Recent Doctor Strange and related:

Hank McCoy "is a name well-known in the great game of worlds", but Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Strange is beneath contempt, in New Avengers #5, sigh.

Doc useless in Age of Ultron #7; he has no clue the timeline has been changed; his ability to find the Invisible Woman trumped by Wolverine's sense of smell; then has a spell disrupted by a garbage can lid (Dungeons & Dragons spell-disruption rules; and while the Thing was supposedly protecting him).

Alt-Doc eats Iron Fist, then incompetently has one of his energy blasts deflected by USAgent's shield, killing Clea, in Dark Avengers #189.

Dormammu is making a play for Limbo and Magik in Uncanny X-Men #6 (nice touch about the Mindless Ones being immune to psychic attack due to mindlessness). At least Dr. Strange is mentioned as someone to be warned about an event like this.

X-Factor #256 concludes the Hell On Earth War story arc with Strong Guy as King of Hell!? The soulless one resurrects Monet. All the Lords of Hell, and Satana, shown killed and presumably reforming elsewhere.

The Ancient One apparently has a hidden library under Riker's Island in Deadpool #9.

[27 May 02013]

50 Years Ago: Strange Tales #110 is dated July 01963, so the comic book with Doctor Strange's first appearance was probably on newsstands right now, 50 years ago [Story List] [24 May 02013]

Sales of long-doomed singles format showing signs of life ["so much for the death of floppies"] [singles have rebounded, $69.2 million in 02010 to $80.5 million in 02012] [fascinating: is writing now for the single digital unit instead of decompressing for the trade paperback making the paper single more satisfying again?] [last month's Jupiter's Legacy #1, a Millar/Quitely superhero tale on Neilalien's radar, is the first Image book other than The Walking Dead to top 100K singles sales in many years] ["Retrofit Comics is dedicated to publishing and distributing floppy alt-comics"] [11 May 02013]

Dan Adkins has died; Silver Age artist who worked on Dr. Strange, including classic Doctor Strange #169 cover [Mark Evanier announcement; with unfortunate Adkins swiping meme] [Redux: page from Doctor Strange #169 shown to be a swipe] [Redux: when Adkins himself was swiped; Strange Tales #167 art used for original Dungeons & Dragons box set] [Wikipedia page] [9 May 02013]

Free Comic Book Day is this Saturday! [1 May 02013]

Uncanny Avengers #6 shows Kang The Conqueror recovering Jarnbjorn, a mystical axe Thor used before obtaining Mjolnir, from the skull of what looks like a long-dead Baron Mordo in a Brazil tomb in the present day? [18 April 02013]

Re-released at last! New Dr. Strange & Dr. Doom: Triumph & Torment TPB coming out in August collecting the Stern/Mignola classic with Doctor Strange (01974) #57; material from Astonishing Tales (01970) #8, Marvel Fanfare (01982) #16, #43 [Amazon] [thanks reader Matt!] [10 April 02013]

Updating: Carmine Infantino, legendary comics creator and Silver-Age starter, has died at 87 [Wikipedia] [Comic Book Resources] [NY Times] [Comics Reporter] [collected links] [Mark Waid] [Hollywood Reporter] [Mark Evanier re: Infantino as Publisher] [7 April 02013]

MoCCA Festival this weekend in NYC! [panels and programming] [1 April 02013]

Marvel promotion making 700 #1 issues available for free download broke the ComiXology website [12 March 02013]

The Ditko Public Service Package reprint is taking pledges on Kickstarter [via Bleeding Cool] [10 March 02013]

J.M. DeMatteis's early 90's treatment for a Doctor Strange movie [Part 1] [Part 2] [Finale] [9 March 02013]

Doctor Strange Confirmed For Marvel Studios Phase Three [Ant-Man, which opens 6 November 02015, sets the tone for Phase Three] [8 March 02013]

Sanctum Awards for 02012 [comprehensive annual list of Dr. Strange and related appearances] [3 March 02013]

