HE STRIKES FROM THE CIRCULAR FILE! The UNUSED COVER to ROM SPACKNIGHT # 1

As one of the "FOUNDING FATHERS : BLOG TRINITY" of my love of comics and thus, a raison d'etre for this blog, ROM SPACEKNIGHT is a character and/or title that will always garner my attention.

Licensed by Marvel from Hasbro for a giant electronic figure that the toy company wished to mass market, ROM : SPACEKNIGHT became one of the best-ever licensed properties - especially for that of a toy.

(For the full information on the toy - including a video showing how it worked - check out this old post [HERE] and its follow-up post [HERE]).

A series, written by Bill Mantlo and drawn by Sal Buscema (and later, Steve Ditko) the title has garnered fans the world over, and to this day is beloved part of my youth, memories and collection.

So, when it was shown - on the blog of Marvel Comics' former Editor-In-Chief; Jim Shooter [HERE] - the previously UNPUBLISHED FIRST DRAFT of the COVER to Issue # 1... well... I just HAD to showcase it here as well!

UNUSED, UNPUBLISHED COVER to ROM # 1

by Michael Netzer.

The artwork shown here is torn into pieces by the artist.
This is due to, having his cover being rejected (due to its being totally misrepresentative of the story within), Netzer tore the artwork and stormed out of the Marvel offices, vowing to never work there again.

As the artist noted, his interpretation of the cover had the townsfolk "...admiring the magnificent robot..." which is the direct opposite of the "Day The Earth Stood Still" type of vibe that the creative team were looking to achieve.
To make matters worse, Netzer also drew several Marvel staffers as beatific apostles, with himself as some Christlike figure in the bottom-center of the image.

As the story goes, after being told to re-draw the image more to the editorial direction, Netzer instead tore up his artwork (as shown above), vowed to never work for Marvel again, and then proceeded to venture on a deranged mission to hijack a plane!

Needless to say, this presented a HUGE problem, because the cover was already late and there simply wasn't time for another to be commissioned.

Enter new star artist Frank Miller, and overnight he whipped up the illustration that would be used to grace the cover of ROM ; SPACEKNIGHT # 1!

Here, we present that FINAL, PUBLISHED image!

Klaatu, Ba-ROM-da, Nikto

While the story's mood is captured better here than in the unused piece, many similarities of ROM's pose can be seen between the two covers. Obviously, Netzer's cover was drawn using the actual TOY as reference, while Miller's seems to have used Netzer's as reference.

The entire story of the bizarre debacle can be found on a previous entry of Jim Shooter's blog [HERE].
(Michael Netzer's response to that blog post can also be found [HERE] - with Jim Shooter's further reply [HERE].)


And, once again (because it IS a really good blog post) I'll drop the linkee to where you can read about how ROM is one of the three founders (with Man-Thing and Doctor Strange) of my love of comics.
That post can be found [HERE].

(And, again... For the full information on the toy - including a video showing how it worked - check out this old post [HERE] and its follow-up post [HERE]).

1 YEAR BLOGGIVERSARY! -or-The BEST OF vol 1: 2008-2009

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!

It’s the ONE YEAR BLOGGIVERSARY for the SANCTUM SANCTORUM COMIX BLOG!
One BIG and BUSY year with MANY awesome posts!
(This is on top of the prior decade or so of my merely being an omni-present commenter/ know-it-all loudmouth on others blogs, message boards and random street corners!)

Since I began my blogging, due to the off-hand advice of a friend, on October 11th of last year, any semblance of a calendar-year can be tossed right out the window. So, we will focus on what I blogged from OCTOBER 11, 2008 to OCTOBER 11, 2009.

Feel free to use this opportunity to peruse some of these old posts - whether you have read them already or not, there is actually some really good stuff in here.



Let's see...

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- How about I begin at the beginning, with my very FIRST POST (it might not be a “best of” in the strictest sense, but this blog would not exist without it. – [HERE]

And, for that matter, the official, unofficial seal-of-approval of long-time Doc-blogger; NEILALIEN – [HERE]

In regards to this being, primarily (ostensibly), a comics blog, it seems fitting to recall that I gave an inside look into my own psychosis and origins of my long-term love of comics.
THE METHOD TO MY MADNESS – [HERE]

And for anyone who looks at the top of my left sidebar and sees that this blog is dedicated to the unlikely trio of DR. STRANGE, MAN-THING and ROM: SPACEKNIGHT, allow me to explain…
DORKWIN – ORIGIN OF SPECIES: 6-DIMENSIONS of DOCTOR STRANGE
(Sorcerers, Space-Men and Swamp Beasts, Oh my!) – [HERE]

Yet, even earlier than that, my love for comics manifested from the daily newspaper strips of Spider-Man and Star Wars.
Dorkwin redux – SON-OF-ORIGINS – [HERE]

Or perhaps, you’re more interested in taking a look behind the curtain...

‘THE MEME”: A LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES at my personal secrets – [HERE]

Journey into my own, very disturbing, DIMENSION OF DREAMS – [HERE]

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Interested in comic-themed swag? SURE! Who isn’t? Well, seeing as how showcasing my insane collection of Strange stuff was the primary reason for even starting this blog, please allow me to show you a few items that I shone a spotlight on this past year.


