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PALINDROMENEILALIEN
A Doctor Strange Fansite
NEILALIEN STATUS
Dr. Strange Information
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Neilalien Blog Archive
Overheard in a comic con bathroom:
"We have a new character... named Dr. Strange... Twas Steve's idea."
"I'm telling you, the only reason that Neilalien has lasted so long is because he kills younger,
more innocent, bloggers and drinks their blood in some twisted Ditko-inspired mystical ceremony."
"Is that the Eye of Yaphet Kotto?"
"The funny thing about that is that comic books and wrestling are two of the original arts that America has given to the world- the other being jazz."
Creators/Publishers: Neilalien would love to help,
"Do not accept for review a book you are
Please note that years in the weblog text are
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PORTAL
Alpha News Surf
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PURPLE GEMSSpider-Man: Brand New Day smashing box office records: $2.333 billion so far, fourth-highest grossing movie of all time worldwide, second-highest domestic Hard-To-Please Frank Miller Praises 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day': "Fan's Dream Come True" [Hollywood Reporter] ["The most Ditko movie yet"]
Steve Ditko: Beyond The Myth [new full documentary on YouTube] Update: Per starting at the 29-minute point of the documentary: Ditko's intention was to depict Dr. Strange as an Asian character. Also: Steve Ditko's nephew, Mark Ditko, appeared on a recent livestream of The Experience [YouTube] [via Bleeding Cool]
Art Of Manga: at the Brooklyn Museum: 3 October 02026 to 31 January 02027: "the first major exhibition in the Americas to explore manga- Japanese comics and graphic novels- as an art form... its East Coast debut"
End Of A Manga Era As Weekly Shonen Jump's Circulation Drops Under One Million [since the quarterly print circulation has been publicized starting in 02008, the average has never been below a million per week] [peaked in late 01994(!) at 6.53 million copies(!)] [Wikipedia] [SoraNews24] [manga's fine; it's the print format; Japan has embraced reading manga on phones and devices; compare and contrast with USA: Digital Comics Sales Are Still 5-10% Of Print; digital is here to stay, but apparently so is that flat statistic (flatistic?)] [The Beat]
Anime NYC was this past weekend 20-23 August Anime NYC Convention Takes Over The Javits Center This Weekend [CBS News New York fluff] Anime NYC [0]2026 Review: A Candid Press Reflection On The Convention's Shift [In Asian Spaces]
The great Comic Book Bondage Cover Of The Day website recently celebrated 27 years in July! (Should we be concerned for society that there's been enough possible daily content for 27 years?) Neilalien hadn't seen this one before: Magik tentacled on a Death Of X variant cover of Doctor Strange #10 from 02016
The Storytelling Snafu Of Amazing Spider-Man #30 reveals Lee and Ditko not on the same page, and a peek into who did what ["Ditko clearly intends for the Master Planner's gang and the Cat Burglar to be two separate things... Lee chose to script this story as though the Planner's guys are actually the Cat Burglar's men."] [Tom Brevoort]
Doctor Strange #9 is out! Collected reviews at Comic Book Round Up Variant cover regime at Midtown Comics [called Volume 7 here] Entry at Fandom Marvel Database [called Volume 8 here]
No Doctor Strange in Marvel's October 02026 solicits? "Everything Announced At San Diego Comic-Con [0]2026" doesn't seem to include any Dr. Strange [GamesRadar]
Doctor Strange #8 is out! Collected reviews at Comic Book Round Up Variant cover regime at Midtown Comics [called Volume 7 here] Entry at Fandom Marvel Database [called Volume 8 here]
Doctor Strange and some related/adjacent solicits for July, August, and September 02026:
DOCTOR STRANGE #8
DOCTOR STRANGE #9
DOCTOR STRANGE #10
Doctor Strange: Endless Nightmare
Abrams Marvel Arts stand-alone graphic novel by Kevin J. Anderson, Raul Allen and Patricia Martin, out 8 Sept
DOCTOR STRANGE AND DOCTOR DOOM: TRIUMPH AND TORMENT getting reprinted "in comic book format" UNCANNY X-MEN #36 Eye of Agamotto cover; looks like Gambit will still be having problems GODZILLA CONQUERS THE MULTIVERSE #2 (OF 5), #3 (OF 5): "featuring" Doc
SORCERER SUPREME #8
SORCERER SUPREME #9
SORCERER SUPREME #10
Doctor Strange #7 is out! Collected reviews at Comic Book Round Up Variant cover regime at Midtown Comics [called Volume 7 here] [Alex Ross Marvel Dimensions variant cover] Entry at Fandom Marvel Database [called Volume 8 here]
Stan Lee 'Returns' Under AI Pact: ElevenLabs Licenses Marvel Legend's Voice And Likeness [Variety]
Amid Trump Immigration Crackdown, NYC Schools Use Comic Books To Teach Kids Their Rights [NY Daily News]
Hey! Ye olde comics journalists Tim Leong and Laura Hudson wrote some comics Exploit at Mad Cave Studios [the first three of four issues are out] Long interview with Hudson and Leong by SKTCHD [YouTube]
Memory Lane:
Identifying the comic books in RoboCop (01987) [The Last Dinosaur] [via LMG]
Rip Jagger's Dojo has just completed a "month-long look at Steve Ditko's work for Marvel"
Blogposts tagged "Doctor Strange"
Judomaster [Wikipedia]
Doctor Strange #6 is out! Collected reviews at Comic Book Round Up Variant cover regime at Midtown Comics [called Volume 7 here] Entry at Fandom Marvel Database [called Volume 8 here]
Uncanny X-Men #28:
• Cover shows Gambit wielding the Eye (thought he gave it back to Sadurang in #25?) and dragon wings (the curse continuing?)
