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| + | | Image = Steve Ditko.jpg |
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| − | {{Infobox comics creator |
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+ | | RealName = Stephen J. Ditko |
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+ | | Pseudonyms = Steve Ditko |
| + | | Employers = Marvel; DC; Key Publications; Harvey; Crestwood Publications; Charlton; Warren; Atlas/Seaboard; Valiant |
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| − | | caption = Ditko photographed at his studio in 1959. |
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| + | | Titles = Writer; Penciler; Inker; Colourist; Cover Artist |
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| − | | birth_name = Stephen J. Ditko |
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| − | | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1927|11|2}} |
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| − | | birth_place = [[Johnstown, Pennsylvania]] |
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| − | | nationality = American |
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| − | | pencil = y |
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| − | | write = y |
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| − | | alias = |
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| − | | notable works = ''[[The Amazing Spider-Man]]''<br>''[[Creeper (comics)|Creeper]]''<br>''[[Doctor Strange]]''<br>''[[Hawk and Dove]]''<br>''[[Mr. A]]''<br>''[[Question (comics)|Question]]'' |
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| − | | subcat = American |
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| − | }} |
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| − | '''Stephen J. "Steve" Ditko'''<ref name=bb14>Bell, Blake. ''Strange and Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko'' ([[Fantagraphics Books]], [[Seattle, Washington]], 2008), p.14. ISBN 1-56097-921-6</ref> (born November 2, 1927)<ref>''[[Comics Buyer's Guide]]'' #1636 (December 2007) p. 135</ref> is an American [[comic book]] artist and writer best known as the artist and co-creator, with [[Stan Lee]], of the [[Marvel Comics]] heroes [[Spider-Man]] and [[Doctor Strange]]. |
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| + | | Gender = Male |
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| − | Ditko studied under [[Batman]] artist [[Jerry Robinson]] at the [[Cartoonist and Illustrators School]] in New York City. He began his professional career in 1953, working in the studio of [[Joe Simon]] and [[Jack Kirby]], beginning as an inker and coming under the influence of artist [[Mort Meskin]]. During this time, he then began his long association with [[Charlton Comics]], where he did work in the genres of science fiction, horror, and mystery. He also co-created the [[superhero]] [[Captain Atom]] in 1960. |
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| + | | YearOfBirth = 1927 |
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| + | | MonthOfBirth = November |
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| + | | DayOfBirth = 2 |
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| + | | CityOfBirth = Johnstown |
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| + | | StateOfBirth = Pennsylvania |
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| + | | CountryOfBirth = USA |
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| + | | Creations = |
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| + | | First = |
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| + | | PersonalHistory = [[File:Steve Ditko 001.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Steve Ditko, hard at work. (1965)]]'''Stephen Ditko''' is a renowned American comic book artist and writer best known as the co-creator of [[Spider-Man]] and [[Doctor Strange]]. |
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| − | During the 1950s, Ditko also drew for [[Atlas Comics (1950s)|Atlas Comics]], the forerunner of Marvel Comics. He went on to contribute much significant work to Marvel, including co-creating Spider-Man, who would become the company's flagship character. Additionally, he created the supernatural hero Doctor Strange and made important contributions to the [[Hulk (comics)|Hulk]] and [[Iron Man]]. In 1966, after being the exclusive artist on ''[[The Amazing Spider-Man]]'' and the "Doctor Strange" feature in ''[[Strange Tales]]'', Ditko left Marvel for reasons never specified. |
