MYSTIC GARB: DOCTOR STRANGE APPAREL - ANCILLARY ACCESSORIES: ARTIFACTS of FLAIR Part 4: MAGIC RINGS

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Welcome to yet another entry in one of the longest-running series of blog posts on this Sanctum Sanctorum Comix blog; wherein I showcase my collection of DOCTOR STRANGE related apparel (hats, ties, shirts, unmentionables…).

This time, we're in (what should be) the FINAL entry of a sub-series of posts which feature assorted Ancillary Accessorizing Artifacts; (patches, buttons and assorted bling).

Anyway… in THIS post, we’re taking a look at DOCTOR STRANGE related RINGS (official and non)!

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The first official Doctor Strange ring was the 1966 Vari-Vue Flicker Ring.

Sold either in gumball machines or carded the rings feature lenticular images which, when tilted slightly would show one of two different images (I've photographed the rings angled so that we can see both images - one on each).

This is the blister card- which, sadly, I do not own as of yet. I'll get one eventually - especially since Doctor Strange IS pictured on the card.

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The next (and sadly, last) officially produced Doctor Strange ring is the 1977 "gumball machine" ring.

The ring came in two different variations - either with 12 clasps holding the image disc in place or a later version with only 4 clasps.

Measuring about an inch wide, this item was also manufactured and sold as a pin and a keychain (see pic below).

These were available as prizes from carnivals, theme parks and yes... gumball vending machines.

There were a total of 6 rings, DOCTOR STRANGE, Ghost Rider, Hulk, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man and Spider-Woman.

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Once official product stops being produced, die-hard losers...er... fans, like me can only hope to make their own and/or find cheap stand-in items to satisfy their desires.

Luckily for you, I am such a loser - er, fan.

The first Custom-Made item that I had made was this solid silver ring with a stylized version of the window from Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum - as inspired from Doc's 1978 TV movie.

I actually had two of these made back around 1994. One to wear and one to keep in my display case. The one I wear is on the right. The display version is tarnished and is in need of a good silver-cleaning.

 If you want to read more about these rings and the film-ring that inspired them, feel free to check out the old post that I originally devoted to this item way back in 2009 [HERE].

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While on the subject of custom-made rings, there is this next item.

This solid silver ring is cast with the version of the curly-tailed demon-symbol which Doctor Strange briefly wore on his tunic.

However, like the Movie-ring above, it is also tarnished and in need of a cleaning, but also had a blog post all it's own several years ago in 2009. Read all about it- and see pics of it when it was still all nice and shiny [HERE].

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While looking for other Dr. Strange mystic-themed rings, I came across this silver ring shaped like an eye (complete with glass eye inside).

Sadly, like the other silver rings in my display case, I think it's time for it to be cleaned. I used to wear it often, but haven't in quite a few years,

Obviously, any "all-seeing-eye" item is thematically tied to Agamotto in my mind, as so when I saw these next cheap cosmetic jewelry rings I had to have them as well.

Made of a "non-metal" these were all found in a party supply / costume shoppe. The triangular one nearly identical to the amulet that I found at the same time (and seen in the post featuring amulets [HERE]).

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I do have a few "6-Dimensions" themed comic rings as well.

This ring is made of red plastic with a gold foil embossed "AVENGERS" iconic "A" symbol. It came with a Wonder Man action figure by ToyBiz from the "Avengers: United They Stand" cartoon in 1999.

 While I have owned it since then, I've been glad to have kept it since Doctor Strange has since joined the Avengers.

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Next, is the "metal" ring that was released as a promotional product for the PHANTOM film of 1996. Why do I have one? Well... while the Phantom has no ties to Dr. Strange, it IS pretty cool.

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My final ring that I have in my collection is a glow-in-the-dark GREEN LANTERN ring.

If anyone has to ask WHY a comic fan has a Green Lantern ring, well... I don't know WHAT to tell you! A more magic ring there can not be found.

And with that, I wrap up this sub-series (within a series) of assorted ARTIFACTS of FLAIR and DR. STRANGE GARB.

 Thank you for wading through all the assorted swag and gear in the series. And if you missed ANY of the previous entries, feel free to use the handy-dandy navigation menu below.

