#Crang Records

[doctorstrangereview]

Strange Tales #110

Cover Date: July 1963 On-Sale Date: April 9, 1963

It was the spring of 1963 and the modern Marvel Universe, started with Fantastic Four #1, was still struggling to crawl out of it's primordial ooze. A bunch of Marvel's heavy hitters had been already introduced. While Namor, the Sub-Mariner had been dredged up for the FF's fourth issue, the only real so far clue these heroes existed alongside one another was The Fantastic Four guest-starring in the first issue of The Amazing Spider-Man just four months prior to the good Doctor's debut.

Other than a certain Norse god, Marvel's heroes had been grounded in science. More than a few got exposed to radiation (Fantastic Four, The Hulk, Spider-Man) with some scientific genius helping others (Ant-Man, Iron Man.)

Now, along comes Steve Ditko's mystical hero, Doctor Strange. (Stan Lee long ago conceded that the Doctor was wholly Steve's idea.) Doctor Strange was not an original name. DC comics had introduced Professor (sometimes Doctor) Hugo Strange several decades before. More recently, just two months before this story, Iron Man debuted villain Doctor Carlo Strange. He even sported a cape with a big collar. He wouldn't be seen again until 2022's The Marvels where he died.

The brief story begins with a splash panel giving us our first view of our new hero and a blurb about "a different kind of super-hero." This first story isn't an origin. The splash panel doesn't count so the story proper begins with a man who can't sleep. He determines he needs to see Dr. Strange about this. He even know where to find the Doctor. We establish that Dr. Strange is a know presence in the city and has a reputation.

A yet-to-be-named Wong answers the door for our yet-to-be-named antagonist. Wong would be granted a name a few months later in issue #119. Our sleepless antagonist would have to wait 25 years where he gets a mention as Brandon Forsythe. Brandon explains to Wong that Dr. Strange doesn't know him but needs to see him. Wong replies "Dr. Strange knows all! Enter!"

Our hero finally shows up with the captions pointing out his grey eyes and striking amulet. Doc's outfit is also one of the first to look comfortable. He has a loose fitting tunic with an odd design that, as far as I know, has yet to explained, a sash and the only tight fitting accoutrement, his trousers. After Brandon explains that a haunting, chained figure inhabits his dreams each not. Doctor Strange replies by saying he will fix it... by entering his dream!

A brief interlude reveals the Doctor's first power: astral projection. Saving oodles on international airfare, he travels to "somewhere in the remote vastness of Asia" to introduce another regular member of the cast: The Ancient One (also yet-to-be-named and only referred to as The Master here). The Master is a skinny, bald, bearded man sitting cross-legged in a giant wicker chair with no base. Future thrones look far less comfortable than this one. Perhaps it was casual day. The Master tells his student that he senses danger around him and he can always depend on his striking amulet. Chekov's gun applies here.

Later, the Doctor visits Brandon at his home. Doctors still made house calls in those days. Brandon promptly falls asleep. Doctor Strange once again looses his astral form into the pink thought bubble that is Brandon's dream and confronts the chained figure. The figure tells Doc that he represents the evil Brandon has done and to ask Mr. Crang. Cue the real villain. Nightmare, lord of the dimension of dreams appears on his yet-to-be-named horse. I mention the horse because he will appear A LOT and his name is eventually revealed to be Dreamstalker. Doc calls Nightmare his ancient foe. I'm not sure if these means they've been enemies for a long time or that Nightmare is just really old, but clearly they've met before. I think Nightmare is the only Doctor Strange villain without a first encounter on record.

Once Brandon hears the name Mr. Crang in his dream he wakes up, having figured out what's going on. Brandon is fraudulent businessman who ruins his partners. Crang is the latest and he can't let Doc live to spoil things. He pulls a gun out of his nightstand and points it at Doc's head. Amazingly, Doc and Nightmare are able to look out of the pink bubble into the real world and see what's about to happen. Nightmare is basically "Look, he's gonna kill you. I don't need to lift a finger to get rid of you."

We now find out Doc may not be all that. He needs to call on The Master for help. The Master gets the message and activates the amulet (which opens slowly, not necessarily helpful when a gun is pointed at your head) and shines a light on Brandon who is frozen. Doc uses the opportunity to slip back into the real world. Nightmare shakes his fist and shouts "I'll get you yet!" (He really says this.)

Back in the real world, Doc forces Brandon to confess, telling him this is the only way he'll be able to sleep again. And thus, our story ends with a promise of more next month.