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| + | | ProfessionalHistory = |
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| + | ===Early career=== |
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| − | Ditko continued to work for Charlton and also [[DC Comics]], making major contributions, including a revamp of long-running character [[Blue Beetle]], and creating or co-creating the [[Question (comics)|Question]], the [[Creeper (comics)|Creeper]], [[Shade, the Changing Man]], and [[Hawk and Dove]]. Ditko also began contributing to small independent publishers, where he created [[Mr. A]], a hero reflecting the influence of [[Ayn Rand]]'s philosophy of [[Objectivism (Ayn Rand)|Objectivism]]. Since the 1960s, Ditko has declined most interviews, stating that it is his work he offers readers, and not his personality. |
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| + | Ditko studied at the Cartoonists and Illustrators School in [[New York City]] under Jerry Robinson and began professionally illustrating comic books in 1953. Much of his early work, beginning in the early 1950s, was for Charlton Comics (for whom he continued to work intermittently until the company's demise in 1986), producing science fiction, horror and mystery stories, as well as the first Captain Atom stories in 1960-61. Later in the decade, he would also begin drawing for [[Marvel Comics#Atlas Comics|Atlas Comics]], the 1950s precursor of [[Marvel Comics]]. |
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| − | Ditko was inducted into the comics industry's [[Jack Kirby Hall of Fame]] in 1990, and into the [[List of Eisner Award winners#The Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame|Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame]] in 1994. |
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| − | ==Early life== |
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| − | [[File:Steve Ditko HS Yearbook.jpeg|thumb|Ditko as a senior in high school, 1945.]] |
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| − | Stephen J. Ditko was born in [[Johnstown, Pennsylvania]], the son of first-generation Americans of [[Slovak people|Slovak]]<ref name=bbend1>Bell, ''Strange and Stranger'', Endnotes, p.1, citing 1920 and 1930 [[U.S. Census]] data. The family lists itself as [[Czechoslovakia]]n in the latter census, following the dissolution of [[Austro-Hungarian Empire]] and the creation of Czechoslovakia in 1918. The surname "Ditko" itself is of Slavic origin.</ref> descent: Stephen Ditko, an artistically talented [[carpenter|master carpenter]] at a [[steel mill]], and Anna, a [[homemaker]]. The second-eldest child in a working-class family, he was preceded by sister Anna Marie<ref name=bbend1 /> and followed in uncertain order by sister Betty and brother Patrick.<ref name=bb14 /> Inspired by his father's love of newspaper [[comic strips]], particularly [[Hal Foster]]'s ''[[Prince Valiant]]'', Ditko found his interest in comics accelerated by the introduction of [[superhero]] [[Batman]] in 1940, and by [[Will Eisner]]'s ''[[Spirit (comics)|The Spirit]]'', which appeared in a [[Tabloid (newspaper format)|tabloid]]-sized comic-book insert in Sunday newspapers.<ref name=bb15>Bell, ''Strange and Stranger'', p. 15</ref> |
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| − | Good with his hands, Ditko in junior high school was part of a group of students who crafted wooden models of German airplanes to aid civilian [[World War II]] aircraft-spotters.<ref name=bb15 /> Upon graduating from Johnstown High School in 1945,<ref name=bb15 /> he enlisted in the [[U.S. Army]] on October 26, 1945,<ref name=bbend1 /> and did [[military service]] in postwar Germany, where he drew comics for an Army newspaper.<ref name=bb15 /> |
