Neilalien : A Doctor Strange Fansite : A Comic Book Weblog  

Who Killed Stan Lee Media? Peter Paul Tells His Side of the Story [Comics Journal #233]
Paul places Stan's creative genius above Walt Disney's. Excelsior!

Posted 31 May 02001 - Permalink

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More great Witches promotional sketches from Mike Deodato, Jr. [Sanctum Sanctorum]

Posted 31 May 02001 - Permalink

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Savant shows some new life:

Posted 31 May 02001 - Permalink

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Two very interesting Witches images: a promotional one and rejected cover [Marvel Universe Message Board]

Posted 30 May 02001 - Permalink

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Essential Doctor Strange News

I went to my comic book shop today and checked out Comic Shop News #272, and yes indeed, Essentials editor Ben Abernathy is quoted as saying that there is an Essential Doctor Strange planned for later this year or early 2002.

Posted 29 May 02001 - Permalink

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Review of Bradford W. Wright's "Comic Book Nation: The Transformation of Youth Culture in America" [Salon via Bone Daddy]
"Before movies and rock 'n' roll, comics invented youth culture. But can they survive?" Also includes a good treatment of Stan Lee's contribution.

Posted 28 May 02001 - Permalink

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According to this Usenet post, a Doctor Strange Essential is mentioned in the latest issue of CSN for a December release. I'll confirm if I can. The CSN website only reveals that Essential news is covered in issue 727.

If this be true: Great News and About Time!

Posted 27 May 02001 - Permalink

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A new Dr. Strange bust on the horizon? [Bowen Designs - see the middle bottom of the current home page montage for an orange, unpainted Doc - via ComicGeek]

Posted 25 May 02001 - Permalink

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Neilalien Checks In and Catches Up

Thanks to everyone for all the e-mails about potential news and blog items! Please keep it up until next week!

Marvel Forced to Use Copyrights and Trademarks to Secure Credit Line [Individual Investor via Splash]
Analyst analyzes: Lots of bad news and bad debt. Good news: Cost reduction at Marvel has been excellent. Needed: Licensing must gain momentum. Toy Biz must be stabilized.
Recommendation: "Management's ability to successfully navigate through the challenges we foresee during the next several months is critical to the near-term performance of the stock. We are willing to take the bet that with costs under control and additional licensing revenues on the way the worst may be over for now. They say the time to buy is when there is blood in the streets, and this particular street is flooded with it. As such, we reiterate our Buy rating but caution that Marvel remains a highly speculative investment at the present time."

Marvel in Cash Flow Pain [ICv2]

"Stan Lee Presents" disappearing from Marvel comics? [observed by HeroRealm]

Charmed, I'm Sure: Deodato Unlocks The Magic Of "Witches" [latest Wire]
This upcoming series is sounding better and better. (Granted, my initial reaction was so poor, that the only direction my opinion could go was up.)

Witches #1 cover [Marvel Universe Message Board]

David and Goliath [IGN]
Where did the comic book audience go? To the $5 billion video game industry, says observer at E3 conference.

Stan Lee Media's appeal re: Nasdaq delisting denied [Yahoo Finance]

Blog Topic Review: With lovely summer days approaching, now isn't the time to be adding to the blog. But I'll try to be better from here on covering the Just Imagine Stan Lee Creating series at DC. The JLA story is a December release [Continuum]

To anyone who still has lingering doubts about Larsen's art for Defenders, check out the new X-Force. Wow. It's way too cartoonish, and without any of the dynamism that redeems Larsen. Doesn't work for me at all.

Electropolis. I was very curious about this title- it has potential. But the "Editrix" needs a brain- too many spelling and punctuation errors.

Posted 24 May 02001 - Permalink

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Positive review of Defenders #5 [IGN]

Posted 18 May 02001 - Permalink

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Neilalien Announcement

The days between now and Memorial Day are populated with mini-vacations, events, time away from the computer, and general commotion. Postings here might be sparse during that time. If you see any Dr. Strange, Stan Lee or Marvel news, please e-mail me to ease my catching up. Thanks for your continued patience and readership.

It remains your duty while I am away to identify that Charity Card for me. It looks like they define the card better once someone has bid on it.

Posted 18 May 02001 - Permalink

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Comics Tragedy: Is The Superhero Invulnerable? by Brian Doherty [May 02001's Reason via Link Worthy]
An excellent essay about comic books- a must-read. Nods to Chris Ware, Daniel Clowes, Scott McCloud, and M. Night Shyamalan's Unbreakable. Among several good points, meta-observances and mini-histories- it connects the domination of the superhero in comics (and even in non-superhero comics) to a boy's search for a strong father figure.