DOCTOR STRANGE “TOON TUMBLERS”:
Part 1) – [HERE]
Part 2) – [HERE]

MARVEL PARTY TABLE CLOTH – [HERE]

DOCTOR STRANGE CREDIT CARD SIGN – [HERE]


Now, y’see… there’s Swag, and there’s SUPER Swag, but above all those others there’s UBER-SWAG!
I was pleased to present some of my “grail” items; high-end rarities, exclusive and/or one-of-a-kind pieces of collectible goodness.

BEHOLD… the TOWER OF POWER – [HERE]

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Marvel: The MARVEL WORLD Playset – [HERE]

ORIGINAL ARTWORK worthy of le Louvre’:

Original art page from Doctor Strange: Master of the Mystic Arts # 29 - [HERE]

Original, hand-painted, character sheet (animation production cel) of Doctor Strange from SPIDER-MAN and his AMAZING FRIENDS episode: “Seven-Little Super-Heroes” – [HERE]

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I also featured part of my collection of high-end, “one-of-a-kind” DOCTOR STRANGE bling:

The “DOCTOR STRANGE” (film replica) Ring – [HERE]

The DOCTOR STRANGE WINDOW Medallion – [HERE]

The DOCTOR STRANGE: FLIGHT OF BONES Insignia Ring – [HERE]

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Of course, there can be posts about collectibles that are more common (and popular), like ACTION FIGURES. Here are some posts in a continuing series entitled, “IDOL PURSUITS”, dedicated to looking at the history of DOCTOR STRANGE ACTION FIGURES:

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

Part 1a) - ADDENDUM:  The pre-“Action Figure” figures – [HERE]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Or even posts about the “not-so Action-y” variety of figures: STATUES & MODEL KITS.

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

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

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And next, a few posts that combine the delight of SWAG with the HOLIDAYS best associated with them:

TIME WARP : MARVEL CALENDARS (New Year’s)
# 1 – The “Classic” years (1975 – 1981) – [HERE]
# 2 – The “Modern” era (1980’s – present) – [HERE]
# 3 – A special 12-month pictorial essay on the DOCTOR STRANGE 1980 Calendar – [HERE]

DOCTOR STRANGE HALLOWEEN COSTUMES (Halloween) – [HERE]

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Of course, SOME comic-blog readers actually like to read about... oh, I dunno... comics!

So, here are some insanely in-depth reviews:



Marvel Adventures Super-Heroes # 5 (featuring DOCTOR STRANGE) – [HERE]

Marvel Adventures Super-Heroes # 9 (featuring DOCTOR STRANGE) – [HERE]

HULK # 10 (featuring the DEFENDERS vs the OFFENDERS) – [HERE]

X-MEN FIRST CLASS: FINALS # 3 (a sweet MAN-THING story) – [HERE]

ULTIMATE END: A look at events in ULTIMATE "ULTIMATUM":
PART 1) - The Death of “Ultimate” Doctor Strange – [HERE]
PART 2) - The further examination – and exhumation – of “Ultimate” Doctor Strange – [HERE]

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- But what kind of blog would this be if I didn’t rant and rave er…compose well-thought-out and coherent analysis of comics and/or events/character developments once in awhile... 

Whether you’re a fan of quick, one-shot posts, or extended, multi-part epics, I had you covered this past year.

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ONE-SHOT POSTS
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KNOWLEDGE is POWER: a look into the nature of the “powers” of Doctor Strange – [HERE]

The questionable death of RINTRAH; Apprentice of the Mystic Arts – [HERE]

STRANGE LOVES – a continuing and ever-expanding history of EVERY romantic liaison made known in the life of Stephen Strange – [HERE]

WITHIN YOU / WITHOUT YOU – A deep look at a scene that – to ME – defines DOCTOR STRANGE – [HERE]


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LONG RUNNING MULTI-PART ESSAYS:
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CLEA LOVES SEX: A look at that indisputable evidence that…Clea Loves Sex!
# 1) – [HERE]
# 2) "2nd Entry" – [HERE]
# 3)  "All about the Benjamin" – [HERE]


HOUSING CRISIS: An intensive examination of the History of the many RISES and FALLS of the SANCTUM SANCTORUM of DOCTOR STRANGE:
# 1) "The Intro" – [HERE]
# 2) "Strange (Tales) Days" – [HERE]
# 3) "Shadows on the Wall" – [HERE]
# 4) "Sanctum on Parade" – [HERE]
# 5) "Wolves at the Door, Ghosts in the Attic"– [HERE]
# 6) "Draw the Curtains and Turn Out the Lights"– [HERE]
# ∞) "A Look in the Mirror Before Heading Out"– [HERE]

Or for your approval, here’s an as-of-yet unfinished series detailing the SEARCH FOR, NATURE & HISTORY OF THE SORCERER SUPREME –

Prelude – [HERE]
New Avengers v1 # 51 : A REVIEW – [HERE]
WHO SHOULD BE THE SORCERER SUPREME (April Fool’s Edition) – [HERE]

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- Like to watch TV and films? Like reviews of same? Then these “Magic of Video” posts, which are bits of TV-related commentary, may be of interest (sadly,I didn’t blog about many this year):


Spider-Man & his Amazing Friends – 7 Little Superheroes (with Doctor Strange) - [HERE]

Spider-Man & his Amazing Friends – Black Knight - [HERE]

Spider-Woman (with Dormammu & Mindless Ones) - [HERE]

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But sometimes, the stars align and one subject can cross over into the realms of all others; swag, reviews, film and more! Such is the case of the 1978 DOCTOR STRANGE made-for-TV movie!

