Friday, April 13, 2012

Marvel Super Heroes Collector's Club (part II) :
STRANGE SWAG

As introduced in my most previous post, (which featured an uber-rare, online-exclusive, bonus-content audio-play [HERE],) I discussed the basics of the Marvel Super Heroes Collector's Club.

In 2006, (and into 2007,) Scholastic Books teamed up with Marvel Comics to form the Marvel Super Heroes Collector's Club; a subscription book (and collectibles) club, where you would sign up to receive 10 shipments (with a low price first shipment, and then 9 additional - and more expensive - deliveries) of Book Club goodies every month.

Initial Shipment
Including: the first of a series of 10 story "chapter" books, a magazine, a sticker sheet, some toys, a game board and pieces for a "battle" game, a set of collectible cards in an illustrated tin case AND a poster (which when combined with the other 9 posters form a JUMBO-size mega-poster image)! 


Each additional shipment included a Super Hero Adventure Book, a new issue of Marvel Magazine, a 20-Trading Card Booster Pack, a Super Hero Poster and Marvel Stickers, plus continued Website access for the secret online-only content, much like the audio-play featured last post.

Of course, the primary (and, frankly - ONLY) reason that I signed up for the service was in the fleeting hope that - eventually - there would be some DOCTOR STRANGE content in one (or more) of the shipments.

As most DOC-fans of any substantial length of time will readily attest, there is a dearth of Dr. Strange content when it comes to Marvel general merchandise. Sure, Wolverine, Hulk, Captain America and Spider-Man are on everything and anything, but the chances of Doctor Strange being shown on any merchandise item are slim-to-nil.

However, hope springs eternal for the die-hard fan, and as luck would have it, a part of the initial shipment contained a sticker sheet that had a sticker featuring Doctor Strange!

Apologies for some of these poor pics.
My photography staging area is currently a disaster area, and I needed to get these done quickly.

Doc shown 2nd row - 1st sticker on the left.


This was enough to keep me coming back for more shipments - every month - for 10 months... in the slim hope that there would be (there HAD to be) more. 


The fourth shipment was a HULK shipment - with book, poster segment and magazine all featuring the green goliath, and it made sense to me that with their long, historied connection, that Dr. Strange would be featured somewhere therein.

Disappointingly, the audio play that I featured last post was Doc's only contribution to that shipment.
But, still... that kept my hope alive.

But, with shipment after shipment coming with absolutely no Doctor Strange content, I was ready to cut my losses and cancel my subscription. I kept on, however, due to my paranoia that once I canceled, that a Doctor Strange related shipment would have been the very next one. And so I waited it out... all the way to the end.

Good thing that I did.

For the 10th and final shipment was what could be considered the "everything but the kitchen sink" shipment. The "everybody else" assortment.

It featured a Silver Surfer magazine...



And while the magazine didn't have anything with Dr. Strange within (surprising since there was also the long, historied relationship between the Surfer & Strange as Defenders) the shipment did contain several items of STRANGE swag!

Like every other shipment, this one also came with a sticker sheet.
In an ironic symmetry, this last shipment's sticker sheet (like the first shipment's) would also feature a Doctor Strange sticker.

Doc shown 2nd row - 2nd sticker from the right.

Each shipment would also come with a pack of cards for a CCG, and this shipment would finally contain a card for Doctor Strange.



While that would be a nice treat (and a rare addition to my insane collection of Strange-related collectible cards), an even better treat would also lie within this shipment:

The storybook that featured DOCTOR STRANGE (and the Avengers) vs GALACTUS.



The story featured a pot-lock / potpourri of heroes, most closely resembling the line-up of the "Bendis-vengers" in a battle to save the Earth from Galactus and his many heralds (none of which were heralds ever seen before in comics canon). Actually, while the book title is listed as the Avengers vs Galactus, is was really "Everybody vs Galactus", since the devourer of worlds would be faced by not only the World's Mightiest Heroes, but also the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and many solo heroes.

Doctor Strange is written as dealing with several of the heralds, so that the heroes can take the battle to Galactus. Here's a pic with an excerpt:

click to read


And last, but certainly not least, the shipment also had a mini-poster which featured the DEFENDERS (minus the Hulk, who is on his own poster) versus Galactus!

click to Galactus-size


This 11" x 17" mini-poster was the final segment of the 22" x 85" mega-image battle-scene that would be made when all ten posters were aligned in their proper positions.

click to mega-size!


Sadly, the club shuttered not long after this final shipment - depriving other dorks...uh... darling children from the wonders of the Marvel Super Heroes Collector's Club.

18 comments:

Frank Simpson said...