Posted 18 May 02001 - Permalink

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CitiBank appears to have cut off Marvel's credit line until Marvel pays $17 million debt [today's Splash]

"It also appears that a failure by Marvel to live up to its obligations could result in a forclosure on its crown jewels: forty years worth of copyrights and trademarks." Marvel has zero operating capital.

This feels really serious, right? Right?

Posted 18 May 02001 - Permalink

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Boot up for better cartoons [Montreal Gazette via ComicGeek]
Toon Boom Studio touts software that adds animation to sites. A previous arrangement with Stan Lee Media is on hold.

Posted 18 May 02001 - Permalink

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Review of Defenders #5 (Spoilers)

This issue clearly feels like the best of the series so far.

Posted 17 May 02001 - Permalink

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Does Neilalien Need More Help Identifying This Card? [Comics 2001 Festival Charity Project - The Deck Of Cards]

Huh? Look at this interesting card. The background image is Eternity. The woman has leg rings and white hair like Clea. The man obviously has Doc's cloak, Eye and Vishanti chest symbol. No larger image or explanation is provided. Drawn by Stephen Baskerville (of Transformers fame- a Transformers/Doc connection?).

I sound non-committal about my identification because I'm not 100% sure. I guess I'll cave in and agree with the good folks over at Sanctum Sanctorum who say it's Doc during his masked stint. It makes the most sense, but if that's really what it is, it could look a lot better (pending seeing a clearer image than what we have here).

Identification Theories Added 27 May 02001

Posted 17 May 02001 - Permalink

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Hembeck's Doc from CBG #1436 May 25th's Comics Buyer's Guide #1436 Cover Features Dr. Strange by Fred Hembeck!
Doctors Strange and Fate are featured on the cover of CBG #1436 this week, in an image parodying the Presidential election in Florida (Fan Award winners are announced in the issue). Go check out the issue in your comic book shop today!

Posted 17 May 02001 - Permalink

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Marvel Drops The Comics Code Authority [full press conference transcript at Continuum]

Posted 17 May 02001 - Permalink

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Doctor Strange wins Most Powerful in Mystic Arts Poll [results; poll by ComicGeek]
Doc edges out The Spectre by one vote. Hmmm, I thought I stuffed the ballot box a little better than that. Heh. ;)

(Actually, Neilalien totally dropped the ball. I screwed up and forgot to blog the poll. If I had blogged the poll, and sent my readers and Doc operatives into the voting, Doc would've crushed the competition. Sorry, Doc fans. If Doc had not won the poll, I would have been so bummed. As it is, I'm still bummed I forgot to blog it. But we won anyway, so the bullet is dodged. One could even say the results better testify to Doc's wide appeal without the number-skewing from this weblog's vast and loyal audience.)

Posted 16 May 02001 - Permalink

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Interview with Mike Deodato Jr., the artist for the Witches series [Comicboards.com]

Posted 16 May 02001 - Permalink

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Marvel solicitiations for August include Captain America/Nick Fury: The Otherworld War [Continuum]
The Red Skull has some occult Nazi booty that opens a gateway to the Dark Dimension. I assume Doc fans get shafted again with a non-appearance- especially if the story occurs during World War II before his time. As if the Red Skull would ever appear without Cap, for example.

Neilalien readers will remember hearing about this story in a Peter Hogan interview a while back. It's the context in which he mentions his failed Doctor Strange: Year One pitch [Fandom (Dead)]

Also in August: Black Panther #35. The Defenders appear. Enjoy this image [Defenders Message Board]

Posted 16 May 02001 - Permalink

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Marvel Enterprises announces its eighth straight quarterly loss; comic publishing arm continues to be bright spot with slight growth [Yahoo Finance via Splash]

Posted 15 May 02001 - Permalink

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High-tech advances ratchet up thrills for theme park faithful [IndyStar.com via ComicGeek]
Mentions a ride based on Stan Lee Media property The 7th Portal. At least I think so- I remember seeing a Mongorr character in there somewhere.

Posted 15 May 02001 - Permalink

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Comic book legend and Doctor Strange co-creator Stan Lee has been named to the board of the new Interactive Producers Guild of America [TheStandard.com Tip Sheet on Yahoo Finance via ComicGeek]
The group's agenda is "to protect producers' intellectual property."

You have to give Stan Lee credit- hot off the dot-com failure and scandal which bears his name, he has positioned himself as a leader in new entertainment technologies.

Posted 14 May 02001 - Permalink

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The current banner on The Marvel Universe Message Board looks like an exclusive promo image of Witches. Sounds like an interview with Mike Deodato, Jr. will be posted there soon as well.