VIDEO TEASER – [HERE]
Magic of Video – 1) THE TV MOVIE – [HERE]
1A) – PROMOS, DESIGN ART, SWAG - [HERE]
1B) – MEGO FIGURE - [HERE]
1C) –  The FILM REVIEW (possibly the most in-depth, detailed review for a cheesy film; EVER) – [HERE]


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Of course, at year’s end (well… by the beginning of a new year, while referencing the previous one) there is, of course, opportunity to write about EVERY aspect of our reader/collector habits!I’ve begun, here at the Sanctum Sanctorum Comix blog, my own "Awards Show", the "SANCTUM AWARDS".

I present "Sancty's" to deserving "Best of" and Worst of" categories in all aspects of the prior year’s Marvel Comic’s “Doctor Strange”-related releases; comics, film, TV, toys, collectibles, etc.

Sometimes this is the only place where I may discuss certain titles, storylines or products.

Other times, I am revisiting older posts with my votes.

Either way, a thorough overview of the year's official product output is reviewed.


The 2008 1st ANNUAL  SANCTUM AWARDS - can be found – [HERE]

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I would be remiss if I didn't thank the many friends, fans, readers, followers, fellow-bloggers and wonderful souls out there who have helped, inspired, cajoled, cudgeled and commented.

A list of but a scant few (in no particular order) are:

-Neilalien-

-Howard Hallis-

-Mike Sterling and his "Progressive Ruin"-

Lee from "Rom, Spaceknight Revisited"

-Darren from "Lonely Geek's Swamp - a Man-Thing blog"-

-Plok from "A Trout in the Milk"-

-Holly-

-Arachne Solara-

-Sean Aaron-

-The Groovy Agent-

-John Sisson-

-googum from "Random Happenstance"

-Erick from "Wonderful Wonderblog"-

-The Grand Comic Database-

-waaaay too many awesome blogs and forums-

-numerous "anonymous" commenters-

- soooo many more blogs and people who have been there along the way -

 Thank You all!

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And creators without whom this blog would be about my collection of rare molds, spores and fungus':


- Steve Ditko -
- Jack Kirby -
- Stan Lee -
- J.M. DeMatteis -


- Steve Gerber -
- Dan Green -
- Steve Englehart -


- Gene Colan -
- Marshall Rogers -
- Michael Golden -
- Paul Smith -
- Mike Ploog -
- Dan Adkins -


- Steve Rude -


- Bill Everett -

 
- John Byrne -
- Peter Gillis -


-Roger Stern -
- Frank Brunner -
- Kevin Nowlan -


- Chris Warner -


- P. Craig Russell -
- Gerry Conway - 


- Sandy Plunkett -


- Alan Davis –
- Jeff Parker -


- Mike Allred -


- Mark Buckingham -


- Howard Chaykin -

- Kurt Busiek -


- Mike Weiringo -


- Al Milgrom -


- Rudy Nebres -


- Tom Sutton -


- Steve Mellor -
- Ian Akin and Brian Garvey -
- Sal Buscema -
- Bill Mantlo -
and many, many, MANY more!

And that should do it.

Sure, there are a lot more entries - but not all of them are merit-worthy, or while they may be good, are just silly hit-and-run style posts.

Some are to showcase new products or comics that were to be released, and others are tongue-in-cheek bits of whimsy, or tips of the hat to various holidays. 
I have a lot like that - some quick Photoshop, an Action figure or comic scan and what passes for "wit" = a quick blog post.


But if you like that sort of thing, open up the blog-history drop down lists and just jump around.



And... thanks for reading!
Come back again for YEAR TWO!

MARVEL STAMPS (and DR. STRANGE) SAVE THE DAY! Marvel Philatelist Promotional Swag: Part 2 -or- The Postman Always Blogs Twice

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This is the 2^nd in a duo of blog posts pertaining to Doctor Strange / Marvel swag as produced by the United States Post Office. (The first entry – featuring a solid silver “Ultimate Marvel” coin series can be found [HERE]).

As we showcased in that most recent article, Marvel (and Doctor Strange specifically, for the nature of this blog) had a series of solid silver Coin Medallions and Ingot Stamps minted by the United States Post Office to help celebrate the series of Marvel Comics postage stamps which were released at the time (2007).

From left to right; top to bottom:

Spider-Man, Hulk, Namor, Thing, Captain America

Silver Surfer, Spider-Woman, Iron Man, Elektra, Wolverine

Amazing Spider-Man # 1, Hulk # 1, Sub-Mariner # 1, Fantastic Four # 1, Captain America # 100

Silver Surfer # 1,Marvel Spotlight on Spider-Woman # 37, Iron Man # 1, Daredevil Saga featuring Elektra # 1, X-Men # 1

While the actual push was for the commemorative First Class stamps featuring Marvel Super-Heroes and Villains, as drawn by Marvel artists (in nearly every case taken directly from the comics or utilizing the cover art itself), it was the promotional material that led to the big score for this Doctor Strange fan/collector.