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| − | Following his discharge, Ditko learned that his idol, Batman artist [[Jerry Robinson]], was teaching at the Cartoonists and Illustrators School (later the [[School of Visual Arts]]) in New York City. Moving there in 1950, he enrolled in the art school under the [[G.I. Bill]].<ref name=Bell16>Bell, ''Strange and Stranger'', p. 16</ref> Robinson found the young student "a very hard worker who really focused on his drawing"<ref name=AE39>Jerry Robinson interview, ''[[Alter Ego (magazine)|Alter Ego]]'' #38 (Aug. 2004), p. 9</ref> and someone who "could work well with other writers as well as write his own stories and create his own characters",<ref name=AE39 /> and he helped Ditko acquire a scholarship for the following year.<ref name=Bell19>Bell, ''Strange and Stranger'', p. 19</ref> "He was in my class for two years, four or five days a week, five hours a night. It was very intense."<ref name=student>[[Jerry Robinson|Robinson, Jerry]], "Student and Teacher", in Yoe, Craig, ed. ''The Art of Ditko'' ([[IDW Publishing]], January 2010), ISBN 978-1-60010-542-5, p. 54</ref> Robinson, who invited artists and editors to speak with his class, once brought in [[Stan Lee]], then editor of [[Marvel Comics]]' 1950s precursor, [[Atlas Comics (1950s)|Atlas Comics]], and, "I think that was when Stan first saw Steve's work."<ref name=student /> |
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| − | ==Career== |
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| − | [[File:Thing,The,Ditko1stcover.jpg|left|thumb|''The Thing'' #12 (Feb. 1954), Ditko's first published comic-book cover]] |
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| − | Ditko began professionally illustrating comic books in early 1953, drawing writer Bruce Hamilton's science-fiction story "Stretching Things" for the [[Key Publications]] [[imprint]] [[Stanmor Publications]], which sold the story to [[Ajax/Farrell]], where it finally found publication in ''Fantastic Fears'' #5 ([[cover-date]]d Feb. 1954).<ref name=bb20>Bell, ''Strange and Stranger'', p. 20</ref><ref>[http://www.comics.org/details.lasso?id=244841 ''Fantastic Fears'' #5] at the [[Grand Comics Database]]</ref> Ditko's first published work was his second professional story, the six-page "Paper Romance" in ''Daring Love'' #1 (Oct. 1953),<ref name=bb20 /> published by the Key imprint [[Gillmor Magazines]].<ref>[http://www.comics.org/issue/241499/ ''Daring Love'' #1] at the Grand Comics Database</ref> |
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| − | Shortly afterward, Ditko found work at the studio of celebrated writer-artists [[Joe Simon]] and [[Jack Kirby]], who had created [[Captain America]] and other characters and had instituted numerous industry innovations. Beginning as an inker on backgrounds, Ditko was soon working with and learning from [[Mort Meskin]], an artist whose work he had long admired. "Meskin was fabulous," Ditko once recalled. "I couldn't believe the ease with which he drew: strong compositions, loose pencils, yet complete; detail without clutter. I loved his stuff".<ref>Theakston, ''Steve Ditko Reader'', p. 3 (unnumbered)</ref> Ditko's known assistant work includes aiding inker Meskin on the [[Jack Kirby]] pencil work of [[Harvey Comics]]' ''[[Captain 3-D]]'' #1 (Dec. 1953).<ref>[http://www.comics.org/details.lasso?id=10952 ''Captain 3-D'' #1 (Dec. 1953)] at the Grand Comics Database</ref> For his own third published story, Ditko penciled and inked the six-page "A Hole in His Head" in ''Black Magic'' vol. 4, #3 (Dec. 1953), published by Simon & Kirby's [[Crestwood Publications]] imprint [[Prize Comics]].<ref>[http://www.comics.org/details.lasso?id=10906 ''Black Magic'' vol. 4, #3 <nowiki>[</nowiki>27<nowiki>]</nowiki> (Dec. 1953)] at the Grand Comics Database</ref> |
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| − | Ditko then began a long association with the [[Derby, Connecticut]] publisher [[Charlton Comics]], a low-budget division of a company best known for song-lyric magazines. Beginning with the cover of ''The Thing'' #12 (Feb. 1954) and the eight-page [[vampire]] story "Cinderella" in that issue, Ditko would continue to work intermittently for Charlton until the company's demise in 1986, producing science fiction, [[horror fiction|horror]] and [[mystery fiction|mystery]] stories, as well as co-creating [[Captain Atom]], with writer [[Joe Gill]], in ''[[Space Adventures (comics)|Space Adventures]]'' #33 (March 1960).<ref>{{cite book|last=McAvennie|first= Michael|last2=Dolan|first2=Hannah, ed.|chapter= 1960s|title = DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle|publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]] |year=2010 |isbn= 978-0-7566-6742-9 |page= 99 |quote = Captain Atom was born in a tale by artist Steve Ditko and writer Joe Gill.}}</ref> He first went on hiatus from the company, and comics altogether, in mid-1954, when he contracted [[tuberculosis]] and returned to his parents' home in Johnstown to recuperate.<ref name=strangesuspense>Bell, Blake, ed. ''Strange Suspense: The Steve Ditko Archives Vol. 1'' ([[Fantagraphics Books]], 2009), p. 10. ISBN 978-1-60699-289-0</ref> |
