Neilalien : A Doctor Strange Fansite : A Comic Book Weblog  

PALINDROME

NEILALIEN

A Doctor Strange Fansite
A Comic Book Weblog/Portal
A Steve Ditko Fansite
A Mysterious Palindrome

Links Open Windows

NEILALIEN STATUS
Neilalien.com: occasional linkblog
Twitter: linkblog RSS & Doc/geek retweets
Mastodon: linkblog RSS & Doc/geek boosts
Tumblr: linkblog RSS & Doc/geek reblogs
Facebook: nonfunctional
Neilalien RSS Feed

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Latest Weblog Post:

11 Is A Palindromic Number, and,
A Recusal

Please celebrate with Neilalien his 11th Blogiversary! Exclesior!

That's 1,111 in internet/weblog/dog years. You won't find a better combination of starting earlier and blogging longer in comics-blogging.

But alas, as of today, Neilalien is officially recusing himself from the news, entertainments, and expectations of the near-daily visitor to his website.

Now is a good time- 11 is a palindromic number, of course...

[25 Feb 02011: More...]

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Dr. Strange Information
 [Story List] [Powers/Items]
 [Origins] [Book of Names]
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 [Oath #3 Cover Lineup]
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 [Recommended Reading]

Email Neilalien:
webmaster AT neilalien.com

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More: OriginPre-Blog Links

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Overheard in a comic con bathroom:

"We have a new character... named Dr. Strange... Twas Steve's idea."
- Stan Lee, letter to Comic Reader #16, 23 February 01963, as quoted in Steve Ditko's 32-Page Package v.5 Tsk! Tsk!

"I'm telling you, the only reason that Neilalien has lasted so long is because he kills younger, more innocent, bloggers and drinks their blood in some twisted Ditko-inspired mystical ceremony."
- Fanboy Rampage 10/17/02005

"Is that the Eye of Yaphet Kotto?"
- A demon, Marvel Comics Presents #20

"The funny thing about that is that comic books and wrestling are two of the original arts that America has given to the world- the other being jazz."
- CM Punk, Inked Magazine interview 3/23/02012

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Creators/Publishers: Neilalien would love to help,
but he does not accept free comics or review submissions.

"Do not accept for review a book you are
predisposed to dislike, or committed by
friendship to like." - John Updike


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PURPLE GEMS

ICv2: Comics Direct Market 50th Anniversary: year-long series of commentary, interviews, and history

[6 December 02023]

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Progressive Ruin major milestone: 20 years of comics blogging: Wow! How?? Congrats! Excelsior!

[5 December 02023]

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Dungeons & Dragons stamps to mark the game's 50th anniversary

U.S. Postal Service Reveals Additional Stamps For [0]2024

[4 December 02023]

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Long career lovenote to the great comics creator Keith Giffen, who died in October [TCJ]

[28 November 02023]

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Marvel's February 02024 solicits include a Bats story!

DOCTOR STRANGE #12
Jed MacKay (W)
DANILO S. BEYRUTH (A)
Cover by Alex Ross
MARVEL 97 VARIANT COVER BY TBA
VARIANT COVER BY PACO MEDINA
Doctor Strange is a busy man- sometimes, it seems like the busiest man. But that man has a best friend.
So when there's something strange haunting the Sanctum Sanctorum, who can we turn to? Why, BATS THE GHOST DOG, of course!
But can Bats solve the mystery on his own, or is this good dog in over his head?
32 PGS./Rated T+ $3.99

CAPTAIN AMERICA #6
J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI (W)
LAN MEDINA (A)
Cover by Taurin Clarke
VARIANT COVER BY DIKE RUAN
MARVEL 97 VARIANT COVER BY Pete Woods
BLACK HISTORY MONTH VARIANT COVER BY MATEUS MANHANINI
CAPTAIN AMERICA VS. THE EMISSARY! It's a fight to the death as Captain America races to take down the Emissary before he destroys a peace rally- and Cap himself. But when physical might proves futile against the supernatural, will an assist from Doctor Strange be enough to turn the tide?
32 PGS./Rated T+ $4.99
Cover w/Doc and the Eye of Agamotto on Cap's shield!