[Midtown]
[Fandom]
• Variant cover "What If Rogue Became The Sorcerer Supreme?" by Luciano Vecchio showing her with Cloak, and Eye oddly placed as a sash buckle to illuminate the crotches of the wicked [Midtown] [Fandom] [despite some vile clickbait headlines that Rogue has been officially announced as the new Sorcerer Supreme, it's just a cover]
Free Comic Book Day is this weekend, Sat May 2nd! [Comics List] FCBD will feature comics from DC, Image, Archie, Dynamite, etc. And because the comics industry can never do anything elegantly, there is a concurrent "Comics Giveaway Day" for comics distributed by Penguin Random House (Marvel, Boom!, IDW, Dark Horse, etc.). Free Comic Book Day [0]2026 List & Info You Need To Know [SuperHeroHype] The fate of Free Comic Book Day was called into question in [0]2025 after Diamond Comics declared bankruptcy. Thankfully, the name and rights to the event were purchased by Universal Distribution, who are keeping the tradition going. However, rival publisher Penguin Random House have started their own parallel Comics Giveaway Day, featuring the publishers they acquired after the Diamond Comics shutdown. 22 Comics For Comics Giveaway Day From Boom, IDW, Dark Horse & Marvel [Bleeding Cool] Penguin Random House, despite pressure from comic book publishers they distribute, did not come to terms with the new owners of Free Comic Book Day, unlike Lunar Distribution. And so the Penguin Random House distributed publishers will not be part of Free Comic Book Day. Instead, they will be part of the very first Comics Giveaway Day, which Penguin Random House has trademarked and will be on the 2nd of May [0]2026, the same day as Free Comic Book Day, and will be doing the exact same thing. Update: Presence of Dr. Strange is obvious indisputable reason why FCBD succeeded at one particular comic shop [Progressive Ruin]
Doctor Strange #5 was out this week Collected reviews at Comic Book Round Up Variant cover regime at Midtown Comics [called Volume 7 here] (only one variant cover) Entry at Fandom Marvel Database [called Volume 8 here]
Cool-looking Doc on a Greg Land variant cover for Daredevil #1; but odd: a "dark/night-time" Marvel Knights roster doesn't fit this bright USA 250th cover?
Update: In Uncanny X-Men #25 (out 25 March), our favorite Dormammu-taught Asgardian dragon Sadurang returns to get back the Third/Power/Left Eye of Agamotto from Gambit. The dragon kept his side of the bargain to not eat anyone for a year. Speaking of Eyes: The History of the Eyes of Agamotto by DigiCom on Tumblr [found via Daily Appreciation]
Link storage space for "a Doctor Strange Origin Box from the Ultimate Universe" (whatever the heck that is): Marvel's Origin Boxes To Introduce New Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, Juggernaut, And Wonder Man? [ComicBookMovie.com] Origin Boxes Create New Captain Mar-Vell, Doctor Strange & Juggernaut? [Bleeding Cool] Marvel Comics Names Mogul And Sightseer As New Origin Boxes Characters [Bleeding Cool]
Avengers: Doomsday rumor mill says Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness is in the movie's DNA; Doc possibly in a Hickman's-Secret-Wars Doom-Sheriff role New Avengers: Doomsday Report Has Marvel Fans Very Concerned [that it has heavy connections to fan-polarizing Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness] [Bam!Smack!Pow!] Rumor: Stephen Strange To Serve As Doom's Right Hand In 'Avengers: Doomsday' [Murphy's Multiverse] The "Wizard Sidekick"- Is Strange Truly Breaking Bad In Doomsday? [Murphy's Multiverse] 'Avengers: Doomsday' Rumor Reveals That Cumberbatch Shot "Pivotal, High-Security Scenes" Under A Codename [ComicBookMovie.com] (Neilalien rarely links to movie rumors- there's too many/too much effort vs. too few that turn out to be true- but even he couldn't resist this nugget.) Additional recent DSitMoM and movie links: Speaking of DSitMoM and its possible enduring popularity and/or influence, it recently re-entered the top-10 most-watched list on Hulu [CBR] Sam Raimi was so impressed with Rachel McAdams, but thought she was so underutilized in DSitMoM, that he gave her Send Help's wild starring role [CBR]
We're still lamenting and hoping: Every day we don't see Earth-199999's Chiwetel Ejiofor's Mordo again is a dropped ball
Brian K. Vaughan: Dune: Part Three writing credit for the writer of "one of Marvel's best Doctor Strange stories ever" (The Oath) [SlashFilm] [Many of the above via IMDb's Doctor Strange news page]
Doctor Strange #4 is out! Collected reviews at Comic Book Round Up Variant cover regime at Midtown Comics [called Volume 7 here] Entry at Fandom Marvel Database [called Volume 8 here]
Tom Brevoort Says Variant Covers Now "Part Of The Economics" Of Comics
[Bleeding Cool]
How about variant covers that are old-school: that show action, the story happening inside, have word balloons, etc.- instead of all these boring "pin-up" covers?