Current X-Factor "Hell On Earth War" story-arc antagonists are the Hell Lords (Mephisto, Satannish, Hela, Pluto, etc.) [competing to kill the seven-billionth person, Wolfsbane's son Tier, in a gambit for dominance] [X-Factor #252, out today, is Part 3] [Dr. Strange's rogues gallery, without Doc, once again; he's not even suggested when they consider getting help from the Avengers or X-Men] [if you haven't heard, writer Peter David suffered a stroke over the holidays [PeterDavid.net] [How You Can Help Peter David Recover]] [20 February 02013]

Anti-comics crusader seduced himself [new research and found notes show infamous 01950's children-protector Fredric Wertham (Seduction of the Innocent) basically fabricated the link between comics and juvenile delinquency] [Franklin Harris' Culture Shock] [NY Times: Scholar Finds Flaws in Work by Archenemy of Comics] [19 February 02013]

The weekend's light reading while buried under snow:

1: Colin Smith of Too Busy Thinking About My Comics is (re-)writing about Dr. Strange again in a massive series of posts at Seqart

2: Fantagraphics publisher Gary Groth on what EC accomplished and what it didn't; in an era when High Art wasn't on the agenda, EC gave a damn; artist craft often elevated obviously inconsistent formulaic writing [note Fanta reprints EC] [how artistic values apply to comics: "The key is to understand that the visual element is every bit as much a part of its literary expression as the words (and often more so) and that the medium has to use its own unique properties to embody what we may loosely refer to as literary values."] [Kim Thompson: "Looking for literary content... that can in any way stand toe to toe with contemporary actual literature, in any mainstream comic is an exercise in futility... The stories are at best a crude libretto that allows the graphic side (illustration, design, narration) of the comic to sing."] [Creator Eddie Campbell (From Hell) on how the art-drawings, and the alchemy of the comics experience, are losing in the current comics-as-literature criticism paradigm and separating-focusing on story-plot (like judging a song by the lyric-text alone)] [the above due to recent comics-as-High-Art and/or story-focused peeing on the EC idol: a re-read of Ng Suat Tong's The Comics Journal #250 (02003) essay that EC Comics sucked because they weren't Aristophanes, and Chris Mautner's wondering where the Emperor's clothes are] [update R. Fiore: don't ignore EC or other "down payments" comics have made towards the medium's potential]

Update/Thoughts: The criteria by which a comic is assessed (1) must include both art/drawing and text/story, the Gestalt, not the pieces in isolation; and (2) a comic doesn't need Shakespearean literary-quality writing to be good; a pop song doesn't have to be Mozart. But that doesn't mean aesthetics is 50-50. The comic book is 100-100, like other art like movies (cinematography/story) and songs (music/lyrics). Both have to be good. If the art is great but the story sucks, it's probably still a bad comic. "Crude librettos" drawn by Michelangelos shouldn't get a pass in any medium.

Relevant: Kirby and Ditko, great artists, but poor wordsmiths; why? [Stan Lee Meets F. A. Hayek by Edward Feser] [Stan Lee was the needed Gilbert (or was he the Sullivan?)]

Genre/lowbrow footnotes: [White Elephant Art vs. Termite Art: Manny Farber's B-film termites can burrow into topics better than bloated pretentious art] [It's Genre. Not That There's Anything Wrong With It!] [Junk Aesthetics]

3: The cyberpragmatics of bounding asterisks [*laugh*, *sigh*, *hangs upside down like a bat*: it came from comics, and now it's the self-stage-direction we all use to describe real-world actions online] [via CR]

4: Missouri Man Christjan Bee Sentenced To Three Years In Federal Prison [CBLDF from October when he pled guilty to possessing an obscene image of the sexual abuse of children; CBLDF wasn't consulted] [wife turns in husband for owning comics depicting incest] [law states "a visual depiction of any kind, including a drawing" of minors engaging] [no distinction made vs. child pr0n]

[9 February 02013]