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===Marvel Comics=== |
===Marvel Comics=== |
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| + | Ditko and writer-editor [[Stan Lee]] created Spider-Man in ''[[Amazing Fantasy]]'' #15 (Aug. 1962), and shortly thereafter [[Doctor Strange]], in ''[[Strange Tales]]'' #110 (July 1963). Ditko also drew many stories of the [[Hulk]], first in the final issue of ''The Incredible Hulk'' (#6, March 1963), and then in ''[[Tales to Astonish]]'', launching the character's feature in issue #60 (Oct. 1964) of that split book, and continuing through #67 (May 1965). Ditko designed the Hulk's primary antagonist, the [[Leader]], in #62 (Dec. 1964). |
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| − | After he recovered and moved back to New York City in late 1955,<ref name=strangesuspense /> Ditko began drawing for [[Atlas Comics (1950s)|Atlas Comics]], the 1950s precursor of [[Marvel Comics]], beginning with the four-page "There'll Be Some Changes Made" in ''[[Journey into Mystery]]'' #33 (April 1956); this debut tale would be reprinted in Marvel's ''Curse of the Weird'' #4 (March 1994). Ditko would go on to contribute a large number of stories, many considered classic, to Atlas/Marvel's ''[[Strange Tales]]'' and the newly launched ''[[Amazing Adventures]]'', ''[[Strange Worlds]]'', ''[[Tales of Suspense]]'' and ''[[Tales to Astonish]]'', issues of which would typically open with a Kirby-drawn monster story, followed by one or two twist-ending thrillers or sci-fi tales drawn by [[Don Heck]], [[Paul Reinman]], or [[Joe Sinnott]], all capped by an often-surreal, sometimes self-reflexive short by Ditko and writer-editor [[Stan Lee]].<ref>{{cite book|last = Brevoort|first = Tom|authorlink = Tom Brevoort|last2= Gilbert|first2= Laura, ed.|chapter= 1950s|title = Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History|publisher = [[Dorling Kindersley]]|year = 2008|page = 73|isbn =978-0756641238}}</ref> |
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| + | Often overshadowed by his ''Amazing Spider-Man'' work, Ditko's "Doctor Strange" stories were equally remarkable, showcasing surrealistic mystical landscapes and increasingly head-trippy visuals that helped make the feature a favorite of college students, according to contemporaneous accounts. Eventually, as co-plotter and later sole plotter, in the "[[Marvel Method]]", Ditko would take Strange into ever-more-abstract realms, which yet remained well-grounded thanks to Lee's reliably humanistic, adventure/soap opera dialog. Ditko's tenure on "Dr. Strange" culminated in the introduction, in ''Strange Tales'' #146 (July 1966), of Ditko's grand and enduring conception of [[Eternity]], the personification of the universe, depicted as a majestic silhouette whose outlines are filled with the cosmos. It was a groundbreaking creation at a time long before such cosmic conceits were commonplace. |
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| − | These [[Wiktionary:bagatelle|bagatelle]]s proved so popular that ''Amazing Adventures'' was reformatted to feature such stories exclusively beginning with issue #7 (Dec. 1961), when the comic was rechristened ''Amazing Adult Fantasy'' — a name intended to reflect its more "sophisticated" nature, as likewise the new tagline "The magazine that respects your intelligence". Lee in 2009 described these "short, five-page filler strips that Steve and I did together", originally "placed in any of our comics that had a few extra pages to fill", as "odd fantasy tales that I'd dream up with [[O. Henry]]-type endings." Giving an early example of what would later be known as the "[[Marvel Method]]" of writer-artist collaboration, Lee said, "All I had to do was give Steve a one-line description of the plot and he'd be off and running. He'd take those skeleton outlines I had given him and turn them into classic little works of art that ended up being far cooler than I had any right to expect."<ref>[[Stan Lee|Lee, Stan]], "Introduction", in Yoe, p. 9</ref> |
