MYSTIC GARB: DOCTOR STRANGE APPAREL - ANCILLARY ACCESSORIES: ARTIFACTS of FLAIR Part 1: PATCHES of POWER

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One of the longest-running series of blog posts on this Sanctum Sanctorum Comix blog is of my showcase of DOCTOR STRANGE related apparel (hats, ties, shirts, unmentionables…), and in a recent entry into that series, a few weeks ago, I showed a Custom-Made Dr. Strange themed baseball cap (seen [HERE]).

The differing aspect of that article of clothing from the others is that it was made from other “Ancillary Artifacts” which were of a Dr. Strange theme – namely; PATCHES.

And at the time I mentioned that that post also began a new series of posts which will feature assorted Ancillary Accessorizing Artifacts; patches, buttons and assorted bling.

Well, THIS is the first of those new series’ (sub-series?) of posts dealing with Accessories of a Doctor Strange (and “6-Dimensions”) theme.

The best way is to go chronologically, by manufacture – and broken-down by type (you’ll see, there’ll be a reason for my OCD-stylings).

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First up, 1977 brought us Iron-On patches manufactured by HOLM PATCHES (Made in the USA).

These were 2” x 3” cloth patches which featured logos of then-popular Marvel Comics titles embroidered thereupon.

I say “cloth” but they have a plush feel, more like a quality felt, velour or velvet than a standard fabric.

I have ones for THE DEFENDERS and HOWARD THE DUCK, who many may forget was a sales and cultural phenomenon in the mid-to-late 1970’s.

As you can see, the stitching wasn’t bad, and the accuracy of the logos was spot-on. Simply labeled as “PATCHES”, their packaging and presentation was set at zero, however, as the patches were affixed to a basic no-frills card by means of a single staple.

Other such patches were made, I’m sure, but these tend to be fairly rare and thus, I’ve hardly seen many others.

Strangely enough, there doesn’t seem to have ever been one for DOCTOR STRANGE made by HOLM.

I would have to imagine that the company requested from Marvel a list of their top-selling titles, and while Howard the Duck was an extremely popular (if surprising) seller, and the Defenders – with the roster which included the HULK as well as many other “not-quite-top-tier” characters (like Dr. Strange) would have boosted its sales figures, Doctor Strange’s solo title must not have made the cut.

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That was rectified in 1979, when RAINBOW EMBLEM CO. of Dallas, Texas (also Made in the USA) produced a series of Marvel Comics patches with embroidered logos of several comic titles, including one for DOCTOR STRANGE; Master of the Mystic Arts.

Made of cloth and sized 2.5” x 3.5”, these Sew-On patches seemed to be more concerned with peg-hook presentation than quality of product. Complete with a dynamic “SUPER-HERO PATCHES” logo on a blister card, RAINBOW’s packaging was nicer than that of HOLM products’, but their patches were abysmally sub-standard.

Take a look at the Doctor Strange patch. The “name” part of the logo isn’t bad at all, but the “Master of the Mystic Arts” sub-header looks to be the work of Rumplestiltskin on a drunken bender.

The material of the patch is more like a flimsy canvas or cheap, colored denim.

Similarly poor patches were made for characters like the HULK and SILVER SURFER (who each actually had a small figure of themselves stitched thereupon).

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There were some other Marvel-themed patches in 1980, but since I’ve never seen any that were Doctor Strange related (or any of my particular “6-Dimensions” preferences) I’ve not needed to acquire any.

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The next time we would see Doctor Strange related, Marvel-themed sew-on patches was 1984 (and continued for a few years, until 1986 [or 1987]) when Marvel got into it themselves - teamed with TRANSCOLOR Inc.

This time, it wasn’t logos embroidered onto a patch, but actual artwork from the comics, printed on a fabric base.

“Marvel Super-Heroes TM Patches” were suddenly a thing perhaps less likely to be sewn onto a jean-jacket and more likely left in the clear baggie with hang tag which it came in – as a collectible.

The sheer number of these found over the past few decade or so on sites such as eBay has proven that they were mass-produced, carefully stored, and featured a plethora of the then-active Marvel characters. (Seriously, they featured just about everyone and anyone. There’s even one featuring “HEATHER” McDonald-Hudson – wife of Vindicator/Guardian of the Canadian team; Alpha Flight. She’s not in her “Guardian” suit, which she would later wear, but simply dressed in civvies, diving into the waters by a pier, taken from a panel of John Byrne-drawn issue). Before the end of production in 1986 (or 1987?) they had printed nearly any and every Marvel character on one, using artwork from whatever comics were released during that time-frame.

Most are 4” circular patches, but some are in triangular, shield or other squared-off shapes.

