Neilalien : Not Quite Gone - Never Forgotten

When someone has been a part of your life for a long time, and then, they are suddenly no longer there, it is inevitable that there be a period of mourning - whether they be deceased or having merely moved on.

Such is the case today, on the 1st year anniversary of the recusal of long-time comics blogger; NeilAlieN.

Seriously. He was the very first comics blogger, having detailed the published existence of Dr. Strange, his peripheral worlds (including the real-world connections, such as famed creator Steve Ditko), as well as the business of comic book publishing... for 11 continuous years.

Every comics blog owes a debt of thanks to the he who came before all others, as there was no such thing as a comic blog before he invented the format which all others emulate - in some capacity - to this day.

It should be known, he hasn't totally forsaken his blog, as he is still posting occasional links to news and items of interest... from his orbital HQ.

Still, it would be a poor thing if this day was not honored - at least for this, the first year, in commemoration of the day a trailblazing maverick decided to step back and admire what he hath wrought...

...from his orbital HQ.

On The Tickling of Amulets -or- Are we not drawn onward to new era?

After 11 awe-inspiring years as one of comic's preeminent blog-posters, the peerless, perennial and palindromatic, NeilAlieN is recusing himself from the responsibilities of near-daily link-blogging (as he recounts [HERE]).

Sure, I know he's not planning a total abandonment of his blog, stating that he still has the wish and urge to continue blogging - albeit at a less frequent, more personal capacity, but still... a huge era has just passed.

It was Neil's blog that - lo' those long-ago years - continuously reaffirmed my oft wondering if I could or should set foot in the blogging arena to showcase my mutual admiration for Doctor Strange.


Neil's blog that I found necessary to visit daily (for 11 years!).

Neil's words, example and advice that I keep in my mind when typing my own missives.


As I said, he isn't planning on leaving his pocket dimension totally... but he has left ours slightly emptier for the nonce.

At this time, I am unsure as to what capacity he will resume his activities;

• a few long-form reviews/essays per month?
• perhaps some occasional link-love to other, similar essays/thoughts around the web?
• mayhap, a head's-up to some juicy tidbit of Doctor Strange goodness and/or general comics info and/or presently unknown, unquantifiable abstract, esoteric subject matter?

The possibilities are up to him.

I'd love to be able to step forward and take up some of the slack, but, alas, I, like many in this day and age, am beleaguered by current events, life's weights, responsibilities and fiscal/occupational quagmires.
It is my hope to not have to step down as well... but I feel that a responsibility has been left to me, and I will try to help many of Neilalien's avid readers in what capacity I am able - at least when he is not blogging himself.

Neilalien will return. He is merely bathing himself in the rejuvenating waters of the pool of future endeavor.
I for one, look forward to his return and the "rising and advancing" of his blogger's spirit.

So, not goodbye, but "until we meet again" (and hopefully SOON), Neil.

May the Vishanti watch over thee.

And may your amulet never tickle.

ROM; Space-Toaster -or- Half-baked blog-post.

Over at the "BLOG FOR ROM FANS WHO AREN'T DICKS" (no, really... that's the name of the blog - check it out [HERE]), the proprietor posted a snippet for a proposed fan-based anthology to continue the ROM ; SPACEKNIGHT saga.
The specific post can be found at this link [HERE].

While the posted idea for their spin-off story strikes me as "needs more thought", since it would, in essence erase everything that came from issue # 43 to the end of the series in # 75 as little more than a dream-sequence, I thought the very idea of a fan-based anthology to be a fun idea.

Hell... there are FAR worse fanfic concepts buzzing about the intertubes (usually dealing with sexxy furries getting it on with Gambit and Nightcrawler, Rogue, a gay Batman, and Sailor Moon, but I digress).

I tossed out a stupid concept that just popped into my head while reading it and posted it as a comment.
I'd like to share that synaptic misfire with you all.
I mean why should I be the only one to suffer by my dementia.

---

MY idea for ROM # 76 is for him to save untold worlds by using his "toaster-head" to make satisfying toaster-pastries to satiate Galactus' awesome hunger.

Every issue would see a new world and a new way for ROM to bake wholesome, nutritious goodness into life-saving morsels.

All the while, cosmic entities, like EGO the Living Planet and the SPHYNX try to steal Galactus' lunch.

Think of it as a series of "Hostess Fruit Pie" ads *, but with a lot of punching.

---

The concept for this ill-conceived bit of stupidity basically arises from my days as a youth, reading ROM and a friend of mine (the one who got me INTO comics' collecting in the first place) referring to ROM as SpaceToaster, due to the shape of his head (ROM's, not my buddy's).



Then, oddly enough, in issue # 50, during the "wacky" issue published during "Assistant Editors Month" ** they ran THIS as a one-page back-up.

Story and pencils by BOB HARRIS. Inks by TERRY AUSTIN. Love by ALL FANS.

Thus, ROM; SpaceToaster made it to the printed page via collected thought-energies from the multitudes.

---
But, still... the idea for a ROM anthology being made and somehow sold to raise money for the medical bills of creator BILL MANTLO, writer of every issue of ROM (who has been incapacitated since 1992, after a hit-and-run driver struck him, causing irreparable brain-damage) would be a grand idea!
Of course, you need not wait for such a possible dream project.

If you've EVER enjoyed an issue of ROM, or any of Bill's other comics (of which there is too long a list to recap here) feel free to make a donation.
Those wishing to make direct donations may send them to Bill's brother Michael who has long been caregiver of his brother.

Michael Mantlo
425 Riverside Dr #12-E
New York, NY 10025

Of course, if PayPal is more your speed, drop by this link to make a direct donation.
[HERE]
Make a private donation to the SPACENITE - BILL MANTLO FUND directly from your Paypal account. 100% of the funds go to Mike Mantlo.

