Neilalien : A Doctor Strange Fansite : A Comic Book Weblog  

DISNEY ACQUIRING MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT! $4 BILLION DEAL! HOLY CRAP!

Still updating as of 10 September 02009:

Yahoo Finance (AP) Breaking News
Comic Book Resources
Nikke Finke's Deadline Hollywood Daily
New York Times
Wired's Underwire Blog

Twitter is the place for right-now reactions right now [#disneybuysmarvel] [#marvelvsdisney]
Disney and Marvel: Not a Blockbuster With Twitter Users [Mashable]

One Principle Alpha of the deal: Disney rules the pink princess girl world, and just made a move to overcome its historical weakness with older boys [The Beat]

Marv Wolfman's initial musings; nobody knows what will happen (he's been both the Editor-in-Chief of Marvel as well as one of two founding editors of Disney Adventures Magazine)

Stan Lee positive on Disney-Marvel deal (duh); Fox Business video (Stan phones in) [Deadline Hollywood]

Comic pros reactions (mostly gathered off Twitter) [Comics Alliance] [Comic Book Resources] [Newsarama]

"Hopefully, Marvel and Disney can just stay out of each other's way, for as long as the gravy train stays on the track." [Permanent Damage]

Bitter Irony Alert: When Disney went after Howard the Duck [Again With The Comics]

Augie De Blieck Jr. braindump includes two questionable things Disney does that might make creators wary: no creator-owned evar, no overseas reprint royalties [Pipeline]

Disney's Marvel Comics [ICv2]
How Will Disney Use Marvel? Or Vice Versa [ICv2]

What Marvel/Disney Merger Means to Comic Book Shops [Newsarama]

About Seven Questions Marvel And Disney Have To Answer [Bleeding Cool]

Breaking Down Disney's Acquisition of Marvel [Publisher's Weekly]

Rivals feel heat from Marvel-Disney deal [Hollywood Reporter]
Marvel has deals all over the place, film distribution with Paramount/Viacom, toys and cartoons with Hasbro, NBC Universal has theme park rides, Activision and Sega have certain characters for video games. All that licensing mojo of Marvel's last few years will be unwound or at least not renewed. [List of deals; Disney will have to wait for Marvel synergy]

What The Disney/Marvel Deal Means For You: Likely nothing [Bam! Kapow!]

Caution: Disney struggling to rekindle the spark for another acquisition, the Muppets [New York Times from 9/08] [via The Beat]

Mickey Mouse Robs Spidey [Motley Fool]
Eternal Marvel stock cheerleader website Motley Fool disappointed with deal; Marvel still had a lot of growth by itself to go; Disney got it for cheap.

Must-see: Hitler is Pissed about Disney Buying Marvel [YouTube]

Satiric memo from Disney's Bob Iger to Marvel's Dan Buckley detailing some of the changes being instituted, by Chip Zdarsky [National Post] [via Robot 6]

A million mash-ups!
Marvel's New Sorcerer Supreme by Howard Hallis
Maleficent vs. Doctor Strange by Craig Arndt
M.O.D.U.C.K. #1 by Chris Samnee, M.O.D.U.C.K. #2 Ryan Dunlavey [Mental Organism Designed to Undermine Corporate Kinship?]
Wolverine Mickey Mouse already a classic
Jack Kirby's Mickey Mouse by Craig Yoe
Super Punch has many
Some covers by Paul DeBenedetto and Matt Occhuizzo
Gooflactus by Adam Koford
And the creepy winner: Face it Tigger... You just hit the jackpot! by Spencer Ackerman

Comics Reporter's Collective Memory

Posted 31 August 02009 - Permalink

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Doctor Strange sketch by Tom Williams Doctor Strange sketch by Tom Williams [Tomix LJ]

"24 Hours with Jack Kirby" pays tribute to The King on his recent birthday [Bully] [Kirby image explosion at CR]

Steve Ditko's classic "In Principle: The Unchecked Premise" strip online (from 01988's Static) [Big Hollywood/Batton Lash]

Doctor Strange Marvel Masterworks Volume 4 coming January 02010 [Marvel Masterworks Resource Page] [thanks Sean!]
Reprints: Doctor Strange #180-183, Sub-Mariner #22, Incredible Hulk #126, Marvel Feature #1, and Marvel Premiere #3-8.

Brief nothing-new Doctor Strange mention at Fan Expo Canada 02009 Marvel Dark Reign panel [Comic Book Resources]

As time wound down for the panel, the question of Brother Voodoo and Steven Strange was asked. According to the panel a "Doctor Voodoo" series will deal with Jericho's role as the new Sorcerer Supreme with a very different flavor than Doctor Strange. Also the limited series "Strange" will focus on Steven Strange's life after losing his mantle.

