Strange Tales

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other uses, see Strange Tales (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Strange Adventures.

Strange Tales is a Marvel Comics anthology series. The title was revived in different forms on multiple occasions. Doctor Strange and Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. made their debuts in Strange Tales. It was a showcase for the science fiction/suspense stories of artists Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, and for the groundbreaking work of writer-artist Jim Steranko. Two previous, unrelated magazines also bore that title.

Monsters and sorcerers

Strange Tales
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
ScheduleBimonthly, June 1951 – June 1952; monthly, July 1952 – Oct. 1953; bimonthly, Nov. 1953 – Feb. 1954; monthly, March 1954 – Aug. 1954; bimonthly Oct. 1954 – April 1955; monthly, June 1955 – June 1957; bimonthly Dec. 1957 – Oct. 1960; monthly, Nov. 1960 – May 1968
Publication date(vol. 1) June 1951 – May 1968
(vol. 1 revival) Sept. 1973 – Nov. 1976
(vol. 2) April 1987 – Oct. 1988
No. of issues(vol. 1) 168
(vol. 1 revival) 20 (#169–188)
(vol. 2) 19

The Marvel Comics series ran 168 issues,

Comics Code
, which prohibited graphic horror, as well as vampires, zombies and other classical monsters.

The comic changed again with the return of industry stalwart Jack Kirby, the artist who had co-created Captain America for the company, then worked elsewhere for 17 years. Starting with #68 (April 1959), Strange Tales was revamped to reflect the then-current trend of science fiction drive-in movie monsters. Virtually every issue would open with a Kirby monster story (generally inked by Christopher Rule initially, then later Dick Ayers), followed by one or two twist-ending thrillers or sci-fi tales drawn by Don Heck, Paul Reinman, or Joe Sinnott, all capped by an often-surreal, sometimes self-reflexive Stan Lee-Steve Ditko short.

Comics Code
Strange Tales #28 (May 1954). Cover art by Harry Anderson.

Some characters introduced here in standalone, anthological stories were later

Orrgo, introduced in #90 (Nov. 1961).[6]

In Strange Tales #75 (June 1960), a huge robot called "the Hulk" appeared. It was actually armor worn by the character Albert Poole. In modern-day reprints the character's name is changed to Grutan.[7]

Prototypes of the Spider-Man supporting characters Aunt May and Uncle Ben appeared in a short story in Strange Tales #97 (June 1962).[8]

The anthology switched to

retconned to reveal that his friends and neighbors knew of his dual identity from Fantastic Four news reports, but simply played along). Supporting characters included Johnny's girlfriend, Doris Evans. Ayers took over the penciling after 10 issues, later followed by original Golden Age Human Torch creator Carl Burgos and others, with Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel scripting issues #112–113 (Sept.–Oct. 1963) under the pseudonym "Joe Carter". The Fantastic Four made occasional cameo appearances, and the Thing became a co-star with #123 (Aug. 1964). Strange Tales Annual #2 (1963) featured the first team-up of Spider-Man and the Human Torch.[10]

Strange Tales #79 (Dec. 1960), a colloquially called "pre-superhero Marvel" comic. Cover art by Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko.

The title became a "split book" with the introduction of sorcerer

Clea, who would become a longtime love interest for Doctor Strange, was also introduced in issue #126.[14]

Lee and Ditko interacted less and less as each went their separate creative ways. The storyline culminated with the introduction, in issue #138 (Oct. 1965), of Eternity, the personification of the universe. Issue #146 (July 1966) was Ditko's final bow on the series. Bill Everett succeeded him through #152 (January 1967), followed by Marie Severin (self-inked for four issues before being inked by Herb Trimpe in some of his earliest Marvel work). Another cosmic entity, the Living Tribunal, was introduced during Severin's run, in issue #157. Dan Adkins took over penciling duties from #161 (Oct. 1967) to the final issue, #168 (May 1968).

Steranko and spies

Main article: Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (feature)
Strange Tales #135 (Aug. 1965). Cover art by Jack Kirby and Frank Giacoia.

The Human Torch and Thing had already been replaced in #135 (Aug. 1965) by

HYDRA was introduced here as well.[16]

The feature "Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." soon became the province of writer-penciler-

Comics Code at the time.[20]

"Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." became the first Strange Tales feature to receive its own cover logo below the main title, beginning with #135; it skipped an issue before returning permanently with #137. "Doctor Strange" received its own cover logo, designed by Sol Brodsky,[21] with Strange Tales #150 (Nov. 1966).