Or, if money is tight, drop a letter to tell how much you love Mantlo's work.

---

*
For those who don't know what a "Hostess Fruit Pie" ad was, they were all the rage and are beloved by comic readers of that 1970's-1980's period as a high-water-mark of the "good-old-days".
There are entire web-sites dedicated to them.
Just google "Hostess Fruit Pie comic" and enjoy.



**
Assistant Editors Month was basically the one month where the Senior Editors were off on some retreat or convention and their assistants were "in charge" of the publications for that month... thus causing wackiness and hilarity to ensue.
Obviously, it was all just a marketing ploy.
Nothing truly erroneous made it to print and it was all a lot of fun.
Heck, google "Marvel Assistant Editors Month" and see what you find.

Hurm...
I did just that, while forgetting to delete "Hostess Fruit Pie" from the navigation and was reminded that, oddly enough, that same "Assistant Editor's Month" the issue of MARVEL TEAM UP # 137 was an issue-long story of Aunt May (becoming herald of Galactus; Golden Oldie) and Franklin Richards quelling Galactus' great hunger with "Twinkles" snack cakes.


Damn... turns out my ROM idea isn't so "original" after all.
But it IS in good company.


Hmmm.... now I want some Pastry Cake goodness.

ANGELS on Earth. -or- BEHOLD... METATRON!

THINGS that MUST be SAID.

I have had the pleasure of being a recipient of some recent good - becoming acquainted - via the internet - with someone who brought forth pure, kind light to my small corner of dim reality and showed me that sometimes, good does happen to good people - because of good people.

Reader, (and online presence) SUSANNAH had felt my grief several months back, when, after my job downsizing, I lamented my loss of laptops with which to post content on my blogs. I have tower machines, and had been trying to keep up a pace of blogging, but due to my life situation; looking for jobs, taking care of things around the house, packing for a relocation, most of my "free" blogging hours were late at night, tapping away on laptops - since my towers are hard to access while the household sleeps.

Susannah perhaps saw, in me, a good enough person with a worthwhile enough message, ( - hey, some of my posts are positive and spiritually uplifting - when I'm not bashing Bendis' latest handling of Dr. Strange ... or maybe she prefers it WHEN I'm doing that,) dealing with a fan-site of Doctor Strange, a character usually favored by those with a more, spiritual, mystical nature (as well as the Man-Thing, an empathic, tortured soul, and ROM - an ultimate do-gooder and hero), and saw that perhaps such a blog and blogger might be aided by an act of kindness.

More likely still, she was - in herself - a good person with ample kindness to share.

Such a good-natured soul, she stated that she really did not desire/require any public mention or acknowledgment, now or ever. It was "no big thing" to her.
However, what she thought of as "no big thing" was, to me a gesture of pure goodness.

After a few emails, where we shared some thoughts on the deeper meanings of things, Susannah sent me a huge box - filled with technological delight.

BEHOLD... METATRON!

"Dude... you're getting a DELL!"

Susannah awed me with this complete blogger's dream.
She gave me an AWESOME package of things that she said she was no longer using and that they would be better served by me than languishing in a closet or being sold off.

I want her to know that even if the system wasn't as wicked cool as it is, even if it were a broken down clunker - it would still be an amazing and most appreciated act of kindness.

However, it isn't a clunker at all.
A Dell Inspiron 6000, 1.86 GHz Centrino, with multiple USB ports and DVD-RW drive.
It's hefty! Weighing about 7 lbs, so I don't have to handle it with kid gloves.
And she included a flat USB-powered fan that can be placed underneath (my lap thanks her even more for that - ouchie! Hot! Hot! Hot!).

With a dedicated graphics card, It has a 75GB HD, 2GB of RAM and a wireless modem in it.
The 15.1" WXGA screen is hi-res (1920 x 1024) so it's good for doing Photoshop and Illustrator work and watching DVDs (which, I will admit to doing).

Even though I spent most of my time over the past several years on MACs, this Dell PC's OS is WinXP Pro SP3, which is a close enough approximation to Mac's OSX that I fell seamlessly into it.

But that wasn't all!
Aside from the machine that was loaded with software, she also included an 600GB External HD - jam packed with goodies, AND wireless mice and wireless USB adaptor.
That, (and some swell comic-themed books) all inside a beautiful carry bag.

To perhaps better illuminate her more 'spiritual' nature, I should note that she named the system; Metatron.

For those who are unaware, Metatron has been referred to as one of the (if not "the") highest of the Seraphim (and, not merely the "Shields of the..." kind); the highest choir of Angels, and is the scribe and message-bearer of Heaven under God.
(For comic-book fans, see the Kevin Smith movie; DOGMA. Alan Rickman plays Metatron - for some laughs.)

She told me that I could rename it, but why would I?
That is its name and I honor that.
(I also don't rename pets if I take in one that already has a name. I may give added nick-names, but you are who you are. Not who I want you to be.)

Sadly, due to my packing up the house the past few months, I hadn't had a chance to use Metatron as much as I'd have wished.

I'm still intent on wrapping up my remaining reviews, and showcasing more swag from my SANCTUM collection (which, truthfully was the main reason for my starting this blog), but since things are mostly packed up in boxes (from a relocation that was aborted - after I already moved half of our house to the new place - ugh - more on that craziness later), I've been doing little hit-and-run posts here and there for the past month or so.

Still, before I could even start to get back in the swing of things, I had to give thanks where thanks are most honestly deserved.
I needed to give this glowing post to honor a "fan"/ friend/ kind (kindred) soul who has gone way above and beyond the call.
I should not fail to also give thanks to Susannah's husband, who - when she said that she'd be giving this stuff away said "OK" and even packed it up to be shipped out to me.