DAREDEVIL #6
SALADIN AHMED (W)
AARON KUDER (A)
Cover by JOHN ROMITA JR. (w/Doc)
MARVEL 97 VARIANT COVER BY Ben Su
VARIANT COVER BY SERGIO DAVILA
A BOOK OF REVELATIONS!
In their first no-holds-barred arc of DAREDEVIL, Saladin Ahmed and Aaron Kuder tore Matt Murdock's world asunder! With those closest to him ensnared by some dangerous and malevolent force, Matt's been left with nothing but questions. IN THIS ISSUE, he finally starts to get some answers from the STRANGEst source of all...
32 PGS./Rated T+ $4.99

SENTRY #3 (OF 4)
JASON LOO (W)
LUIGI ZAGARIA (A)
Cover by BEN HARVEY
VARIANT COVER BY GIUSEPPE CAMUNCOLI
When Misty Knight and Jessica Jones uncover a connection between the new Sentries and the occult, they call upon the only people who might be able to make sense of it- Stephen and Clea Strange. But why do the Sentries they've managed to identify seem to be disappearing?
32 PGS./Rated T+ $3.99

[27 November 02023]

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Did Deadpool Sexually Assault Doctor Strange?

X-Force #45 and #46
Doctor Strange in a couple pages of standard consult-and-transport role, helping X-Force analyze and use a captured ring-key to get in and out of Colossus' brother's pocket-dimension prison. Deadpool says he has goosed Doc- and while he expected the flat ass of a sedentary scholar, was surprised to find sculpted cantaloupes.

[13 November 02023]

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Jonathan Hickman Ties G.O.D.S. To Black Swans & Black Priests

Black Priests Black Swans Library Of Worlds [Fandom Marvel Database]

Doctor Strange Meets Marvel's Newest Characters In Preview Of G.O.D.S. #3

While Neilalien is pleasantly surprised that there has been so much Doctor Strange in G.O.D.S.- and his accoutrements- Living Tribunal's staff, In-Betweener's Skinner box- and Hickman is referring to his Incursions/Secret Wars, Black Priests and Swans- we must assume Doc is mostly here as audience, clueless-reader stand-in, connection to the rest of the Marvel Universe, passive observer of these new characters in their own book. We shall see...

[12 November 02023]

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Comics Retailer: It's Nearly [0]2024 And I'm More Than Concerned
"Go woke go broke" nonsense to the right of you...

Retailer Warns That Comics Are Dying Again
and Neros fiddling past graveyards to your left...

[11 November 02023]

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Interview: Retailer Ron Hill Talks About The Closing Of JHU Manhattan
[iconic NYC comic shop Jim Hanley's Universe] [good read; lots here; nuts-and-bolts re: publishers/creators keeping to a release schedule, keeping books in print, having relevant books on shelves when a movie/TV show comes out; Invincible: the serialized periodical begets the TPB collections begets the TV show begets the Compendium selling; the Diamond distribution divorce didn't end monopoly and create more competition in a positive way, just more work for retailers, lots of fiefdoms, and reduced order-size discounts] [The Beat]

[10 November 02023]

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AI Is Coming To Comics Whether We Like It Or Not. Are There Ways It Could Help?
[Rob Salkowitz column on ICv2]
[AI can help with compiling and analyzing sales data, marketing, translations, reconfiguring comics from the printed page format to the digital infinite-vertical scroll, etc... but then the more humble jobs of backgrounds and coloring are next... "labor-saving" becomes "labor replacement"... please don't use it to actually write and draw... the myth of the frustrated storyteller now empowered by AI tools to give voice to their imagination... removing the frustration and skill-mastery that might be necessary for art/creation...]

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Update: More Salkowitz/ICv2: Is A Post-Superhero Direct Market Even Possible?
[DM shops struggle without the reliable Wednesday juice of superhero collectability and continuity that has become increasingly kaput... "there are paths forward for comics that seem lucrative and straightforward, based around sales of trade books, manga, Webtoons and other formats, and in converting stores into more experience-oriented destinations with events, game nights, community involvement and more... Given a choice of how to spend scarce resources: on risky products that appeal to an unproven new customer segment, or overserving dependable customers, it's clear where many retailers placed their bets..."]