For while Doctor Strange was not a part of the actual US Post Office stamp sheet, he was one of the characters selected for inclusion in the ancillary offering (the aforementioned silver coins and ingots), and as such was included in the promo materials which were released by the Post Office to help sell the stamps. As many a Doctor Strange collector can attest when it comes to Marvel collector swag; “always the bridesmaid, never the bride”… or maybe to keep the Postal theme alive; “not 1^st class… but Bulk mail”.

Allow me to present to you the promo material at this time.

If you were to walk into a Post Office in early 2007, you may very well have been met with this large poster, featuring many of the Marvel heroes as traced over photos – er – “drawn” by Greg Land.

Once again, left to right, top to bottom:

Dr. Strange, Human Torch, Elektra, Thing, Falcon

Mr. Fantastic [head], Hulk, Daredevil, Phoenix, (Mr. Fantastic [body])

Iron Man, Silver Surfer, Invisible Woman, Namor, Stan Lee (as a Postman), Captain America

Wolverine, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman

I don’t know who Land used as a model for Namor, but he is so disgustingly, annoyingly smug-looking that I want to punch him in the throat. So… PERFECT for Namor! Just saying.

However, like anyone who has seen any other Greg Land piece, the poses and faces are instantly recognizable as being re-used from other works. Almost any Greg Land X-MEN cover uses that same Wolverine pose. Just saying that, too.
And while I'm at it... why is Doctor Strange's head smaller than his hand(s)? Look at the GUN SHOW he's pulling off there, too! Damn... Land really doesn't care that not every male hero can be traced from "men's fitness" muscle magazines.

Anyway... it is this artwork that is utilized on all of the promo materials.

If you were to continue up to the counter at your previously alluded-to Post Office, you may have been able to see this “3D” standee dump.

With raised images of the featured stamps flanking the unit, it is printed using several overlaying layers of artwork, thus giving the appearance of being “3D”, with each row of figures appearing closer and closer, until the figures in the foreground “pop” out closest to the viewer than those in the subsequent layers. You can almost smell Wolvie’s sweaty aroma from your computer, can’t you?

At the front is a pad of tear-off contest entry forms (winner would win $10,000… good only at the Post Office Store. Dang… that’s a LOT of stamps).

However, those two items may be the only ones readily viewable by Postal patrons, as the rest were not meant for display.

The following is a 2-sided, 4 piece, over-sized jigsaw puzzle which may have been meant as a give-away to anyone who bought the most Marvel stamps (or perhaps was an intended prize in some kind of promotional contest).

On one side are 4 different enlarged Marvel stamps: Hulk, Silver Surfer, Captain America, Spider-Man (not that I can believe I’m saying this, but to have the Surfer instead of the more recognizable Wolverine makes little sense to me. Perhaps the choice was made by some aging hippie postal worker, fondly remembering licking acid off of Silver Surfer LSD stamps back at Woodstock… I dunno. But then, on a similar note, WHY would the choice of Elektra be made for the actual Stamps over any other, more worthy and responsible “role model” heroine? Certainly, Ms. Marvel [an Air Force Colonel], Storm [the first major African-American Female character], Invisible Woman [a mother – who happens to be a career adventurer] or even Kitty Pryde [youthful, genius, minority, role model] would have made more suitable choices than a returned-from-the-dead assassin?}).

The other side (and the actual “puzzle” aspect of the jigsaw) features the Greg Land group shot.

Lastly, and the rarest item of all, is this Postal Bulletin magazine, meant for the eyes of the Postmaster (and maybe a few clerks) only. Within its pages are boring – er… detailed articles and charts discussing not only the Marvel stamps initiative, but those of so many others at the time.

As you can see from the cover, the stamps were made available nationwide July 26^th, 2007 – which is not wholly coincidental as to why I have chosen this time to showcase these Post Office items now.

Who says this isn’t the most mind-blowingly well-thought-out, First Class blog of all? *

*

Everyone says that. Myself included. Don’t let me fool you otherwise.

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

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Welcome back, to this, Part 4 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
- part 3 : TEAM-UP 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 C : "THE OTHER 6-DIMENSIONS" (meaning; shirts that may not be directly tied to Dr. Strange, but are either tangentially linked to him - or - deal with one of the other "6-Dimensions" characters that I collect)!

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*Note*
LOOK FOR UPDATED ENTRIES
-Marked by Date of Entry-

Starting off this section, with shirts in no particular order, really, I'll lead off with an item that is only tied to Dr. Strange by the NAME.

This is a shirt for the underground / punk record label;

DR. STRANGE RECORDS.

The mail-order shoppe / record label has been around since 1988, and they have numerous logo styles available. I chose this one because it emulates a classic DR. PEPPER soda logo, taking aspects from several of the old logos - and, like the old commercial jingle touted; "I'm a Pepper!", it being my favorite soft drink.

"Wouldn't you like to be a Pepper, Too?"
Previous Dr. Pepper logos.

However, Dr. Strange Records has NOTHING to do with the comic character (with perhaps a love of the character by the owner of the label - maybe. I've never read anything to that regard)
For more info, a link to Dr. Strange Records can be found [HERE].

I'm not really a big fan of punk, (although, I have been known to like some,) but with a logo like that, and the name of Dr. Strange emblazoned upon it, how could I not own one?

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

While keeping in the line of "Logos", 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 an actual 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.

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However, as I mentioned earlier, not all of these shirts will have any link to Doc - at all (although, there ARE more of those, and I'll get back to them in a little while), but instead some tie to one or more of the other characters that I collect.