And, they are not alone.
I often get notes, comments and emails expressing good thoughts and kind wishes - from all corners of the web. There are good people out there, often drowned out by the snark and grousing.

But I wanted - NEEDED - to give thanks to those who helped me out for no other reason than that they are awesome.

Thank you.

"Tamam Shud!"
~P~

CLEA LOVES SEX - ADDENDUM Limericks from the Book of Vishanti Warning: "Adult" Content Advisory

Over at Neilalien's blog, he is requesting limericks (Dr. Strange related would seem appropriate) in order to test out a new email account at his orbital HQ.

I sent him two that I conjured up on the spot.
Due to lack of time for any serious content on my own blog, I'm posting them here as well - and linking back to Neilalien's request [HERE] - so don't forget to go there and submit your own!)

In keeping with my "Clea Loves Sex" motif, I, of course, focused on her desires.
They're both the same basic idea, but with slightly differing angles (one tame and merely suggestive - the other ... fairly blatant)

Anyone who is easily offended by bawdy limericks or hints at sexuality best move on to other sites for today.

------------

Stepping forth from a sorcerous plume
Doctor Strange dropped the Wand of Watoomb
For by a spell it did shake
And undulate like a snake
So Clea took it back to her room

------------

Doctor Strange granted Clea a treasure
Watoomb's Wand; its worth far beyond measure
In her chamber she'd stay
Using it night and day
For she found it was ribbed for her pleasure

------------

My apologies to any impressionable or sensitive readers out there.
While hardly "Adult" content, I still placed the warning up in the subject header - as a fail-safe.
I don't think it strong enough to actually FLAG as such, however.


I truly need to wrap up my other reviews and get onto other stuff.
Sadly, I have had no time lately.
Packing, packing, and more packing here at the Sanctum as we prepare for a move in the next month or so.

I'll get something new here soon.
In the meanwhile, don't forget to stride over to Neilalien's dimension and send him your own limericks.

"Tamam Shud!"
~P~

Giving Veneration to "THE ANCIENT ONE"

---

Neilalien,
the undisputed "Aged Ghengis" of comics-blogging (and Doctor Strange fan of "Eternity"-levels) shares his incredible
10 YEAR BLOGGIVERSARY
on the interwebs!

( His OWN 10-Year Post - [HERE] )

---

One of the very first comic blogs that I ever discovered (both because it WAS one of the FIRST comic blogs - as well as - how could I NOT discover a blog about Doctor Strange?!?) Neilalien has shown time and again how it is done.

When I was first stumbling my way through the net, nascent and incomprehensive to its workings, while spouting opinions on message boards, I was all the while dreaming of having the ability to do more than that.
That is because I would visit Neilaien's blog daily.
(Some times, multiple visits on the same day.)

But no matter how many times I would hit his site in a week, I was always grateful that it was there.
"Why can't I do this?"; I would think.
Knowing that I had the knowledge of my favorite characters and enough awesome swag to showcase, I knew that one day I would follow in Neilalien's path.

However, in those early years I had relocated several times, changed jobs even more so, and was in my early years of married life, so I was a man without time.
Aside from that, I was also a man with almost no understanding of the workings of the net.
"One day"... "One day, I'll be able to get to it. But there's no rush. Neilalien is all any Doc fan really needs."

So, I contented myself to being a frequent commenter on others' sites (and boards) giving lengthy diatribes on all-things Strange, but never to the extent of having it be on my turf.
Never to the degree of excellence of Neilalien.

Eventually, after being a few years at a job that allowed for more "stable" time-frames, and a new home where I could display my collection, I was convinced to just "Do it" and start blogging.

I did so knowing all the while that I was but a recent traveler to a far distant world where Neilalien had long ago set up his domain.

I'm no longer in possession of the job that allowed such levels of "stable" free time (the collapse of the world economy kneecapped me - along with far too many others on the planet).
My collection has never fully been set up to my liking (SO very close to being finalized, but too many events in the "real" world blocking that from happening).
And as these things are wont to happen, my blogging has been curtailed considerably.

However, I was given a piece of advice from the wise Neilaien in my early months, when I was burning the blogger bandwidth with near daily epic posts...
he wisely told me that I could just blog when I had the time.

There was no need for me to publish daily.
And no need to publish a novel each time.

So, while I am not a burning brazier of blogging presently, instead of flaming out entirely, I am merely a flickering candle for the time being.
But as the Ancient One taught Dr. Strange - the way to effectively and safely navigate travelling through time, a flickering candle is all that is required to anchor you and be your guide.

It does bother me a little that I can not, as of this time, blog to the degree that I have the urge, but because of Neilalien's steady pace and wise philosophies, I understand that what I do manage is OK.
In the meanwhile, I still visit Neilelien's blog daily (or near daily) - and so should you (as if my constant hyperlinks to Neilalien's site weren't enough of a clue)!

Many thanks to Neil for his blog, his dedication, his encouragement and his fine example.

He reminds me daily, that I have so much to learn.
As a true "Ancient One" would.

Happy 10 Years, Neilalien!

A visit to the Dimension of Dreams - or - I may need to seek counseling for this.

If "blogging about blogging is a sin" then "blogging about other bloggers is circle-of-hell worthy".
Factor in that the event which I am about to relate occurred in a dream, and we're on our way to a scenario of Virgil-guided proportions.

Yes. That's right. I've been thinking of the blog so much lately that I'm not only dreaming of my content, but also the other bloggers with whom I may share some common interest.

Trust me. I'm just as disturbed by that as you are.

I'll throw the basics of the dream here for amusement's sake, and perhaps to save on therapist fees.