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| + | Whichever feature he drew, Ditko's idiosyncratic, cleanly detailed, instantly recognizable art style, emphasizing mood and anxiety, found great favor with readers. The character of Spider-Man and his troubled personal life meshed well with Ditko's own style and interests, which Lee eventually acknowledged by giving the artist plotting credits on the latter part of their 38-issue run. But after four years on the title, Ditko left Marvel; he and Lee had not been on speaking terms for some time, though the details remain uncertain. The last straw is often alleged to have been a disagreement as to the secret identity of the [[Green Goblin]], but Ditko himself has stated in print that this was not the case. |
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| − | ====Creation of Spider-Man==== |
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| − | [[File:AMZ-Ann1.jpg|thumb|left|''The Amazing Spider-Man Annual'' #1 (1964). Cover art by Ditko, featuring a rogue's gallery of supervillains he co-created.]] |
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| − | After Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Stan Lee obtained permission from publisher [[martin Goodman (publisher)|Martin Goodman]] to create a new "ordinary teen" superhero named "Spider-Man",<ref>Lee, Stan, and Mair, George. ''Excelsior!: The Amazing Life of Stan Lee'' (Fireside, 2002), p.130. ISBN 0-684-87305-2</ref> Lee originally approached his leading artist, [[Jack Kirby]]. Kirby told Lee about his own 1950s character conception, variously called the Silver Spider and Spiderman, in which an orphaned boy finds a magic ring that gives him superpowers. Comics historian [[Greg Theakston]] says Lee and Kirby "immediately sat down for a story conference" and Lee afterward directed Kirby to flesh out the character and draw some pages. "A day or two later", Kirby showed Lee the first six pages, and, as Lee recalled, "I hated the way he was doing it. Not that he did it badly — it just wasn't the character I wanted; it was too heroic".<ref>Theakston, Greg. ''The Steve Ditko Reader'' (Pure Imagination, Brooklyn, NY, 2002; ISBN 1-56685-011-8), p. 12 (unnumbered)</ref> |
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| + | Writer and future Marvel editor [[Roy Thomas]] said in a 1998 interview that, "I'll never forget the day I walked into one Marvel office not long after Ditko quit, and here's [[John Romita]] drawing ''Amazing Spider-Man'' and [[Larry Lieber]] drawing the ''Spider-Man Annual'' and [[Marie Severin]] drawing 'Dr. Strange', and I joked, 'This is the Steve Ditko Room; it takes three of you to do what Steve Ditko used to do' " [http://www.twomorrows.com/comicbookartist/articles/02stanroy.html] |
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| − | Lee turned to Ditko, who developed a visual motif Lee found satisfactory,<ref>[[Tom DeFalco|DeFalco, Tom]] "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 87: "Deciding that his new character would have spider-like powers, [Stan] Lee commissioned Jack Kirby to work on the first story. Unfortunately, Kirby's version of Spider-Man's alter ego Peter Parker proved too heroic, handsome, and muscular for Lee's everyman hero. Lee turned to Steve Ditko, the regular artist on Amazing Adult Fantasy, who designed a skinny, awkward teenager with glasses."</ref> although Lee would later replace Ditko's original cover with one penciled by Kirby. Ditko said, "The Spider-Man pages Stan showed me were nothing like the (eventually) published character. In fact, the only drawings of Spider-Man were on the splash <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[i.e.]], page 1] and at the end [where] Kirby had the guy leaping at you with a web gun... Anyway, the first five pages took place in the home, and the kid finds a ring and turns into Spider-Man."<ref>Theakston, ''Steve Ditko Reader'', p. 13</ref> |
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| + | ===Charlton and [http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/DC_Comics DC Comics]=== |
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| − | Ditko also recalled that, "One of the first things I did was to work up a costume. A vital, visual part of the character. I had to know how he looked ... before I did any breakdowns. For example: A clinging power so he wouldn't have hard shoes or boots, a hidden wrist-shooter versus a web gun and holster, etc. ... I wasn't sure Stan would like the idea of covering the character's face but I did it because it hid an obviously boyish face. It would also add mystery to the character...."<ref>Ditko, Steve. "Jack Kirby's Spider-Man", ''Robin Snyder's History of Comics'' #5 (May 1990). Reprinted in [[Roy Thomas|Thomas, Roy]], ed., ''Alter Ego: The Comic Book Artist Collection'' ([[TwoMorrows Publishing]], 2001), p. 56. ISBN 978-1-893905-06-1</ref> |
