MYSTIC GARB : DR. STRANGE APPAREL - part 3 : TEAM-UP APPEARANCE T-SHIRTS

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Welcome back, to this, Part 3 of a series of posts that will seek to catalogue my extensive collection of Doctor Strange (and related 6-Dimensions characters) apparel!

Previous parts of this series:
MYSTIC GARB : DR. STRANGE APPAREL

- part 1 : CAPS and TIES
- part 2 : SOLO APPEARANCE T-SHIRTS

can be found at those links.

Today's installment continues with my collection of Doctor Strange T-SHIRTS.

As discussed last time, since I have so darn many Dr. Strange related shirts, I have to divide them all into three groups.

Today is Subsection B : Dr. Strange TEAM-UP Appearances (meaning; shirts that have Dr. Strange and any other number of heroes - from a duo to a group)!

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*Note*
LOOK FOR UPDATED ENTRIES
- Placed in chronological order of manufacture and release! -

While Dr. Strange had his first SOLO shirt in the 1960's, it took a little while longer for him to appear on a TEAM-UP and/or GROUP shirt.

First up (at least as far as I know) was this 1991 shirt featuring the George Perez cover art for INFINITY GAUNTLET # 1.

I'll show the cover here so you may get a better view at the work.

Dr. Strange in the far left quadrant.

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Next is this spectacular shirt produced by Marvel license-holder; COMIC IMAGES from 1992 featuring a full-shirt wraparound image of the

MIDNIGHT SONS!

Because this blog is also about characters like the Midnight Sons, I'll list the characters, from left to right / top to bottom:

Background:
-Big-Assed Ghost Rider skull

Front of shirt:
Giant head of Dr. Strange, Ghost Rider, Hannibal King, Johnny Blaze, Morbius

Back of shirt:
Agent Sam Buchanan, Victoria Montesi, Nakota, Lilith, Pilgrim, Infinks, Blackout, Meatmarket, Frank Drake, Blade, Dwarf

This kick-ass image was used on the kick-ass "Rise of the Midnight Sons" trade paperback as well as the kick-ass poster shown here.

Artwork by Ron Garney

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The next year, 1993, Comic Images released this shirt, that reproduced the artwork from the promotional ads for the

SECRET DEFENDERS!

As with some other shirts in this section, I only have one of this shirt and it is still in its original package-wrapper. No worries. As usual, I will also show the whole image in the original context from whence it came. In this case... a Secret Defenders promotional in-store poster.

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Anyone who read the previous post in this series saw that one of the SOLO appearances shirts showcased an image of Dr. Strange from an issue of Uncanny X-Men (# 329). I mentioned that the following issue (# 330) also featured a TEAM-UP image that would garner its own shirt.

This shirt, produced by Comic Images in 1996, reprinted the image of Doctor Strange in a team up with The Angel (although, I'm pretty sure he was still being called ArchAngel then) and ancient Asian mystic, Gomurr against many shadowdemons.


The original image, from the issue, looked thus...

Uncanny X-Men # 330
(Joe Maduriera - artist /Scott Lobdell, Jeph Loeb - writers)
info found [HERE] on the GCD

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The following year, 1997, Dr. Strange was shown in a TEAM-UP image, with Elektra, in this Comic Images shirt.


This image came from Elektra (vol 1) # 4 with artwork by Mike Deodato.

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This next shirt, released in 2000 was one of the wares of GRAPHITTI DESIGNS, who was the Marvel license-holder at the time.

With artwork by Alex Ross, based on painted covers for the EARTH X series, it is one of the rare shirts that feature both a front and back image.


On the FRONT image, Dr. Strange displays his magic in the presence of the "classic" incarnations of the Marvel heroes.

However, on the BACK image, it is Mistress CLEA, the Sorceress Supreme of the "Earth X" reality, casting her spell along with the altered variant Marvel heroes.
These images showcased thereupon, were also released as deluxe edition lithographs.

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By the year 2000 numerous companies held licenses to produce Marvel apparel, and this is one of the generic pieces released during that time.
The graphic reproduced here is also by Alex Ross and was first released as a cover for a hardcover Marvel Encyclopedia.