I've enjoyed seeing all this swag, even though it's not the Trinity founder I'm waiting for the focus to fall on again. I've even watched the hokey Hulk & marvelous Man-Thing videos. Thanks again for everything ~P~.

ImDoneItsOver said...

you would not happen to have the rules to this CCG would you if so I kinda need them for packs of this cheap. Please email to Lordeoj@hotmail.com Thanks you

Anonymous said...

Do you know of a way to get all of this?? Know a fan that started but never completed the collection but would like to.,....?

MKSB said...

I am looking for the game "board" and rules for my son who has a set of the cards. Can't even find these on ebay. Any help you can give is much appreciated!

Unknown said...

LOOK TO ANY ONE INTERESTED .IF MY BUYER DOES NOT BUY THE COLLECTORS TIN CARD GAME WITH SPIDER MAN ON THE TIN . .BECAUSE THERE IS NO RULE BOOK .I HAVE IT IN MY EBAY STORE JUST GOOGLE SHOP OF CHOICENESS IT IS MY EBAY STORE I HAVE HAD IT LISTED FOR A MIN.UNTILL I HAD TO TRY TO FIND RULES FOR THIS POTENTIAL BUYER I HAD NO IDEA THERE WAS A CULT FOLLOWING .BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN I WILL RAISE MY PRICE.IT IS AND WILL STAY THE SAME.IT HAS BEEN AT 18.99 .I DONT EVEN KNOW WHAT THEY TREND AT.I PULLED THAT OUT OF A HAT .MESSAGE ME AND MAKE AN OFFER IF YOU WOULD LIKE ...THANKS TIM AT --SHOP OF CHOICENESS ON EBAY

Unknown said...

TIM HERE WITH SHOP OF CHOICENESS .I FORGOT .IF ANY ONE KNOWS IF THERE IS A SITE FOR RULES FOR THE MARVEL COLLECTORS CLUB TIN CARD GAME WITH SPIDIE ON IT .PLEASE .IF POSSIBLE LET ME KNOW THE EBAY BUYER WILL MOST LIKLY NOT BUY IT IF THERE IS NO RULES .AND WELL I ALWAYS DO MY BEST TO HELP ALL OF MY CUSTOMERS I FOUND A WEB SITE BUT IT IS FOR SOME UPPER DECK GAME .I CANT BELIEVE THEY MADE THIS CARD .WITH NO WEB SITE .EVERY ONE HAVE A BLESSED DAY THANKS FOR ANY HELP YOU CAN PROVIDE

Anonymous said...

Does anyone have the rules to the game?

Anonymous said...

Please scan and PDF a copy of the trading card game guide.

Anonymous said...

Any chance of a scan for the game guide/board? Even a decent pic would be awesome!

~P~ said...

My apologies everyone.

I truly would like to help out with scans of the rule book and whatnot but time is not my friend.

The game is packed up with other stuff that is intended for ye olde ebay, but with my current job there is ZERO time to hunt for it.

I work TWO STATES AWAY from where I live.
So, I sometimes get to come home for the weekend (and do laundry, some housework and try to catch my breath before I have to head back).
Usually, I only have Saturday to do ANYthing, as all day Sunday is spent getting all the assorted work-clothes, supplies and whatnot ready for my next week.
Then I'm in bed early since I have to get up at 3am.

Even BEFORE I got this current job, my old job was (even while close to home) a loooong stint.
I'd get up at 3am for that job too and wouldn't get home until after 6pm at the earliest.

I WILL hunt down the rules.
I will.

But it just isn't happening yet.

Right now, I'm at work, but saw this latest plea for scans and knew that I'd have to reply.

When i DO find the stuff, I will be selling it all on ebay.
Tin. Cards, rules, gameboard, nearly all the books, stickers, posters etc...

What's the next three day weekend that doesn't entail visiting relatives or anything? President's Day?
I'll shoot for then.

Wish me luck.
;-)

-P-

Don Hunt said...

Do you happen to have any information about the rules for the ccg?

Anonymous said...

Rules, please?

Anonymous said...

Here is a link to a picture of game guide. How about just clearer pictures of the game guide please. http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7qTKZg6GTUo/T4YkXWzlY-I/AAAAAAAAELc/n-jGqO2JUUU/s1600/superheroes-collectors-club-set.jpg

ImDoneItsOver said...

do you by chance have the rules to the card game?

fishface said...

Did anyone find a link to the rules?

puss said...

I had this when I was younger.. and I still have everything back at my parents house. I'll bookmark this and post a picture to the guide next time I go back to visit.

Icasturg said...

Please help with the guide! Thanks!

Icasturg said...

Please, anyone with the rules??

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