Like the "Dr. Pepper" style logo above, not all shirts in my collection are going to be mass-market releases either.
There are a few that are small press or even "bootleg" style items as well.

One such item deals with one of my all-time favorite characters, and one of the "Trinity" of characters that my entire basis of comic love originates (and for anyone interested in THAT little history lesson, feel free to visit this link which details the reasoning for such [HERE])...

ROM; SPACEKNIGHT!

This shirt has been featured on the blog before, sorta.
On my most recent birthday, I posted [HERE] a complete showcase of the ROM "action figure / doll / toy" and also posted a YouTube video that I had made of myself showing how the figure worked.
In the video, I was wearing one of these ROM shirts.

The artwork used on the shirt is a reworking of this old ad piece (, found on the website of ROM creator Bing McCoy - [HERE]).

That image is, in itself, a reworking of this old in-house Marvel ad for the ROM comic book.

artwork by series' artist; Sal Buscema

However, as lovely as the shirt is, (and of nice quality, as well,) it is not an official product, since the rights for ROM SPACEKNIGHT are deep in legal limbo. Thus, the only way to obtain a shirt showing your love of ROM is to make one yourself, or find a bootleg.

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Not all of my "6-Dimensions" characters need to have underground artists silkscreening away in basement sweatshops. This one for the SCARLET WITCH was officially released in 2007 by Marvel license-holder; Mad Engine.

I loves me the Scarlet Witch. 'Nuff Said

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Here's a shirt, from the early 2000's, by Graphitti Designs featuring many characters from the MARVEL KNIGHTS sector of Marvel's stable.

Yes, Dr. Strange was indeed part of the KNIGHTS' imprint, and as such, there is a link to him that qualifies for inclusion into my collection.


However, this shirt features the cover art, by Joe Quesada, for the cover to issue # 1 of the Knights "team" title, of which Doc only guest-starred in three issues.Still, even without that link to Dr. Strange, I may have bought this item solely because of the KNIGHTS' name, and the fact that it features DAGGER (bottom right) whom, with her teammate CLOAK, is one corner of my "6-Dimensions" collector's interest.

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

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 way 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 need to.

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Next is an item with a very loose tie to not only Dr. Strange, but also my other main comic book fave; MAN-THING!
This shirt, while being cool enough to GLOW-IN-THE-DARK, also features characters in the loosely-affiliated IMAGE publishing universe -

DR. WEIRD & The BOG!

Close-up of the shirt image.

Taken from the cover to BIG BANG # 15, the shirt features the artwork by Steve Bissette.
While "The BOG", a Man-Thing / Swamp-Thing type of creature is a creation of recent talents, DR. WEIRD, however, has a history going as far back as 1963, and was even drawn in an early fan-based work by Jim Starlin! (For more info on Dr. Weird try [HERE]).

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Looking at that shirt with Dr. Weird on it, it's hard to ignore the similarities to his chest-design "demon" and Dr. Strange's. They're almost identical.

The next shirt in my collection has a slim tie to Strange's demon symbol, as well as an old costume that he only wore on a few separate occasions.

This shirt, produced by Graphitti Designs in the year 2000, features the bat-symbol for the character of Terry McGuinness also known as "Batman" (in the BatMan Beyond - aka Batman of the Future) animated series!



So, WHY would there be any link between Batman Beyond and Dr. Strange?

In several interviews (one such being printed in issue # 1 of the now defunct; Comicology magazine, by TwoMorrows Press), Bruce Timm, the creator of many animated series, stated that the old costume worn by Dr. Strange - the one with the full face mask - was such a cool look that it served as the inspiration for the look for the Batman Beyond costume. Here is one image of that Dr. Strange costume as drawn by Bruce Timm.
So, there is that one link to Dr. Strange and is reason enough for my collector's mania to think it proper for inclusion into a Dr. Strange collection.
However, there is another slight link to Dr. Strange as well, that might exist.

With the success of the Batman Beyond character and his edgy look, it might be possible that the creators of Marvel's "MC2" universe (basically 10 years into the future of the 616 universe), may have used that look as the jumping off point for one of their new characters. In the same world as SPIDER-GIRL, A-Next and other new heroes, Doctor Strange, has grown older and lost his ties to the Vishanti, and so a new Sorcerer Supreme was chosen...

DOC MAGUS!
(aka Dormagus - who seemed to be that realities' son of Dr. Strange and Clea)

His demon symbol being bright red and looking fairly similar to the bat symbol from Batman Beyond, but all the while also wearing a black & red skin-tight costume like that Batman character, as well as a full face-mask like that Batman as well as the old Dr. Strange costume.

Worlds within worlds - I see links where there may be none, but which would be hard to dismiss outright.

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That isn't the only crazy, hair-brained reason to my having a shirt in my collection.
This next one, another Graphitti Designs product, from 2001, featured the star-burst symbol that emblazoned the costume of Genis-Vell; Captain Marvel (and the son of Mar-Vell; the original Marvel comics' Captain Marvel).
I don't claim any real link to Dr Strange other than that the same symbol was also used on the "final" version of the costume for the TV movie of Doctor Strange.

Peter Hooton wearing the costume as designed by long-time comic artist Frank Brunner.