If you're having a hard time spotting Dr. Strange, he is waaaaay in the back, using the light from the Eye of Agamotto to shine a bright spot on Ben Grimm's bald, rocky head!

The graphic is one those "rubbery" iron-on x-fer types that were ubiquitous on t-shirts in the 1970's. Back then, the rubbery material of the transfer would usually tend to dry up and crack if washed and dried more than a few times. Thus, between the uncomfortable nature of the rubbery-clinginess and the short lifespan, this shirt is safe from ever being worn by me.

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One of the more recent license-holders for Marvel apparel is MAD Engine. In 2007 they released this "retro" image of the George Perez artwork from the cover of Infinity Gauntlet # 3.

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*UPDATED Sept-02-2010*
- NEW ENTRY! -

Next, also from Mad Engine in 2007 is a reproduction of the 2-cover diptych image from 2007's New Avengers v1 # 27 (1:100 variant) and Mighty Avengers # 1 (1:100 variant).

Art by Leinil Yu

Image detail showing Doctor Strange - behind Wolverine.

(How wrong is it that ONLY Wolverine is in color.
Not even Spider-Man.
Although, Spidey is in his black costume so maybe he IS in color...).

Here are the original comic covers.

The full image would also be used as a full-color poster - allowing everyone and not just Wolverine to be given the limelight.

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*UPDATED Sept-02-2010*
- NEW ENTRY!

Also from Mad Engine in 2007 is this cover image by John Romita Jr., taken from the cover to WORLD WAR HULK : Prologue.

What? Can't see Doc? Check out one of the bodies at Hulk's feet.
Here's a close-up.

Momma say; "Knock Doc Out!"
or should that be; "Mamma say; "Doc, You Out!"

This was the cover to the issue in question.


However, in typical "not-easy-being-a-Dr.Strange-fan" fashion, the UPC code box covered Strange on the cover.
Luckily, there was a promotional poster and card for this event - that didn't obscure Doc.


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2008 saw Mad Engine's release of this bright blue shirt showcasing a reworked variation of the cover of MARVEL TEAM-UP (vol3) # 1.

As an ADDED BONUS!!! This shirt is the FIRST ONE to also feature the MAN-THING!
Manny is to the far left, his head behind Hulk's bicep. Doc is up top at the right flying behind the Human Torch.The difference between the shirt image and the comic cover is that for some reason, someone decided to replace Scott Kollins' very good upside-down Spider-Man with a more generic right-side-up version.
Frankly, they both showcase Spidey with legs akimbo, and his ass and junk prominently displayed, so I don't see any reason for the new drawing of Spidey. I guess aside from a reason of pseudo-censorship, it might just be that they thought that asses-up Spidey was less marketable than a head's-up version. Go figure.

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Mad Engine (and Marvel?) is heavily into the "many characters on one shirt" concept, so they keep cranking out items with that type of image. So in 2008 we saw the release of this bright yellow garment with a reproduction of Sal Buscema's cover art for Marvel Legacy Handbook - 1960's Edition.


The printing style is "distressed" and as I mentioned at the end of yesterday's post, I loathe
pre-damagedstressed clothing.

Since the nature of the "distressed" image makes it difficult to see who's who, here is the cover to the comic from whence it came.

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2008 saw this "Marvel Civil War" themed item. Also by Mad Engine, featuring the art of Steve McNiven.

For some unknown reason, the image has a raised rubbery border of puffy-paint around it, with raised rubbery puffy-paint lettering below.
The image was the wrap-around cover to Civil War # 1 (as well as a poster released around the same time as this shirt). Dr. Strange is the figure on the far right - at the graveyard scene.

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2008 was a banner year for Dr. Strange group shots because next we see a Mad Engine shirt with the group shot from the CIVIL WAR "Whose Side Are YOU On?" campaign.

Art by Steve McNiven

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Next up in the 2008 hit-parade was this shirt, produced by Mad Engine for HOT TOPIC, showcasing the Leinil Yu artwork that heralded the beginning of the SECRET INVASION!


The cover to SECRET INVASION SAGA showed typical disrespect to Dr. Strange by placing the UPC barcode over his face, so I'll give you the unadorned version below.
No respect.