[8 November 02023]

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Letterer Todd Klein with some long lovely posts lately:

[via LMG]

[7 November 02023]

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Crisis At Marvel: Jonathan Majors Back-Up Plans, 'The Marvels' Reshoots, Reviving Original Avengers And More Issues Revealed [Variety]

Update: Marvel Studios Taking Stock Of Strategy Amid 'The Marvels' Meltdown [Hollywood Reporter]
[an emphasis on quantity to feed Disney+ with content seen as causing superhero glut and hurting quality; 'The Marvels' had the worst MCU opening ever; audiences complaining they have to watch all the TV shows to understand movies that aren't theater-worthy; only one movie now next year (Deadpool 3), instead of three]

[6 November 02023]

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Doctor Strange #9 is out!

Preview at Comics Continuum

Collected reviews at Comic Book Round Up

Variant cover regime at Midtown Comics

Entry at Fandom Marvel Database

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Also: Crypt Of Shadows (V4) #1 02023 one-shot [out 18 Oct in time for Halloween]

This year's installment of Crypt Of Shadows has "the insane vampire brother of Doctor Strange", Victor Strange, continuing his new appearance-meme from last year's digital Strange Tales: Victor Strange Infinity Comic, a mirror-trapped phantom in the Sanctum Sanctorum, with Crypt-Keeper-like horror-comic-hosting duties, knowing all, plotting revenge, wearing pajamas, and teased to be free and coming to the pages of Doctor Strange when we least expect him. The ex-Baron Blood is back in the toybox for Marvel creators to use.

Update: Is Al Ewing Coming To Doctor Strange?

[5 November 02023]

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Steve Ditko would have had his 96th birthday today! [Wikipedia]

[2 November 02023]

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Marvel's January 02024 solicits include:

DOCTOR STRANGE #11 (out 3 Jan)
Jed MacKay (W)
DANILO S. BEYRUTH (A)
Cover by Alex Ross
VARIANT COVER BY MEGHAN HETRICK
WOLVERINE WOLVERINE WOLVERINE VARIANT COVER BY E.J. SU
In the aftermath of the war with General Strange, Stephen and Clea must set things to rights.
But what about Clea's new sister? Will they really return her to her warlord parents?
Can the Stranges reckon with the legacy of the Faltine?
32 PGS./Rated T+ $3.99

Update: Doctor Strange appearing prominently with Wyn on the cover of G.O.D.S. #4

[30 October 02023]

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Jewish Comics Experience [JewCE.org]

The Museum and Laboratory of the Jewish Comics Experience is an exhibition that opens 9 October at the Center for Jewish History in Manhattan, and runs until the end of the year.

New Exhibit Showcases Jewish Roots In Comic Books [NY1]

[5 October 02023]

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Doctor Strange #8 is out today!

Preview at Comics Continuum

Collected reviews at Comic Book Round Up

Variant cover regime at Midtown Comics

Entry at Fandom Marvel Database

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Also out today:

Doctor Strange by Jed MacKay Volume 1: The Life of Doctor Strange TPB

G.O.D.S. #1 Skottie Young variant cover; is Wyn a Doctor Strange variant?

Fantastic Four #12 has a dinosaur Doctor Strange

[4 October 02023]

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Marvel's November and December 02023 solicits continue Doctor vs. General

DOCTOR STRANGE #9
Jed MacKay (W)
Pasqual Ferry (A)
Cover by ALEX ROSS
Variant Cover by PHIL NOTO
Variant Cover by DAVID MACK
Knight's End Variant Cover by Meghan Hetrick
With General Strange's endgame in sight, Doctor Strange must confront the man he could have been. But everyone has their own agenda... Can the Vishanti be trusted? Is W.A.N.D. capable of changing for the better, or will they return to their black-ops roots? Which Strange will Clea side with? It all comes to a head as the battle for the soul of Stephen Strange begins!
32 PGS./Rated T+ $3.99

