Retro Spins: Alison Moyet - Alf

Alison Moyet don't need no man. When Vince Clarke unceremoniously broke up their duo efforts, the former Yaz singer struck out on her own. Her first studio release, 1984's Alf, would end up going 4X platinum in the UK, platinum in Germany and New Zealand, and Gold in Canada.

Mind you, Moyet didn't initially want to go solo, and even begged Clarke to stick it out with Yaz. However, while change can be scary, it can ultimately be good. Though Clarke would form Erasure with Andy Bell, and eventually see success, their debut would flop. Additionally, none of their albums would sell as many copies as Moyet achieved with her solo debut.

I admittedly made a mistake when listening to this one. I started it, got to about song five, but then got incredibly busy, and had to turn it off. When I came back to it, I had totally forgotten the majority of everything I had already heard.

What I did remember was that it was relatively enjoyable. Doing a quick retrospective listen of a few sections of the tracks, I reconfirmed this, then added Love Resurrections, and Honey From The Bees to my shuffle list. Finishing up the album, I also added All Cried Out, Money Mile, Twisting The Knife, and Where Hides Sleep.

As a whole, I really enjoyed Alf, and it excites me to dive into her next album. While I wish I had more that I could say about the album, I honestly don't.

Moyet would join Live Aid in 1985, performing along Paul Young, and then later in the show with Bob Geldof, David Bowie, Pete Townshend, and Paul McCartney for Let It Be. Despite remaining active, she wouldn't release a follow-up studio album until 1987's Raindance. She'd then take another hiatus before returning for 1991's Hoodoo, and break again before 1994's Essex.

Since then, Moyet continued to release albums sporadically, with her latest being 2024's Key. Additionally, her and Clarke would reunite in 2010 for the Yaz Reconnected Tour. They performed one final time in 2011 prior to an Erasure show.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
October 4, 1980

 

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
October 4, 1986

Alf: The Complete Series - Deluxe Edition

I love finding me some 80's cartoons. Especially when I don't know about them being available on DVD. When I came across this Deluxe Edition of The Complete Series of Alf, I thought to myself, "What makes it deluxe? Does it have the entire cartoon series?" I was being sarcastic in my mind, and then got slapped in the mouth when I flipped it over to reveal the disc cases.

Looking at the third set (blue), I immediately took a step back and said, "Wait...Does it really?" A quick search on my phone, and I came across the original listing on Shout Factory. Turns out, this thing came out in 2023, and does indeed include the entire animated original series (1987 - 1989), and its counterpart, Alf Tales (1988 - 1989), both released for the first time in this set.

I used to really have a problem with supporting Shout Factory. Mainly because back in the day, they wouldn't have released a full set like this. Instead, they'd do it as seasons, or parts. More times than not, this method would end up with one of two things happening.

1) Low sales meant that the entire series was never released because future sets were cancelled. The irony of this was that the poor sales were often a result of people waiting to see if Shout would release the entire thing before investing in a partial set.

2) The rest of the series in future volumes was released in such limited quantities that it quickly sold out, went out of print, and costs hundreds of dollars on secondary markets because of how scarce they became.

As such, I'm glad to see more sets like this from Shout, where everything is included in one fell swoop. I can't help but think in general this is what more people want versus multiple volumes over time. I do, however, feel sorry for the people who already own the multiple seasons of Alf on DVD. It's kind of a slap in the face to them if they want the cartoons to have to buy the entire series again.

Shout absolutely should have just released the cartoons on their own set. But, I suppose doing so would have equated to lower sales. I mean, I know I wouldn't have bought the whole thing if there was an option to just buy the cartoons.

The set comes with a nice booklet...

...Which if you flip to the back last few pages, you'll find some fun artwork from the animated series, along with episode lists...

...and some fun screenshots.

The covers of each individual "volume" are pretty nice. They mimic the opening to the animated series, which is also showcased on the third set.

But again, this third one is where my money was spent. Honestly, I don't really have an interest in the live action series.