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| + | At Charlton - where the page rate was low but which allowed its creators great freedom - Ditko in the 1960s worked worked on such characters as [http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Captain_Atom Captain Atom] (1960-61;65-67), [http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Blue_Beetle Blue Beetle] (1967-68) and [http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Question The Question] (1967-68), and in the 1973/74 writer Joe Gill's Liberty Belle (a backup feature in the comic ''E-Man''), and Ditko's own Killjoy (also in ''E-Man''). With the The Question and Killjoy, Ditko freely expressed his personal philosophy, inspired by Ayn Rand's objectivism and the writings of Greek philosopher Aristotle. Ditko also produced much work for Charlton's science-fiction and horror titles. In addition, he drew 16 stories for Warren Publishing's horror-comic magazines, most of which were done using ink-wash. |
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| + | In 1967, Ditko gave his philosophical ideas ultimate expression in the form of Mr. A, published in Wally Wood's independent title ''witzend'' #3. Ditko's hard line against criminals was controversial and alienated many fans, but he continued to produce Mr. A stories and one-pagers until the end of the 1970s. Ditko returned to Mr. A once more in 2000. |
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| − | Much earlier, in a rare contemporaneous account, Ditko described his and Lee's contributions in a mail interview with Gary Martin published in ''Comic Fan'' #2 (Summer 1965): "Stan Lee thought the name up. I did costume, web gimmick on wrist & spider signal". He added he would continue drawing Spider-Man "[i]f nothing better comes along."<ref name=comicfan2>{{cite web|archivedate=April 30, 2008|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080430081615/www.ditko.comics.org/ditko/artist/arcomicf.html |author=Ditko interview|title=Steve Ditko – A Portrait of the Master|url= http://www.ditko.comics.org/ditko/artist/arcomicf.html| publisher= ''Comic Fan'' #2 (Larry Herndon, pub.) via Ditko.Comics.org (Blake Bell, ed.)|date=Summer 1965|accessdate=2008-04-03}} Additional [http://www.webcitation.org/65nM6oj4b WebCitation archive], February 28, 2012.</ref> That same year, he expressed to the fanzine ''Voice of Comicdom'', regarding a poll of "Best Liked" fan-created comics, "It seems a shame, since comics themselves have so little variety of stories and styles that you would deliberately restrict your own creative efforts to professional comics shallow range. What is 'Best Liked' by most readers is what they are most familiar in seeing and any policy based on readers likes has to end up with a lot of look-a-like strips. You have a great opportunity to show everyone a whole new range of ideas, unlimited types of stories and styles—why FLUB it!"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ditko.comics.org/ditko/artist/arvoc4le.html |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20071227184226/www.ditko.comics.org/ditko/artist/arvoc4le.html|archivedate=December 27, 2007 |author= Steve Ditko letter-to-the-editor|title=Editor's Mailbox|publisher= ''Voice of Comicdom'' #4 (Bob Metz, ed.) via Ditko.Comics.org (Blake Bell, ed.)|date= April 1965}} Punctuation verbatim. Additional [http://www.webcitation.org/5syJYyazN WebCitation archive], September 23, 2010.</ref> |
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| + | In 1968, Charlton editor Dick Giordano moved to [http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/DC_Comics DC Comics] and Ditko, like several other artists and writers in Giordano's stable, moved with him. He created the [http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Creeper Creeper] (in [http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Showcase_Vol_1_73 ''Showcase'' #73], March-April 1968, with scripter Don Segall); and with writer Steve Skeates, co-created the The [http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Hawk Hawk] and the [http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Dove Dove] in [http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Showcase_Vol_1_75 ''Showcase'' #75], working on the first two issues of their ongoing series (Sept.-Nov. 1968) before it was turned over to artist [http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Gil_Kane Gil Kane]. Unusually for the time, plotter and penciller Ditko used these fondly remembered superhero features to explore complicated ethical issues. |