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*UPDATED Sept-02-2010*
- NEW ENTRY!

Next up from 2008, again from Mad Engine is this cover image to New Avengers v1 # 42.

Can't see Doctor Strange? Look down to the bottom left of the image
(bottom right of the shirt).
See that EAR and bit of the side of his head?

(Yes. I got it even with such a small bit of an appearance. Such is the power of the magic monkey on my back. Quiet you. Don't judge me.)

While Strange is shown even less on the actual comic cover of New Avengers v1 # 42 (although for a promotional ad, he was more plainly visible) I knew it was him - because as this cover image should look familiar to old-school Avengers fans, it is the "Skrullification" of the cover to Avengers v1 # 221.

ROM was replaced with Jocasta in the modern version.
*SPOILER* Hawkeye and She-Hulk are the winners.

So, to recap, if you put Dr. Strange's left ear on a shirt, I will obviously buy one.

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The next release in 2008 was this black and white jumbo all-over print, showcasing a massive GOOD GUYS -vs- BADDIES confrontation, produced by Mad Engine.
The artwork is the generic computer "inked and airbrushed" works that are ubiquitous in today's license packets for all Marvel licensees to utilize.

Dr. Strange is at the top left-center, flying just under the neck-line of the shirt.

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My last such "TEAM-UP" shirt is another 2008 release by Mad Engine featuring the same artwork as the previous B/W shirt, only rearranged slightly.


Doc is at the middle height, at the far right of the shirt. Here he is shown in detail.

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*UPDATED May-05-2010*
- NEW ENTRY! -


Both of these new shirts are from 2010, also from Mad Engine, which feature mass groupings of Marvel comics' Super-Heroes.

The first is a reproduction of the "famous" cover to the first issue of the very first Marvel mini-series crossover "event" ; Contest Of Champions".

Doctor Strange is seen on the right side

(our right side, not the shirt's right side)
above Hulk and below Human Torch.

And- here's mine - still in baggie.

For the sake of context, this is the cover to the issue from 1982.(drawn by John Romita Jr)

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*UPDATED May-05-2010*
- NEW ENTRY! -

The second is a mash-up of recent comic covers all featuring groupings of teams.

Doctor Strange is seen on the left side

above Iron Man.

And- here's mine - still in baggie.

Doctor Strange is a part of the clandestine "Illuminati" team, and is taken from the cover to
New Avengers : Illuminati # 1 (2007)

(as drawn by Jim Cheung & Mark Morales)

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*UPDATED Jan-09-2011*
- NEW ENTRY! -

 This shirt, a 2010 release from MAD ENGINE reproduces the cover artwork from the
Origins of Marvel Comics 1-shot comic.

Here is mine, still in packaging.

For SOME unknown reason, MAD ENGINE made changes to the artwork for the shirt, by replacing Deadpool and Rogue with obviously out-of-context-and-style poses of The Beast and YellowJacket.

And this is the original comic cover.

  artwork by CHRIS STEVENS

 The Marvel Pyramid, as I call it - with Doctor Strange at the top - as it should be!

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*UPDATED Oct-09-2011*
- NEW ENTRY! -

This shirt is a 2011 release from JUNK FOOD and features "THE MIGHTY MARVEL SUPERHEROES" with a blurb that says "MARVEL'S TV SENSATION!" That is because this shirt features all of the various Marvel heroes who have had their own TV SHOW (or in the case of Doctor Strange... a TV MOVIE - which was really a television PILOT episode for a show that wasn't picked up by the network).

Here's a close-up of the shirt graphic.

 

Hulk (who sported one live-action and one animated series), Spider-Woman (she had a cartoon series), The Thing (the FF have a few animated series under their belts), Doctor Strange (hugging up against Spider-Woman's hip), Captain America (a veteran of several made-for-TV movies/pilots), Invisible Woman (also of the FF shows) and of course, Spider-Man - he of live-action and animated fame.

Since these shirts are manufactured to be "stressed" and pre-faded, it may be hard to see Doctor Strange in there. To help you find him, they used this old John Romita Sr. artwork - just look for this pose:

Notoriously absent are Sub-Mariner, Thor and Iron Man who had their own "animated" series' in the 1960's (although, Iron Man did also have a cartoon in the 1990's).