---

I was supposedly meeting with Mike Sterling for some sort of comic's related reason.
Probably just a gathering to shoot the shit about comics (discussions of a more physical variety than the two virtual "conversations" I had posted here quite recently - seen [HERE] and [HERE]) .

It seems that we were meeting on Sterling's west coast turf, as it was more rural-suburbia than my old New York City (or Long Island) environs and less rural-"out-in-the-woods" of my own more recent PA habitat; the view out his dreamscape house's back door - beyond the neighbor's expansive yard, with their tan and gold long-haired setter pacing by the chain-link fence - showed mountainous regions on the horizon.

Mikester was expecting an additional party member to show up as well, someone we'd both never met, so while he was otherwise occupied getting refreshments (or something) he thought it would be funny if I answered the door, pretending to be him.

However, since neither of us had met the expected individual, not only would he not know that I wasn't Mike Sterling, but I wouldn't know if he was the guest Mike was expecting!

So, when I answered to the door and saw someone standing there, and I'm trying to figure out who he is... my own charade was being exposed as well.

However, it was (supposedly) Neilalien at the door, and he (- as would anyone who has read Mike Sterling's Progressive Ruin long enough, and as such has seen a photo of his face-) knew that it wasn't Mikester answering the door, but somehow, instinctively - with eyes narrowed and a sidelong glance cast my way, as he took to the few steps on the front porch to enter the house - surmised my identity.

Now, as for Neilalien, I have yet to have the pleasure of meeting personally, and have no idea what he looks like, and so my mind gave him the appearance of a late 20-something to early 30's white guy, standing about 5 foot 9 inches tall, approximately 140 lbs with sandy brown hair, cut short and sorta spikey (but not too much so, nor styled as such via gel or any such "product". Just not long enough to lie down upon itself).
(I know... where the hell did my mind pull ANY of that from?!?
For all I know he's grey with giant eyes and spindly arms with a penchant for probes, but my mind gave him those aforementioned features. Just roll with it.)

What I hadn't known was, there were to be many others in attendance that day; I can only gather who were all fellow bloggers, commenters and comic's aficionados alike.

By that point, my sleeping mind just assigned random faceless features to the others.
Sometimes they'd have features and faces, other times not.
I had the feeling that they were supposed to be the many bloggers whose works I read on a consistent basis (see the blogroll on my sidebar for many of them), but no names were readily given.

All I know is by this point in the "party" I had sat back and took the position of "observer" and just watched the happenings. I'm not as "bona fide" a blogger as many of they may be, and I know that I felt as if I should stand back and defer to the experienced voices in the room - perhaps to learn a thing or two.
Someone had produced forth a portfolio collection of published comic pages, someone else a stack of comics from a backpack, and still another, hands waving furiously, described his treatise on the various subjects of his interest.

By the time that I was being addressed and asked to step forth, the sense of unreality had set in.
I'm well attuned with my subconscious enough to know that when an anomaly presents itself in the "reality" of the dream that my sleeping self recognizes it as such, and then, knowing full well that I am dreaming, does one of three things:

• Ignores it and just rolls with it (a rarity for me - I'd have to be REALLY tired to do so - which I was. I was utterly wiped out last night - or else the whole Neilalien thing would have been enough to raise the mental alarm right then and there).

• Changes and replays the events in numerous ways to seek the most satisfying course of events. (My very own "choose-your-own-adventures" book, so to speak.)
  

• Signals me to wake up.

This time around, I awoke - fully knowing what I had dremt, but slowly losing some of the specifics (except what I related here) as my dream self dissipated after it departed the dream dimension.

So, what's the point of all this?
I have NO idea.

It was just an interesting thing to share with you all.

I've been fully aware that I've strayed away from what I should be blogging about lately, my content as of late has been of a more personal nature (recollections of past histories, as well as some future content I'm gathering; based on comic artwork that I drew, long ago in the dim past of my pre-to-early teenage years, as well as some stuff from the past decade or so - ALL Dr. Strange-related imagery, of course) and as such my mind connected the blog, the content (if you note, all the things that were being discussed and shown in the dream-party are things that I'm working on for the blog) and the "audience" all in one.

I need to take a deep breath and continue writing my multi-part treatise on "the Search for, Nature and History of the Sorcerer Supreme". However, I know that it's exactly because I haven't finished that series that my mind has been plagued by thoughts of the blog - reaching even into my slumber.

This must have been the interweb equivalent of dreaming of standing naked in front of your class if you hadn't finished writing that report on world history, or something.

However, I promise - I will not share any naked dreams here.
I mean, I wouldn't want to give anyone else nightmares.



By the way, Mike Sterling and Neilalien both produce excellent blogs that I visit daily - as should you!

HAPPY 9TH BLOGIVERSARY, NEILALIEN!

As one of the staunchest friends and supporters of Doctor Strange; the enigmatic, omnipresent and wizened NEILALIEN marks the NINE YEAR mark as Blogger-Supreme of the Earth Dimension!

He's been blogging since almost before the internet was even invented!

I'm taking the day off in honor of the event.

May you travel the web's astral plane for many more, oh Hoary, Ancient One!

An Evil deed in tribute of an Evil entity

OK.
I'm not sure what the rules are for proper web-etiquette, but I'm sure misappropriating someone else's blog-content for your own blog might be the # 1 "sin".

Still, I don't wish to be a content thief, but this is too awesome not to steal er... share, and have as a permanent addition to the blog.

As stolen... oh, heck... yeah... stolen from Neilalien, a YouTube tribute to MY favorite Doctor Strange baddie... heck, probably my favorite villain - PERIOD:

SHUMA GORATH!!!