Doctor Strange is arrogant and curt. He is only deferential to his teacher, The Master. His need to rely on The Master reveals it's probably still fairly early in his career and his power level isn't really known yet. He doesn't do much magically except for astral projection and shining his mystical searchlight. The cool battles with magic bolts and shields are still months away. His amulet is a lovely round object for the first three stories and would mysteriously become square with the fourth. He would receive a new round amulet in a couple of years, but it is not this one. Ditko's illustration in this story is wonderful. It is filled with some amazing detail, not just for the amulet, but Doctor Strange's house, his leopard spotted gloves and The Master's retreat. Most of these details would be simplified or dropped in future stories.

It's a humble first story. There's not a lot at stake. A guy is just having bad dreams. But it lays the groundwork for a unique character and ongoing story.

[paulinedorchester]

Sam: Don't you want a sandwich? Andrew: I'm not hungry. Sam: I'm always hungry. I hope rationing doesn't get worse. I'm having to put treacle in my tea. It tastes quite disgusting. And it goes sort of black so it looks disgusting too. What's the food like in the RAF? Andrew: So-so.

— Foyle's War, s2e4, The Funk Hole

The services were said to have received more and better food than the heavily rationed civilian population. ‘Compared to civilian rations,’ opined Marjorie Hazell, ‘we lived in luxury.’ But the standard of fare was variable. Barbara Littlejohn recalled that at her ATS training camp the staple diet of boiled potatoes, gritty cabbage, fried spam and a suet pudding known as a ‘depth charge’ ‘would have gone over alright in a Dickensian workhouse no doubt, but ... did nothing for our morale’: ‘Our big treat in the evening was to go down into town and eat baked beans on toast at the Salvation Army canteen.’ Waaf Mary Palmer complained that the meals at her RAF base were so unappetising that ‘on entering the cook-house the smell put us off before we got to the food. ... The bins for pig-swill were chock-a-block with our leftovers.’ Eileen McMurdo of the ATS was stationed at a combined operations headquarters at Fort Southwick, near Portsmouth, and recorded that the naval cuisine there was little better. ‘One thing which all three services had in common was the often appalling standard of the food and the naval cooks did their best to keep up the tradition of mediocrity.’ ... Moreover, if women brought their culinary grumbles to the attention of their superiors, they usually received short shrift. Waaf Mary Winter recounted that ‘one day one girl, braver than the rest, answered back when the WAAF officer came round and asked if there were “any complaints?” “Ask the fish, Ma’am,” said Biddy. “It speaks for itself.” Needless to say, she got jankers.

— Jeremy A. Crang, Sisters in Arms: Women in the British Armed Forces During the Second World War (Cambridge University Press, 2020)

[444names]

2,378 english words + theological demons and angels + roman and brythonic deities

