I came across a photo of ~P~ from Sanctum Sanctorum in a full on Dr. Strange costume (winner of the Wizard mag. 6th Annual Halloween costume contest) and I just knew I would have to do something with that! So along with some ROM costume clip art I found online I came up with a way to re-introduce The Greatest of the Spaceknights and the Master of the Mystic Arts who have teamed up on more then one occasion.When you think about it, ROM#65 should have had Dr.Strange play a pivotal role in winning the Dire Wraith war much like Forge did. Especially when you consider the mystical nature of the impending apocalyptic Wraith World Merge, not to mention the appearance of virtually every other Marvel super hero. The issue opens up with ROM under some sort of spell that had him immobilized. Maybe instead of a kiss from Brandy like something out of a Disney fairytale, Dr. Strange arriving on the scene to caste a counter spell might have suited the story line a bit better I think. He didn't even make a token appearance like maybe one of those panels where you barely see him in the back ground some where amongst other heroes. http://itsadansworld.blogspot.com/search?q=rom+65 Just one of those stupid over sights I guess that happens once in a while. But since Steve Dikto penciled this issue it was pretty much f@#$%* anyways from the get go (see Aug. 22 posting).
Wow.
ReplyDeleteI don't know whether to be honored or embarrassed.
Honored, I guess - since you had the awesomeness to put me in with the make-an-appearance ROM and also with a MAN-THING back-up feature!
FanTAStic!
For anyone out there curious as to what the heck that whole Doc costume was about - I blogged all about it.
Check it out:
http://sanctumsanctorumcomix.blogspot.com/2009/10/doctor-strange-halloween-costumes.html
~P~
Oh... and the sad reason that neither Dr Strange NOR Spider-Man mad an appearance in that issue of ROM # 65 was because Steve Ditko had long since stated that he wouldn't draw either of those characters again.
ReplyDeleteDitko being a man of his word, simply did not draw them into the issue.
Sad loss for we fans.
While the art on the issue was basic and lacking, it would have been sweet to see a Ditko Spidey/Doc reunion.
Ah well...
~P~
yes but by then the damage was already done to the ROM series. from Sal Buscema/Akin & Garvey to Steve Dikto :( i've had years of therapy to cope with that trauma from my child hood.
ReplyDeleteYeah that was a huge buzzkill to 8-year old me... I really hated those Ditko Rom issues... by the time it got cancelled everything good was gone from the series!
DeleteLet's not talk about Steve Dikto, and his anti Stange and anti Spidey love. I would think one would be honored to have the pleasure to draw them. Wait either of them for that matter. I swear artists and their egos. I almost said men but I thought better of it.
ReplyDeleteThat Dr Strange costume is brilliant!
ReplyDeleteI also used to wonder why The Hulk wasn't in that issue. You'd think when you are taking on a whole race of aliens, having the strongest one there is in your arsenal would be one of the first moves you make.
This cover is cool! Once in a great while Marvel would do that where they would use an actually photograph on their covers. One such I used to have was a Spiderman issue where this reporter walks in on Peter Parker changing into his costume and he spends the whole issue chasing the guy and trying to get the film back. http://marvel.wikia.com/Amazing_Spider-Man_Vol_1_262
ReplyDeleteI guess it was kind of a variation story line with that John Byrne FF issue where some sleazy smut magazine gets nude photos of the She-Hulk. They should have used a photo for that issue!
http://ffplaza.blogspot.com/2010/02/fantastic-four-275.html
Great job on the Doc Strange costume, and that cover would easily make its way home with me if I saw it on the shelf at the shop!
ReplyDeleteDitko really got kind of jerky as he got older, I guess. Or more jerky...or whatever. All I can say for sure is that his superhero art got much worse as time went on.
Since we often bemoan the Ditko era of Rom, who would be your pick for the artist who should have finished the series at the time. Being a Micronauts fan, I would go for Mike Golden :)
damn straight! you can never go wrong with Mike Golden! Mike Zeck,Alan Davis or John Bryne would have been good picks also to finish up the series. thanks for the comment Max. and speaking of Micronauts, did you happen to notice the Bill Mantlo farewell page i added just above the blog roll? i'm sure it must look familiar to you with the exception of the addition of a certain silver spaceknight.
ReplyDeleteThe in-continuity reasons for both Doctor Strange and the Fantastic Four being absent from the climax of the Wraith War are found in Doctor Strange (vol. 2) #75 and FF #277. In short, Mephisto took advantage of the rising evil on Earth (the Wraiths) and they had to put him down. The Hulk, Dan, was busy as an exile in the Crossroads dimension, where he'd been since Hulk #300.
ReplyDeleteI think I just swooned at the thought of John Byrne doing ROM. I need a minute...okay. Better. Although..with the Byrne curse, would we then run the risk of wraiths actually appearing in the world?
ReplyDelete