Does anyone collect silver age Dr Strange?

[steelcouch]

Was wondering if anyone collected silver age Dr Strange? Need to find an outlet of where to find these comics. So far I barely started collecting them and only have #170,174 and 178. Lowest # I could find on the net was a #150. Is there online comic shops that carry these somewhere? Any help would greatly be appreciated. Thanks Juan

[warlock664]

Dr Strange

DR STRANGE (as a solo book) ran for only 15 issues in the Silver Age, from #169-183, and was then cancelled due to poor sales. Prior to that, he shared billing in STRANGE TALES with first the Human Torch and later Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. He debuted in STRANGE TALES #110, had a follow-up in #111, and then his series ran from #114-168, after which the book was retitled DR STRANGE (with #169) and lasted those aforementioned 15 issues.
He received a second solo series in the Bronze Age in MARVEL PREMIERE #3-14, then was given another self-titled book with the debut of DR STRANGE #1 in 1974.
As far as online comic shops, I would recommend milehighcomics.com and mycomicshop.com . Mile High is usually a bit more expensive, but either site should provide you with good information in your quest to build a collection.

[Riffster]

Doctor Strange Comic Books. Doctor Strange Comics store.

[steelcouch]

Learn something new everyday. No wonder I was coming up empty in my search for lower numbers. I kept getting strange tales Dr strange. Good to know. Had picked up a #178 at a toy show for cheap and had got me interested in getting the rest. Should be easy now that I know its only a few issues series. What was the reasoning that the series started at #169. Kind of odd.

[The Toyroom]

#169 was the relaunch of Strange Tales as Doctor Strange....Marvel did that a lot back then....Journey Into Mystery became Thor, Tales to Astonish became The Incredible Hulk, Tales of Suspense became Captain America....

[warlock664]

What was the reasoning that the series started at #169. Kind of odd.

Back in the late 50's/early 60's, Atlas/Marvel comics had a bad distribution deal that was limiting their presence on the newstands. They struck a deal with National (now DC Comics) that allowed them to use their distribution channel. The catch was, National forced them to limit the number of monthly titles they could produce (so that it didn't cut into the sales of DC's books like Superman, Batman, etc). That was the reason Marvel published several "split books" in the 60's: Iron Man and Captain America shared TALES OF SUSPENSE, the Hulk and first Giant-Man, then Sub-Mariner were co-featured in TALES TO ASTONISH, and Dr Strange shared STRANGE TALES with first the Human Torch and later, Nick Fury Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. This allowed Marvel to maximize the number of series they produced given their restriction on the number of books they were allowed.

Then, in 1968, Marvel was able to secure their own distribution deal with Curtis Circulation, freeing them from National/DC's number of books allowed restriction. They immediately expanded their split-books to full-length features, starting IRON MAN, SUB-MARINER, and NICK FURY with new #1s, and continuing the numbering from the split-titles for CAPTAIN AMERICA (#100), INCREDIBLE HULK (#102), and DR STRANGE (#169). In those days, there was more prestige associated with having a higher issue number for a comic book; it was perceived to denote longevity and quality. That was the reason for continuing the high numbering from STRANGE TALE, TALES OF SUSPENSE and TALES TO ASTONISH. Nowdays, of course, each title would be given a #1.

While Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk and Sub-Mariner were popular enough to support their own titles (although Subby's book was cancelled in 1974), neither Dr Strange nor Nick Fury could sustain sales and were both cancelled after 15 issues. In that one instance, it probably would have been smarter to leave them in a split-book: the combined fan base could probably have supported these 2 charcters in that format.