One with the Universe: The Construction of Doctor Strange’s Magic in 1973
Journal of Religion and Popular Culture January 1, 2021 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.3138/jrpc.2018-0046 via Semantic Scholar
Summary
In the early 1970s, the comic book character Doctor Strange was reimagined by writer Steve Englehart and artist Frank Brunner to reflect esoteric trends, New Age thinking, psychedelic culture, and Eastern mysticism. These elements were not merely sources of inspiration but integral to the creators' own belief systems. The character's magic became a conduit in popular culture for discussing a network of ideas tied to contemporary religious thought. This analysis contributes to understanding how religious thinking shapes cultural objects and their interaction with society.
Study at a glance
| Design | historical analysis |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Doctor Strange in the early 1970s became a conscious space in popular culture to discuss esoteric and religious ideas that reflected the authors' own beliefs and broader contemporary trends. |
Abstract
Abstract:This article shows how Doctor Strange was configured at the beginning of the 1970s. At those moments, Steve Englehart and Frank Brunner were put in charge of the adventures of the character, and, through them, Doctor Strange came to reflect diverse esoteric trends, New Age thinking, the use of psychedelics, and Eastern mysticism. A fundamental aspect is that these elements were not seen necessarily just as sources of inspiration by the authors but also as integral components of their own system of beliefs. In this sense, the magic of Doctor Strange in this period became a conscious space and conduit in popular culture to discuss and share a complex network of ideas that not only belonged to the authors but also reflected a number of trends connected to religious thought at the time. The analysis in this article contributes to the study of religious thinking within the configuration of cultural objects and their interaction with society.