Creators asked: What's your opinion of the term 'Graphic Novel'? [Reviewsnthings] [via Comics Reporter]

Wonder Girl: Peggy Orenstein is happy her 6-year-old daughter has moved from the Disney Princess phase to a superheroine phase [New York Times Magazine]

"How To Read Nancy" 01988 essay by Mark Newgarden and Paul Karasik [PDF] [via Comics Comics]
More: Posts tagged Sluggo Saturday at Progressive Ruin

Posted 31 August 02009 - Permalink

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Xoc New minicomic Xoc from Matt Dembicki (Mr. Big) is nominated for an Ignatz! Congrats! [Comics DC] [get Xoc] [Three Crows Press]

Comics and Philosophy with Michel Fiffe [NYC Graphic Novelists]

Overview of Howard Chaykin's career: "Steve Ditko's perverse little brother" [Permanent Damage]

Lovenote to Neilalien Fave-of-MoCCA Johnny Hiro, a love story (and a love story for NYC) [NPR]

Superman epic copyright chaos continues with recent ruling [THR, Esq.]
In some crazy kind of Solomon baby-split, the heirs of Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel have successfully recaptured control over early elements like depictions of Superman's origins from the planet Krypton, his parents Jor-El and Lora, Superman as an infant, the launching of the baby Superman into space and his landing on Earth in a fiery crash, while DC still owns Superman's ability to fly (!), the word "kryptonite", Lex Luthor and Jimmy Olsen.

Marriage Counseling, Marvel-Style [I Am Graeme]
Subplot outtakes from Amazing Spider-Man #275.

'The Simpsons' And 'Family Guy' Premieres Tackle Comic Book Movies And The Multiverse [MTV Splash Page]

Meth ring laundered money by buying collectible comics [CNN]

Posted 26 August 02009 - Permalink

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Great long essay: Doctor Strange and the Inhumans have the same meta problem: they keep getting shoehorned into the superheroic Marvel Universe [Pop Aristocrat]
(Neilalien is happy this text is public and linkable: such goodness should not stay hidden away in his email inbox.)

Posted 23 August 02009 - Permalink

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Shade The Top 70 Most Iconic Marvel Panels [Comics Should Be Good] [master list link to a series that's still ongoing]

The latest, and very active, Doctor Strange live-action-movie casting online poll/messageboard thread [Comic Book Movie]

Cameron Stewart on Twitter: (1) "A good friend of mine went to go visit Steve Ditko at his house yesterday. Just went to his door and knocked. Got invited in to chat. O_O" (2) "You bet it is. He called me last night to tell me everything. Said Ditko is a sweet old man and not nuts at all."

Supposedly-very-powerful just-killed-Doctor-Strange Ultimate Dormammu defeated nonmystically by Invisible Girl placing a force bubble around his head and snuffing out the Flames of Regency like a match that needs oxygen- GAH! [Sanctum Sanctorum Comix on Ultimate Fantastic Four: Requiem #1]

Women getting breast cancer and talking about men. Entertaining and liberated? Not so much [1979 Semi-Finalist... reviews Marvel Divas #2]
Another of the book's downers: Second-banana (and believe it, you know, because Doc inanely refers to himself (for the reader's benefit, bad writing) as a "former" something about three times) Doctor Strange appears in the book to provide a second opinion re: Firestar's cancer.

The Amazing! Incredible! Uncanny Oral History of Marvel Comics [Maxim] [by ADDTF]

Sadly the recent Captain Britain and MI:13 #15 was the last issue of the series [Comic Book Resources]

Neilalien's never met an online post he didn't like that said 80% of alt-comix are unreadable and poorly structured [Comics Comics]

Computers draw a new chapter in comics [The Guardian] [via LinkMachineGo]
Watchmen co-creator Dave Gibbons on how computers have liberated him as an artist- and the dubious honour of inspiring Comic Sans.

HA HA. IN ANTI-LIFE YOU ARE ALL FAKAKTA [Hobo Darkseid]

Add Neilalien's voice to the masses that inventive District 9 is well worth the price of admission [New York Times review] [89% Rotten Tomatoes at this writing]

Archie proposes to Veronica in this week's 600th issue after holding out 67 years; Betty runs to Mary Ann Summers and Jennifer Aniston for consolation [NY Daily News] [6-ish story is a What If set five years hence]

While My Guitar Gently Beeps: Utterly engaging look at the making of The Beatles: Rock Band [New York Times]

Microsculptor's Incredible Hulk Fits in Eye of Needle [Wired]

The Venture Bros. Season 4 trailer is up! [YouTube]

Posted 22 August 02009 - Permalink

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Strange #1 cover Marvel's November solicitations includes Mark Waid and Emma Rios' Strange #1 [Comic Book Resources]

"No longer Sorcerer Supreme of the Marvel Universe, Stephen Strange must discover a new path to fulfillment and enlightenment. Unfortunately, that path leads through a bizarre, terrifying gauntlet of magical menaces-- and if the former Master of the Mystic Arts is going to survive the journey, he'll need some assistance-- in the form of a brand-new student!"

Okay, the cover by Tomm Coker rocks.

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This weekend in NYC, playing at the Film Forum, as part of their Brit Noir series: Hell Drivers, starring Patrick 'Prisoner' McGoohan and William 'Who' Hartnell (!) [Film Forum] [Hell Drivers Wikipedia page]
Neilalien had no idea such a cinematic combination existed. He must go see it. (Also in it: a pre-007 Sean Connery, Stanley 'I Turned Down James Bond' Baker, David 'Mr. Acronym UNCLE/NCIS' McCallum, and a pre-Pink-Panther Herbert Lom.) If he survives, comics blogging will continue.