Ray Felix, the little guy who dared to use the word 'superhero' [creator of A World Without Superheroes becomes the latest legal casualty and press story re: Marvel/DC's joint ownership of word 'superhero'] ["It seems as silly as Microsoft and Apple co-owning the word 'PC'."] [Games Workshop owns "space marine"] [8 February 02013]

'Ant-Man,' 'Doctor Strange' Lead Marvel's Phase Three movie slate [27 January 02013]

Director Roman Coppola, son of Francis Ford Coppola, recalls he did some work in the 90's towards a possible Dr. Strange movie [but decided it was impersonal studio product work] [alt link] [via Franklin Harris] [20 January 02013]

Police thought the Son of Sam notes had comics-like lettering and inquired at DC [tale related by Bob Rozakis] [did the staff joke it was Ditko? "Upon hearing why I'd been called into Sol's office, a few of my cohorts had their own ideas about who might be the Son of Sam, including a couple of fellow staffers. The most convincing argument, however, was made for a somewhat reclusive artist whose ultra-conservative leanings might have made him a suspect as the killer of 'loose' women"] [19 January 02013]

Warner Bros. Wins Blockbuster Victory in Legal Battle for Superman [court rules 02001 deal with Siegel's widow was an enforceable contract that waives ability to recapture Superman rights] [after October's denial to Shuster's estate, DC Comics is 2-for-2 against Superman co-creator estates and in full control of the character] [other recent creator-rights items: [Truth, Justice, & The Corporate Conscience by Steve Gerber from 01975/01988] [Industry Reacts To Scott Shaw! Over $100 Page Rates]] [12 January 02013]

End of an era: Comics Buyer's Guide to close after 42 years [announcement] [via Comics Reporter] [9 January 02013]

This new year will mark 50 years of publication history for Dr. Strange! 01963-02013 [Neilalien's Dr. Strange Story List] [Happy New Year!] [1 January 02013]

Link storage for Marvel Comics: The Untold Story by Sean Howe [official website; excerpts] [Amazon] [Howe interview on CBR; extensive research; Ditko non-response] [selected reviews/recaps: A.V. Club A-; NY Times; LA Times; Washington Post; Robot 6; Too Busy Thinking; Hooded Utilitarian] [10 Things You Didn't Know: "Maybe the worst proposal: a Saturday-morning cartoon series that would have paired superheroes such as Thor, the Black Panther and Doctor Strange with canine sidekicks."] [The Innate Conservatism of Comics] [TCJ excerpt and comments re: Image rebellion/formation] [former editor Bob Greenberger criticism that much was missed; Comics Commentary comment praising Jim Amash creator interviews for Alter Ego] [Roy Thomas corrections and suggestions; #2] [Tony Isabella; #2] [update: Franklin Harris] [update: Comics Reporter interview with Sean Howe] [updating as found] [30 December 02012]

Doctor Strange and related art: [Doc and Spidey vs. Dracula NYCC commission by Andy MacDonald] [Oliver Nome] [Steve Rude] [David Mack] [Doc with Batman by Kevin Nowlan] [Steve Epting] [Sean Chen] [Aaron McConnell] [Matteo Scalera] [Marc Ellerby] [Daniel Spottswood] [Dr. Fate vs. Baron Mordo pin-up by Dennis Fujitake] ["Il Misterioso Steve", Sergio Ponchione's tribute to Steve Ditko] [redux: Frank Brunner concept art for the 70's Dr. Strange TV movie] [animated Kirby machinery by Kerry Callen!] [29 December 02012]

Happy 90th Birthday to Stan Lee! [28 December 02012]