DOCTOR STRANGE #10
Jed MacKay (W)
Pasqual Ferry (A)
Cover by Alex Ross
NIGHTMARE VARIANT COVER BY PEACH MOMOKO
SKI CHALET VARIANT COVER BY PABLO VILLALOBOS
SKI CHALET VIRGIN VARIANT COVER BY PABLO VILLALOBOS
VARIANT COVER BY EMILIO LAISO
GENERAL STRANGE VS. THE SORCERER SUPREME!
General Strange has a millennium of fierce and ruthless experience over the Sorcerer Supreme.
How can Doctor Strange protect the Earth and all of magic?
And what dark creature will he have to become to best General Strange?
32 PGS./Rated T+ $3.99

CAPTAIN MARVEL #3
Alyssa Wong (W)
TBA (A)
Cover by Stephen Segovia
Variant Cover by Marguerite Sauvage
Variant Cover by Joshua "Sway" Swaby
Nightmare variant cover by Peach Momoko
STEALING FROM THE STRANGES!
Captain Marvel's taken up a new profession: thievery! Not that she had much choice in the matter, with Yuna Yang shuttling her to the Negative Zone every time Carol's do-gooder attitude gets in the way. The Captain's gotta get these Nega-Bands off so she can reclaim her life, and who better to ask advice from than the Sorcerer Supreme, Clea Strange? But when Yuna's hands get sticky again, Carol finds herself in the sorcerer's crosshairs...
32 PGS./Rated T+ $3.99

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The Tradd Moore Doctor Strange: Fall Sunrise Treasury Edition oversized TPB is out! And if you've seen it in the shop- it's huge and beautiful!
[Obscurities In Miniature YouTube review showing the size]

[30 September 02023]

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Doctor Strange #7 is out!

Preview at Comics Continuum

Collected reviews at Comic Book Round Up

Variant cover regime at Midtown Comics

Entry at Fandom Marvel Database

[9 September 02023]

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Longtime Marvel X-Men Artist Dan Green Passes Away

Worked at Marvel for over 25 years, primarily as an inker. Re: Doctor Strange, Green inked/finished many Gene Colan books, drew Roger Stern's run vs. Dracula, and beautifully painted the Doctor Strange: Into Shamballa graphic novel.

Dan Green [Wikipedia]

Daniel Green [Penciler] [Inker] [Fandom Marvel Database/Wiki]

[26 August 02023]

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"It Could Be Better, But It Could Be Worse": Shops Discuss The Often Difficult Year So Far In Comics Retail [by David Harper at SKTCHD]

[via Comics Retailers See Uncertain Future [The Beat]]

"70% of the publishers could disappear tomorrow, and 90% of the customers wouldn't even notice... My wish for this year is that the chasm between what publishers put out and what we can actually sell gets smaller... pump out more and more variant covers in the vain hopes to find more buyers..."

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Can Anything Cure Marvel's Malaise? [The Beat]

Marvel Needs New Imprints If The Company Wants To Take Bigger Risks [CBR]

Marvel Might Be In Need Of A Fresh Start [SKTCHD (paywall)]
["Marvel benefits from inertia more than any other publisher."]

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Update: CBLDF Calls for Collective Action [Publishers Weekly]
["Jeff Trexler, interim director of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, told PW that the book bans happening across the country were a topic of much conversation at San Diego Comic-Con."]

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To Mr. MacKay, With Apologies [SKTCHD (paywall)]
[praise for MacKay, among other things, the current writer of Doctor Strange]

[22 August 02023]

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Overworked And Underpaid, VFX Workers Vote To Unionize At Marvel [Vulture]

Marvel VFX Artists Vote To Unionize [Variety]

Marvel Studios VFX Workers File To Join IATSE Union [Hollywood Reporter]

Marvel VFX Workers Vote To Unionize Under IATSE [Vanity Fair]

I'm A VFX Artist, And I'm Tired Of Getting 'Pixel-Fked' By Marvel [Vulture 7/02022]

Marvel VFX Workers On 'Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania' [Vulture 2/02023]

Inside The VFX Union Brewing In Hollywood [Vulture 1/02023]

IATSE = International Alliance Of Theatrical Stage Employees [Wikipedia]

VFX = Visual Effects [Wikipedia]

[8 August 02023]

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Doctor Strange #6 is out! [2 Aug]

