It’s been over 62 years since Steve Ditko and Stan Lee introduced the enigmatic Dr. Stephen Strange, initially dubbed the “Master of Black Magic.” From the beginning, Ditko mesmerized readers with mind-bending depictions of ultradimensional space and time, while Lee delighted them with colorful phrases like the “Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth!” Over the decades, numerous artists and writers have carried forward Ditko and Lee’s vision of “The Master of the Mystic Arts,” as Dr. Strange later became known.
Now, Bloomsbury Academic is teaming up with Marvel to release a series of books that delve deeper into the iconic characters cherished by Marvel fans. Under the umbrella of “The Marvel Age of Comics,” this includes editor and writer Stuart Moore’s exploration of Stephen Strange in “Doctor Strange: A Decade of Dark Magic,” which is set to release on November 11th. In advance of its release, we caught up once again with the talented writer to discuss his latest work on the Marvel line. So, let’s welcome back Stuart Moore to GVN Talking Comics.
The Marvel Cinema Art of… Series
GVN: Thanks for visiting with us once again, Stuart. The last time was back in September of 2022 for your series Highball for Ahoy. During that conversation, we mentioned a number of your past projects, but I did not realize that you wrote not only “The Art of Thor: The Dark World,” but also “The Art of Iron Man 3.” In both cases, teaming with Marie Javins. As a huge fan of the Marvel “The Art of…” series, how did those opportunities arise?
STUART: Great to be back! The ART OF books I worked on…that was around 2012-2013. I was doing a lot of work directly with Marvel at the time, editing their in-house line of prose novels. They offered the work and we accepted. It was interesting work, but at the time it was difficult, because we had to interview a lot of effects and design people on the opposite coast—all of whom were very busy at that point, working on four or five movies at once. Now, with Zoom and instant audio transcription, the job would be a lot easier.
Captain America for Dummies
GVN: Speaking of Marvel (which we will be frequently), earlier this year, you came out with a guide for those who perhaps don’t know the total history of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby’s classic hero Captain America in “Captain America for Dummies.” Was this a subject you wanted to explore, or did Wiley approach you in that endeavor?
STUART: The Marvel DUMMIES books are heavily illustrated and really nicely produced. Wiley and Marvel wanted to lead off this new series in time for the 2025 Captain America movie, and they trusted me to pull it off. The book was crazy-fun to write; I learned a lot about Cap myself, and in a lot of places I sort of used the visual reference to pull me through the narrative (along with the reader, I hope).
“Doctor Strange: A Decade of Dark Magic.”
GVN: So, continuing our Marvel exploration, let’s get to the focus of our discussion, which is your new entry in The Marvel Age of Comics series: “Doctor Strange: A Decade of Dark Magic.” What inspired you to focus on Doctor Strange for this installment of The Marvel Age of Comics?
STUART: Okay—the first Doctor Strange series I read was the mind-blowing 1970s revival by writer Steve Englehart and artist Frank Brunner. That run starts off with a note—the very first caption, on page one—proclaiming “TEN YEARS AGO THIS MONTH, STAN LEE AND STEVE DITKO CREATED DR. STRANGE, MASTER OF THE MYSTIC ARTS!” So that set me off on my journey, both when I first read those words in my teens and then again when I set out to write this book.
Choosing the Decade to Examine
GVN: Dr. Strange first appeared in Strange Tales #110 in July of 1963. With that kind of longevity, how did you choose which time in his history to spotlight in A Decade of Dark Magic?
STUART: The second Englehart/Brunner storyline takes Stephen Strange back through time, to the creation—or possible re-creation—of the universe. I used that as inspiration to take my own trip back in time, but not quite as far. This led me into various odd corners of comics history, and New York history too—in particular, places in the East Village where Strange’s life intersected my own as a young adult, decades later. Bob Dylan’s, too.
If that all sounds weird, well, it was. I actually kept a journal called StrangeQuest while writing the book. Parts of it are very personal.
GVN: As you prepared for writing this book, what made Doctor Strange’s stories from this era particularly compelling or transformative?
STUART: Ditko’s work in particular has such a profound, confident energy to it, as if he knows what he’s doing, and would everyone else please just let him get on with it? Stan eventually gave him full plotting over the stories, which then got longer and weirder and wilder. The Englehart and Brunner stories build on all that—you get a sense of two young creators pushing for greater and greater heights.
Preparation for the Book
GVN: Speaking of preparation, what was your research process like for this book? Did you revisit specific comic runs or consult archival materials? In addition, were there any surprising discoveries or forgotten storylines that stood out during your research?
STUART: Fortunately, the Marvel Digital Comics app makes this sort of research almost appallingly easy. I read or reread every Doctor Strange story published over those ten years, including some bizarre periods after Ditko’s departure when the writer and artist changed every few issues.
One happy surprise was the late 1960s run, when the character graduated from the back pages of Strange Tales into his own title. The art by Gene Colan and Tom Palmer is some of the best of their impressive careers. It’s full of great character work and experimental layouts, but it never gets in the way of the story. Beautiful stuff.
GVN: As you mentioned, especially in the early stages of Doctor Strange, Ditko and Lee often explore metaphysical and philosophical themes. How do you think these stories reflected or influenced the cultural mood of the decade you covered?
STUART: The Steve Ditko/Stan Lee stories read like nothing else Marvel was publishing at the time. They’re trippy and engaging, with weird underlying bits of philosophy that went completely by me as a kid. They had a profound influence on the 1960s counterculture, which, in turn, helped shape the minds of the creators who followed on the strip. (The book is full of time loops.)
What Readers Old and New Might Discover
GVN: After reading this book, what do you hope new readers take away from this book—and longtime fans rediscover?
STUART: DOCTOR STRANGE was not just a product of its time, but very much of its place as well. New York City is as important a part of the strip as the Dark Dimension and pathways in the sky. The doctor fits right in with the beatniks, coffeehouses, and folk-to-electric music of this turbulent, fast-moving period in recent history.
Insights Learned
GVN: As a longtime comic book writer and editor, Stuart, what did working on this book teach you about Doctor Strange or Marvel history that you didn’t expect?
STUART: Doctor Strange went through some interesting ups and downs. After his title was cancelled in 1969, the character didn’t appear anywhere for almost two years. That’s hard to imagine, these days.
On the East Village front, I learned that Mercer Street Books is still around! Even in an era of runaway development and gentrification, you can still find pockets of magic hidden on the streets.
What Could be Next?
GVN: Thank you for visiting with us again, Stuart. Finally, if you could write a follow-up volume, which era or storyline would you explore next?
STUART: I’ve been asked that a lot lately…when the question came up at our SDCC panel this year, I said “Howard the Duck.” The audible “OOOOOHH” from the audience surprised me. We’ll see!
Bloomsbury Academic’s Marvel Age of Comics “Doctor Strange: A Decade of Dark Magic” hits stands on November 11th, along with Paul Cornell’s “The Mighty Avengers vs. the 1970s” and Chris Ryall’s “Daredevil: Born Again.”
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 60 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove headfirst over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 21-year-old young man with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.