Abasa Abectem Abimer Addly Adrunce Afecimporn Afeet Alesiesk Alitently Almly Althight Amacul Amane Amore Amurn Anciaely Anclose Anineptlet Anter Anusabadis Arcaus Arous Asherse Asidecorty Asinow Atent Attent Aussimelf Azack Bance Bareek Batch Beadend Behought Belch Beliont Benty Berhavit Bhashal Blard Blent Bletomix Blicha Boatede Bolock Borritiat Braken Brestortu Bride Briel Briewar Briter Brund Buddis Buisbades Buster's Byzonsided Caman Camarrouna Camduch Cameed Cartat's Carunus Caugh Cendigh Chattle Cheatink Chinit Chons Chrone Chunt Ciditicare Cleplamar Clourm Cocul Colaugg Colls Comah Comamtheg Comene Comforry Comor Compeel Comporm Conna Coorgost Cordög Cou'd Cound Coutuarrue Crang Critat Culde Cunce Curia Cusernemes Daing Damarust Damumnus Datheri Daustrub Decice Delipasn's Diougenert Direschim Diring Diseamed Disimay Divet Dolact Doldeenay Doldne Dracturdar Drion Drubt Eackgrat Eapplifer Eater Efught Efuriven Egire Empha Enabiurt Endarn Entorow Everague Evines Exchiount Excire Excliettan Exhan Expeast Expen Expracky Exticupis Faintrin Fairdenept Fait's Farmthine Fartun Feblach Feruppok Ficel Finforn Finis Fitteat Fliedewall Flissupow Flovere Fooke Foollic Foolock Forage Forap Forde Formwoner Foughoel Fountay Friaeel Frivance Fuldne Fusaphill Garen Garriturge Gasidoncel Gazings Gielloance Girevereak Glatchoody Gletall Glound Gorrialit Greengazy Griel Groseteve Guath Gusucang Habors Haesize Hampo Hapoin Happer Haught Haunta He'lly Heask Heater Helluch Hently Herchear Herel Herge Hetly Hidid Hinalk Hisfif Hmere Ho'cle Hokinve Holik Homee Honds Hopill Horecall Hototined Hower Imathim Imease Instly Intera Kabul Kielang Knothe Knoween Kromperax Lakied Lamplact Laphic Larudd Lavrounce Laways Lessad Letie Libegs Lingg Linnybo Liting Loanis Loannae Loart Locar Locond Lonyoude Lorknionee Lownswer Lucybot Madfus Madmiel Maellon Maelotba Maint Mallosed Man't Mantel Mapon Maponst Marazen Marbo Marborge Mater Mattita Mazimphang Mefureat Memootte Mendestim Mentrash Migot Miless Minfug Mition Miurd Mogettly Mogigomeek Mogize Momfouport Monateares Monep Mordarly Mosel Mouranict Muarisfy Nablaway Narke Nbspase Nedge Ninialiked Nostv Nottly Nourna Nowente Obannus Oblaii Offide Offilt Offlius Oketed Ondon Opead Ophated Orthosta Ossun Paing Palaus Pathroce Pauna Phaut Pinalkar Pistas Piter Placeil Plarly Plather Pomeds Posed Poucim Prect Prent Priek Priel Print Proatiould Promer Pron't Propeet Prose Prowinitch Pully Rawalarm Reachery Reakend Realt Rearchint Reced Records Recta Refun Remee Rendoolle Repheem Rided Ridetely Rieliss Rignaker Rimmy Ronione Rustig Rutucel Scargy Scrancy Scraw Serfasia Sheremah Shervoine Shigh Shing Shird Shmay Shmmy Shotice Siblise Sicamaile Siddia Sided Sidia Sihey Siouttor Siver Skidess Slard Sloof Smanke Smemover Sobaks Sofferub Solacries Somemius Somend Sougginve Speattil Spisables Sprousught Squily Stalius Stana Stant Sting Storoot Stought Straile Streamna Stred Strick Sturt Sualk Sudasur Sumbit Sumnus Swermet Tancireply Tanue Teame Temod Tempad Tencent Terooked The's Thend Thent Thiessa Thinces Thiviss Thous Tindrip Tiondatern Tookalt Toseirly Touslen Trass Tratter Trept Tress Trihea Tron't Trorsept Trughtly Tumnal Turey Tweruching Ukalmly Uppangthow Usomeate Vanos Vided Visell Wakide Wartabass Wayst Weaccus Weadesper Weeke Whana Whelicutas Whotianiff Widenta Winywher Wisroman't Worce Wordiscard Woring Wringris Yebether Youna Yoused Zoper

[claireelizabethwhite]

8th July 2018

DA FATEFUL TALE O MARION PARDONE

This is the story of a Shetland witch. I first encountered Marion Pardone in October 2016 when Mum heard an interview about her on BBC Radio Shetland. I listened and was intrigued. This woman was executed in 1644 for capsizing a boat and drowning its passengers whilst disguised as a porpoise. How did this happen?

My search for clues began at Shetland Archives. Brian Smith and Angus Johnson led me swiftly to trial papers. Here, in seventeenth century language, Marion’s misdeeds were detailed over ten pages. They described a Hillswick woman with an evil tongue who cursed those whom she wished ill. Her human and animal targets became victims of sickness, harm and death. She ‘took away the profit’ from produce by spoiling brewing and filling the udders of cows with blood and fetid water. Two ravens, agents of the devil, were seen accompanying her on a three quarter mile walk. Marion failed to learn The Lord’s Prayer or say it in her lifetime. Her fateful act, though, was consorting with another witch to drown a fishing boat’s passengers one fair Hillswick morning in a safe spot by the shore.

Marion and her husband, Swene, were brought to see two of the boat’s corpses and lay their hands on them days after death, when ‘all their blood was vanished and dissolved from any natural course’. One bled at the collar bone whilst blood gushed from the hands and fingers of the other ‘to the great admiration of the beholders, and revelation of the judgement of the almighty.’ Marion was, by this proof, brought to judgement, convicted and condemned. She was taken to the west hill of Berrie in Scalloway (pictured at the top of this blog post), strangled and burned in ashes.