I have several, and am still in the market for a few more.

Currently, I have:

DOCTOR STRANGE: head-shot.

Made in 1984, this is a head/bust as drawn by Paul Smith (inked by Joseph Rubenstein) – and taken from Strange’s bio-page in the “Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe” v1 # 3.

I have two (2) of this one.

DOCTOR STRANGE: action pose.

Made in 1985 this was taken from the cover of “DOCTOR STRANGE: Master of the Mystic Arts” # 69, drawn by Bret Blevens (inked by Mundelo).

DOCTOR DOOM: Bust

Made in 1984, this pose of the Lord of Latveria was drawn by John Byrne and taken from the cover to Fantastic Four # 247.

There’s one of the Scarlet Witch, as drawn by Sandy Plunkett, that I am hoping to make mine one day, but in the meanwhile I DO have some others, including one featuring the Scarlet Witch.

*UPDATE*

GOT IT!

 

... and here are those others I mentioned.

VISION & SCARLET WITCH – action pose.

1986 – drawn by George Perez.

S.H.I.E.L.D. – logo.

1985 - ‘nuff said.

CLOAK and DAGGER – action pose.

1985 – drawn by Rick Leonardi / Terry Austin

BLACK KNIGHT – action pose.

1986 – by John Buscema / Tom Palmer

GARGOYLE – action pose.

1985 – drawn by Don Perlin.

This series of patches seems to have been the last gasp of the “comic character patch” fever. None since then were “officially” produced. However, as I stated earlier, there are so many of these patches still in circulation, if you have a favorite character, and if they were active during 1984-1987, there’s a good chance you can find a patch that features them.

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Now, I said “none since then were ‘officially’ produced”, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been a bunch of “pirate” patches since then!

With the onset of affordable, personal patch stitching machinery, almost anyone can become a Patch-Producer from the comfort of their own home.

I have purchased patches from just such providers… periodically.

Here are some of the current additions to my collection:

DOCTOR STRANGE – head.

4.5” x 3.5” - Taken from the same Paul Smith illustration as the Marvel Patch shown above, this, like most of my modern patches is from a vendor found online. (This, and the next two patches are the patches shown on my Custom Cap post [HERE].)

DOCTOR STRANGE – TV Movie Logo.

3” circle - Taken from a screen still from the 1978 Made-for-TV movie-pilot, this patch is most likely taken from my own image of same, uploaded to the internet back in 2008 for this very blog.

DOCTOR STRANGE – EYE of AGAMOTTO

3” circle - Taken from many an online pic, most likely from Marvel’s own wiki. Drawn by Kevin West (inked by Steve Montano), and taken from the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY # 32 From 1993. Sadly, there are SO many better drawn images of the Amulet of Agamotto, that it is a shame that this patch-maker didn’t seem to locate one of them.

DOCTOR STRANGE – Action pose.

4” x 3” - Taken from artwork from the ULTIMATE MARVEL vs CAPCOM 3 video game, this patch is taken from one of the variant costumes shown for Doctor Strange.

This is a different seller than the previous three, and the quality is poorer.

However, the next one, from the seller of the first 3 bootleg patches knocks it all out of the park.

DOCTOR STRANGE – Full Figure pose.

Measuring a whoppingly, Brobdingnagian 12” high by 5.5” wide, this patch is of the full image that two other “head” patches have used from Paul Smith’s illustration from the ‘Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe’. Here, I have it next to a Paul Smith drawn issue of Doctor Strange – merely for size comparison.
This patch would be something that you'd sew onto the back of your jacket in lieu of a painting of Winged Icarus from a Led Zeppelin album.

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Of course, the fact that Marvel and their official licensing partners have stopped making patches doesn’t mean that they’ve really stopped making patches… officially.

In 2012, Upper Deck Trading Cards teamed with Marvel to produce a sub-division of that year’s “Marvel Premier” series.

 Dubbed; “Classic Corners”, these deluxe trading cards are essentially embroidered patches of comic book artwork that used to be featured on comic book cover “corner boxes”, mounted inside an extra-thick casing.

Of course, I had to get at least two of these rare inserts.

 # CC-14 – which features the corner box artwork for THE DEFENDERS # 1

Doctor Strange, Namor and the Hulk

And

#CC-34 – which features the corner box artwork for ADVENTURE INTO FEAR # 10

The first comic issue that featured The MAN-THING (although, not his first appearance).

I do have a mind to get another of each of these and crack them out of their clear plastic shells to expose the embroidered patches within.

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Lastly, I’d like to show something that bridges both the fabric patch and trading card genres:

Backstage Access Passes for the band: The GRATEFUL DEAD!