Strange Tales ended with #168 (May 1968). The following month, Doctor Strange's adventures continued in the full-length

Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

1970s revival

Five years later, Strange Tales resumed its old numbering with #169 (Sept. 1973),

black-and-white Marvel horror-comics magazine Tales of the Zombie. This was followed by two different creative teams producing three stories of The Golem in three issues (#174, 176, 177), with #175 being a reprint of a pre-Silver Age monster comic.[24]

The next feature was writer-artist-colorist

The Magus, and helped establish the mythos Starlin would mine in his many "Infinity" sagas of the 1990s.[24] After issue #181 (Aug. 1975), the story continued in Warlock #9 (Oct. 1975), picking up from the old series' numbering. Strange Tales soldiered on with Doctor Strange reprints through issue #188 (Nov. 1976).[23]

Strange Tales vol. 2, #1 (April 1987). Art by "Carlbret" (Carl Potts and Bret Blevins).

Cloak and Dagger

After Doctor Strange's second series was canceled in the 1980s, Strange Tales was relaunched as vol. 2, #1 (April 1987).

Cloak and Dagger
stories, the latter continuing from Cloak and Dagger #11. This ended with issue #19 (Oct. 1988), after which new Doctor Strange and Cloak and Dagger series were launched.

Volumes 3 and 4

A one-shot Human Torch, Thing, and Doctor Strange story, by writer

Morbius the Living Vampire, the Gargoyle, Cloak and Dagger, and Spider-Man.[28] A Strange Tales miniseries featuring Man-Thing and Werewolf by Night was published in 1998 to tie up plotlines after their individual series had been canceled. Although four issues were solicited, only two issues of this volume saw print, and the conclusions of those storylines were never released
.

Strange Tales Marvel Knights and MAX

In 2009 Marvel published a three-issue

MAX imprint. It included work by Harvey Pekar, Dash Shaw, and Jhonen Vasquez
.

Circulation figures

From annual required Statement of Circulation. "Average circulation" refers to total print run. "Total paid circulation" refers to number of copies actually sold, which is the above number minus returns, lost/damaged copies, and free/promotional copies.

Strange Tales vol. 1

Statement date / published in Average circulation, preceding year Average circulation, issue nearest filing date Total paid circulation, preceding year Total paid circulation, issue nearest filing date
October 1, 1965 / #143 (April 1966) 390,992 455,625 230,285 299,425
October 1, 1966 / #155 (April 1967) 420,036 474,529 261,069 276,225

Circulation figures from annual statements, charted as per-issue average paid circulation by Miller, John Jackson, et al., The Standard Catalog of Comic Books, Krause Publications 2002, pp. 1007–1009

Issue range Average paid circulation Comics with annual circulation statement
# 92–103 (Jan.-Dec. 1962) 136,637 n.a.
# 104–115 (Jan.-Dec. 1963) 189,305 # 121 (June 1964)
# 116–127 (Jan.-Dec. 1964) 215,090 # 131 (April 1965)
# 128–139 (Jan.-Dec. 1965) 230,285 # 143 (April 1966)
# 140–151 (Jan.-Dec. 1966) 261,069 # 155 (April 1967)
# 152–163 (Jan.-Dec. 1967) 241,561 # 167 (April 1968)
# 164–168 (Jan.-May 1968) 266,422 n.a.

Circulation figures from Capital City Distribution orders, charted as per-issue paid circulation by Miller, John Jackson, et al., The Standard Catalog of Comic Books, Krause Publications 2002, p. 1009

Issue / Issue range Capital City order range (variously, not in chronological order) Notes
Vol. 2, # 1 (April 1987) 25,100
Vol. 2, # 2 (May 1987) 18,000
Vol. 2, # 3–8 (June–Nov. 1987) 17,100 – 18,000
Vol. 2, # 9–12 (Dec. 1987 – March 1988) 16,100 – 16,400
Vol. 2, # 9–11 (Dec. 1987 – Feb. 1988) 16,100 – 16,400
Vol. 2, # 12 (March 1988) 18,300 Black Cat appearance
Vol. 2, # 13 (April 1988) 19,100 Punisher appearance
Vol. 2, # 14 (May 1988) 17,600 Punisher appearance
Vol. 2, # 15–18 (June–Sept. 1988) 14,700 – 15,000
Vol. 2, # 19 (Oct. 1988) 13,900 Final issue

