MIKE JOZIC: Regarding your abandoned Doctor Strange pitch, I recently read a comment by Tom Brevoort while doing some research for the interview where he said, "So while it's still possible for it to happen, it's nowhere near definite, other than that JRJR and Harlan seem to want to do it. In other words, for the time being put it in line right behind that Grant Morrison FF project."

JOHN ROMITA, Jr.: [laughs]

JOZIC: Seeing as how Morrison's FF1234 is currently on the shelves, is there any hope for Doctor Strange?

ROMITA, Jr.: No. Tom's right. It's gone and out of the world. Working on Doctor Strange is a possibility, but not that story.

So it looks like thats another project to add to the "If Only" column. I'll move this archive into Unpublished after awhile. However, do check out JRJR's current work on The Amazing Spider-Man written by HE friend and co-hort J. Michael Straczynski.

Direct Link to interview. [if this link does work visit the main site, Silver Bullets, click on a featured article and check the archives. It will be "The Amazing John Romita, Jr." August 25, 2001.

Rich's Rambling - 14 Apr 2000
"Wonder Stuff"

Excited rumourmonger from the WonderCon exclaimed his excited excitement by trying to get me excited about the exciting news that, according to John Romita Jr, Peter Parker's next girlfriend, now that his wife Mary Jane has been conveniently dead for what is in Marvel time about two weeks, is Gloria Grant! Ho hum, oh very exciting I'm sure... but what's that? Apparently Gloria Grant isn't white! Oh shock horror, surely such a union could resort in a mixture of genetics against God's plan and furthering the world union and Revelation days, in a Babel style world apocalypse? Not to mention that the kid will be able to spin webs out of his arse.

And Romita's statement that'll he'll be working on hippies-choice Doctor Strange with hippies-choice Harlan Ellison has been disparaged by Marvel Editor hippies-choice Tom Breevort, who said "Not to be a wet blanket or anything, but my understanding is that this is another project that hasn't really even been submitted yet, much less approved. So while it's still possible for it to happen, it's nowhere near definite, other than that JRJR and Harlan seem to want to do it. In other words, for the time being put it in line right behind that Grant Morrison FF project."

Update: April 10, 2000
At the WonderCon comic book convention this weekend John Romita, Jr. discussed some of his upcoming projects and announced that he would be drawing a Dr. Strange story written by Harlan Ellison, the story of which seems to be adapted from the once mentioned Silver Surfer story Joe Quesada had mentioned Ellison writing for Marvel Knights (the Silver Surfer story has now been moved to the "Unpublished Work" page in Various) Here is the story as it was published on the internet site Comic Book Resources:

Comics Wire Monday April 10, 2000
JR JR LOOKS TO THE FUTURE,
PAIRS WITH HARLAN ELLISON

Even the most loyal company man eventually starts wondering if the grass really is greener on the other side.

This weekend at Wonder Con in Oakland, Ca., that company man was artist John Romita, Jr., who, like his father, has made a career out of his work at Marvel Comics.

Romita - teased unmercifully at a panel on Friday by fellow creators for his loyalty to Marvel, which they spun in the worst possible light - announced Saturday that he will likely be working outside Marvel once his contract ends.

"Until I finish out my contract in December, I'll be doing lots of miniseries."

Among the projects will be a project with Scott Lobdell and a three part Dr. Strange miniseries written by Harlan Ellison, who hand-picked Romita for the assignment.

The miniseries was originally intended to be about the Silver Surfer, but with the recent death of Galactus, things got tweaked a bit.

"Dormammu is dying," Romita said. "If he dies, it throws the whole netherworld off, and Dr. Strange has to go inside him."

But true believers shouldn't worry: Romita will follow family tradition and stick with the Amazing Spider-Man.

"That's one thing I want to do. I want to break the world's record for longevity on it. It's something I really enjoy."

Romita also told fans to expect lots of new villains in the Spider-Man books, and that Peter Parker would be getting a new girlfriend: "Daily Bugle" staffer Glory Grant.

HARLAN ELLISON'S DREAM CORRIDOR
Issue 6, September 1995, Dark Horse Comics
Solicited but canceled. The contents of this issue became Harlan Ellison's Dream Corridor Quarterly.