Set speaker volume to "Bleedin' from the Ears!"

It. Is. Too. Freakin'. Cool.

Anyway, I can always say I was mind-controlled or something.

Sorry Neilalien. 'twont happen again.

Although, maybe I can use this as a good forum for a question I have:
While checking out the original vid on YouTube, I saw someone's comment where they inquire about the image that is shown at 2:15 ... he wanted to know WHERE that image came from and I am at a loss.
As a HUGE Shuma Gorath fan, I also have (so I thought) all of his appearances, and can name each and every other image's origin (except for the original pencil drawings,) but that one image doesn't ring any bells.
Can anyone help place that pic?

Perhaps if someone might be able to answer, some GOOD might come of this EVIL deed.

Regular original content will resume later tonight.

By the Warp and Woof of the Woven World

If you read last night's quick post, (as seen here,) you were here as I bartered a night free of brain-searing eye pain for a future SERIES of posts on the lives of the many disciples / apprentices of Doctor Strange.

(Did someone conjure Mephisto or something? I mean... what the hell was I thinking?!?)

Anyway, all that evolved from a post that I had 75% ready to go about the life (and death) of Rintrah; the 2nd (official) apprentice of Dr. Strange.

However, since that is now going to be folded into the upcoming series, I figure I should just let you have the nugget that started that whole ball of wax rolling... the theory of Rintrah's supposed avoision ("I don't say 'evasion', I say 'avoision'!") of a true, lasting death, and what "facts" I had/have to "back it up".

This started as a continuation on the post from a few days ago about whom might be tapped as the NEXT Sorcerer Supreme (found here).

In that previous summation, I originally listed Rintrah's current status as:
"In a magically induced coma-state (quasi-dead) and awaiting a time to be brought back."

Wise beyond his years (although, he could be just as old as he is wise for all we know), internet guru and Dr. Strange savant; Neilalien, took umbrage at my assessment, and in a post of his own (HERE) explained that as far as the comicbook-record is concerned,
Rintrah is DECEASED.

I, completely understanding, and agreeing with his reasoning, later changed my previous entry to accommodate that.
Simply because, while I DO have my reasons and rationale for giving the "quasi-dead" (more like in the Princess Bride, he's "mostly dead") status as I originally stated, it has only the slimmest of evidence and, (as neilalien acknowledged - albeit as an "*" asterisk,) only a brief mention of
"cow-terpiller in cow-coon, he come back all pretty soon",
as related by some love-struck fairies, within the pages of 02007's THE MARVEL TAROT, as seen here:

(ALL images can be clicked to be made BULLISH.)

Rintrah's entry in the MARVEL TAROT
(written / designed by Devid Sexton - and some fairies)

-------------

However, my reasoning, while taking that one bit of "15-years later" possible retconning into account, also hinges upon two or three other factors.

Before we get to those, here is the "death scene" in question
(from Doctor Strange; Sorcerer Supreme # 51):

Rintrah becomes Roast Beef (well done) in Doctor Strange ; Sorcerer Supreme # 51

(Geof Isherwood writer/artist)

-------------

As for the support of my pet-theory, I have these scenes from the comic record
(in chronological order):

1) Doctor Strange ; Sorcerer Supreme # 52

(Len Kaminski - Plot / Roy Thomas - Script / Geof Insherwood - art & plot)

- Doc places the "remains" in a separate astral plane for "temporary safekeeping" until he can properly deal with them... and that, IMPLIES (as anyone whose read more than one or two comic book "deaths") that he wasn't meant to be "dead, dead".
Or at least, not PERMANENTLY dead.
Perhaps dead as a doorknob NOW, but with all intent of having an open-ended chance to "come back".

In my mind, (and I could very well be 100% wrong, but) if he was meant to be dead and removed completely as a character, his remains would have been buried or incinerated or sent to the "Mystical Taxidermist" or something.
(Enitharmon the Weaver would have woven him a burial blanket or something.)

-------------

2) A scene from Doc Sorcerer Supreme # 56.

(Roy Thomas - writer/co-plotter ---- Geof Isherwood artist/co-plotter)

- In this little scene, Doc has taken over Wong's body to deal with Victor Strange (Stephen's younger - deceased-and-turned-into-a-vampire brother; AKA; "Baron Blood"). "Doctor Wong" goes to get the old blue/purple cloak and has this little thought balloon:

"Poor Rintrah! I gave these to HIM, as my apprentice--"
"-- but where he's gone, HE won't be needing them for a while." (emphasis mine).

"...for a while."
That sounds fairly open-ended to me.

Never once does Doc ever say, to anyone, that Rintrah is dead. Of course, that may be because the events of the issues immediately after Strange's powering-down and the death of Rintrah were a whirlwind of cross-overs and crap, and then a clearing of the board for the new creative team.

-------------

3) Doctor Strange ; Sorcerer Supreme # 57

(Geof Isherwood - story & art)

- This only other bit, was a scene where Doc is talking to KILLIAN (who is introduced as an apprentice only a month or so after Rintrah's demise in ANNUAL # 3). Doc is trying to instruct Killian to work a spell and tells him that Rintrah had an easier time at it, due to his increased aptitude. It gave the impression (to me anyway) that a "Goofus / Gallant" scenario was being set up, and that in time, Rintrah would return to confront the renegade Killian, as a reflection on the Mordo / Strange dynamic.

This last scenario is purely my own conjecture and "reading between the lines".
I highly doubt that it was ever truly intended, but it does seem like it might have been a possibility, doesn't it?

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Out of curiosity, I wrote to Geof Isherwood, who was drawing the book at that time, and also writing the title just after Rintrah's death, and he graciously replied.
Sadly, I had completely neglected to ask him if it was OK to QUOTE him, so I will only paraphrase his reply (since I am sure that he'd be alright with it, but still, proper protocol and respect state that I should wait for him to give the official "OK").

