Thursday, September 2, 2010

MYSTIC GARB : DR. STRANGE APPAREL
- Supplemental Entry #2

---

Welcome once again, as we go back to the very roots of this blog's original purpose and showcase some more swag in my Sanctum Sanctorum Comix collection.

With "Back-to-School" season upon us, I'll be showcasing some hip, cool gear (kids don't say "hip" or "cool" or call clothes "gear" anymore, old man) to keep the kidz (or spell things with a "z" either, you geezer) looking "groovy" (ugh - I am old. "whatev").

This time we are revisiting - and ADDING to - a series of posts from October of 2009, wherein I catalogued my extensive collection of Doctor Strange (and related 6-Dimensions characters) apparel!
(HATS! T-SHIRTS! TIES! SKIVVIES!...yes, really... I showed you my "underwear". Don't get excited. I wasn't wearing them) .

Today, I've 6 new (and not so new) T-shirts to add to the series.

With the backlog of stuff I've been doing around here, these shirts have been coming one in every few months or so, and I waited until I had enough of them to showcase.
So let's go!

---

---

Today's installment adds to several of the previous entries - and they will be added to those pages as well as being featured here.

THREE of these new garments are to be included in the
- part 3 : TEAM-UP APPEARANCE T-SHIRTS installment.

TWO of these shirts belong in the
- part 4 : THE "OTHERS" / "6-DIMENSIONS" T-SHIRTS heading.

And ONE is a totally bizarre and insanely rare addition to the
- part 2 : SOLO APPEARANCE T-SHIRTS post.

---------

First up - the three "TEAM-UP" entries:

Each of these three new shirts are from MAD ENGINE (one of many Marvel license-holders these days) and feature mass groupings of Marvel comics' Super-Heroes - including DR STRANGE.

The first, from 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.

---

Also from Mad Engine in 2007 is this 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 (highlight circle added by me).

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 the good Doctor.


---

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.

---------

Next up - the two"6-Dimensions/Others" entries:

From licensee, JUNK FOOD this shirt, released in 2009 is a reprinting of the cover to the old "Bring On The Bad Guys" book, released by Fireside publications waaaay back in 1976 and featuring some amazing artwork by John Romita (senior).


Featuring DORMAMMU, MEPHISTO and DR. DOOM (and even LOKI) this was a must have for my collection.

I'm not evil, I just dress that way.

The original publication cover is here in all its kick-ass glory.

Someone needs to get this whole thing tattooed on their back.
Not me though. I'm just sayin'. Someone needs to.

---

This next one, from COMIC IMAGES in 1993 is one of the freakiest, most garish shirts in my collection (and that includes my Hawaiian-themed shirts)! Honestly, it was tough talking myself into buying this one. However, the fact that there's a Dr. Strange logo on it (bottom center) was the writing on the wall... or in this case, shirt. It was a "fait accompli".

Looks like it was made out of kiddie bed-sheets.

Let's move on. The less said about this one, the better.

---------

Finally - the one "SOLO appearance" entry:

Last, but certainly not least is this nearly one-of-a-kind shirt from
MARVEL CHARACTERS (in-house) - 1996

I say "nearly-one-of-a-kind" because, as you'll soon understand, there were probably several of these made, but not many (if any) others are around today.

It was printed "in-house" at Marvel (or at least directly FOR Marvel, perhaps by one of their licensees, like Comic Images) for the express purpose of being the OFFICIAL shirt worn at the Marvel company PICNIC in 1996!

Wait!? What the heck is THAT?!?
OK. That's a tongue-in-cheek version of "EGO - the Living Planet" on the front depicted as "Ego - The Living PICNIC". Check it out.

Although, THIS is what EGO really looks like.


But that's not WHY it's in my collection. Oh, Heavens, No.
I have it because what is on the BACK of the shirt is this image...

"By the Salaminous Buns of Poupon!"
DOCTOR STRANGE conjuring forth some eats while wearing a Bar-B-Que bib!

"I want a hamburger... no, cheeseburger. I want a hot dog..."

The artwork for this shirt is obviously done specifically FOR this occasion by artist KELLEY JONES. His style is unmistakable.
It is odd that Jones would have drawn this since, by 1996 he was almost exclusively working for DC, only drawing a few Ultraverse and Marvel / Malibu crossovers as well as a few Marvel covers here and there.

What is also odd is that Strange is shown in his traditional garb (bib, notwithstanding) instead of the "new romantic" look he had at the time, as evidenced by the t-shirts released at that time (as previously seen in - Part 2 - of this series).

Stranger yet is that by summer of 1996 Doctor Strange's title had just been canceled!
Here was a character without a home, so to speak, so, I guess it made sense for him to be hanging out in Central Park grubbing food from Marvel bullpenners.

This has to be one of, if not THE rarest shirts in my collection.
(Thanks to fellow Dr. Strange uber-fan Howard Hallis for directing me towards it and letting me swoop in for the acquisition.)
While I think the rarest garment in my collection is still the never-released Dr. Strange baseball cap (found in part 1 of this series), and I do have some other very rare shirts (shown elsewhere in this series), this shirt has got to be within an insane ratio of being impossible-to-find.

But, my job is to find something that beats it.
Or at the very least, has Doc's earlobe on it.

---------

If these shirts interested you, then don't forget to check out the IMMENSE collection of many more which I featured in this series:


---

"Tamam Shud!"
~P~
Posted by ~P~ at Thursday, September 02, 2010
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)