In December 2017 the Shetland Archives team directed me towards Samuel Hibbert’s A Description of the Shetland Islands (1822) for further information on Marion Pardone and witchcraft more generally. In this book I was interested to read that ‘It was usual with the Shetland dealers in sorcery, like the ancient magicians of Scandinavia, to use incantations.’ Hibbert gives this example:

About fifty years ago, a woman, of the parish of Dunrossness, known to have a deadly enmity against a boat's crew that had set off for the Haaf, took a wooden bason, named a cap, and allowed it to float on the surface of a tub of water; then, to avoid exciting a suspicion of her devilry, she went on with her usual domestic labours, and, as if to lighten the burden of them, sang an old Norse ditty. After a verse or two had been recited, she sent a child to the tub, and bade him tell her if the cap was whummilled, or turned upside down. Her orders were obeyed, and intelligence were soon brought to her, that the water was beginning to be agitated, but that the bowl was afloat. She then continued her incantation, and once more broke it off, by requesting the child to go again to the tub, and let her know if the cap was whummilled. The little messenger soon returned with the news that there was a strange swell in the water, which caused the bowl to be sadly tossed about. The witch then sang still more loudly, and, for the third time, sent the child to the tub to report the state of the bason, who immediately hastened back with the information that the water was frightfully troubled, and that the cap was whummilled. The enchantress, with an air of malignant satisfaction, then ceased her song, and said, “The Turn is done.” On the same day, news came that a fishing yaul had been lost in the Roust, and that the whole of the crew had been drowned.

Given the historic link between witchcraft and music, a song telling Marion’s story felt necessary, and the difficult process of selecting an angle began. In the trial papers I was struck by a recurring phrase amongst the witchcraft claims, namely ‘which you cannot deny.’ This statement appeared at the end of eight indictments against Marion. It seemed appropriate that my song’s lyrics be written from the perspective of community members, those who furnished this trial with accepted evidence of the day.

To return to the beginning, to that Radio Shetland interview, the reporter (Daniel Lawson) asked local historian, John Shaw, what was going on; was this a case of nasty neighbours? John replied that three things are needed for such a situation to arise. Firstly, neighbourhood disputes are required. Whether Marion was a difficult neighbour or whether others were picking on her is difficult to determine. Secondly, a state is needed which is willing to prosecute the case, and in this case the state executes. Thirdly, an ideology is needed to provide an intellectual and moral framework. In this case, there was a widespread and growing belief in the Devil as an agent in the world using witches as conspirators to destroy God’s order on earth.

I’ll leave you with your own thoughts on this story. You can listen to a rough recording of the song here. Below is a photo of a black cat which crossed my path as I drove to the site of Marion’s execution today.

Da Fateful Tale o Marion Pardone

Du felled neebour fock wi seekness

Wir baess dey lost der life 

A ston du lowsed aneath a man

Dan saved him for his wife

Du took awa da profit

Fae bear an milk an kye

Udders filled wi blöd an water

Göd malt wis marred forby

Da curses rain, da charges fly

Dat you, rank witch, cannot deny

Da curses rain, da charges fly

Dat you, rank witch, cannot deny

Du cast madness on dy servant

Becis shö widna bide

She drew blöd fae your twa fingers

An eence again cam richt

Du killed able working horses

Kept corbie company

Consortit wi anidder witch

Shunned God fir aa to see

CHORUS

Dy taste for wicked witchcraft

At last sealed dy demise

Fir a fishing boat du capsized

A neesick dy disguise

Du droondit four aboard her

Ee flat calm Hillsook day

Dy man an dee wis brocht ta see

Der wis a price ta pay

CHORUS

Dy haands wis placed on twa dry crangs

A craig-bane bled ageen

Fae anidder’s finger blöd gushed

Göd’s judgement it wis seen

Dy guilt wis worthy o dy death 

In 1644

Apo da Berrie wast hill

Du wis strangled dat voar

CHORUS

Dy burnin freed wis o dy curse

Dy evil tongue an eye

Göd’s justice done, da Deil slain

Nae mair sal du deny

[noloveforned]

recommended digital releases, september 1st

a large majority of the music i listen to these days is done at work through a premium spotify subscription. the hardest part seems to be trying to remember when an album i’ve been anticipating finally comes out on whatever random friday.

i figure i’m not the only one so every friday i’m aiming to post five new releases from the past week (or so) as well as five recent releases from the past couple months that are available through spotify (and presumably the other streaming platforms).

new releases from the past week (or so):

baby island "break the lease" on hello [spotify, bandcamp] eli moore of lake drops the second cassette from his side-project baby island. it reminds me of some of the older lake albums full of gentle, twee takes on a.m. radio. ashley (also of lake) once again shows up for plenty of backing/guest vocals.

