Saturday, September 21, 2013

IDOL PURSUITS: SPECIAL EDITION:
The DOCTOR STRANGE BOARD GAME
(That YOU can now PRINT out and PLAY!)

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Introductory page to:
DOCTOR STRANGE’s
HAUNTED PATHWAYS
The Game of Mystic Mindrot

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“WHAT-the-wha…? A DOCTOR STRANGE BOARD GAME”, I hear the collective crowd exclaim, incredulously.

Yes! And, as a point of fact, a DOCTOR STRANGE BOARD GAME that was OFFICIALLY produced by MARVEL COMICS!

“Who-in-the-WHAT-now?!”, You all stammered, as one….

Yes! I am quite serious. There is a DOCTOR STRANGE BOARD GAME.

“WHY didn’t I ever hear of such a thing? HOW is such a thing possible? WHEN did this miraculous event occur?”, I heard you say, while completing the rest of the ‘5 “W’s” of proper questioning’.

I know what you’re thinking. “Whoever green-lit this project would have to be… CRAZY!

And y’know what…? You’d be 100% correct!


Printed in the pages of CRAZY # 88 (a “SUPER SPECIAL” issue) by Marvel Comics (magazine division) back in July 1982, there was presented all the makings of an honest-to-goodness paper-craft DOCTOR STRANGE BOARD GAME!


My hand-colored figures and a close-up of my home-made box (from the early 1980's) for
DOCTOR STRANGE’s
HAUNTED PATHWAYS
The Game of Mystic Mindrot
Written by Steve Skeates.
Art by Steve Mellor



Complete with: spinner, multiple decks of cards, the game-board itself (because it can’t really be a board game if there isn’t a game board), rules, game pieces, and, of course, for the very reason that this is an “IDOL PURSUITS” post… FIGURE STANDEES!




But not just any old paper figures of ordinary people. Oh no! These are papercraft figures of:
 DOCTOR STRANGE
CLEA
DORMAMMU
&
BARON MORDO
!!!
(AND the game pointer is the
G’URANTHIC GUARDIAN!!!)

-
(NOTE: For MORE info on the "IDOL PURSUITS" series of posts, and a review of every entry thus far, see the post just prior to this one  [HERE].)
-

And so I present to you, in all its glory…
DOCTOR STRANGE’s
HAUNTED PATHWAYS:
The Game of Mystic Mindrot

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For your entertainment pleasure, I’ve scanned in the entire game pages (game board, pieces, instructions, etc) and digitally cleaned it all up to high-quality standards (available for download below).

You can either save the files and color them digitally (if you have the knack [and art software]) –or- print these out and color them in the more traditional manner (crayons, colored pencil, magic marker… heck, turn them into oil paintings, Picasso).

I still have my original set, which was from when this book was only a scant few months old. There were no fancy computers then, ya young whippersnappers, so we colored things with markers of magic, and THAT WAS THE WAY WE LIKED IT! Uh… sorry. I have the sudden urge to chase kids offa my lawn.

Now where was I?
Oh yes… My old set is shown here (at the top of this post) - for authenticity's sake - in a makeshift box and all hand-colored and pasted together. I have the urge to redo it all digitally now… and since I made these scans, I think I will!

Oh, you want to know what the game is about?
Well, it’s about obtaining perfect enlightenment as a Master of the Mystic Arts - or – falling into the grip of MADNESS and being locked away in an asylum!
See? FUN!

Here, let me allow Doctor Strange himself to explain it all in the accompanying comic strip (before and after the assorted game pieces).

*IMPORTANT: HIGH RESOLUTION SCANNED JPGS CAN BE DOWNLOADED BY CLICKING THE "DOWNLOAD PAGE" LINK, UNDER EACH PAGE.

THE IMAGES SHOWN HERE ARE LOW-RES MERELY FOR YOU TO VIEW.

