Frank Brunner Dr. Strange

Cover and back cover by Frank Brunner for Marvel Treasury Edition #6, 1975.

Dr. Strange

Dr. Strange began his own title picking up with issue 169 of what was Strange Tales. It continued (complete with an ill-advised costume change) through issue 183, cover dated November 1969. He would later get his title again, beginning this time with issue #1 in June 1974. Here's a few of the more interesting cover from his first run.

Dr. Strange #173, October 1968. Cover by Dan Adkins.

Dr. Strange #178, March 1969. Cover by Gene Colan.

Dr. Strange #179, April 1969. Cover by Barry Windsor Smith.

Dr. Strange #180, May 1969. Cover by Gene Colan.

Dr. Strange #181, July 1969. Cover by Gene Colan.

The Doctor is In

Doctor Doom by John Buscema, n.d.




Psychoanalysis #1, April 1955. Cover art by Jack Kamen.




Dr. Octopus vs. Spiderman by Jim Mooney, n.d.




Dr. Solar: Man of the Atom #20, July 1967.




M.D. #4, November 1955. Cover art by Johnny Craig.




Cover for Dr. Strange Portfolio by Michael Golden, 1983.




Ben Casey daily by Neal Adams, January 4, 1966.




Painting of Dr. Kildare, unknown artist, n.d.

The Wrightson Completionist: Part 6

The sixth in a series of posts highlighting oddball Bernie Wrightson items in my collection.


In the early 1980's, Marvel and DC began releasing a lot of "Special Editions." These were reprints of classic runs of superhero comics. I remember them reprinting a lot of Neal Adams comics in this format: X-Men, Green Lantern/Green Arrow, and the Avengers Kree-Skrull war saga. They were usually about 64-60 pages, printed on higher quality "baxter" paper and sold for the then high price of $2.50. In March 1982 Marvel reprinted Steve Engelhart and Frank Brunner's classic Silver Dagger storyline from the first four issues of Doctor Strange. Bernie Wrightson was logical choice to produce the wraparound cover for this collection (if Brunner wasn't go to do it). Brunner's art had a Wrightsonesque quality to it with his lush brushwork and skillful use of shadows. Bernie produced a well-composed spread of Strange in the gullet of the Stealer of Souls: a writhing mass of flesh, tortured souls, and skeletons.

Marvel produced a 12" x 18" promotional poster for this book. It featured the the cover artwork printed on ivory-colored paper. That is the subject of this segment of The Wrightson Completionist. I don't remember where I got mine. Either from Todd (who gets all the stuff nobody else can) or perhaps Dave Hutzley, of the late great Dave's Comics in Royal Oak Michigan gave it to me. I'm glad I've hung on to it all these years, I've never seen one for sale.


click on the images for large versions




A scan from the original art:




The published comic book cover:

Frank Brunner

Frank Brunner began his career in the late 1960's drawing for the B&W horror magazine Web of Horror. Brunner is most well-known for his work for Marvel Comics including his classic run on Dr. Strange, Howard the Duck, and Red Sonja. His work has been collected into the book Mythos: Fantasy Art Realms of Frank Brunner.