Posted 14 May 02001 - Permalink

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Doesn't look like I've this blogged this before: Stan Lee's Marvel Moments [Marvel.com]
Some fun tidbits about the origins of several Marvel characters, if you have Flash and a little spare time and bandwidth. No Doc item, however.

Posted 14 May 02001 - Permalink

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Defenders #7 cover posted online [Marvel.com via Defenders Message Board operatives]

Posted 14 May 02001 - Permalink

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Praise for Walt Simonson's run on Thor [IGN]
This is one of the greatest comic book runs ever, and was timed at the peak of my comic-book youth. Neilalien blogs for Simonson's Thor. Grab that TPB today!

Posted 14 May 02001 - Permalink

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First look at Defenders #5 [Mile High Comics via Defenders Message Board operatives]

Posted 11 May 02001 - Permalink

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Satire: Dr. Strange's Wild Ride [You'll All Be Sorry! via ComicGeek]
The Avengers need Doc's help against Dormammu- but he's stoned. The spells are a riot.

Posted 10 May 02001 - Permalink

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Ongoing Feature: From Before Neilalien Started Blogging

17 August 01999: Brilliant Careers: Stan Lee [Salon]
"Lee is a modern myth-maker."

10 October 01995: Checking In With Stan Lee [Westfield Comics]
An interview about the Excelsior Comics imprint that ended up being DOA.

Posted 7 May 02001 - Permalink

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Stan Lee Media CEO Kenneth Williams Accused of Shareholder Fraud and Libel in Court Filing By Former Stan Lee Media Executive [PR Newswire or Yahoo Finance via ComicGeek]
EVP Stephen Gordon has retracted everything he said against Co-F Peter Paul. CEO Kenneth Williams is now the villain- out to "personally destroy" Paul and bankrupt Stan Lee Media so he could get all its assets for himself.

The Interfase re-organized company, according to insiders, will be managed and co-owned by Kenneth Williams.

Kenneth Williams Executive Biography [Hoover's Online]
Stan Lee Media Names Williams As President And CEO [Leaders On The Move Archives 6/16/00]
Stan Lee Executive Biography [Hoover's Online]

Posted 7 May 02001 - Permalink

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Stan Lee on his Movie Career [today's NYPost.com Cindy Adams gossip]
He was the hot dog vendor in X-Men. He has actual lines in Spider-Man. He's set to appear in Hulk. "But I'm worried about this movie career of mine, because if the scene runs too long, my part gets cut."

Posted 7 May 02001 - Permalink

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Hooked On Crank [Suck.com, discussion at Plastic, via LinkMachineGo]
Explores comic creators and why they are so cranky- they are brilliant, spewing, driven world-makers and world-escapers who want things their way. Ditko gets a treatment.

Posted 6 May 02001 - Permalink

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How Simon Furman Saved the U.S. Transfromers Comic [IGN]

Posted 3 May 02001 - Permalink

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I wanted to stop blogging rants by comic book creators, but while I was shooting for the high road, these stories grew legs, and now I have to blog them for the sake of completeness.

Frank Miller vs. Wizard [Miller's Harvey Awards speech maintained as a public service at ComicGeek via Splash]
Wizard Responds [WizardWorld.com via Splash]

Erik Larsen vs. Aging Characters and Older Comic Book Readers [Savage Dragon Forum: here and here via ComicGeek]
Further (unneeded) exposition on his Development/Growth/Change vs. Aging/Killing Off discussion (and his "swipe" at old comic readers).

Listen. I think all he's saying is:

Is this rocket science, people? Who's offended by this?

Posted 2 May 02001 - Permalink

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Kevin Smith Interview [Comic Book Resources]
When asked what characters are next on his dream list to develop, Smith mentions taking a Doctor Strange book to the top ten. We'd love to see that!
He also talks about the biz a little- he says comics are a rarefied medium that need to concentrate on entertaining current readership rather than expanding it and gaining mainstream acceptance.
And a Warren Ellis swipe too?

Posted 2 May 02001 - Permalink

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Interfase Capital Finances Reorganization of Stan Lee Media [today's Splash; Business Wire press release; Interfase website]
I'm guessing that in return for a large chunk of Stan Lee Media, Interfase will provide needed cash, and try to tie in its other media/content properties, like wildbrain.com.

Austin, Texas, Investors Bail Out Troubled Media Company [Knight-Ridder: Business.com]

Posted 1 May 02001 - Permalink
2 May 02001: I checked my email today and ComicGeek sent me this link hot off the presses as a courtesy days ago before I blogged it on my own, so he gets props.

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