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