Premiere HC vol. 05 - ‘Escape to New York’

Related posts:

1. The A-Z of Canadian Comic Book Creators: H is for Niko Henichon
2. The A-Z of Canadian Comic Book Creators: G is for Pia Guerra
3. The A-Z of Canadian Comic Book Creators: F is for David Finch
4. The A-Z of Canadian Comic Book Creators: I is for Stuart Immonen
5. The A-Z of Canadian Comic Book Creators: E is for Dale Eaglesham