The star burst symbol was also the "signature" of sorts for long-time comic artist, TV and movie storyboard artist and designer; Frank Brunner. He designed that costume for the Dr. Strange TV movie (a complete history and run down of all things pertaining to that movie can be found in a previous series of posts found [HERE]), and as such, I thought it appropriate to include in my collection.
Yes. My mania had gone 'round the bend by that time.

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We'll continue along with another item that is only tangentially linked to Doctor Strange, and also via the realm of television.
Actually, TWO shirts that feature the SAME link.

From the animated series; The VENTURE BROS, (a twisted take on Johnny Quest type charcters, mixed with a steep geek-cred of comic book archetypes) comes...

DOCTOR BYRON ORPHEUS; Necromancer!

In show commentary from the DVD's as well as many interviews, creators Jackson Publick and Doc Hammer have stated that (as if it weren't totally obvious) Dr. Orpheus IS their version of Dr. Strange.

To watch Dr. Orpheus in action makes it IMPOSSIBLE to not read any Dr. Strange appearance without "hearing" his lines spoken in Orpheus' over-the-top melodramatic delivery.
Impossible, I say!

While the previous shirt is yet another unofficial bootleg product, (it was also mentioned in the commentary for the fist season DVD as their being aware of it, it being a bad knock-off, but it being fair game - due to the dearth of actual product that the fans clamored for), the creators of the show DID finally get around to producing a line of shirts - that were available on a VERY limited basis.

One of which features the logo that serves as the symbol and "calling card" to his team of mystic heroes;

THE ORDER OF THE TRIAD!
My two TRIAD shirts pictured along with mailing packet and illustrated receipt showing my "induction" into the Venture Bros "Shirt Club".


The symbol of The ORDER of the TRIAD!

The ORDER of the TRIAD includes Dr. O and two other mystic heroes;
Jefferson Twilight - Blackula Hunter (an homage to Marvel character; BLADE)
The Alchemist (possibly a Dr. DRUID homage, but not an outright one)

This team seems to me to be along the MIDNIGHT SONS type of team, and that, along with the Dr. Strange tie-in make this a definite MUST to any Dr. Strange collection!

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*UPDATED*

01-15-2011

This next shirt is something that, as of the time of this writing, I have not yet received, but I DID order... and should have on Feb. 15th, 2011. I have now received, along with the Special Edition of the Marvel vs Capcom3 game!

Offered as an incentive exclusive for pre-ordering the Marvel vs Capcom3 game direct from the Capcom website, this shirt, deigned by "Meat Bun", entitled "Waste of Flesh" features none other than SHUMA GORATH!

HE WHO SLEEPS BUT SHALL LP, LP, LEFT, HK, HP, UP, UP, DOWN, UP

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

This shirt  is perhaps one of my favorites in my collection. Something that is so friggin' cool, that I really NEED another one! (- as I will explain in a moment.)

Another of the 2011 limited edition exclusives by STUSSY x MARVEL (as seen with the DOCTOR STRANGE solo shirt in the Oct. 09, 2011 update for the  - part 2 : SOLO APPEARANCE T-SHIRTS. category), this shirt features classic Steve Ditko creation, and Doctor Strange entity - ETERNITY as redrawn by Will Sweeney.

Peace, man!

Black ink with details in SILVER on a simple, grey tee, this is perhaps one of the coolest of the Stussy shirts and one that I really, really, really want another of, so that I can WEAR it!

"But, PTOR..." I hear you ask, "Why not just wear the one that you have?"
Well, folks. But for two reasons, I would.

You see... even if I did want to wear this one - and thus cause its inevitable wear and tear and destruction (which I won't, since it is so cool, so don't ask me) I really can't wear THIS ONE... because it is in a size MEDIUM. I could probably fit onto a medium, as I am svelte of built, with a dancer's/swimmer's body, but I typically prefer my shirts to be in a LARGE, as I like the freedom of movement and minor drapery that a slightly larger size provides.

And so, I can only look upon my Eternity shirt entombed within it's plastic sarcophagus -  thus, and dream of what might be.

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Come back tomorrow for the 5th (and theoretically final) installment of this series:

MYSTIC GARB : DR. STRANGE APPAREL
- part 5 : "THE END" OF GARMENTS!

That 70's Show: The Mark of the Man-Thing! -or-Ashton Kutcher loves him some Man-Thing.

Readers of this blog may recall that I once posted an entry showing a clip of an episode of THAT 70's SHOW, wherein the character "Michael Kelso", played by Ashton Kutcher, is holding a comic book while talking with his friends.
In that earlier post, the comic in question featured DOCTOR STRANGE.
(See it HERE)


Well... today, I have another clip from THAT 70's SHOW, but this time the comic book featured has a guest-starring role (and cover appearance) by the MAN-THING!

Before I give it away, I'll show the clip so you can check it out for yourself.
(I'll show JUST the few seconds where the comic is featured - so FOX lawyers, cut me some slack. I promise to totally make it worth your while at the end of this post.)



I know it was a little hard to spot, but trust me... that cover, even in motion, leaped out at my eyeballs and smacked me upside my cerebral cortex.
The comic in question was ASTONISHING TALES # 13 (starring Ka-Zar) from 1972. One of the Man-Thing's earliest appearances.

Sadly, the comic is almost always in motion, and as such, getting a clean screen grab was impossible (at least with MY cobbled-together software). Here's something to use as a confirmation comparison.

The words "Ashton Kutcher" and "Man-Thing"are sure to bring some improper web-searches.