Peter Parker death achieves desired Amazing Spider-Man #700 finale press bump and sales bump [Dr. Octopus takes over as Spider-Man in Peter's body as Peter dies in Ock's body; the scene] [once again, so much for disgusted hardcore fans voting with their wallets against gimmicks] [1:200 Ditko cover variant $1,000 on Ebay] [this too shall pass (poll: how long will death last?), Superman's death blah blah the only permanent death in comics is Uncle Ben, just shaking things up after 50 years of stories (says grown man still pissed Brother Voodoo was ever Sorcerer Supreme)] [readable Alonso interview] [our internet age: ending was leaked online; unfortunate juxtaposition of child who intends to beat leukemia just as surely as Peter will defeat Doc Ock (oops) is exploited and apologized for; and writer Dan Slott receiving death threats WTF- remember when we used to just say they raped our childhoods?] [hmmm Dr. Strange may be needed to bring Peter Parker back somehow] [deal-with-the-devil One More Day still worse] [27 December 02012]

Dark Avengers #184, out today, starts new 5-ish "Darkness" story arc by Jeff Parker; features Dr. Strange and Clea in some kind of alternate reality where the Marvel heroes are baddies fighting amongst themselves for territory [Marvel's January solicits for #185 and #186: "The Deadly Dr. Strange!"] [Parker: not in another dimension; Dr. Strange will get his freak on] [12 December 02012]

Dr. Strange helps fight dead Presidents in Deadpool #3, out today [it's a fun humorous-Deadpool version of Doc] [huge bonus points: Benjamin Franklin and Clea's romance mentioned!] [variant cover with Doc] [Brian Posehn is writing comics now?] [5 December 02012]

Amazing Spider-Man #700 is using Ditko's original unused Amazing Fantasy #15 cover as a variant cover [big anniversary issue is selling well at $7.99; out later this month] [Kirby's cover got the nod in 01962] [#700 preview] [4 December 02012]

New Avengers #1 Epting art peek [Comics Ledger alternate preview link] [Marvel January solicit text: "To prevent the collision of our universe with another, the Illuminati, led by the Black Panther, must assemble NOW! It's the most powerful and brilliant team in the Marvel Universe-- The Black Panther, Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Black Bolt, Mister Fantastic, Namor the Sub-Mariner and The Beast-- against an infinite legion of parallel realities."] [2 December 02012]

The terrible numbers: where the $3 we pay for a creator-owned mainstream comic goes [update, links] [from Jim Zub (Skullkickers)] [Small Fish, Big Pond: comics sales dwarfed by DVDs, music, books] [reminds of One Casino In Joliet from 02003] [1 December 02012]

Doctor Strange reinstated as Sorcerer Supreme by the Ancient One in New Avengers #34 Bendis finale [hopefully ending one of the worst and way-too-long eras for the character re: terrible mopey characterization (such as "always blaming himself and apologizing"), incompetent ineffectual, nonheroism (Illuminati), disregard for Doc facts/history his hardcore fans enjoy knowing, those terrible Dungeons & Dragons spell descriptions, no costume whatsoever just a trenchcoat, etc.] [so Doc lost the mantle for using dark magic and not being pure enough, and then gets it back by using the dark arts and killing Daniel Drumm? WTF] [basically big thumbs up for Doc vs. The World art by Deodato- the artist jam was hit-or-miss but interesting] [so the toys really are unbreakable?] [update: Sanctum Sanctorum Comix review] [Jonathan Hickman (The Nightly News, Fantastic Four) is next, via New Avengers relaunch] [28 November 02012]

Doctor Strange challenges body-jumping-spirit Daniel Drumm to the death in New Avengers #33 cliffhanger [as many reviewers have stated: while we all like Oeming, his cartoony art style here is a jarring ill-fitting departure for this story arc] [preview of New Avengers #34; out this Wednesday 11/28] [the new New Avengers relaunch by Jonathan Hickman starting in January is billed as dark and apocalyptic with a large Illuminati-oriented roster that includes Dr. Strange; Marvel's February 02013 solicits include a New Avengers #3 cover with Doc in the new uniform but also with Eye and Cloak!] [does the #3 cover with Eye and Cloak mean there's Sorcerer-Supreme reinstatement for Doc between now and then? we shall see in two days] [26 November 02012]

