Jeff Parker at Emerald City ComiCon's 02008 Mondo Marvel Panel [Comic Book Resources]:

Jeff Parker batted clean up for the group and said he'd like to write Woodgod and Aquarius. He also added that he is going to be writing a character he's always wanted to write, but couldn't tell the audience at this time.

Writing a character a writer has always wanted to write? Isn't that always code for Doctor Strange?

We know he's had Clea on his mind. From the recent "Which Marvel character would you date?" (scanned from Wolverine #59):

And then there's this great Colleen Coover panel from X-Men: First Class #11, written by Parker:

Developing...

Posted 15 May 02008 - Permalink

Texts Inspired By Some Recent Doctor Strange Appearances

A Haiku for Spider-Man Family #7

Looter talks to his
wacky rock in the Sanctum --
terrible reprints

A Limerick for Wolverine #59

Doctor Strange was a helpful dude,
When Logan in Purgatory screwed-
   But Wolvie's body and head,
   Returned from the dead,
   And came back hairy and nude.

A Poem for Marvel Adventures: Hulk #8

Defenders versus Nameless One,
Repackaged for the kiddies.
Old fan tries to have some fun,
But it feels like repeat ditties.

A Rhyme for Amazing Spider-Man #555

Unconscious again. Poor ol' Doc.
Mayan snowmen attack at four o'clock?

An Ode to Cable & Deadpool #47

Spilling blood under Doc's supervision,
Saves reality from going potty.
Nicieza writes humor with precision-
And that crazy cover's by Skottie.

Posted 14 May 02008 - Permalink

Classic comics creator and Dr. Strange artist Gene Colan ailing from liver failure; no health coverage for needed meds; pros to auction items in support [Clifford Meth #1; #2; #3]

Steve Ditko was hired by DC before Dick Giordano; Ditko recommended that DC hire Giordano [Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed] [Mark Evanier]
Apparently it's a common error to think Ditko was among the Charlton stable that Giordano brought over to DC.

Comic with Ditko work, Mystery Tales #40 (Atlas, "March Has 32 Days", April 01956 [info source]), in John Locke childhood flashback on this week's Lost [Collector's Society MB] [thanks Howard!]
Blame Brian K. Vaughan.

How Fantagraphics' Eric Reynolds' communication with Steve Ditko went poorly re: a B&W-or-color Comics Buyers Guide cover [Flog Blog]

Posted 11 May 02008 - Permalink

Iron Man's Robert Downey Jr. presents Ditko documentarian (and twoubled speaker) Jonathan Ross with Quesada-drawn "Doctor Stwange" print [Lying In The Gutters]

Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's Doctor Strange places #88 on Top 100 Comic Book Runs list [Comics Should Be Good]
Lee/Ditko Spider-Man is #6.

P. Craig Russell Word Balloon podcast billed to include Dr. Strange stuff [Newsarama; MP3]

Many photos of the "Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy" exhibit open now at the Met [Newsarama]

Erik Larsen's mixed opinion re: Vince Colletta's inking [One Fan's Opinion column at CBR]
Flashback: Ditko on infamous inker Vince Colletta?

Retailer fed-up with Marvel uneven feast/famine shipping weeks; could have used the two new Iron Man #1's a week before the movie's debut weekend, not a week after [ICv2]
Update: Customers Want Reliable Publishing Schedules [retailer on ICv2]

Dave Sim requires signed form, oath of belief in his non-misogyny, to correspond with him [Myriad Issues]

Neilalien not the only child traumatized by that lady's forced robot transformation in Superman III [My New Plaid Pants]

Posted 10 May 02008 - Permalink

New pretty Doctor Strange Heroclix Secret Invasion Booster figure- with an astral form without the Cloak! Yay! [WizKids]
Also, well, it's part Doctor Strange: The Illuminati Super-Skrull Heroclix figure.

ICv2 retailer-participants universally report that this past weekend's Free Comic Book Day was the best yet [samples of interest: expenses mini-breakdown; local acoustic band, kiddie-comic creators signing]
Many comics shops fucking up Free Comic Book Day [Progressive Ruin]

Marvel announces Q1 02008 numbers, down 3% but better than expected; first publishing drop in a long time, down $1.0 million or 4% to $26.5 million, mostly due to timing [Newsarama]
Marvel Beats Street, Ups Forecast; But Publishing, Licensing Decline [ICv2]
Also announced: Movies: Iron Man sequel, Thor, Captain America, Avengers.