MoCCA Arts Fest is coming 28-29 March in NYC!
→ Exhibitors
Direct Market shops and comic book singles had a decent 02025: someone under 60 spotted reading physical copy of Absolute Batman ICv2 White Paper ComicsPRO Feb 02026: Comics And Graphic Novel Sales Reached New High In [0]2025 ICv2 White Paper New York Comic-Con Oct 02025: It's A New World: Big Shifts Lead To Good News For Direct Market In [0]2025 The Beat with ComicsPRO Feb 02026 reporting: "The Comics Industry Has Done It!"/Proves Its Resilience
Estimates: Comics and graphic novels sales in the US and Canada totaled $2.2 billion in 02025
Item! Despite Diamond bankruptcy in Jan 02025/monopoly end/distributor chaos... Item! Seeking "female-skewing periodical hit" to come out more regularly than Saga... Item! DC Comics, once left for dead after "bloodbath" layoffs in 02020, and not even breaking 18% vs. Marvel's near-40% market share in 02024 Q2, pendulum-swings to top market share in 02025 Q4 and dominates the list of 02025's top 50 comics with its Absolute Universe, currently eating Marvel's Ultimate Lunch; Batman #1 sold 500K. But DC's Future Just Got Very Complicated re: Paramount buying Warner Bros [Salkowitz]... Top Five Comics Industry Stories Of [0]2025 [Salkowitz] [Diamond bankruptcy; resurgence in Direct Market/interest in comics by Gen Z (or pause in the death spiral narrative); digital platforms arms race; DC being Absolute units; in search of the next manga hit or children's graphic novel hit like Dog Man; "for all the handwringing about the declining value and relevance" of the single/periodical/"floppy" format, it's still the best industry basis for creator regular pay, successful trades, and R&D for new characters and stories; holding up for now off the bottom after 15-year beatdown by manga, graphic novels, and digital]
The Beat announced their 02025 Comics Industry Person Of The Year: Marie Javins Long-time comics veteran, Javins, as Editor-In-Chief, has excelled shepherding DC from dark times to hotness with Absolute line, Vertigo revival, Compact Comics format, etc. Javins is known around these parts as why we have a couple (but only a couple) Warren-Ellis-written Doctor Strange comics [according to the 30-year-old scuttlebutt: firer of Quinn (who was providing the Doc supercomics Marvel thought they wanted), hirer of Ellis, then left Marvel very soon after, but Ellis didn't want to work with anyone else] Marie Javins [Wikipedia]
No Copyright For AI-Generated Works In US As Supreme Court Refuses To Intervene In Earlier Landmark Ruling [CMU] ["human authorship is a bedrock requirement of copyright... prompts alone are not enough"] Vince Gilligan, R.E.M, They Might Be Giants, 700 Other Artists Sign Open Letter Condemning AI Theft [Paste] [Stealing Isn't Innovation] Artificial Intelligence And Copyright [Wikipedia] [sections for "Copyright Status Of AI-Generated Works" and "Training AI With Copyrighted Data" (what is fair use?)]
Doctor Strange And Dracula Killed Each Other 50 Years Ago [Brian Cronin/CBR]
Doctor Strange was a recent answer on Jeopardy! in a "Fake Doctors, Real Actors" category [YouTube] [thanks Howard!]
Legendary comics creator, Marvel artist, iconic Hulk artist: Sal Buscema died in late January at nearly age 90 Sal Buscema [Wikipedia] Sal Buscema obit [TCJ]
👊 The Sal Buscema Punch! [Fred Van Lente at 13th Dimension]
And that iconic frowny mouth shape! Often with a string of spittle. Doctor Strange key issues: Sal drew the first 29 issues of The Defenders. Sal Buscema Interview: Fantastic Fanzine #8-9 [0]1969 [a young Gary Groth at TCJ] [Sal's original cover art for the fanzine was a masked Doctor Strange]
Today marks 26 Years of comic book/Doctor Strange/Steve Ditko/geek goodies at the Neilalien website! Excelsior! $#&%T!
Doctor Strange #3 is out! Collected reviews at Comic Book Round Up Variant cover regime at Midtown Comics [called Volume 7 here] Entry at Fandom Marvel Database [called Volume 8 here]
Also out today:
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