Hrmm... first I spot that episode with Doctor Strange on the cover of Amazing Spider-Man, now this Man-Thing appearance... if I EVER spot a ROM comic (or toy) in the background of that show (unlikely, though, since ROM # 1 was a late 1979 release) then 'That 70's Show' will have to be named the best tv show - ever.

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Hey, FOX legal department! Here's some "pay for play" for letting me use that clip:

That episode; "Punk Chick" is episode # 22 from Season 1 and can be purchased from this very blog (via AMAZON)!

So, hey readers... support your 70's flashbacks with more than just weed and old comics... buy a DVD boxed set today!

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"Tamam Shud!

~P~

2 YEAR BLOGGIVERSARY!! -or-The "BEST OF" vol 2: 2009-2010

 I'm not sure quite how, but somehow I managed to make it to 2 years of producing dubious "content" (of varying quality) for this blog!
(This, on top of the prior 10 years or so of my merely being an omni-present commenter/ know-it-all loudmouth on others blogs, message boards and random street corners.)

So, I thought it fitting to revisit a few of the "high-points" of this past year's blog-post entries.
Disclaimer: What might constitute "High-Points" may differ from person to person. I'm sure we can ALL agree that when the average content level is a mere "meh", anything above snore-inducing is a "high-point".

Unfortunately, I didn't DO this sort of thing for my FIRST year, so I'll be quickly working one up and "Ret-con posting" it in the proper place for anyone who wants to revisit Year One.

Who knows how to market himself? This guy!

OK, seriously...
Well... seeing as how I began my blogging on a whim one October day, two years ago, any semblance of a calendar-year can be tossed right out the window. So, we will focus on what I blogged from OCTOBER 11, 2009 to today.

Feel free to use this opportunity to peruse some of these old posts - whether you have read them already or not, there is actually some really good stuff in here.

Let's see:

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- How about we start off with a tribute to JACK KIRBY, an anecdote wherein I met the legendary creator, and detail the few instances where he drew Doctor Strange - [HERE]

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It seems fitting to recall that I gave extensive publication histories for two of my favorite characters:
- MAN-THING - [HERE]
- DOCTOR STRANGE (in my 200th Post - wherein I search for what should have been issue # 200 of Dr. Strange) - [HERE]

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- Interested in comic-themed apparel? T-shirts? Hats? Ties? Underpants??
Well, then THIS multi-part series is for you. Showcasing my insane collection of comic-themed garb, with plenty of pics and histories of the items and manufacturers (and I even drop some publication knowledge in there) - either follow along in order, or jump to whichever post strikes your fancy:

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]
- Supplemental Entry #1 : [HERE]
- Supplemental Entry #2 : [HERE]

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- On the subject of super-hero garb, Halloween is approaching, so take a walk down memory-lane with me as I showcased myself photographed (back in 1997) wearing a couple of home-made Doctor Strange costumes that garnered me a "win" in the Wizard Magazine annual costume contest:
DOCTOR STRANGE HALLOWEEN-COSTUMES - SPECIAL-EDITION! 2009 - [HERE]

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- Liked that? Interested in grown men playing dress-up as comic characters? Well, if you're either a cosplay enthusiast or just a weird comic fan, this series, wherein I dressed up as DR. DOOM for a series of vid-shorts will make you laugh, cry and doubt my sanity:
And Now... A Word From DOOM !
- Episode I : "BAH!" - [HERE]
- Episode II : "SNUGGIE!" - [HERE]
- Episode III : "NOG!" - [HERE]
- Episode IV : "PROSTITUTE!" - [HERE]

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- Yikes! See that last one? "Prostitute?" What the heck's THAT all about?
Well, if women who have lust on their minds is a big draw for you, then you need to check out the long-running, continuing series that I affectionately call:
CLEA LOVES SEX.
- 4th ENTRY -"Dead Can Dance" (the Horizontal Boogie) -  [HERE]
- 5th ENTRY : "OOO + XXX" (hugs and kisses) - [HERE]
- SIXTH SEX - THE X-X-X EDITION - [HERE]
- Addendum : Limericks from the Book of Vishanti  - [HERE]

Previous entries were from 2008 - 2009, but can still be found via links in each of these entries.

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- And, to give equal time, just to show you that Dr. Strange also goes all-out to score points with the ladies (well... Clea mostly). This is for the young lovers out there... just to show you how high the dating bar has been set by Doctor Stephen Strange.
DR. STRANGE; VALENTINE SUPREME (-or- The Hoary Hosts of Hallmark) - [HERE]

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- If original artwork is your lure, I presented a series of posts (which tied into a series from my other "Art-Blog") wherein I showcased some of my own original artwork - all of which feature Doctor Strange.
(with some also featuring Man-Thing, Scarlet Witch, Spider-Man, Clea, Dormammu, Eternity, Nightmare, The Ancient One and The Defenders; Silver Surfer, Namor the Sub-Mariner and Hulk)!


While some are "professional" submission samples, a few go waaaaay back to my childhood and my first attempts at drawing the mystic master.
 Teaser samples are found in these posts, with the full-reveal in posts on the sister site (via provided links).