The Impossible End: Matt Fraction's Defenders ending not so impossible as title closes with #12 [neat premise- wacky Earth-616 actually constructed purposefully by the Concordance Engines assembling the best of the multiverse to stand against the Death Celestials; marred by the execution: terrible Dr. Strange characterization with one night stands, mass murder- and sad reality of current comics marketplace forcing TPB-filling padding and then cancellation] [resolution: Dr. Strange brought back in time to the first issue when the Hulk asks for his help against Nul, The Breaker Of Worlds; he takes the one-night-stand student Molly out to the Nighthawks diner (a Defenders pun?) instead, and due to that small act of kindness isn't at the Sanctum to be recruited by the Hulk, so the events of the series no longer occur, reminiscent of Dallas's entire ninth season being a dream] [Wong not dead] [relentless negative review by Sanctum Sanctorum Comix] [Marvel's February 02013 solicits include new series Fearless Defenders #1; all-female team unrelated to Dr. Strange] [25 November 02012]

The Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival is tomorrow Saturday in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NYC! [9 November 02012]

Happy 85th birthday last week to Steve Ditko! [Five For Friday Ditko Favorites survey] [Amazing Adult Fantasy splash pages] [Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1 splash pages] [Google logo by Bruce McCorkindale] [Michel Fiffe's tale of interacting with Steve Ditko] [Ditko Monsters from IDW will collect Gorgo in January] [8 November 02012]

DC Comics wins crucial victory in Superman legal battle [judge rules 01992 agreement with Joe Shuster's sister/heir Jean Peavy for $600K nuked any future rights-claim to the billion-dollar property] [more: Hollywood Reporter] [more: DC goes after heirs attorney Marc Toberoff, claiming willful concealment of evidence] [Laura Siegel Larson open letter vows to fight against $35 million of Warner corporate lawyers] [Comics Reporter: A successful creative journey doesn't need to end with a wounded family; comics should aspire to something better.] [update: DC Appeals Siegel Ownership of Half of Superman Rights after seemingly securing the rights to Joe Shuster's half; the Siegels succeeded earlier where the Shusters did not] [more: Business Week] [21 October 02012]

Wong shown deceased in Defenders #11 [spoiler time has passed] [moving moment, but surely this is an alternate future timeline dimension timeloop Concordance Engine who is this doin' this some static type of alpha beta psychedelic funkin', right? Right? Bueller? or can we wish a resurrection upon an Engine again?] [Neilalien-approved review; Pierfederici art good but jarring mid-arc change from better-suited McKelvie art] [out this week: New Avengers #31; the Bendis magic-oriented finale begins: his last chance to undo some of the damage he's caused "unbreakable toy" Dr. Strange with a hoped-for restoration as Sorcerer Supreme or equivalent meaning and competence level; mostly just talking heads around a dinner table so far... again... but Daimon Hellstrom (not 'Hellstorm') and Jennifer Kale get attacked by what is presumably a body-jumping Daniel Drumm] [17 October 02012]

Game of Thrones writer George R.R. Martin would write Doctor Strange- but only with an iron-clad contract saying his story would be canon forever and never retconned [LOL] [Martin would also keep Doc separate from the rest of the Marvel Universe and focusing on external Cthulhan threats- good idea] [14 October 02012]

New York Comic-Con this weekend! [sold out] [full program schedule] [Comic Book Resources coverage] [parties list] [11 October 02012]

Stan Lee Media's "somewhat tortured history of litigation" continues, now suing Disney for Marvel billions [LA Times] [Hollywood Reporter] [Deadline] [PDF] [claims have been rejected by three federal district court judges so far; maybe fourth time's a charm] [10 October 02012]

His own hero's journey was already over: The Lee/Ditko Doctor Strange was very different from other Marvel heroes at the time, and Marvel's heroes of today, and the Doctor Strange of today [20 Feb 02011]

The Avenging Page (In Excelsis Ditko): massive missive re: Ditko's self-published work of recent years, by Jog, at Comics Comics [15 Feb 02011]