Preview at Comics Continuum

Collected reviews at Comic Book Round Up

Variant cover regime at Midtown Comics

Braindump:

  • The origin of General Strange is told... We see a lot more about the War of the Seven Spheres than we ever have before...
  • 5,000 years of war turned Doc into a traumatized sunk-cost-fallacy psychopath (it'll do that)...
  • The Trinity of Ashes wanted the battle-hardened General imprisoned for peace, and peacetime ain't for him, and the Vishanti made a deal with the Doctor that he would return- so a split was done and everything that made up the General was under-the-rugged...
  • Sounds like the General was freed when the Doctor died... the binding was linked to Doc's life force...
  • General Strange reminds of the War Doctor version of Doctor Who...
  • Is it a retcon here that Doc doesn't remember what happened during the War of the Seven Spheres? He seems to have remembered it in the past, yes? He remembered all the time in the Vishanti's libraries and the syzygy he used to re-power in DSSS #80...
  • Never thought we'd see that fancy shirt again...
  • Any comics with the Trinity of Ashes, Neilalien is probably going to enjoy...
  • Neilalien pronounces Ygmlosvorraich "Igg-meh-loss-vorr-raysh"...
  • Did not expect the War to be "sword and planet"- that sci-fi genre where there's advanced tech but people still fight hand-to-hand with swords- a more creative mind-bending magickal war should have been portrayed?- enjoyed "the thaumonuclear blast that detonated the ley lines and rendered the prayer-fields uninhabitable"- but then we got a lot of grunt troops with polearms on battlefields?- to fight for land?... at least show Mindless Ones as such troops...
  • The real problematic Doctor Strange clone here is this "Wyn" from G.O.D.S. and that waste of a page...
  • It's cliché and irresistible catnip to creators- but what better villain could there be for a hero than the hero's mirror reverse? The doubling/split is a great idea! Bring on Doctor vs. General!

[6 August 02023]

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Marvel's August, September, and October 02023 solicits sound like a Doctor vs. General Strange battle royale; include Hickman's G.O.D.S. #1

DOCTOR STRANGE #6 [out 2 Aug in three days!]
Jed MacKay (W)
Juan GEDEON (A)
Cover by Alex Ross
G.O.D.S. VARIANT COVER BY EMA LUPACCHINO
STORMBREAKERS VARIANT COVER BY NIC KLEIN
VARIANT COVER BY GEORGE PEREZ
VIRGIN VARIANT COVER BY GEORGE PEREZ
Many years ago, Doctor Strange fought in a five thousand-year battle called the War of the Seven Spheres. But what was it? And how did it create the mysterious threat that plagues Strange today? PLUS: A bonus page written by Jonathan Hickman- WHO ARE THE G.O.D.S.?
32 PGS./Rated T+ $3.99

DOCTOR STRANGE #7
Jed MacKay (W)
Pasqual Ferry (A)
Cover by ALEX ROSS
VARIANT COVER BY GREG LAND
VARIANT COVER BY STEPHANIE HANS
MEET GENERAL STRANGE!
Stephen Strange is a doctor who has sworn to do no harm. But there's another, darker side to him, and its his duty to win at any cost. Can Stephen best his mirror image, trained through thousands of years of mystic war?
32 PGS./Rated T+ $3.99

DOCTOR STRANGE #8
Jed MacKay (W)
Pasqual Ferry (A)
Cover by ALEX ROSS
VARIANT COVER BY PETE WOODS
NEW CHAMPIONS VARIANT COVER BY Romy Jones
With the enemy revealed, Doctor Strange and his allies rush to confront his evil doppelganger, General Strange!
But does the Doctor stand a chance again the General's five thousand years of experience?
And will Stephen and Clea's marriage hold in the face of such a threat?
32 PGS./Rated T+ $3.99

G.O.D.S. #1
This ENORMOUS EXTRA-SIZED first issue features DOCTOR STRANGE, who, while not boring at all, is easily the most boring person in the book.

BLADE #4
Doctor Strange guest-stars in this action-packed heist that gives new meaning to the term "bullet train"!

GHOST RIDER #18
Guest starring DOCTOR STRANGE!