Basically, as far as he can recall, Rintrah was taken off the table, but placed in a "Ted Williams" state "just in case". So, no mention was ever made of Rintrah being DEAD. Only allusions to his being out of commission in case a future team wanted to bring him back. He personally had no intent to use him, instead introducing Killian as Strange's new protege'.

Thus, one of the WRITERS of the issue(s) in question states that while Rintrah was effectively removed from play and "killed", it was never a permanent death, instead very much a comic-book "death" wherein he was given many angles for being brought back.

Still... while that was the intent of the creator, it was never overtly stated, and as such, is merely the realm of "what-iffery", and is not in any way, "fact".


Remember, that Roy Thomas & Len Kaminski ALSO wrote issues in this sequence, and as such, I am trying to get thru to them (via Brian Conin's excellent "Comic Book 'Urban' Legends" series at CBR) for verification.

If I get any further information on this, I'll be sure to update this entry and make it known in it's own new post as well.

As for other information on Rintrah, Killian (and other disciples) as well as more parts of information garnered from my "interview" with Geof Isherwood (I should have an "official" consent by then), be on the lookout for the upcoming SERIES on the many acolytes of Doctor Strange.


I'm going to change things up a bit here on the blog the next few days, so that series is planned for around the New Year.

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I just wanted to once again give proper respect and acknowledgment that what little influence my little blog may have, I still have a responsibility to report facts as facts and anything else as my own opinion. (no matter how right I might think I am.)

Thank you, Neilalien, for reminding me of that.

Dusting off the Welcome mat.

The Sanctum Sanctorum Comix blog is proud to have been mentioned on the truly awesome Pop Culture Safari blog - here - at the end of the post.

The MARVEL WORLD post - featured here several days ago - was the one that grabbed their attention. That post is down the page a few entries (or here).

Their's is a site that should be visited daily for all your pop-culture needs.

The Sanctum's "welcome mat" is always ready to receive good publicity (and to anyone just in for a visit).

Knowledge is Power that can (not) be denied?

Just a "quick" hit&run post here since I'm wrapping up the awesome mega-post for later tonight. (It'll be posted, probably fairly late tonight - so as to give reader's time to wade through this dissertation.)

This is in part a commentary that I held back from my critique of the upcoming "What If? House of M" one-shot which I listed in my last entry (check it just under this post, or if you're surfing around - here). However, it is mostly a reply to a comment that was left on that post (no, not by the spam-bot- thanks for validating my initial hesitancy to allow "anonymous" comments, internet). The comment being discussed is by fantastic blogger, word-smith and thinker extraordinaire: PLOK, of "A Trout in The Milk" blog. His comment here.

In it, he questions WHY, if in the plot in question, because Scarlet Witch utters "No more POWERS" would Doctor Strange be powerless? Surely, EVERYONE by now should know that DOCTOR STRANGE HAS NO POWERS! He has only knowledge. A wisdom of the forces of the universe/ multiverse / omniverse and the nigh-eternal entities that possess such power and energies with which Strange can TAP INTO or ENTREAT.

Much like "the FORCE" from Star Wars (PRIOR to that whole midichlorians bullshit. That was just ass). These energies swirl around us all, and Strange, due to his years of study, has learned how to manipulate and control them. His studies and journeys to other realms and dimensions has also taught him the proper methods and protocols of REQUESTING usage of these energies from the higher powers, if the energies required be such as might exist beyond natural ebb and flow, but instead as personal power of any number of these extra-dimensional entities.

I must state for the record, that I WAS going to toss a heavy coat of lambaste over the writers on that point. Especially, as since they state that the only powers that WILL work in the new "What if?" story would be tech-based (obviously, it's another IRON-MAN heavy vehicle), which are also primarily "knowledge-based".

Plok, I assure you, I was ALL OVER that.

But then, I took a step back and reflected upon something that I have long pondered in my years on this Earth; watching horrific war after war, gun-violence in the streets, children blowing their head's off at gun shows (please, I can't get started on that piece of recent news)...
WHY wouldn't God * just say that the laws of nature that would otherwise make gunpowder combustible... simply WOULD NOT WORK that way? Sure, every other similar law of physics or nature would work just fine, but bullets would NOT work. I'm not smart enough to work out which possible "beneficial" applications of gunpowder would still function, if any, and I'm sure man would invent some work-around to it all... but as "God", I would make sure that THOSE wouldn't work either. Simply put; "No more EXPLODO to kill"! **

IF the very laws of physics and nature COULD be overridden by a "magic word" spoken from an omnipotent personage, then why WOULDN'T the "normal" procedures that would allow for a spoken spell or series of gesticulations (even the peerless prestidigitation of a Sorcerer Supreme) just simply NOT work?

As a bat-shit crazy, "mommy-go-bye-bye", all-powerful mutant-gone-mental with the ability to alter even the slightest "probabilities", then perhaps Wanda's re-working of the fundamental nature of how the universe (or at least the universal "laws" work on Earth) take that into consideration and put the "hex-whammy" on it. That would effectively negate the possibility for ANY powers, even ones based upon the calling of aid from other-dimensional principalities or cosmic energies.

It wouldn't remove the KNOWLEDGE of how he should be able to do so, just that the knowledge would no longer lead to a functioning application.
Cause, but no effect.

It would render the Marvel Earth the same as OURS in that regard.
Besides some fantastic (and heretofore unexplainable) abilities and/or phenomenon, mere mortals can not perform high-end sorcery.
We can do the dance and jig, wave our hands around *** and draw runes in the dirt, all the while shaking chicken-bones to our heart's content. But aside from some cool moves and a stunned and awestruck crowd (if done with proper flair), there'd be no mystical-moombahs popping out of the cauldron. That is what Strange and the others mystics of the M.U. would be reduced to due to Scarlet Witch's revised utterance.