Quebecor, the printer of a majority of US comics, already in bankruptcy, reports big 02007 loss (mostly asset revaluation) [ICv2]
This can't be good for the comics industry.

Heath Ledger Joker toys for the upcoming Batman movie The Dark Knight are hot items [Gothamist]

Iron Man is every bit as good as you've heard. What struck Neilalien: (1) Big kudos re: the zippy story and pacing- not a boring moment in two hours- astounding given how much origin-ism involved and essentially watching the building/mastering of 2+ suits. (2) Instead of an easy blue-screen nightmare in other hands, props to the talents of Robert Downey Jr. being Tony Stark, Jeff Bridges clearly having a blast as bald Obadiah Stane, Gwyneth Paltrow as a mousy Pepper Potts, and "anti-CGI" direction by Jon Favreau. (3) The suit and the flying sequences are so good that you will wish you could fly in that suit- and it felt, not "realistic", but "possible". (4) That post-credit sequence with Samuel L. Jackson as Ultimate Nick Fury mentioning the Avengers was sick! Congratulations to everyone involved and Marvel Comics on the success of the first film Marvel did all by itself. 02010 sequel already announced.
Progressive Ruin uber-post
Iron Man at $177 million after one week [Marvel Movies list at Box Office Mojo]
A Lot Is Riding on 'Iron Man': Marvel Studios' Future & Hollywood's Summer [ICv2]
Update: Mark Millar and Brian Michael Bendis were script consultants; Bendis wrote Nick Fury scene; Millar advised Stane villain instead of Mandarin ("Ten Rings" terror group!) [Millar Q&A at Aberdeen Word Festival] [Lying In The Gutters]

Posted 9 May 02008 - Permalink

Fantastic Alien Abduction Lamp design by Lasse Klein now in prototype stage [Herrklein.com]

Posted 6 May 02008 - Permalink

Amazing custom Eternity Mego figure and box [Mego Museum] [by Howard Hallis and Clea's Cave]

Pop singer and Ren & Stimpy animator April March assisted Ditko on Mr. A!? [Mystery Island interview] [via Fred Hembeck 1 May post]

1st full Ditko pencils in comics "Stretching Things" (Fantastic Fears #5, January 01954) (info source) for download (4.2 MB PDF) [Datajunkie]

Stan Lee Is a Ladies' Man in Iron Man Cameo [Wired News]

Compilation of Stan Lee movie cameos [YouTube]

Sweet Dr. Strange and Deadpool custom statue by Julian Briones based on Skottie Young's Cable & Deadpool #47 cover [Statue Forum]

Uncle Ben is the only true unresurrectable: Barry Allen Flash returns [New York Daily News]

Neilalien doesn't know what delights him more: "dutifully" following a Neilalien link, or the enormous fun text inspired by doing such duty [Trout In The Milk]

Dr. Strange at #83 on Wizard's 200 Greatest Characters Of All Time:

A master of medicine and magic, Strange is one of Stan Lee's classically tortured characters, a man punished for his ego when fate strips him of the steadiness of his surgeon's hands. Turning to a life of sorcery, Strange is our gateway into the fantastic, wielding the kind of mysticism comic panels were made for.

Posted 4 May 02008 - Permalink

Michigan comics retailer David Pirkola, owner and operator of Apparitions Comics and Books, shot by robber; no health insurance; donations needed [iFanboy] [via Comics Reporter]

Looks like an acquired Steve Ditko Strange Tales #141 original art page [ComicArtFans]

"I think the problem is that... Marvel has tried to make [Doctor Strange] more super-hero than supernatural" ["DoctorMudd" on the Defenders Message Board]

Marvel legal batshit cease-and-desists legit Iron Man movie screening [TechCrunch] [Update: All is OK] [via Techmeme]

Late-comics business-as-usual sucks; "indie"-published books not as creator-owned as we thought [Permanent Damage]

Navigating Comics: Reading Strategies of Page Layouts [Visual Linguist; essay, 31-page PDF]

Interview with CBLDF's Charles Brownstein after big Gordon Lee win [Comics Reporter]

Free Comic Book Day is this Saturday!

Iron Man movie out tomorrow! Reviewing well [91% on Rotten Tomatoes at this writing]

Posted 1 May 02008 - Permalink