Neilalien : A Doctor Strange Fansite : A Comic Book Weblog  

Uncle Stan says There's Money In Comics! Happy Birthday to Stan Lee- 87 years young today!

Disney sees dollar-signs in Marvel's lesser-known superheroes [AP on Yahoo Finance]

Marvel/DC can't win re: those fickle superhero fans [Examiner.com]
"If they change the status quo of popular characters, [they're] alienating their fan base; and if they don't, [they're] bleeding the properties dry."

Mickey Mouse, Homophobe [Sans Everything (Jeet Heer)]
Felix the Cat & Blackface [Sans Everything (Jeet Heer)]

Posted 28 December 02009 - Permalink

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Marvel solicits for March 02010 includes The Mystic Hands of Dr. Strange [Comic Book Resources]

The Mystic Hands of Dr. Strange

Written by KIERON GILLEN, PETER MILLIGAN, TED MCKEEVER & MIKE CAREY
Penciled by FRAZIER IRVING, FRANK BRUNNER, TED MCKEEVER & more!
Cover by LUCIO PARRILLO
It's the Sorcerer Supreme versus the magical might of the political terrorist known as the Doktor! Stephen Strange struggles with a decision to help a man crippled by his worst memories! And the Master of the Mystic Arts battles a demon in the streets of New York! All this and more in this all-new, all-action, all-black-and-white one-shot in the spirit of the Mighty Marvel Magazines of yore, but ALL-NOW in style! The magical mayhem never lets up for a moment over these four stories by some of Marvel's hottest creators!
48 PGS./Black & White/One-Shot
Parental Advisory... $3.99

Well damn, this book sounds hot. Happy Holidays to the Doctor Strange fans! Neilalien didn't even know this was coming out- and Google-Fu reveals no mentions of it before yesterday? (Although Slay, Monstrobot of the Deep!! might have known something...)

Kieron Gillen's Workblog

Also in March: "Tony Stark and Dr. Strange vs. the end of the world, alone inside the shattered recesses of Tony's once-great mind!" in Matt Fraction's Invincible Iron Man #24. Here's the sweet cover to January's #22; sounds like a sweet Doc story arc at least three issues long:

Invincible Iron Man #22

To all a Happy Holidays!

Posted 22 December 02009 - Permalink

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Must read: Gil Kane's legendary Alter Ego #10 01969 interview [Grantbridge Street]

(Gary Groth's "Welcome to TCJ.com" essay- floating Baby Ruth candy bar in the swimming pool of non-TCJ comics writing/blogging/criticism on the interwebs that it tries to be- does bring at least two Holiday gifts: (1) it inspired this smackdown and discussion of Groth's essay, and (2) Groth's praise of Kane's interview above in the history of comics criticism inspired Neilalien's Google-Fu to find a way to consume the interview once again.)

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November 02009 Marvel month-to-month sales analysis: Strange #1 swings low at #89 and 23,362 sold [The Beat] [ICv2] [Neilalien's Doctor Strange Historical Sales Numbers]

The hungry throngs take to the streets protesting that they still do not yet know what Neilalien thinks of the new Strange miniseries. What the hell kind of Doctor Strange fansite is this? The executive summary: He thought #1 was terrible, but he thought #2 was much better, so mid-January's #3 will be the rubber match. A proper braindump should appear shortly after #3.

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Marvel's Girl Comics in 02010: cool three-issue anthology miniseries created entirely by women (same type of animal as the recent indie Strange Tales) [The Beat] [of course the usual hilarity must ensue]

Lovenote/Recap re: John Byrne's Fantastic Four run [Again With The Comics]

Growing Up Heroes is a blog that collects your childhood pictures in superhero costumes [via Kottke]

Posted 21 December 02009 - Permalink

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Steve Ditko's Single Digit Salute [panel on Flickr] [source of panel?]

Liam Neeson gets the nod in the latest fan's casting of a Doctor Strange live-action movie [ComicBookMovie]

Rarish Marvel Story Book Annual from 01967 has Doc content [Ebay auction just ended]
Two text stories: "Guardian of the Tomb" (about how Doc's astral form helps save two kids who were exploring an old cave) and "Flight into Danger" (Doc rescues two kids whose plane went down in the jungle). Also a page of "Jokes from Doctor Strange" (just random jokes on a page with no illo of Doc). [thanks Sanctum!- who also warns that said Doc content is not that good, especially not $200 collectible good]

In defense of the serialized periodical; a $4 22-pager can be "a satisfying chunk"; attention is currency of the realm; the monthly payment plan; people forget that the creative costs of manga digests here was covered by serialization in Japan; supercomics have more problems with craft than format; OGNs not a magic bullet [Brian Hibbs Tilting At Windmills] [Update: The Beat]

Robert Crumb Thinks God Might Actually Be Crazy [Vanity Fair]

Posted 20 December 02009 - Permalink

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Searching for Steve Ditko [Dangerous Minds]

Cliff Chiang's Boston Comic-Con 02009 sketches include Doctor Strange [Cliff Chiang] [thanks Christian!]