- 1st in the Series - 4 Wizard magazine cover submissions - from the year 2000 - [HERE]
- 2nd in the Series - 11-Page "Secret Defenders" story- from 1993 - [HERE]
- 3rd in the Series - 6-Page "Doctor Strange" story - from 1989 - [HERE]
(with Stan Lee critique anecdote)
- 4th in the Series - "Doctor Strange" pin-ups - from 1989 back to 1980 - [HERE]
(with John Byrne critique anecdote)
- 5th in the Series - web-site banner headers "Defenders" - from 2002 - [HERE]

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Of course, SOME comic-blog readers actually like to read about... oh, I dunno... comics!
So, here are some crazy in-depth reviews:

- The MYSTIC HANDS of DOCTOR STRANGE # 1 - [HERE]
- STRANGE V2 mini-series # 1 - 4 - [HERE]
- GIRL COMICS # 2 : "Rondeau" - [HERE]
- THUNDERBOLTS # 144 - 145 - with MAN-THING - [HERE]
- WEB of SPIDER-MAN # 6 - with MAN-THING - [HERE]
- DOCTOR AMERICA : Occult Operative of Liberty - [HERE]

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- But what kind of blog would this be if I didn't rant and rave once in awhile...mostly against Brian Bendis' treatment of Dr. Strange in the pages of New Avengers:

- Pick a Card... ANY Card... No. Not THAT One. (Muckraking Marvel's Magic Make-Over) - [HERE]
- DITKO, oh, DITKO - Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me? (WHY is Bendis allowed to destroy one of the founding fathers of Marvel comics?) - [HERE]
- The EYE of the BEHOLDEN (Review of New Avengers # 4) - [HERE]

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- Like to watch TV and films? Like reviews of same? Then these bits of TV-related commentary may be of interest:
- SUPER HERO SQUAD : NIGHT IN THE SANCTORUM - an in-depth (no. REALLY, in-depth) review: [HERE]
- Dr. Strange "Appearance" on 'That 70's Show' - [HERE]
- Dr. Strange in an AVENGERS "PRE-MAKE" Fan-Film - [HERE]

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- On my birthday this year, I revisited a subject and solved a 20-year-old mystery about my ROM : SPACEKNIGHT "action figure" - all the while linking to the previous year's birthday post as well, wherein the whole thing culminates. Oh, yeah... and I "dress up" like ROM... sorta. - [HERE]

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- And, of course, we here at the Sanctum Sanctorum Comix blog also have our own "Awards Show", the "SANCTUM AWARDS".
I present "Sancty's" to deserving "Best of" and Worst of" categories.
Sometimes this is the only place where I may discuss certain titles, storylines or products.
Other times, I am revisiting older posts with my votes.
Either way, a thorough overview of the year's official product output is reviewed.
The 2009 SANCTUM AWARDS - can be found [HERE]

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I would be remiss if I didn't thank the many friends, fans, readers, followers, fellow-bloggers and wonderful souls out there who have helped, inspired, cajoled, cudgeled and commented.

A list of but a scant few (in no particular order) are:

-Neilalien-

-Howard Hallis-

-Mike Sterling and his "Progressive Ruin"-

-Fox from  "Strange Occasions"-

Lee from "Rom, Spaceknight Revisited"

-Dave from "Blog for ROM Fans..."-

-Darren from "Lonely Geek's Swamp - a Man-Thing blog"-

-Plok from "A Trout in the Milk"-

-Holly-

-Sean Aaron-

-The Groovy Agent-

-John Sisson-

-googum from "Random Happenstance"

-Erick from "Wonderful Wonderblog"-

-The Grand Comic Database-

-waaaay too many awesome blogs and forums-

-numerous "anonymous" commenters-

- soooo many more blogs and people who have been there along the way -

and 

-Susannah-

One very special reader who helped keep me blogging - most literally - by giving me an awesome laptop set-up for no other reason than she is awesome.

The tale of that can be found in a post called:

ANGELS on EARTH - Behold... Metatron! [HERE]

And creators without whom this blog would be about my collection of rare molds, spores and fungus':

-
- Steve Ditko -

- Jack Kirby -

- Stan Lee -

- J.M. DeMatteis -
- Steve Gerber -

- Dan Green -

- Steve Englehart -
- Gene Colan -

- Marshall Rogers -

- Michael Golden -

- Paul Smith -

- Mike Ploog -

- Dan Adkins -
- Steve Rude -
- Bill Everett -
- John Byrne -

- Peter Gillis -
-Roger Stern -

- Frank Brunner -

- Kevin Nowlan -
- Chris Warner -
- P. Craig Russell -

- Gerry Conway -
- Sandy Plunkett -
- Alan Davis -
- Mike Allred -
- Mark Buckingham -
- Howard Chaykin -
- Kurt Busiek -
- Mike Weiringo -
- Al Milgrom -
- Rudy Nebres -
- Tom Sutton -
- Steve Mellor -

- Ian Akin and Brian Garvey -

- Sal Buscema -

- Bill Mantlo -

and many, many, MANY more!

And that should do it.
Sure, there are a lot more entries - but not all of them are merit-worthy, or while they may be good, are just silly hit-and-run style posts.
Some are to showcase new products or comics that were to be released, and others are tongue-in-cheek bits of whimsy, or tips of the hat to various holidays.
I have a lot like that - some quick Photoshop, an Action figure or comic scan and what passes for "wit" = a quick blog post.

But if you like that sort of thing, open up the blog-history drop down lists and just jump around.

I'll catch you all in a few.
Lots more planned for YEAR 3!
Join me, wont you?