Made of fabric (like a patch) with an adhesive backing (so you could stick them on your jacket – like  a patch), and roughly the size of a trading card, Marvel characters were lithographed onto them to designate for which particular concert they were to be used. I’ve seen several of these over the years, all featuring many different characters, and am happy to have been able to acquire these two…

THE ANCIENT ONE

 (artwork by Carl Potts)

Made for the March 29^th, 1995 concert at “The Omni” in Atlanta Georgia.

and

DOCTOR STRANGE

(artwork by Steve Lightle)

Made for the April 4^th, 1995 concert  at the Jefferson-Birmingham Civic Coliseum) in Birmingham Alabama.

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Hmmm… this post was an entry that was a follow-up on a post which in itself was a multi-subject entry (gifts, apparel, patches) and this, too, is a multi-subject entry (patches, trading cards, access passes, the Grateful Dead), but those other threads will have to wait for another day (although, I can guarantee the Grateful Dead subject thread will feature some really cool stuff  [and it, itself, is yet another multi-subject thread]).

Come back NEXT time for…

ANCILLARY ACCESSORIES: ARTIFACTS of FLAIR – PART 2: BUTTONS & PINS. [HERE]

 I can guarantee some rarities you’ve never seen before.

And don't forget to check out any you may have missed of the

Previous parts of the

MYSTIC GARB : DR. STRANGE APPAREL SERIES:

- part 1 : CAPS and TIES : [HERE]
- part 2 : SOLO APPEARANCE T-SHIRTS : [HERE]
- part 3 : TEAM-UP APPEARANCE T-SHIRTS : [HERE]
- part 4 : THE "OTHERS" / "6-DIMENSIONS" T-SHIRTS : [HERE]
- part 5 : "THE END" of GARMENTS  : [HERE]

And the sub-series...

ARTIFACTS of FLAIR:

- part 1: PATCHES of POWER: [HERE]

- part 2: BUTTONS & PINS: [HERE]

- part 3: MYSTIC AMULETS [HERE]

- part 3a: EYE of AGAMOTTO: [soon]

- part 4: MAGIC RINGS: [soon]

CLEA LOVES SEX: A MOTHER’s DAY ENTRY- UMAR LOVES SEX: M.I.L.F. SPECIAL EDITION

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Over the years we’ve examined several instances of how Clea; Doctor Strange’s other-dimensional lover, has shown her deep appreciation for… er… being appreciated - deeply.

A being born in the Dark Dimension, a realm where physical laws hardly apply, and raised alone by a harsh, disciplinary father, it isn’t likely that Clea had any physical relations before Dr. Strange entered her realm, her life, and... her.

So, where does this predilection for conjuring forth the “Mindless-One-with-two-backs” originate? Well, it can’t be stated for certain, but it would seem that Clea’s lust for more amour was passed down by her mother, Umar (sister of Dormammu).

In fact, it will probably give new meaning to the phrase that heralded her introduction:

"ENTER UMAR!"

Most readers are aware of Umar as a mystic threat that Doctor Strange has had to contend with on several occasions. But this is made into even more of a sticky situation since Strange and Clea were married (via mystic ring(s)) thus making Umar a true M.I.L.F. *

*Mother-In-Law Faltinian… why? What were YOU thinking it meant?

Umar and Dormammu are Faltinians, beings made of mystical fire. They had no physical forms whatsoever, and in fact, as a race, Faltinians have a basic loathing for the physical realm.

It was the siblings desire to seek out a more physical existence and desire for power that led to their being cast out of their native dimension. It was then that they found and usurped the rule of the dimension that would from then on be known as “Dark”. Still, while Dormammu quickly took the throne, Umar discovered the bed.

While within a physical form, it didn’t take long before Umar’s form craved some “physical” (- like Olivia Newton-John). In fact, it was her coupling with Dormammu’s right-hand man, Orini, that led to the birth of Clea.

Originally, Umar was disgusted by the child and the act that created her. For years thereafter she did all she could to eliminate the memory of sex (and her child) from her mind.

However, like an itch that craves to be scratched, she could ignore the urges for only so long before she had to satisfy them.

Umar has always visually presented herself as a vamp, a siren, a Gothic beauty, all while trying to remain above her base desires. Yet, how like many Earth M.I.L.F.s (yeah, this time it means exactly what you think) Umar soon found herself somewhat attracted to the man her daughter loved. (Bow-chica-wow-wow)

In truth, Umar never showed anything more than a passing admiration for the earthling who bested her brother, but that helped sow the seeds for Umar’s wish for others to sow wild oats – in her. (This is where the obligatory “plow” and “hoe” jokes would naturally go. Feel free to make them in the comments section.)

Still, she knew that the plan of attack against Strange was to use feminine ways (y'know... treachery and guile).