Now, again, perhaps off-world, it would work fine. If Strange COULD get to another dimension, then he should be able to toss mystic zaps. Perhaps through the Nexus of All Realities or maybe (closer to home) the Negative Zone portal, since science still works in that story (if dimensional apertures won't open in our atmosphere).

However, due to the ramifications of negating all technology on the planet, all Hospitals, airplanes, nuclear power plants, etc... would just go belly up - basically a mutant-driven "Millennium-bug", Wanda could not cut off tech-based abilities.
That would be devastating to the world. However, not cutting off those "powers" also provides for "the out" - storywise (enter Iron-Man).

So, that was why I didn't tear into that plot point.
I had to allow for a "godlike" power to state that a "normal" process, like magic, simply would no longer work. Be it a cut-off from tapping the energies flow, a deadening-effect on mystic whojams or simply that A is no longer A where magic is concerned... the new status quo is without hocus-pocus. ****

Now, as to the whole COSMIC CUBE thing... hey... one writer's disaster at a time.

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* Please refrain from the whole "God is a figment" replies... I'm up on the debates, and also posit my own questions to the Universe, but for the sake of this, since the story in question deals with someone with "god-like" powers, we're all accepting that in our universe, God exists. OK? ThanX.

** I've long thought that guns are the cowards' easy way to kill.
You want to kill someone? Really?? You shouldn't be allowed to (sit back, sometimes many yards away and) just twitch your finger to do so. It's too detached from the process of taking a life. It makes it too effortless, since you can do it from an easy chair. No. You want to kill someone (or something for those hunters out there)? You shouldn't get to do it unless you FIGHT that other life. Give it the same chance to kill you. Not that I'm condoning killing of ANY kind. Just that I've long thought that negating the laws of physics where weapons are concerned should have been top priority for the Almighty. But that's just one of the things that I'd do, given the power of "God". That, and the whole Famine, and Disease thing. Where the hell is that Infinity Gauntlet? I've got some work to do.

*** Good thing, too, because all of those "American Sign Language" users expressing "love" to anyone would turn their loved ones into newts.

**** Which would now beg the question... what is ALCHEMY? A science (like chemistry?)... or magic? I guess Diablo can whip up some bicarbonate of soda, but not elementals.

I have ARRIVED!

We interrupt the regularly scheduled posting programming for this Very Special Announcement:

*click to make "Giant-Size"*

Thanks, Neil!
That means a lot.

As promised, the "Next Issue" will be about the "TOWER OF POWER".

LO! THERE SHALL COME... A BEGINNING!

So.
Finally.

My first post on my own blog!
(and... be wary. It's going to be a LONG ONE.
No way around it, really.
They won't all be, however. I promise.)
For those of you who may have followed my assorted postings (ramblings) in the comment sections of other (better) blogs and message boards, you may very well be thinking one of three* things;

- "Crap. Now he's going to be running his long-winded 'typey-fingers' even MORE than before."

- "Maybe if he's spending his time here in his own little corner of the web, he'll leave the rest of us the heck ALONE."

- "Awesome!** This guy roxx! He always makes GREAT comments and I subscribe wholeheartedly to the though-processes that he pontificates - Now who is passing around the Kool-Aid?"


It'll take me a little while to refine my blogging-style.
I'm used to making very hastily-typed, energetic comment-posts on other blogs, so my writing here might reflect that, until I get myself to a less frenetic rhythm.
Please bear with me.

--------------

I should try to give an overview of the "mission statement" for this blog.
At first, I was a little torn between having it be a place wherein I blog about ALL my comic reading, likes, reviews, thoughts, nerd.alt.obsessiveness, or not. However, I feel it's best to possibly do all that on a separate blog and JUST focus this one on my personal collection. I'll make the separate blog known as soon as I get it going.

I need to design a logo for it, perhaps.

(note: that, for a guy who didn't think he had time for ONE blog, now suddenly may have multiple. I guess that's just the way it works, somehow. And I'll probably be able to manage them since, at best, I'll aim for WEEKLY postings on each. More if possible, but weekly is all I can hope to maintain with any regularity.)

THIS BLOG will be the repository for pics, descriptions, stories, reviews and thoughts of my extensive personal "keeper" collection.

My main focus in comic collecting has always been the "misfits" of comics, usually within the mystical/ horror genre, but I'll admit to being an X-Men fan in the early to mid 1980's.
Over the years, however, as you may very well know from ANY post I have ever typed out on any other site... my inner geek is reserved for the very few:

- DOCTOR STRANGE -
&
- MAN-THING -

I do have other 'inner geek' stuff, but as my wife has readily surmised, it ALL pretty much has SOMETHING to do with Doctor Strange. Even some of my non-Marvel, non-comics stuff.
Taking a page from the "6-degrees of Separation" theory (usually attributed in pop-culture to Kevin Bacon), she applied it to my collection of all things remotely tangential to DOC***.

"6-degrees of Doctor Strange" she called it.

So, then I re-dubbed it (more appropriately):
"6-Dimensions of Doctor Strange"****.

Those 6-dimensions will lead us to many varied and unsuspecting planes of reality (and the escapism from reality). I will try to be entertaining, 'educational', thorough, and, if possible, humble, while showcasing all the swell swag that approximately 30 years of hyper-active comic-character collecting has brought down upon my head.

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I now want to take a few lines to thank those who have inspired, pushed, or cursed me to this end.