billie the vision and the dancers "what's the matter with you boy?" on love will pay the bills [spotify] billie the vision and the dancers are one of the most twee (tweeest?) bands in sweden and remind me of the hidden cameras and jens lekman. their seventh album just came out after a five year break and it all sounds fresh to me again.

sneaky feelings "progress junction" on flying nun [spotify, bandcamp] the flying nun records resurgence gets 'more real' every year. sneaky feelings are back with their fourth album of tender, college rock jangle after almost thirty years away. it reminds me of richard davies/cardinal who was undoubtedly influenced by their run of eighties albums.

the surfing magazines "the surfing magazines" on moshi moshi [spotify, bandcamp] the surfing magazines are a moshi moshi records 'supergroup' that draw members from the wave pictures and slow club. the album aligns a little more closely with the wave pictures side of the equation (although i find it more immediate than their most recent albums). outside of a few garage-y surf instrumentals (thus the name?) it fits into the midtempo, rambling of the antifolk scene for the most part.

weather weapon "weather weapon ii" (self-released) [spotify, bandcamp] weather weapon is the new band of gilmore tamny who in the late nineties made up half of the yips from columbus, ohio. the second weather weapon album (and first to appear digitally outside bandcamp) is full of urgent, wordy pop songs that blend garage and post-punk.

slightly older stuff:

ella fitzgerald "the complete decca singles volume one, 1935-1939" on verve [spotify] ella fitzgerald "the complete decca singles volume two, 1939-1941" on verve [spotify] ella fitzgerald "the complete decca singles volume three, 1942-1949" on verve [spotify] ella fitzgerald "the complete decca singles volume four, 1950-1955" on verve [spotify] the ella fitzgerald centennial celebration continues with a reissue of all three hundred sides that she recorded for the decca label during the first twenty years of her career. for whatever reason these recordings aren't as widely celebrated as her verve years that followed (i do have a whole list of potential explanations that i'll leave aside). these recordings shaped a lot of popular music (particularly white popular music) like dinah shore and frank sinatra that would ultimately dominate the pop charts from the 1940 until the early 1960's.

ross goldstein "inverted jenny" on northern spy [spotify, bandcamp] ross goldstein's second album is full of slightly off-kilter, soft seventies a.m. radio pop like a cross between fruit bats and grandaddy.

gorgeous bully "great blue" (self-released) [spotify, bandcamp] gorgeous bully are a manchester band led by thomas crang that fall into the 'prolific underground bandcamp artist' catagory that has led to major record deals for frankie cosmos (sub pop) and car seat headrest (matador). for the time being he's still doing it all by himself with pop songs full of heartache, overdriven vocals and fuzzed out guitar.

pregnancy "urgency" on emotional response [spotify, bandcamp] remember how last week i mentioned the ocean party have a million other related bands? pregnancy is yet another one of them that i hadn't even mentioned and they dropped their debut album (mistakenly listed as s/t on spotify/amazon/etc) this summer. led by vocalists zac denton and ashley bundang the album is indie disco halfway between the spareness of esg and the more heavily arranged electro-pop belle and sebastian have practiced the past few years.

v/a "transparent days- west coast nuggets" on rhino [spotify] the nuggets anthologies started way back in 1972 when lenny kaye assembled 27 psychedelic singles from 1965–1968 into a 2xlp. since then there have been over twenty more nuggets releases, including several box sets. the nuggets series is ground zero for our current crop of crate-digging compilations from numero group, soundway and strut. the latest nuggets anthology focuses on the late sixties west coast scene in the us and doesn't seem to have much (possibly any?) overlap with either of the two previous nuggets 4xcd sets that explicitly focused on san francisco and los angeles.

more 'recommended releases' posts from no love for ned

[especias]

En el último programa de Especias Hi-Fi arrancamos con este tema en versión de Jimmy Cliff. Ahora es la banda argentina Nairobi la que nos entrega este cover del clásico himno de protesta de los magníficos The Clash yse lo dedican al genocida Cristobal Colón y su crew. En Noviembre lanzan ésta y su versión Dub en vinilo 7 pulgadas..

[laspinias]

MAÑANA en MAR DEL PLATA - Destino Arena

CRANG POOL PARTY con MANDIBOOLA - LAS KELLIES - DRELLA - SIRUJA BERCETCHE - NAIROBI DJ SET

18 HS GRATIS! Si estas por la costa date una vuelta 

[elcamposanto]

CAMPOSANTO EN VIVO @ DEMOLITION SOUNDS