According to Rabbit Hole 18 (The Newsletter of the Harlan Ellison Recording Collection) Dream Corridor ended with issue 5:

"Harlan Ellison's Dream Corridor from Dark Horse comics is a big success. If you're looking for issues past #5 then I'm afraid you'll have to wait until next year. Dark Horse wanted to expand the market to the bookstores, so HE and his co-editor Anina Bennett are revamping the format. Square-bound, 'perfect bound' format [like the Special] to be published quarterly; at 64 pages per issue. It means a larger market, a bigger audience, serious attention."

HARLAN ELLISON'S DREAM CORRIDOR QUARTERLY
Issues 2 and beyond, 1995/96, Dark Horse Comics
No further issues were solicited beyond issue 1 of Harlan Ellison's Dream Corridor Quarterly.

Artists, such as Paul Smith, had been mentioned, both in the press and privately, as potentially working on stories and Jan Strand mentioned on his website that he and Richard Corben would be adapting the story "The Man in the Juice Wagon."

Update: March 2004
In an interview with Jon B. Cooke for Comic Book Artist #23 (Dec. 2002, TwoMorrows Publishing) HE mentioned some of his potential future comics work:

CBA: So you will occasionally continue to write comics?

Harlan: Oh, absolutely. I'm doing some right now. If I had not gotten involved in terrible, terrible, deadlines, I would have already finished a Doctor Fate I'm doing for [DC Comics editor] Peter Tomasi, that takes place back in 1940. In fact, it's a story that takes place immediately after the banquet story in JSA Secret Files. But I was late with it, and he had to reassign it to someone else, so we have decided that we're going to do... I can't tell you exactly, but it will be a one-shot, killer project. A kind of dream of mine come true.

It appears that this was the story originally planned for the JSA All-Stars mini-series. No official anouncements or further news has appeared since the interview.

And while DC and writer Harlan Ellison were ultimately unable to work scheduling on a back-up story (as mentioned this month in the publisher’s new ‘DC on Demand’ information page), DC has still lined up an impression group of writers, including as promised a Pulitzer-prize winning author making this comic book debut…

In fact, the Pulitzer-prize winning author mentioned, Michael Chabon (The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay), was the only one of the three names mentioned in the DC In Demand article that was still attached to the project. For completists sake, and because it should still be a well written and drawn mini-series if you don't mind the modern Justice Society team, here is the announced line-up of creators [lead story creators first; then back-up creators]:

#1 – JSA: Geoff Johns/David Goyer (w), Sal Velluto/Bob Almond (p/i)
#2 – Mr. Terrific: Johns/Goyer, Dave Ross; Michael Chabon, Michael Lark
#3 – Dr. Fate: Johns/Goyer, Barry Kitson; Darwyn Cooke (w/a)
#4 – Stargirl: Johns/Goyer, Mike McKone; James Robinson, Tony Harris
#5 – Hourman: Johns/Goyer, Adam DeCrocker; Howard Chaykin (w/a)
#6 – Hawkgirl: Johns/Goyer, Phil Winslade; Jeph Loeb, Tim Sale
#7 – Dr. Midnight: Johns/Goyer, Steve Sadowski; Brian Azzarello, Eduardo Rizzo
#8 – JSA: Johns/Goyer (w), Sal Velluto, Bob Almond

No release date other than "next year" [2003] was mentioned.

Update: October 1, 2002
All DC Comics books, cover dated 2002, featured a news/hype page called "DC In Demand." A rumor/future project hype column on that entiled "What's This, You Say?", and credited to "Your Mole at 1700", contained the following tidbit:

I mean, I'm not supposed to talk, but... ...[hints of new Elric comic series by Michael Morcock and Walter Simonson and a Dr. Fate mini-series] ... Or that the JSA will heat up further in another series with contributions by Harlan Ellison, Kevin J. Anderson, Michael Chabon, and other big names?

No Further info was given at that time.