REMEMBER: HIGH RESOLUTION SCANNED JPGS CAN BE DOWNLOADED BY CLICKING THE "DOWNLOAD PAGE" LINK, UNDER EACH PAGE.
(to download nice, quality scans to color and print)

OR
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE WHOLE BATCH AT ONCE
AT THIS LINK:
HERE




















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The ONLY part of assembling your very own version that MAY be even the slightest bit difficult is to align the FRONT and BACK of the playing cards (POWER CARDS, ASTRAL PLAYIN' CARDS, DISABILITY CARDS & TREATMENT CARDS). Your best bet is to print them out, cut out the BLOCK of cards (ignoring all the rest of the stuff on the page), and then make sure the edges line up. If the edges line up then the cards should line up, front-to-back (-or- hold them up to a light-source - on a window, or a lightbox, to see if they match up). Then use a glue stick or spray glue and reset together back-to-back. Then, cut them out on the dotted lines, and you'll have your cards!
If you're technically adept and want to align them on your computer and print out double-sided, well... aren't YOU fancy?!
And speaking of fancy... I'd highly recommend bringing the GAME BOARD file to your local copy shoppe to have them print it out on nice glossy stock (or even mount it onto some board)!

Anyway, the game is oodles of fun (if frustrating torture is your idea of a good time). I didn’t have anyone with whom to play this game when it first came out, so I pretty much had to play with myself (uh, wait…). It wasn’t until many years afterwards that I tested the love of my then-girlfriend by having her play with me (now WAIT a minute… I mean THE GAME! Perverts). She wasn’t all that excited by the game, but she seemed to still like ME enough to marry me a few years later. As I recall, I won the game and I won her heart.
So there ya have it! Play this game and find true love – guaranteed! (Note: Guarantee of love is not binding or in any way meant as a guarantee. Let’s face it, you’re about to slap together a home-made board game. No one is gonna find that sexy. Not even nerd-sexy. Good luck.)

So what’cha waiting for?

Begin YOUR exciting quest for ENLIGHTENMENT (or INSANITY)... NOW!

ENJOY!

Sunday, September 15, 2013

IDOL PURSUITS : "TOYS NIGHT OUT".
A RECAP and PRELUDE EDITION

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IT FIGURES... this is going to be a multi-purpose post.

No, I'm not complaining or being sarcastic about anything.

"IT FIGURES" was the name I originally used as a subject header / tag-line for a continuing series of blog-posts that deal with "Action Figures", figurines and statuary. I soon realized that in keeping with the mystic nature of this blog's focus (i.e; Doctor Strange and the various magic characters which I collect), that "IDOL PURSUITS" would make more sense, since I am often in pursuit of these plastic (plaster, resin, rubber and/or paper) "idols".

One of the first series of posts when I began this blog were the "Idol Pursuits", wherein I started an extensive look into every action figure, figurine and statue of Doctor Strange, Man-Thing, Rom; Spaceknight and assorted other "6-Dimensions" characters.
However, somewhere in my 2nd year I got sidetracked into other posts (many epic essays and in-depth looks into the comics) and never got back to the "Idol Pursuits".

While I've been meaning to get back to it, I've sadly neglected to do so.

UNTIL NOW...

Since, as of late, I've been spending what (little) free time I have working on fixing up my "Sanctum Sanctorum" (man-cave), I've been surrounded by all of the many, MANY assorted "idols" that are stored within.

And so I feel compelled to light the candles on those alters and continue to pay homage to them here once again.


Just a glimpse of a VERY FEW of the many figures to be showcased in the weeks to come.


Since it has been a few years since I last posted an entry in the "IDOL PURSUITS" category, I feel it best to give a recap / run-down on what has come before with some pics and links to previous posts.

But then, make sure to continue on and read the comic story "TOYS NIGHT OUT" which was first printed as a back-up story in MARVEL FANFARE # 56 - and then come back next time for an IDOL PURSUITS SPECIAL EDITION deluxe entry!