Since I have only purchased one, and this isn't a design that I would wear around town, I have not removed mine from the packaging, and so here it is.

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*UPDATED Oct-09-2011*
- NEW ENTRY! -

This shirt, a 2011 release from MAD ENGINE reproduces the John Byrne cover artwork from the classic Fantastic Four v1 # 243.

From one of the very best issues of Fantastic Four - evah!

Doctor Strange joins with Avengers and Fantastic Four to battle Galactus!

For the same reasons as the previous shirt, here is mine, still in packaging.

However, I should note that there was one weird little tweak that Mad Engine did to the artwork. They added a figure of Spider-Man on the far right side. While Spidey does make a brief appearance in the comic story (with Daredevil), he does not join the fight against Galactus, nor is he actually on the cover.

This is the original comic cover.

 Doctor Strange kicking out kneecaps since 1963.

Story and artwork by John Byrne.

1000% awesome! (That is NOT a typo.)

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* UPDATED Oct-09-2011*
- NEW ENTRY! -

 The next "Team-Up" shirt is this one - also from MAD ENGINE in 2011 - that features a veritable 'Who's Who' of Marvel's super-heroes.

Allow me to present a close-up shot of the assorted members of the cape and cowl crowd.

 As many may immediately recall, this artwork was originally from the wrap-around cover for the first issue of (and poster for) "House of M" by Olivier Coipel. I present the color version below.

Mad Engine's design crew turned the "landscape" image into a "portrait" image by simply photoshopping the right side of the image to the bottom half on the new pic. They also, for some inexplicable reason, flipped the right side of the image which caused some heroes chest emblems to be seen in reverse (see YellowJacket, Dazzler and most obviously Daredevil). A little extra work and this could have been easily fixed. Truthfully, I'm not a big fan of Mad Engine because most of their designs are slapped together like this, with not quite enough work to make them of truly professional quality.

Still, since Doc is on it, I had to get one. Here's mine.

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* UPDATED May-05-2013*

- NEW ENTRY! -

OK... that was yesterday.
But, to commemorate the event, I'd like to share a certain bit of swag that I got as a result.

Instead, it is probably more "fitting" to showcase a piece of apparel (hence the "fitting" pun) that was the official t-shirt for Marvel's FCBD comic preview of INFINITY!

I'm not likely to take mine out of the plastic wrapper, due to the fact(s) that:

A) Doctor Strange is but a tiny head in the illustration

B) It's a bit too "busy" for me to wear

C) I only got one, since I had to pre-order it sight-unseen - as they had only a blank shirt with some lame question mark/ T.B.D. note on it, and thus had no idea if Dr. Strange would even BE on the shirt or even a part of the FCBD comic (as it was all hush-hush, super-secret, kept-under-wraps a few months back when the pre-order was due).

But, so you can all see what it looks like, I've whipped up my own photoshop mockup.

All current mock-up pics online (even Marvel's official one) are incorrect, having the wrong logos, but this is accurate (you're welcome).

Of course, the artwork, by Jim Cheung is taken from the cover to the FCBD preview issue of INFINITY - the 2013 Summer Event which sees many of writer Jonathan Hickman's various threads from his Avengers / New Avengers stories collide headlong with the Guardians of the Galaxy, Thanos and more!

There have been other shirts and assorted apparel that I've obtained before this one, but I'm ignoring the Obsessive-Compulsive voice screaming in my head, and am skipping them to showcase this one in a timely manner.

But those others will come soon (so, someone tell the voice in my head to chillax).

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There are hundreds of shirt styles presently being produced, by many license holders, and sadly, it is infrequent that any of them feature Dr. Strange.

Still, that's not horrible. There are always other characters who are interesting to show, some who many bear a tie to the magical realms of Doctor Strange, and then, there are also some bootleg, homemade ones as well...

Come back tomorrow for the next installment of this series:

MYSTIC GARB : DR. STRANGE APPAREL
- part 4 : THE "OTHERS" T-SHIRTS