- John D.: My old friend from high-school who first introduced me to the concept of COLLECTING comics. Damn it, John. You have NO idea of the fate to which you have condemned me. Once bitten, I was hooked. I have no doubt that he'd be ashamed and saddened by my present state. But this was a guy who could, off the top of his head, tell you what villain appeared in ANY issue of Amazing Spider-Man, if all you did was give him the issue number. I'm sure he left comics behind him after college.

- My parents - who actually loathed the idea of my buying, reading and/or collecting comics. So much so that I had to smuggle them into the house. Which probably made this forbidden fruit all the sweeter. However, since I didn't have any disposable parental-cash, like my other comic-collecting friends, but just what I could earn from my paper-route, I was restricted to the 25cent bins. It was there where I discovered the 1970's MAN-THING series and then Doctor Strange, as well as other, non-Marvel supernatural goodness. So, for me it was a WIN.

- NeilAlieN : who was the first Doc-centric web-site I found.
Heck, he's the grandpa of blogging, so he could be one of the FIRST blogs out there... period.
THE source for Doctor Strange related NEWS items (as well as DITKO updates and comics in general). We have since become "internet friends" and I look forward to one day meeting him in the intergalactic, pan-dimensional flesh.

- wrong dimension boy : A great "internet-friend", whom I also look forward to meeting. Before I encountered Howard, I was CERTAIN that I was the preeminent Doctor Strange collector in the world.
(I mean, seriously. How many could there BE?! And with my collection, I was SURE of it.)
Well... it turns out, that he may very well be the MOST dedicated Doc-collector-fan in the history of ever. He buys original artwork, which is a line I won't cross. Dude's a phenomenon.
I'm most likely # 2. A very CLOSE # 2, but still, not the top slot.

- Erik Elzenaar. HIS is a FABULOUS site and one that I would love to come CLOSE to, but sadly, may fall short of reaching. He lists many, if not all, Doc-related goodness, complete with pics and has some great info on the stuff, but it's more of a "catalogue" web-site. Fabulous for reference! I hope to add a somewhat more personal touch to my site since I actually OWN all the stuff. He's a great guy, and true "internet-friend" (until I can get to the Netherlands and meet him in person. Hmmm... maybe a mind-expanding trip to Amsterdam?).

- the Defenders Message Board - the place where I first cut my chops, and spent more than half a decade answering every weird question about the 40+ year history of Doctor Strange that my all encompassing collection, and memory for stupid minutia allowed me to tackle.

- Dave Campbell (of the defunct Dave's Long Box blog). He showed how it's done and entertained me with the idea that any semi-evolved chimp can do this.

- Mike Sterling. (at the aptly named Progressive Ruin) Seriously. Aside from Neil's site, it's the one blog that I HAVE TO read every day. No matter what. But, more importantly, he shows the WORK that goes into a daily blog. His only failing is that he prefers SWAMP-THING to the far superior MAN-THING, but hey... no one am perfect. Otherwise, he's FanTASTic.

- Pillok. The thinking-man of blogging.
Whenever I get too full of myself, I read his stuff and realize that I know nothing.
Deep. Insightful. And, oh yeah. FUN. Dive in.
He encouraged me to step up my commenting to a level that was near-blog worthy. I may have to steal - er - borrow some of my comments from his site for my OTHER comic blog. When and if I get around to it.

- Darren (of the Man-Thing's Swamp blog) - I send him all manner of Man-Thing related sightings, and anyone who would take up the banner of Manny can't be bad. He can expect Man-Thing goodness here as well.

- Googum (of Random Happenstance), for no other reason, than that he was the first blogger that I know of to state that I "really, really should" have a blog.
(he did so here. So... anyway, maybe a discerning nature isn't his thing.)
Really. That's why he's on the list.
OK, he is ALSO an entertaining blogger whose blog features fumetti-style action figure comic strips, and insights and reviews of toys, comic books and the stuff we all dig.


- Scotty C. My very good friend, and the guy who, quite literally, continually said to me; "Dude. You should blog". His last email to me was pretty much; "Just do it." So. I am.

- My Wife. People... she knew I had a ton of this stuff when we met. That was over 20 years ago. I've only added to it all since then.
I wasn't AS nutty with the all-encompassing collector mentality then, but even when my mania grew, she didn't tell me to stop. Sure, I'm quite sure she wishes she had put a stop to it when it was possible. But she's been awesome about it - for the most part.
She let me have one of the largest rooms in the house for my collectibles to turn into my own "Sanctum Sanctorum". How is that not crazy-cool?!

So. To all those people, and the many more that I would love to mention, but really, need to draw this to a close, I give thanks.

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And so I feel that I should end this Inaugural blog post.
Really. Stan Lee, as verbose as he was/is could have told the origins of the Inhumans, Silver Surfer, Watcher and Galactus in less time.

Please feel free to stop by and follow along as I dig into my very own, collection. Which I call my:

SANCTUM SANCTORUM !

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* NEXT ISSUE : The TOWER of POWER! *
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*(Aside from the obvious fourth thing which would be; "Yeah. So what. Who cares?)

** (NO ONE is saying this.)

***And you have to trust me... it's not all Marvel stuff, and it's not all COMIC stuff either.
Just as a 'fer-instance; I have a LINENS-n-THINGS catalog because one of the photo-spreads showcases some comics on a nightstand, next to a cool lamp that they're hawking, and the comic on top of the pile is an old Marvel Team-Up guest-starring... yup. Doctor Strange.
So, expect some stupid shit here.

**** (coincidentally, there is a BOOK... fine, it's a "choose your own adventure" style book, but a BOOK nonetheless - about Doc with almost that exact title. Rest assured, it will be one of the multitudes of items that I nerdgasm about here.)