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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: [HERE]

- part 4: MAGIC RINGS: [THIS POST]

Magic Rings and Mystic Bling: part 3: Dr. Strange "Flight of Bones" Icon - Ring

Featured today is another "custom-made" ring.
While it is a custom-made item; I did neither commission, nor design it.



The central icon of the ring is the "demon" shape that was briefly worn by Doctor Strange. This version of the chest-symbol on Strange's tunic was designed by Tony Harris for the 01999 mini-series "Doctor Strange: Flight of Bones", where it was first featured, and then was used in some subsequent appearances for a short while.
The symbol was designed with a single eye as an Agamotto-inspired homage.

The ring, which I purchased in the year 02001 (if I recall correctly) was from a jewelery maker online.
The seller (whose name and contact info I no longer possess) lived overseas, (Argentina? Uruguay? Brazil? Pago Pago? I forget where) and he had these rings available for a limited time.

Cast from silver with a wine-red enameled base-setting, the "demon" shape raised in bas-relief.

It's a beautiful piece of work, polished to a fine shine and is bold enough of size and shape to give justice to the design.

I've never been a big fan of this particular "demon" symbol, preferring the straight-torso "classic" version, but that doesn't take away from the beauty of this ring.

Since I never wear it, it was purchased strictly for my display collection, and a fine addition it is.

Magic Rings and Mystic Bling: part 1 One-of-a-Kind Customs: 1: Dr. Strange TV Movie - Ring

As a wrap-up, of sorts, to my past series of entries about the DR. STRANGE 01978 TV Movie, and as a lead-in to another new series of posts, I am revealing one of my prized possessions.

It's one of several "unofficial" items in my collection, and by that, I mean, it's not an official piece of merchandise or actual production piece. Instead, this is a piece that I had made custom.

As you can readily tell from my previous posts about the Dr. Strange TV movie pilot, its official swag and releases, unofficially official action figure, as well as my copiously-detailed review - I have a love for that flick that goes beyond its story.

I have a love for the assorted design that went into it.

One of the pieces that I loved the most was the ring which Stephen Strange wears.

You gotta tilt your head to the left to see it correctly.

I searched for years for the ring to see if it existed anywhere in someone's collection or on sale in a prop auction. Years. Both pre and post-internet. I still search for it to this day.

Nevertheless, one day many years ago, I figured that if the real one was out of my reach, I'd have one made for me.

The problem was, that the only copy of the film that I had, at that time, (for many years prior to my buying more copies of the film than anyone has,) was a poor quality, taped-off-of-tv, home-made tape.
Due to the poor quality of that old tape, it was nearly impossible to discern the actual design that went into the ring. And what I could see, I wasn't exactly sure I wanted in my version of the ring.

The TOP part was easy enough; the "ancient symbol of light" raised over a field of black.
However, while I was enamored with the ring in general, I wasn't too keen on their version of the "symbol of light" for the use on a ring.

I wasn't happy with having the horizontal arms of the design to be asymmetrical.
At that time, I felt it gave the ring an unbalanced look and feel.
Still, I didn't wish to deviate too far from the original, so I just adjusted the horizontal arms a little.
This tweak had an added bonus of giving my "symbol" a slight allusion to the "Eye of Agamotto".

While the film's ring is made of gold, I had my ring cast in silver (which I have always preferred).
Working from my drawings, this is what the silversmith, whom I was working with, produced as a final piece.


However, no matter how many times I watched the film, it was impossible to get a good clear view of the side of the ring. That wasn't the fault of the tape's poor quality. The simple fact is that the side of the ring was never clearly shown.

This failing of the film gave me a chance to design my own interpretation.

Looking at the top of the ring, and what little of the side was visible, it's recognizable that the nodules that encircle the edge would stretch down to become raised vertical bands.
The design problem was; what to do with those bands.

My solution: turn some of them into the arms of the "demon" seen on Strange's tunic (of his comic book costume), and add a nodule to represent the Eye of Agamotto.


Knowing that I would wear this every day, the collector / preservationist in me thought that I should have a duplicate for the collection. One to wear. One to showcase.
(This is the one that I wear. The display ring is a little tarnished and needs a cleaning to be camera ready).

Truthfully, while I love my ring(s), I think I'll next get one made that is an exact replica of the film's ring...
...or, I'll finally find the original prop ring and make it my own.