Frank Frazetta's son busted for trying to steal his father's art [Boing Boing]

David Lynch describes a visit with George Lucas and why he turned down Lucas' offer to direct Return of the Jedi [Kottke]

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I lost one of my best friends- and this world lost one of its coolest chicks- this weekend, absurdly far too soon. Sleep tight, Stephanie. Love, Neil

Posted 15 December 02009 - Permalink

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Shade Even when Steve Ditko is just sending a letter to a fanzine, he writes things like, "Only the corrupt fear justice and honest criticism." [Kleefeld On Comics] [via Comics Reporter]
Scan from Fanzation #3 circa 01969. Anecdote says Ditko pointblank informed them that he was lied to re: promised Spidey royalties.

Remember the halcyon days when all we had to roll our eyes about was putting Dr. Strange in bed with Clea and Scarlet Witch in New Avengers: Illuminati #4? [eyeofagamotto Dr. Strange LiveJournal fandom community]

Warning: This ROM Annual #2 original art page for sale is billed as Steve Ditko's work, but Sal Buscema drew that issue

Classic promotional material about the Comics Code Authority [My Confined Space] [via Robot 6]

60 Minutes 01985 story on the dangers of Dungeons & Dragons [YouTube]

Posted 10 December 02009 - Permalink

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Disney's/Jerry Bruckheimer's/Nic Cage's The Sorcerer's Apprentice: if it's good, it steals any Dr. Strange movie's thunder for ten years; if it bombs, it sets back a Dr. Strange movie ten years [first ever trailer on io9]

Craig Yoe's The Art of Ditko out next week [ComicList]

Michel Fiffe interviews Marcos Martin (The Oath) [The Beat]

Commissioner Gordon's Guide to How To Fire Someone In Gotham City And Not Create A Supervillain [CollegeHumor]

Posted 9 December 02009 - Permalink

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One list of definitive Doctor Strange stories [The Cool Kids Table]

Long public interrogation of writer Matt Fraction has good stuff for the interested: the life of writing, the comics industry/direct market, Casanova, mending fences after saying dicky things on Savant, etc. [Whitechapel]

30-year-old geezer increasingly finding Big Event superhero comics to be blah [Geoff Klock]

This strikes more as a fairly riskless checklist of should-know comics from the '00s rather than 'the best comics of the '00s' [AV Club]

Posted 8 December 02009 - Permalink

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There is only one reason for the instant replays in the classic arcade game Food Fight: to nuke the momentum of a hot player.

Posted 7 December 02009 - Permalink

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H. P. Lovecraft, Founding Father of SF Fandom [Tor.com] [via The Browser]
Great stuff about the pre-blogosphere: the amateur press association or APA.

Kentucky library will move its graphic novel section away from the young adult section after local The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier hubbub [Kentucky.com]

Interview with R. Sikoryak re: his Masterpiece Comics and those wacky mashups [Comic Book Resources]

Reminder: Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival today
That's a pretty fancy list of guest artists, and free admission.

Congrats and thanks to Progressive Ruin for six years of comics weblog superiorness! [Progressive Ruin]

Posted 5 December 02009 - Permalink

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Mr. A splash page by Ditko from 01968 reportedly sells for whopping $38,837.50 at auction [20th Century Danny Boy; other Ditko art at link]

Good long rant exposes retailer bemoaning they they don't have a very specific nostalgia-validating kind of superhero comic that they read as kids to try to sell to kids today [Comics212]

Industry wonk sadness: Disney absorption of Marvel after 31 December vote likely means no more detailed Marvel financial information [ICv2] [CBR]
Neilalien likes to see how the publishing segment is doing.

Check Out Concept Art From Marvel's Futuristic Theme Park, to be built in Dubai [Cinematical]

Posted 4 December 02009 - Permalink

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Dr. Strange, best superhero spokesperson for health care reform! [Ecocomics]

Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #41: When Wolverine came over for a slumber party [Random Longbox]

The incredible shrinking Red Sonja chainmail shirt [Lady, That's My Skull]

An art exhibit celebrating six black Marvel superheroes: Friday 18 December in NYC at the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute [Marvelous Color] [via Glyphs]

Posted 3 December 02009 - Permalink

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Strange #2 out tomorrow [preview at Comic Book Resources]

The superheroes of Japan who predated Superman and Batman [Hero Complex]

Record Set for Manga First Printing: 2.85 Million Copies of One Piece Vol. 56 [ICv2]
Print size of top October single in Direct Market, Blackest Night #4: 137,169.

Disney to remake Black Hole [Mania.com]
They must be happy with how the Tron remake is going, because BH has been handed to the same team. Improvements already planned: better Black Hole science, Maximilian to now come with full range of blender settings.

Posted 2 December 02009 - Permalink

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If you've ever wondered why that Sal Buscema pin-up in Giant-Size Defenders #1 said, "See you in our 25 cent Titan-fest, Tuan!"- now you know [Giant Size Marvel Comics] [on Flickr]

Why Kieron Gillen Should Immediately Be Made Writer On Doctor Strange. NOW!! [Slay, Monstrobot of the Deep!!]
"Magic is naught but symbolism, weaponized."

Power Girl Lectures Women for Complaining About Her Costume [Comics Alliance]
But the cleavage window is so empowering.

Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival: this weekend, Saturday 5 December, Williamsburg [more at The Beat]

Posted 1 December 02009 - Permalink

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