SubscribeNote: Longtime P:R readers know Jemma Salume. She won our Black Canary Canary on the Catwalk contest and did a great Collection of would-be Sorcerers Supreme in the Marvel U. Now she returns to the mystical arts to bring a new fashion sense to Doctor Strange’s most potent foes — and a special image at the end! These pieces will have you saying, “By the Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth!” – Chris A.
Dormammu & Umar
Jemma: It’s can’t read about Dormammu and his sister Umar’s history as Faltines without seeing parallels with real mythology – Namely the Islamic concept of a Djinn and the story of the fall of Iblis/Shaitan. For that reason, I pulled the majority of their design influence from pre-Islamic Middle-East (with a dash of a shout-out to Guy Davis’ second Black Flame from BPRD for flavor). Umar is in a psuedo-Egyptian garb, with a collar and crown fit for a queen, and Dormammu is in disintegrating armor, most of the cloth and flesh of his upper body burned away by his own fiery power. With an army of Mindless Ones at their command, only Doctor Strange stands between our universe and their all-consuming ambitions!
Shuma-Gorath
Jemma: Marvel’s Lovecraftian horror! Well, one of them. Doctor Strange was willing to kill the Ancient One to prevent this guy’s manifestation on Earth, so any redesign has to underscore visually how much of a threat to our realm he really is. Making him too huge to exist is a start, and I went further by basing him on a crown-of-thorns starfish, with deadly spikes on his back and creepy tube feet adorning his horrible tentacle arms. The single hateful bloody eye stays, of course.
Satannish
Jemma: My favorite thing about Doctor Strange’s rogues gallery is that there’s really nobody whose abilities rely on physical prowess. Most of what we see of these jerks is an illusion anyway – What need do they have for huge muscles? There’s other ways to look like you’re going to mess someone up, and Satannish served as my proof of concept. I tried to build him like a hateful, emaciated old man, stretching his face to resemble something from one of those old etchings of Satan or Ba’al, and worked to up the creepy factor on that face in his torso. The guy’s in the biz of stealing souls – and while having your soul stolen is bad enough, you really don’t want to be the one he gives to his second maw to gnaw on. Naturally, he is still on fire, because demons on fire is awesome.
Nightmare
Jemma: Nightmare is a fantastic concept. Humans brush against the borders of his realm every time they close their eyes, maybe even wander in a little and wake up screaming, drenched in a cold sweat… And once in a while, someone gets pulled in so far it’s up to the Sorcerer Supreme to get them out! It’s like a tug-of-war with people’s sanity. But man. Demon horse? Green longjohns? I’ve seen scarier in videogames. This new Nightmare’s taken design cues from medieval kings by way of Slenderman, with ghostly little servants running around his feet, perhaps shades of the people who fell into his grasp long before there was a Sorcerer Supreme to save them.
Baron Mordo
Jemma: A classic – Baron Mordo! The cockiest and cruelest of the Ancient One’s students, I kitted him out in a variation on an Eastern European military dress uniform to reflect his noble Transylvanian background. His eyes have been darkened by his alliances with shadowy powers, and his sleeves bear the burning eye of his earliest benefactor, Shuma-Gorath. He doesn’t need swords, really, but I gave him some anyway – He strikes me as the kind of guy who, despite his imposing mystical power, would derive a lot of satisfaction from personally cutting Doctor Strange to shreds. Sans magic.
DoctorSmashy
/ July 28, 2011Words cannot express how much I love these. Jemma, please say you’re doing your own Dr Strange book? With a guest appearance (somehow) from your Black Canary? Pretty please?
DoctorSmashy
/ July 28, 2011Really, the imagination and creativity in these designs is so refreshing. In an age where DC are dressing Harley Quinn like a stripper and giving Superman kneepads, these designs stand out all the more. My favourite is probably Nightmare, simply for the countless stories and ideas that come to mind from one image (FLOWER EYES!!!) but they’re all so awesome it’s pointless to choose.
Anthony
/ July 28, 2011These are fantastic. They really give you the feel of how much fun a series of Dr. Strange cartoons could be.
Here’s hoping one day we get a Strange series that lives up to the characters potential.