As such, while in conflict with Umar, did Dr. Strange confess of her “velvety” nature...

...while she engages in some dirty talk of “thrusts” and “counter-thrusts” that get her excited enough to give her an “O-face”.

However, since Umar is a bad-girl (a very bad girl), obviously, she would have no real interest in the goody-goody nature of a hero such as Stephen Strange, so why not look for one like him, but… bad?

Of course, in the "What If?" realities, Umar DID find someone like an evil Stephen Strange... STEPHEN STRANGE - Disciple of Dormammu!


After he sets her free, she shows just how "free" she can be.

Free.... and easy. And extremely "close" with her "beloved"' brother.

It would seem that she truly had a thing going with this alternate Dr. Strange. She felt that when he was bad, he was very very good.

However, this sorcerous sexcapade with Strange was only an alternate-universe lifestyle.

So, in the "616" proper, when looking for someone like an evil Dr. Strange, Umar hooked up with Baron Mordo, natch!

"...she's been alone a VERY long time."

Linking their powers, their hate for Strange and their need for “strange”, the dirty duo forged a union (in every conceivable way) to rule the Dark Dimension (is that what the kids were calling in it in the 1990’s?).

Unfortunately, Dormammu came and like a typical jerk brother, ruined the whole thing by seemingly destroying Mordo and absorbing his and Umar’s essence unto himself (a truly taboo three-way).

But, when later they were separated, it became known just how… close the siblings had been. (Hint: VERY. Taboo, indeed!)

At the very least, she seems to enjoy the indulgence of having her physical form pampered and preened by peons.

Still, it seems, when she was in “need” and there were no other resources available, she’d abduct lovers from other dimensions, and then turn them into 3-headed lizards or stalks of broccoli when she was finished with them.

 (A good thing for WONG that she never followed through on her desirous urge with him.)

Later, while using her wiles to trick her brother into dooming himself in the age-old dance of seeking power, Umar would occupy her time with another form of dance – the “horizontal bop”.

But whom could a supremely powerful, ageless, tireless mystic mistress have as a consort whom she couldn’t incinerate (either by magic or mere friction)? It would have to be someone INCREDIBLE…

Unfortunately, as is often the case, when a man hasn’t had sex in a long while, the initial encounter can be… brief. So… Hulk no smash.

Still, it couldn’t have been all that bad, since Umar kept trying to get the Hulk to return to her.

However, when the time presented itself for a “second date” Umar rolled out the red carpet (er… tongue) to give the Hulk another go.

And like the “Energizer Bunny”, Hulk just kept going…and going… and going…

Still, we should end this here, before we veer too far into content that goes beyond PG (or even PG-13) territory – like what that thing is that Umar does with her toes.

Uh… I think we're done here. It’s probably better that we don’t hear the rest of that.

I said... we're done here!

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And so we taske our leave with the knowledge that...

much like CLEA... UMAR LOVES SEX!

This post is the EIGHTH in a series of entries  - previous input in this series can be found at these links:

1st Entry , 2nd Entry , 3rd Entry , 4th Entry, 5th Entry , 6th Entry , 7th Entry

and don't forget the "Special Edition Limerick"  Addendum - [HERE]

FCBD 2013 MYSTIC GARB - DR. STRANGE APPAREL - SUPPLEMENTAL ENTRY # 7

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FREE COMIC BOOK DAY

MAY 4th, 2013!

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.
(Yes, I should have posted this yesterday, but I was tying to wrap up a follow-up installment to my previous post [HERE], But fret not, that'll come soon.)


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, the Shi'ar Imperial Guard, Thanos and more!

And yes... I'll also mention that I also got the promo poster.

But I'll go into all that in a later post. This post is primarily about the shirt.

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).

And, don't forget to come back next time for the promised feature on Marvel Patches, Buttons and other "pieces of flair" (although, that will probably be after the "Mother's Day" blogpost - which is a long way to say, I got a TON of stuff coming down the line soon, so... check back often).

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By the way, this post, as do all new addendums in the “Mystic Garb” Dr. Strange-themed series, will be reproduced as an update in the appropriate entry (in this case, part 3; "Team-Ups").

You can find the entire series at these links:

Previous parts of the

MYSTIC GARB : DR. STRANGE APPAREL SERIES:

- part 1 : CAPS and TIES : [HERE]
- part 2 : SOLO APPEARANCE T-SHIRTS : [HERE]
- part 3 : TEAM-UP APPEARANCE T-SHIRTS : [HERE]
- part 4 : THE "OTHERS" / "6-DIMENSIONS" T-SHIRTS : [HERE]
- part 5 : "THE END" of GARMENTS  : [HERE]