Collected editions

See also

References

  1. ^ Strange Tales at the Grand Comics Database
  2. ISBN 978-0756641238. In response to the horror bandwagon, Timely launched...Strange Tales #1, which would become the longest-running series to enter the Marvel Age. {{cite book}}: |first2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  3. ^ Strange Tales #73 at the Grand Comics Database
  4. ^ Christiansen, Jeff (January 18, 2012). "Ulysses Bloodstone". The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe. Archived from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
  5. ^ DeFalco, Tom "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 80: "Fin Fang Foom was a dragon who referenced monsters like Rodan and Godzilla of Japanese movie fame."
  6. ^ Christiansen, Jeff (April 8, 2006). "Orrgo". The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
  7. ^ Christiansen, Jeff (September 11, 2010). "The Hulk (Albert Poole)". The Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe. Archived from the original on November 20, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2011.
  8. ISBN 978-0756692360. While the finished version of this duo wouldn't debut for another few months, their prototypes took center stage in a short story in the Strange Tales anthology called 'Goodbye to Linda Brown'...This particular May and Ben lived by the sea and were the caretakers of their young wheelchair-bound niece named Linda Brown. {{cite book}}: |first2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  9. ^ DeFalco "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 89: "The most popular member of the FF, the Human Torch, began a series of solo adventures in Strange Tales #101, written by Larry Lieber and drawn by Jack Kirby."
  10. ^ Manning "1960s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 19: "The theme of conflict continued when Spidey first teamed up with the Human Torch in the 18-page lead in this massive annual."
  11. ^ DeFalco "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 93: "When Dr. Strange first appeared in Strange Tales #110, it was only clear that he dabbled in black magic and had the ability to project his consciousness into an astral form that could leave his physical body."
  12. ISBN 978-0671218638
    .
  13. ^ DeFalco "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 93
  14. ^ DeFalco "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 103
  15. ^ DeFalco "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 109: "With Jack Kirby providing the artwork and more than a few wild ideas, Fury was made the director of the Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law-Enforcement Division (SHIELD)."
  16. ^ DeFalco "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 109: "This issue [#135] was also the first time readers met SHIELD's evil counterpart HYDRA, a subversive organization dedicated to world domination."
  17. ^ DeFalco "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 130: "Writer/artist Jim Steranko had begun to draw the 'Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD' [feature] in Strange Tales #151 and started writing it four issues later."
  18. ISBN 9780810938212
    . Perhaps the most innovative new talent to emerge at Marvel during the late 1960s was Jim Steranko, whose bold innovations in graphics, layout, and design startled the readers...Steranko transformed the look of the comic book page.
  19. ^ Hine, David (December 20, 2011). "Steranko! Part 2 - The World's First 4-Page Spread". Waiting For Trade. Archived from the original on September 30, 2018. Strange Tales #67 appeared and Steranko gave me another of those spine-tingling moments when I realized I was looking at the first 4-page spread in the history of comics.
  20. ^ Ross, Jonathan (July 20, 2010). "Jonathan Ross meets Jim Steranko, his comic-book hero". The Guardian. London, United Kingdom. Archived from the original on July 7, 2013. Retrieved February 21, 2013. His work on his first hit book, Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD, took the wildly popular Bond secret-agent schtick and gave it a jazzy makeover, with outlandish plots, eye-popping visuals and even 'adult themes' that had the Comics Code Authority demanding several panels in one landmark issue be redrawn.
  21. ^ Marvel Bullpen Bulletins: "Sensational Secrets and Incredible Inside Information Guilelessly Guaranteed to Avail You Naught!", in Tales of Suspense #83 (Nov. 1966) and other Marvel comics that month
  22. ^ DeFalco "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 128: "Hailing 1968 as the beginning of the 'Second Age of Marvel Comics,' and with more titles to play with, editor Stan Lee discarded his split books and gave more characters their own titles...Strange Tales #168 [was followed] by Dr. Strange #169."
  23. ^ a b Strange Tales (revival) at the Grand Comics Database
  24. ^ a b Aushenker, Michael (April 2014). "Disposable Heroes". Back Issue! (71). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 33–37.
  25. ^ Sanderson, Peter "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 168: "Recently resurrected in The Incredible Hulk, artificial human Adam Warlock returned in a new series, taking over Strange Tales for four issues."
  26. ^ Strange Tales vol. 2 at the Grand Comics Database
  27. ^ Strange Tales one-shot at the Grand Comics Database
  28. ^ Strange Tales: Dark Corners at the Grand Comics Database

External links

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