BobDobolina
/ July 28, 2011ZOMG! SQUEEEEEE! * faints *
mightygodking
/ July 28, 2011These are beyond gorgeous.
Kate Madalene
/ July 28, 2011:[ I swear there is nothing Jemma Salume can do that I would hate. She is amazing. I’ve never even read Dr. Strange and now I have the deepest desire to buy every issue, but that feeling is only quashed by the fact that I know these designs won’t be in them. I honestly can’t even pick a favorite, they are all terrifying and awesome.
Jay
/ July 28, 2011I hate most things magic related and that includes Dr. Strange…but I would read any story accompanied by these images. I can envision a “Nightmare Before Christmas” type movie using these as inspiration. Really creepy and top notch stuff here. Love it
mario silva
/ July 28, 2011Salume, you make magic in comics seem right again, for me that’s a lot. It makes me want to know more about the occult part of marvel something i never had any interest in. I still think that you could have designed Nightmare a demonic ride (and not horse).
Drew
/ July 28, 2011I’d buy a print of that Shuma-Gorath piece! As it is, new background.
Alex Mitchell
/ July 28, 2011These are some of the best redesigns I’ve seen in a long time. Each design tells a story, and every single one is exciting and interesting enough to earn my interest.
Shiner
/ July 28, 2011These are very very good. I must admit I’m amused by the idea that Umar is pissed at Dormammu for setting her hair on fire (it’s hard to stop spelling Dormammu, isn’t it). I know it’s her power aura, but the image just pleases me. “I’m sorry! Powerful Ruler of the entire Dimension, ok? Live with it! Yes, I’ll go buy new armor!”
StefanG
/ July 28, 2011I’ve always liked the Idea of Dr. Strange, but was never a fan/collector of his books. Jemma hasn’t even drawn the title character. but THIS is a Dr. Strange book I would buy… Amazing!
dnwilliams
/ July 28, 2011These. Are all. STELLAR. Each and every one. Phenomenal. Good grief!
Ren Malone
/ July 28, 2011This is, without a doubt, the best collection of images submitted by one person I have ever seen on P:R. Not only are all of the characters redesigned with total care and thought poured into every detail, but the backgrounds are just as fantastic!
Dormammu and Umar are absolutely stunning, and everything about this picture brings to mind something one might see in a really wild Tarsem Singh movie. Jemma’s explanation for her re-imaginings is great! She obviously knows these characters very well and also which direction to take them in. Dormammu’s whole look is just so kick-ass I can’t explain, and Umar too, especially her “crown”!
Shuma-Gorath is actually scary! I love the fact that Jemma kept the glaring red eye, but changed everything else up a little to make him a thousand times more creepy and intimidating. As before, the explanation is incredible and the fact that he is gargantuan makes this picture visually epic!
Sattanish is wonderful, and reminds me of the devil’s appearance in El Dia de la Beastia. The forked tongue/loin cloth is just awesome and twisted! I do wonder what the tip of his tail looks like though.
The fact that Nightmare’s surroundings are so bright and cheery (even the little Casper look-alikes to some degree) makes him all the more creepy. It’s almost a foreshadowing of the terrible things to come for the dreamer. The small child holding his cloak together at the top is so perfect for this! I do wish Jemma had found a way to incorporate the demon horse, but at the same time, I don’t blame her for omitting it. I love those colors!
Jemma managed to change up Baron Mordo enough to where he looks much more practical, but still retains that evil-doppelganger-of-Dr. Strange look. It’s just a shame she didn’t give this one a background, because the others are so great. The explanation for the details makes perfect sense and reflects Jemma’s immense respect for the character once again.
Thank you so much for sharing these with us Jemma Salume! You have a great imagination and the artistic skills to go with it! Keep ‘em coming!
Arsnof
/ July 28, 2011I have never ever read a Dr. Strange book. I would read this in a heartbeat.
Arsnof
/ July 28, 2011Also, I NEED a print of Shuma-Gorath.
Graphite
/ July 28, 2011Really Really nice! I’d love to see this brought to Dr Strange.
He’s got so much potential for a good nightmare, hallucination type of feel but hasn’t lived up to it in a long time.