So now in preparation of the continuance of the "IDOL PURSUITS" series, here's your recap of the posts dedicated to presenting detailed and comprehensive histories of DOCTOR STRANGE (and "6-Dimensions" characters) figures/statues/standees etc...:

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Part 1) - 1979 Ben Cooper “dangler” figure – [HERE]


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Part 1a) - ADDENDUM:  The pre-“Action Figure” figures
(Marvel World standees and "Rub-n-Play" standee) – [HERE]


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Part 2) – The DOCTOR STRANGE MEGO figure that almost was – [HERE]



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Part 3-A) – Gaming figures: TSR Standees – [HERE]

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Part 3-B) – Gaming Figures: TSR Metal Figurines – [HERE]


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Part 4) – The PVC Figurines: DOCTOR STRANGE – [HERE]


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Part 4a) The PVC Figurines - addendum 1: “MAN-THING” – [HERE]


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Part 4b) – The PVC Figurines  - addendum 2: “DEFENDERS” – [HERE]



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Special Editions:

Idol Pursuits: ROM SPACEKNIGHT "action figure" toy – [HERE]


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Idol Pursuits: ROM SPACEKNIGHT model kits: full size and bust - [HERE]



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Idol Pursuits: DR. ORPHEUS bobblehead - [HERE]



Of course, there were OTHER entries in the IDOL PURSUITS series (mostly ancillary and preview posts), but if you want to see ALL of the entries in the series (in reverse order) just click [HERE].

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Well. Before you go up and start clickety-clicking all those links, and (re)reading those previous entries, I'll post a special comic story here for you!
Originally printed in MARVEL FANFARE # 56, this is a story of a kid who can't seem to get his room in order and it's because he spends too much time playing with his... (NO, you filthy-minded people!) Action Figures.

But don't fret... there's a very good reason this story is being showcased here!
But don't worry, I won't spoil it here. I'll recap at the end...

Written by BILL MANTLO with art by DON HECK, enjoy...
 "TOYS NIGHT OUT".

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So, did you figure out WHY this is on my blog?
Not only is it a pseudo-biographical tale of my working on my "Sanctum" (well... except I don't have a mother breathing down my neck about it, and my wife is smarter than to threaten to "take my toys away") but it also comes down to DOCTOR STRANGE (and Dormammu) to save the day!

If only MY action figures and statues would do that.
I've got HUNDREDS of them... it would be a snap for them.
Better go check to see if any of their hands are smoking.

So, remember to come back next time for an IDOL PURSUITS SPECIAL EDITION deluxe entry - where I present the 
DOCTOR STRANGE BOARD GAME 
(Which was OFFICIALLY produced by MARVEL)!!
that YOU can download and print out!
[HERE]

Sunday, September 8, 2013

MEET MacGOOT: SENTRY of the SANCTUM

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Of late, I've had the fortune of having some time to devote to getting my Sanctum Sanctorum "man-cave" organized  - as I mentioned [complete with a sneak-peak pic of some display units] in a post a week ago [HERE] - as well as this Tweet (with pic of new UV coated window) [HERE].


However, after more than a year of neglect (and a few years of partially-sorted comics), it's a time-consuming process.

Most likely I'll be rearranging everything!

However, I'd like to introduce you to a special little guy who has stood Sentry as the GUARDIAN of my Collection for many years...

Meet, MacGoot!


MacGoot has been with me since about 1993 - 20 years! 

Back then, I was working at an Antiquarian Book store / Comic Shoppe on Long Island, NY.
This little dragon was a promotional item for Cliffs Notes, and since the owners of the shoppe had no idea what else to do with him, he sat atop the display of those little, yellow plagiarist's handbooks study guides.

Looking into his sad, mournful eyes, I knew that he deserved a better home, and with an "OK" from that department's manager, I liberated the black and yellow dragon.

MacGoot gets a little meta as he approves photo choices for this article.

When I put the department manager, a friend of mine, on the spot to name the little guy, he blurted out the name, "Magoot". However, a proper dragon would probably be Scottish, and as such, I altered it to "MacGoot".

But the very first thing that needed to be done was to cover up the "Cliffs Notes" logo on his chest, so I whipped up an impromptu badge with a "MAGE" inspired lightning bolt symbol (hey, Dragons are magic, so a Mage-inspired badge seemed appropriate).

"I'm now a 21st Century Dragon!"

Thus, as Dragons are legendary guardians of treasure, has MacGoot watched over every incarnation of my Sanctum, in 4 different locations, over all these years.