STRANGE ACADEMY: MILES MORALES #1
STRANGE ACADEMY: MOON KNIGHT #1

[30 July 02023]

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Meta, Microsoft, Hundreds More Own Trademarks To New Twitter Name [Twitter is changing its name to "X"- X is so widely used and cited in trademarks that it is a candidate for legal challenges- including Disney/Marvel?- they have been known to use "X" quite a bit- X-Men, X-Force, X of X, X-cetera]

Interesting: This isn't the first time Elon Musk has tried to rebrand something X.com [Paypal in 02000]

Marvel was bought for $4 billion in 02009- and Star Wars for $4 billion in 02012- both by Disney- Disney earned $18 billion in global box office from Marvel movies 02009-02019- Disney recouped its purchase of Star Wars in six years- it's astonishing to think that each purchase cost $40 billion less than Twitter

[25 July 02023]

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"Go Bleed On That Page, Hero!": The Tradd Moore Interview [Comics Journal]

[24 July 02023]

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Disney Reveals 'Doctor Strange 2' Cost $100 Million More Than Its Estimated Budget [Forbes]

• $213.7M spent on pre-production and filming
• $135.3M spent on making the movie/post-production
• $349M total cost to make movie!
• estimates were "only" $200M
• COVID-19 delayed production, increased costs
• -$54.5M UK 25% reimbursement [Forbes]
• takes cost down to $294.5M
• Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness grossed $955.8M [Box Office Mojo]
• studios get half of the ticket sales so $477.9M
• $477.9M - $294.5M = $183.4M profit?
• unclear if massive marketing costs are included here, but unlikely; was even $100M profit achieved?
• maybe after merchandising?

[22 July 02023]

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Announced at Comic-Con: The next wave of the Marvel Legends figure series is Marvel Knights- with a Clea figure, and a Mindless One Build-A-Figure! [Toyark]

[21 July 02023]

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Marvel Settles Creator Copyright Lawsuits- But Not Steve Ditko [Bleeding Cool]

Marvel Settles With Four Artists In Superhero Copyright Fight [Reuters; 9 Jun]

Disney's Marvel has agreed to end its court battles with four artists who attempted to reclaim copyright interests in superheroes they co-created including Iron Man, Ant-Man and Captain Marvel, according to federal court filings published on Friday. The filings said Marvel would drop its lawsuits against Larry Lieber and the estates of Don Heck, Gene Colan and Don Rico with prejudice, which means they cannot be refiled. A Disney spokesperson and an attorney for the artists said they had reached an "amicable resolution." Marvel did not appear to have settled with the estate of comic book artist Steve Ditko, which is seeking to reclaim his share of copyrights in Spider-Man and Doctor Strange.

Marvel, Artist's Estate Ask For Pre-Trial Wins In Superhero Copyright Fight [Reuters; 22 May]

Walt Disney Co's Marvel and the estate of artist Steve Ditko both asked a Manhattan federal judge on Friday to hand them a win without waiting for trial in their copyright dispute over rights to superheroes Spider-Man and Doctor Strange. Marvel urged the court to reject the estate's effort to reclaim Ditko's interest in the characters, arguing he co-created them on the company's behalf. Ditko's estate argued that he developed his heroes and stories independently, and that Marvel intentionally avoided hiring him because of the "dire state of its business" at the time.

Also, a Ditko letter in the treasure trove of litigation documents: What Steve Ditko Thought About Doctor Strange And Other Marvel Movies

[18 July 02023]

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How Manga Was Translated For America [NY Times] [gift link probably won't live long; found via Hacker News] [fun article/presentation with many little items like vertically vs. horizontally-oriented word balloons, how they used to flip the art so manga could be read like American comics and it made everyone left-handed, the Japanese love for onomatopoeia, etc.]

[16 July 02023]

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Will Burning Comic Books Be Next? [CounterPunch]

[14 July 02023]

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San Diego Comic-Con International is 20-23 July [Program Schedule]

Update: According to the SAG-AFTRA Member Strike FAQ, members cannot do promotion/publicity services like conventions, panels, social media, etc., for struck work or struck companies. The strike is expected to hit the ever-more-Hollywood Comic-Con hard. Comic-Con will be just for comics again!