Daniel Heard
/ July 28, 2011So this is what a Master Thesis in character redesign looks like.
Hamazink!
Also: The Best Coloring of any P:R submission ever.
tbolt
/ July 28, 2011awesomeness!! Really dig these and wish comics from the big two would be this cool and take these kind of artistic chances. Instead we are saddled with hopelessly outdated Jim Lee dreck. Would love to see the artist’s interpretation of Dr. Strange that goes along with these creeps.
ross
/ July 28, 2011i don’t know a thing about Dr. Strange and his villains but these are spectacular!!!! that Shuma Gorath one, oh man.
Thalan
/ July 28, 2011This is my first time commenting and Im breaking my silence just to say how amazing these are. Shuma Gorath is brilliant, especially since its so hard to re-design a character with no clothing and no real discernible form. Screw a print I need a mural of that thing!
Shiner
/ July 28, 2011And ditto on the Shuma-Gorath print, I’d pay real money for it.
Nadia
/ July 28, 2011Jemma Salume’s design are always perfect.
Scott
/ July 29, 2011These are astoundingly beautiful. I would absolutely love to see a truly frightening Nightmare like that than the pasty dork featured in Marvel’s comics now…
Joe Mama
/ July 29, 2011These are simply amazing.
Mindwipe
/ July 29, 2011I really like these redesigns! I would definitely pick up a Dr. Strange miniseries with this kind of art style. I love that you kept parts of the designs that worked, but weren’t afraid to make bold changes as well!
Bill Reed
/ July 29, 2011This… is amazing.
Snap Wilson
/ July 29, 2011These are stunning. Nightmare in particular looks amazing.
DannyIndeed
/ July 29, 2011Well I’m finally a convert. I know what I’m about to say puts me in an extreme minority around here, but I’ve never been blown away by Jemma Salume’s work. Not that I thought her to be untalented – she’s a skilled artist and has a really fun eye for design. I just found most of her submissions to be, for lack of a better word, “cute.” Nice images, but not something I’d want to see in a superhero comic on a regular basis.
Until now. These are freakin’ amazing.
Nick Marino
/ July 29, 2011Shuma’s looking nice! Though I gotta say that I prefer him in fuchsia :)
Kyushu
/ July 29, 2011THAT is how a Nightmare should look! I love all of these!
Itlas
/ July 29, 2011AWESOME,like all Jemma’s work,THIS is a redesign!
they are cool,they give us the sense of mythological,but,except for Nightmare(and this is better for me) they are still in contact with their original design.
Sean Holland
/ July 30, 2011Just brilliant, all of them look great. But the otherworldly horror of Shuma-Gorath and the creepy sinister world of Nightmare are by far my favorites. Thank you.
chris
/ July 30, 2011WHOAWHOAWHOA these are AMAZING. I’d like to see you do a new take on Wonder WOmans rogues for the dcnu
Mike
/ July 31, 2011Brilliant!
jamie
/ August 1, 2011great job! very mystical.
nightmare is the best by far but IMHO mordo looks more like the mandarin…
Owen
/ August 1, 2011Very cool indeed. If Marvel Studios knew just how great a property Dr Strange was they’d start production on a film immediately, preferably directed by Guilermo Del Toro and starring Johnny Depp as Strange.
saulone (Daniel Govar)
/ August 1, 2011Everything Sean Holland said x 2. Gorgeous colors Jemma!
Jeb
/ August 2, 2011Better: the ephemeral “Slender Man” body grows/changes/becomes a “Slender Horse” as needed. That transparency lets terrible things happen…
Joe
/ August 5, 2011My jaw dropped at the Nightmare. The play off of classic religious iconography is inspired. And even though it’s a ridiculous character, I loves me some Shuma-Gorath.
Emma
/ August 26, 2011Yes, Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!
fodigg
/ October 19, 2011When I saw the Nightmare design I muttered “Jesus…” out loud. How can such a beautiful drawing capture a mood so disturbing?
Edwin
/ April 6, 2012I like how Nightmare is creepy without being altogether evil looking. He looks more like he’s actually kind in his own way. He can’t help the nature of his land and he’s not ashamed of it, but he’s not evil.