Posted 20 August 02009 - Permalink

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What "Doctor Strange, Master of Black Magic" could have been (from A Rogue by Any Other Name [National Review Online]):

Jack [Bauer of 24] is the sheep dog, the terrorists the wolves. Although the sheep fear the wolves and are guarded by the dog, the dog - with its fangs, claws and willingness to kill - has more in common with the wolves than with the sheep he protects. Despite the dog's role as protector, he possesses the same predatory instincts and violent tendencies as the wolf, so he can never be a part of the flock. Jack is estranged from his daughter, constantly robbed of a normal life, admired by the audience but alienated by much of the fictional world he inhabits.

Amusing Ourselves to Death: Aldous Huxley vs. George Orwell: cartoon by Stuart McMillen [Recombinant Records] [via Kottke]

The most awesome object ever: a Gelatinous Cube miniature [Grognardia] [from Otherworld Miniatures]
The deluxe version has an undigested skeleton inside it.

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Les Paul, the most influential guitarist and guitar innovator ever, has died at 94 [New York Times obituary] [Rolling Stone obituary]

Posted 14 August 02009 - Permalink

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Abhay Khosla's Bram Stoker's Dracula [Chapter One; Chapter Two; Chapter Three]

Posted 13 August 02009 - Permalink

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Thoroughly interesting interview with Daniel Clowes [McSweeney's] [via Waxy]
With Mike Sacks, left out of his new book, And Here's the Kicker: Conversations with 21 Top Humor Writers On Their Craft. Cracked vs. Mad, the Ghost World movie (and defending Enid), don't be a cartoonist unless you can't not do it, etc.
Clowes New York Times strip [Mister Wonderful]

Posted 12 August 02009 - Permalink

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Doctor Strange Artist Kevin Nowlan (with some Doctor Strange credits) blogs [Kevin Nowlan]

Via the above, missed it: The Unforgettable Doctor Strangefate [Comic Book Resources]

IDW to publish Act-I-Vate Primer, a print-exclusive, all-original anthology [IDW PR; Preview] [Act-I-Vate] [via ICv2]
Congrats to the group!

Sex worker's lovenote to, and critical eye on, the X-Men [Renegade Evolution]

What have been the best superhero stories in the last decade? The Comics Journal's Messageboard answers [via ADD]

Pantone Strips of the Marvel Superheroes [Bully]

The John Hughes Canon [The Smart Set] [via 3 Quarks Daily]
Hughes died this past week; he was 59.

Posted 9 August 02009 - Permalink

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Doctor Strange by Dash Shaw Dash Shaw interview re: his funky Doctor Strange story in the upcoming Strange Tales [Marvel.com] [Redux: preview pages]

Alex Cox, screenwriter of Repo Man and Sid And Nancy, has made his 01989 Doctor Strange script with Stan Lee available online [AlexCox.com] [Screenplays page] [Doctor Strange section] [direct link to PDF]
Redux: When Neilalien first blogged this in February 02007, the PDF was both (1) for sale for $8, and (2) not available, but both situations have been rectified. [Thanks Tucker for the FYI!]

Tareva's Tipple: A drink named after a character in the Doctor Strange cosmos [Spiked Punch]
You'll get a free drink if you know who Tareva is. Neilalien knows, but he's probably not eligible to play. :(

Neilalien seconds @pensive1's tweet that a Cloak-of-Levitation-themed Snuggie would be the awesome [Joe Quesada tweets re: superhero-themed Snuggies]

Blackplate of Doctor Strange Classics #1 cover [Twitpic]
The description says Ditko, and it may be in the Ditko style, but that cover was drawn by Byrne.

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Eye of Buddha An Eye of Buddha amulet recently for sale [EBay]
Redux: Undoubtably an inspiration for the Eye of Agamotto [Cat Yronwode]

Ditkomania #73, recent special Doctor Strange issue of the fanzine, reviewed [Poopsheet]

From Ditko to Jaime Hernandez [Comics Comics]

Alex Toth's "Man of My Heart" in New Romances #16 (June 01953) analyzed [Madinkbeard]

Perennial comicsbloglink Wally Wood's 22 Panels That Always Work sold at auction; best scans ever have been made available [Joel Johnson]

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The bridge is over: For the alt-pamphlet, the Direct Market is dead [Comics Comics]

Marvel releases 02009 Q2 numbers; publishing revenue flat at $31.7 million re: 02008 Q2's $31.8 million; current economy and tough advertising market takes its bites [Newsarama]

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Doctor Strange on the cover of Wizard Magazine #215; it's been a long time [Sanctum Sanctorum Comix] [scan]

Doctor Strange, and the Illuminati, will be in the Planet Hulk DVD [Sanctum Sanctorum Comix]

Dormammu in the Super Hero Squad kiddie cartoon [Sanctum Sanctorum Comix]

Posted 7 August 02009 - Permalink

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