Update: 'Too Big To Fail': San Diego Comic-Con Survives- And Thrives- With Or Without Hollywood [The Wrap]

Update: New York Comic-Con is 12-15 October

[9 July 02023]

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The East Village Zine Fair is taking place this weekend 8-9 July [EV Grieve]

[7 July 02023]

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'Stan Lee' Review: Disney Doc On The Marvel Legend Is A Lame Infomercial [Rolling Stone]

Probably the best article to be found re: the utter pablum of the new Stan Lee documentary by David Gelb- although unfortunately it recommends toxic hit-piece True Believer as an alternative.

Saying again: "It's a sign of the comic-book field's eternal immaturity that the debate-meme-choices are this extreme binary of essentially either Lee hagiographies doing 100% as claimed, or simplistic 50%-50%, or Lee was a craven parasite who did 0%."

The "I saw a fly crawling on a wall" groaner supposedly inspiring the creation of Spider-Man is in the first two minutes!

[Rotten Tomatoes] [IMDb]

Update: Jeet Heer: "Both Marvel & DC have documentaries out built on the same false premise: that comics are created by management (editors) rather than freelancers (writer/artists/cartoonists). Both documentaries are acts of class war on behalf of corporate power."

Update: Jeet Heer at The Nation: How Stan Lee Became The Face Of An Exploitative Industry

[26 June 02023]

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John Romita, legendary Marvel comics creator, developed Spider-Man post-Ditko, romance artist who got Peter Parker laid, has died at 93

The Comics Journal obituary

Entertainment Weekly obit

LA Times obit

NY Times obit

An Interview With John Romita By Tom Spurgeon [Comics Journal, 02003]

Roy Thomas interviews John Romita [Alter Ego Vol. 3 #9]

Guardian obit
["When Stan Lee put Romita on Spider-Man in 1966, Marvel Comics- and its growing army of fans- really did hit the jackpot."]

John Romita Sr. [Wikipedia]

[18 June 02023]

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Marvel's June and July 02023 solicits include Doctor Strange, Illuminati

Marvel's next event is Ultimate Invasion, a four-issue mini-series by Hickman and Hitch, that will feature elements/characters from the influential imprint Ultimate Universe/Earth-1610, The Maker (the alternate Reed Richards) and Miles Morales/Spider-Man, post-Secret-Wars. The solicit for #1 says, "The Illuminati must form once again to stop the Maker from his plans to destroy- or perhaps rebuild- the universe, with Miles Morales at the center of it all!" With the Illuminati getting back together, will Dr. Strange be (a) present and (b) competent and (c) not an Illuminasshat?

Jonathan Hickman And Bryan Hitch Are Teaming Up For A New Ultimate Marvel Comic [EW]

DOCTOR STRANGE #4
Jed MacKay (W)
ANDY MACDONALD (A)
Cover by Alex Ross
Clea Variant Cover by DERRICK CHEW
VARIANT COVER BY CHRISTIAN WARD
MEET WONG... AGENT OF W.A.N.D.!
Wong and magic super-spy Pandora Peters are reforming S.H.I.E.L.D.'s covert mystical organization. Their first mission? Find a supernatural serial killer who not only destroys magic but eats it! Who is this horrifying monster? And what future danger does it spell for Doctor Strange?
32 PGS./Rated T+ $3.99

DOCTOR STRANGE #5
Jed MacKay (W)
Pasqual Ferry (A)
Cover by Alex Ross
HELLFIRE GALA VARIANT COVER BY DUSTIN NGUYEN
VARIANT COVER BY LEINIL FRANCIS YU
DARK WEDDING BELLS RINGING!
Strange and Clea have been invited to an interdimensional wedding. But when the bride is Clea's own mother, Umar the Unrelenting, it's not exactly the family event the Stranges want to attend. Especially when the guests are mysteriously being murdered!
32 PGS./Rated T+ $3.99

WARLOCK: REBIRTH #3 (OF 5) (by Marz/Lim)
Adam Warlock and Doctor Strange must escape Soul World! But in order to do that, Adam will have to fight Eve head on! Without the Soul Gem, does Adam stand a chance?

[4 June 02023]

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