Marvel Studios: The Infinity Saga – The Art of Doctor Strange is the 13th release in the 24-book Marvel Studios: The Infinity Saga series, which is republishing previously released art books as a resized matching set. In the Introduction, author Jacob Johnston presents Doctor Stephen Strange’s history in comics, from his debut in Strange Tales #110 (1963) to high points over the years. Marvel Studios President Kevin Fiege says the property “represents a fresh, new aspect to the ever expanding cinematic universe.”
Buy The Art of Doctor StrangeQuotes from crew members reveal their approaches to this new expansion of the franchise. Costume Designer Alexandra Byrne states, “in the realm of Doctor Strange, color is really important. All of the departments banded together and worked very closely on the journey of color through the film.” Production Designer Charles Woodreveals director Scott Derrickson “wanted a film that was very rich, dark, and luminous.”
Chapter One “Tragedy and Rebirth” starts with conceptual art of Strange’s car crash, which damages his hand and begins his hero’s journey. Then it’s off to the streets of Kathmandu, Nepal where the Ancient One’s Karmar-Taj compound resides. There’s a focus on the costumes for the Ancient One, Baron Mordo, and various students as well as their Eldritch Magic tools, which include a variety of portal-opening sling rings and tao madalas. Chapter Two “Ever See That in a Gift Shop?” takes readers through what “the filmmakers have dubbed the ‘Magical Mystery Tour’” as the Ancient One forces Strange to free his mind, taking him through space and time as he experiences the Astral Plane, the Mirror Dimension, and the Dark Dimension.
Chapter Three “Mastering the Mystic Arts” sees the book dive deeper into Karmar-Taj, such as the Lower Library where props such as the Book of Cagliostro and the Eye of Agamotto are kept. There’s a look at Strange manipulating time and creating his shield. Unfortunately, Wong gets short shrift with just one design on half a page. Chapter Four “What Is Unseen Is Eternal” presents the villain Keacilius and his zealots, all who went through a numerous looks including when on the Astral Plane.
Readers enter the Sanctum Sanctorums in Chapter Five “I Took an Oath.” Within the New York Sanctum is the Chamber of Relics, which holds items such as the Daggers of Daveroth, the Wand of Watoomb, and the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak. Byrne speaks of the “huge challenge” in creating the Cloak of Levitation because “you can draw to a certain point but after that it is about making prototypes and twirling—because it’s all about the weight of the fabric, how the fabric moves, how it drapes.” The chapter also shows various looks for Strange as the Sorcerer Supreme and the New York Mirror Realm Chase Sequence keyframes.
Chapter Six “It’s Not About Me” deals with what Visual Effects Supervisor Stephane Cerriti calls, “arguably one of the most, if not the most, challenging sequences in the film,” as Strange and Mordo battle Kaecilius and his disciples. The fight goes from the streets of Hong Kong to Strange entering the the Dark Dimension he faces off against the dreaded Dormammu. The last chapter offers a look at some marketing materials.
Of any book in the series up to this point, The Art of Doctor Strange seems to be where the artists tapped the deepest into their imaginations to conjure, according to Executive Producer Stephen Broussard, “a magical realm that plays by its own rules and is very specific to this movie and this character.” The art is fantastic and the interviews are informative. Highly recommend for fans of the movie and of the creative process involved in pre-production.