Because this has never been released in full, and since I didn't watch it regularly as a kid, I haven't had a chance to see all of these episodes until now. I'm totally looking forward to that over the next several weeks.

I was also surprised to see how many discs were inside the case. I expected Shout would pack each DVD to the fullest capacity, resulting in reduced picture quality for the sake of cutting cost corners.  Surprisingly, there are eight discs inside, seven of which contain the cartoons, with the last being reserved for bonus features.

Now, if this is something that interests you, I highly recommend you avoid going directly to the source at the link above. Shout sells this for regular retail price of $69.98. While it is currently on sale for $55.99, if you instead go to Walmart, you can grab it for $39.99 (regular price).

Is that a bit much if you're just wanting the cartoons? Yeah, probably. However, if the entire package interests you, then that's where the true value will come.

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Alf (Marvel Comics)

Alf
Marvel Comics
1988 - 1992 

Fans who couldn't get enough of Alf in the 80's were in luck. Not only could they tune in weekly to the sitcom, they could also enjoy the fifty issue Marvel Comic series and its three annuals.

Each issue featured a digest style layout, incorporating a handful of stories in each issue with no continuity. The majority of the series was written by Michael Gallagher, who was a veteran of Mad Magazine, as well as several other "children" based titles; Heathcliff, Sonic the Hedgehog and Archie, to name a few. It was drawn by Steve Manak and Marie Severin.

Beyond that though, there's not really much to say. Alf isn't a super hero, he doesn't have a book with deep narratives or overarching plot points. Nope. He's just a brown furry puppet who lived with the Tanner family, and longed to eat their cat, Lucky.

With that, I leave you with a cover gallery of each issue from the Marvel run.

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Alf (Coleco)

Alf
Coleco
1986 - 1987

Freakin' sweet! It's Alf!

Fans of the fury Melmacian know the character has been around for quite some time now. He began on television screens in the self titles show which ran from 1986 to 1990, while also appearing in a Marvel Comics series (50 issues), and an animated series which ran for two seasons. Let's not forget the 2004  Alf''s Hit Talk Show which sadly only aired for seven episodes.

Fans of the alien were in luck in the late 80's. Not only was the show a hit among viewers, but merchandise was everywhere. Shirts, school supplies, stickers, and of course toys (and more) could be found pretty much everywhere.

Today we're having a look at the Coleco stuffed toys that were prevalent during the hay days of Melmac's infamous alien. Four different versions of the character could be found, each with its own specific feature / function.

For the Alf purist, there's the ever trusty plush version. It came in a saucer style cardboard box that featured very little artwork, or color for that mater. However, out of all the toys, it's definitely one of the better versions released. Especially if you just want an Alf to snuggle with while you watch your cartoons, and eat cereal.

 Alf - Alien Life Form

For those who wanted a little more bang for their buck, there were also two "talking" versions.

The first was developed in the style of Teddy Ruxpin. I.E. it had a tape deck on the back of the "doll" which you could insert cassettes into. Each cassette featured a story on each side.

 Talking Alf - The Storytelling Alien

Talking Alf - The Storytelling Alien (as it was known as) came packed with one cassette, and offered three additional cassettes - Each sold separately.

 Talking Alf - The Storytelling Alien Cassettes

Then there was Wisecracking Alf which would speak one of his favorite expressions when you pressed his stomach. Of course, much like any talking doll of the era, it's prone to get squeaky over time - Not to mention that ever infamous tinny sound.

 Wisecracking Alf - The Outspoken Talking Alien

For the Alf fan on the go, Stick Around Alf was a no brainer for your car window. He didn't do much beyond that, but you could always depend on him to hang around (ba-dum tshh).

Stick Around Alf

Though Alf has been dormant for some time, it is possible that the character will one day return. A feature film has been proposed and in the works since 2012 which would involve a CGI Alf alongside human characters ala Smurfs style. Movie posters exist for the film, and have for some time. You can find them "HERE".

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