MARVEL KNIGHTS : SILVER SURFER
No Release Date Announced, Marvel Knights/Marvel Comics

writer, Harlan Ellison; art, Joe Quesada (rumoured);
editors, Joe Quesada & Jimmy Palmiotti

Rumoured Silver Surfer story to be written by Harlan Ellison. The plot has been seemingly adapted to be a Dr. Strange story, said to be illustrated by John Romita, Jr. (see FUTURE for details). Because plot is out-of-date with current Marvel continuity and Romita, Jr. has announced the Dr. Strange project, this is assumed dead.

Update: July 30, 1999
From Mania Magazine: Daily Buzz

"Ellison a Marvel Knight?
"by Matt Brady

"Harlan Ellison a Marvel Knight? Maybe. While at the Heroes Convention in Charlotte in June, acclaimed science fiction, fantasy, short story and all-to infrequent comic book writer Harlan Ellison told a crowd of fans that he may return to comic writing with Marvel Knights. According to Ellison, he has had a discussion with Joe Quesada about adapting an unproduced script he wrote for Fox Kids' short-lived Silver Surfer animated series as a Silver Surfer one-shot under the Marvel Knights banner, perhaps penciled by Quesada. While the prospect of an Ellison-penned Surfer story has both Surfer and Ellison fans wiping up pools of drool, don't look for it anytime soon. Word from the Knights office is that at this stage, it's still in the 'wouldn't it be nice?' stage, and due to the hectic schedules of both Ellison and the Marvel Knights teams, the project has seen little movement since the initial discussion."

REALWORLDS: SUPERMAN
Planned: 2000, DC Comics/Realworlds

"Exorcising Demons"
writers, Harlan Ellison and Peter David; art, Paul Ryan; editor, Andy Helfer

Planned to be part of what became a four book series examining DC heroes and their impact on the "Real World."

The book was talked up by Ellison in several interviews and mentioned in preliminary press announcements of the series. But when the series was finally solicited over several months in 2000 the Superman book included was not the Ellison/David/Ryan book. It is assumed that the book is not happening. It is a shame as the other books in the "Realworlds" series were all quality and the story that HE described in his mentions of the book sounded excellent.

Update: September 1999
From Wizard Magazine
Ellison had this to say about the Superman book in his Wizard "Q&A":

"It's called Superman: Exorcising Demons. I hate it when someone like Erik Larsen says 'I'm going to do with Aquaman what has never been done in the history of literature before!' and it turns out to be two guys fighting. I don't want to be one of those pinheads who makes that kind of pontificating statement. But as best I can tell from having read comics for 60 years, there has never been a story like this. It's fantastic, I just love this story! It opens at the Academy Awards and my friend Robin Williams is giving out the Oscar for Best Screenplay. It travels back to Cleveland with Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster, it winds up in New York so Julie Schwartz appears in it, ['Babylon 5' creator] Joe Straczynski is in it, they all make passing cameos. It's a wonderful, real story.

"Who's working on it with you?

"I'm writing it the way I would write a movie treatment, then it'll go to Peter David. A lot of the dialogue I'll have already written and contributed, then it'll come back to me to fine-tune it. Peter knows the way I speak because we're such good friends."

Update: Summer 1999
From the unofficial Elseworlds website and the CSNsider site.

Information on the other books in the Realworlds series has appeared in various places. J.M. DeMatties is writing a Justice League book to have art by Glenn Barr (they created the Paradox Press book "Brooklyn Dreams" which has won praise from Ellison). DeMatties describes the book as "a sort of Big Chill story about a bunch of kids who grow up fanatical about the Justice League ... and what happens when they reunite, years later, in their 30s." No further information is given about potential publication dates.

Update: December 15, 1998
From the Comic Book Continuum, a web service of the Detroit News.

Harlan Ellison will be writing a Superman comic with Peter David, with art by Paul Ryan, to be released at some point in 1999 from DC Comics. It will be part of a potentially three book series of comics placing DC heroes in the "Real World." The first book in this series will be a Batman book entitled "Harsh Realities" written by Christopher Golden and Tom Sneigowski with art by J.G. Jones. The books will be edited by Andy Helfer.

Comic Book Continuum Links: Original Story / Follow Up Story