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PULP MAGAZINES The American pulp magazine ''Strange Tales of Mystery and Terror'' was published from September 1931 through January 1933 cover dates, for seven issues. The name was revived by Wildside Press in the 2000s. A second pulp, titled simply ''Strange Tales'', was a British science-fiction magazine cover-dated April to October 1946. MONSTERS AND MAGICIAN ''Strange Tales'' #28 (May 1954), art by Harry Anderson.]] The Marvel Comics series ran 168 issues, cover-dated June 1951 to May 1968. It began as a Horror anthology from the company's 1950s precursor, Atlas Comics . Initially modeled after the gory morality tales of the popular and groundbreaking EC line of comics, ''Strange Tales'' became less outré with the 1954 imposition of the Comics Code , which prohibited graphic horror, as well as vampires, zombies and other classical monsters. The comic changed again with the return of industry legend Jack Kirby , the artist who had co-created Captain America for the company and 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 Monster s. Virtually every issue would open with a Kirby monster story (generally inked by Dick Ayers ), followed by one or two twist-ending thrillers or sci-fi tales drawn by Don Heck , Paul Reinman , or Joe Sinnott , with the whole thing capped by an often-surreal, sometimes self-reflexive Stan Lee - Steve Ditko short. ''Strange Tales'' panel.]] The anthology switched to Superhero es during the Silver Age Of Comic Books , retaining the sci-fi, suspense and monsters as backup features for a time. ''Strange Tales'' The title became a "split book" with the introduction of sorcerer Doctor Strange , by Lee and artist Steve Ditko . This 9- to 10-page feature debuted in #110 (July 1963), and after an additional story and then skipping two issues returned permanently with #114. Ditko's Surrealistic mystical landscapes and increasingly head-trippy visuals helped make the feature a favorite of college students, according to contemporaneous accounts. Eventually, as co-plotter and later sole plotter, in the " Marvel Method ", Ditko would take Strange into ever-more-abstract realms, which yet remained well-grounded thanks to Lee's reliably humanistic, adventure/ Soap Opera dialog. Though Lee and Ditko themselves interacted less and less as each went their separate creative ways, the storyline culminated with what fans and historians consider one of modern comics' milestones: the introduction, in issue #146 (July 1966), of Ditko's enduring conception of Eternity , the personification of the universe. Depicted as a majestic silhouette whose outlines are filled with the cosmos, Eternity soon becoming a cornerstone of the Marvel mythos. A groundbreaking creation long before such cosmic conceits were commonplace, it marked Ditko's final bow on the series. and Bill Everett succeeded him through #152 (Jan. 1967), followed by Marie Severin (self-inked for four issues before being inked by future Hulk signature artist Herb Trimpe in some of his earliest Marvel work), and Dan Adkins taking over from #161 (Oct. 1967) to the final issue, #168 (May 1968). STERANKO AND SPIES and Frank Giacoia .]] The Human Torch and Thing had already been replaced in #135 (Aug. 1965) by Nick Fury , a Superspy in keeping with the concurrent James Bond /'' The Man From U.N.C.L.E. '' craze. The 12-page feature was initially by Lee and Kirby, with the latter supplying such inventive and enduring gadgets and hardware as the Helicarrier — an airborne Aircraft Carrier — as well as human-replicant LMDs ( Life Model Decoy s), and even Automobile Airbags . Marvel's all-purpose terrorist organization HYDRA was introduced here as well. The feature "Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." soon became the province of writer-penciler- Colorist Jim Steranko , under whom it became one of the creative zeniths of the Silver Age. Steranko introduced or popularized in comics such art movements of the day as Psychedelia and Op Art , built on Kirby's longstanding work in Photomontage , and created comics' first four-page spread — again inspired by Kirby, who in the Golden Age had pioneered the first full-page and double-page spreads. All the while, he spun plots of intense intrigue, barely hidden sensuality, and hi-fi hipness — and supplying his own version of Bond Girls , essentially, in skintight leather, green hair with matching eyeshadow and accessory whip, pushing what was allowable under the Comics Code at the time. "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 '' #83 (Nov. 1966) and other Marvel comics that month with ''Strange Tales'' #150 (Nov. 1966). WARLOCK AND VOODOO ''Strange Tales'' temporarily ended with #168 (May 1968). The following month, Doctor Strange's adventures continued in the full-length ''Doctor Strange'' #169, with Nick Fury moving to the newly launched ''Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.''. ''Doctor Strange'' was canceled with #183 (Nov. 1969). Four years later, ''Strange Tales'' resumed at its old numbering with #169 (Sept. 1973), which introduced the supernatural feature " Brother Voodoo " by writer Len Wein and artist Gene Colan . This lasted only to issue #173 (April 1974), with Brother Voodoo continuing briefly in the 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 four issues (#174-177), the second of these a fill-in monster-reprint issue. The book had better luck with writer-artist-colorist Jim Starlin 's take on Adam Warlock , picking up the character from the 1972-73 series ''Warlock'' (a.k.a. ''The Power of Warlock'') and reviving him in ''Strange Tales'' #178 (Feb. 1975). Another creative high-water mark, this feverishly imaginative feature from Starlin, who had similarly reinvigorated Captain Marvel , introduced the Marvel characters Gamora , Pip The Troll and The Magus , and helped establish the mythos Starlin would mine in his many "Infinity" sagas of the 1990s. After issue #181 (Aug. 1975), the story would continue 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). CLOAK AND DAGGER , Bret Blevins).]] After Doctor Strange's second series was canceled in the 1980s, ''Strange Tales'' was relaunched as Vol. 2, #1 (April 1987). A split book once again, it featured 10-page Doctor Strange and 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. A one-shot Human Torch, Thing, and Doctor Strange story, by writer , the Gargoyle , Cloak and Dagger, and Spider-Man . 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. Ironically, although four issues were solicited, only two issues of this volume saw print, and the conclusions of those storylines were never released. 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 |
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