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| − | From 1958 to either 1966 or 1968 (accounts differ),{{Citation needed|date=February 2012}} Ditko shared a [[Manhattan]] studio at 43rd Street and Eighth Avenue with noted fetish artist [[Eric Stanton]], an art-school classmate. When either artist was under deadline pressure, it was not uncommon for them to pitch in and help the other with his assignment,<ref name="ditkostanton">Bell, Blake. Archive of [http://web.archive.org/web/20080501191157/www.ditko.comics.org/ditko/crea/crerstan.html "Ditko & Stanton"] at Ditko Looked Up. [http://www.webcitation.org/5syJ0r5An WebCitation archive].</ref><ref>Theakston, ''The Steve Ditko Reader'', pp. 13–15 (unnumbered, pp. 14–15 misordered as pp. 16 & 14)</ref> and the introduction to one book of Stanton's work says, "Eric Stanton drew his pictures in [[India ink]], and they were then hand-coloured<!--as spelled in source--> by Ditko".<ref>Riemschneider, Burkhard. ''Eric Stanton: For the Man Who Knows His Place'' ([[Taschen|Benedikt Taschen Verlag]] "Amuse-Guele", 1997), p.4 (unnumbered) ISBN 978-3-8228-8169-9</ref> In a 1988 interview with Theakston, Stanton recalled that although his contribution to Spider-Man was "almost nil", he and Ditko had "worked on storyboards together and I added a few ideas. But the whole thing was created by Steve on his own... I think I added the business about the webs coming out of his hands".<ref>Theakston, ''Steve Ditko Reader'', p. 14 (unnumbered, misordered as page 16)</ref> |
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| + | Ditko's stay at DC was short - he would work on all six issues of the Creeper's own title [http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Beware_the_Creeper_Vol_1 ''Beware the Creeper''] (June 1968 - April 1969), though leaving midway through the final one - and again, the reasons for his departure are uncertain. From this time up through the mid-1970s, he worked exclusively for Charlton and various small press/independent publishers. |
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| − | Spider-Man debuted in ''[[Amazing Fantasy]]'' #15 (Aug. 1962), the final issue of that science-fiction/fantasy anthology series. When the issue proved to be a top seller, Spider-Man was given his own series, ''[[The Amazing Spider-Man]]''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Rhoades|first=Shirrel|page=81|title=A Complete History of American Comic Books|publisher=Peter Lang Publishing|year=2008|isbn=978-1-4331-0107-6}}</ref><ref>DeFalco "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 91: "Thanks to a flood of fan mail, Spider-Man was awarded his own title six months after his first appearance. ''Amazing Spider-Man'' began as a bimonthly title, but was quickly promoted to a monthly."</ref> Lee and Ditko's collaboration on the series saw the creation of many of the character's best known antagonists including [[Doctor Octopus]] in issue #3 (July 1963);<ref>DeFalco "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 93: "Dr. Octopus shared many traits with Peter Parker. They were both shy, both interested in science, and both had trouble relating to women...Otto Octavius even looked like a grown up Peter Parker. Lee and Ditko intended Otto to be the man Peter might have become if he hadn't been raised with a sense of responsiblity"</ref> the [[Sandman (Marvel Comics)|Sandman]] in #4 (Sept. 1963);<ref>{{cite book|last = Manning|first = Matthew K.|last2= Gilbert|first2= Laura, ed.|chapter= 1960s|title = Spider-Man Chronicle Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging|publisher = [[Dorling Kindersley]]|year = 2012|page = 20|isbn = 978-0756692360|quote= In this installment, Stan Lee and Steve Ditko introduced Sandman - a super villain who could turn his entire body into sand with a single thought.}}</ref> the [[Lizard (comics)|Lizard]] in #6 (Nov. 1963);<ref>Manning "1960s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 20: "''The Amazing Spider-Man''s sixth issue introduced the Lizard."</ref> [[Electro (comics)|Electro]] in #9 (March 1964);<ref>Manning "1960s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 24: "Electro charged into Spider-Man's life for the first time in another [Stan] Lee and [Steve] Ditko effort that saw Peter Parker using his brilliant mind to outwit a foe."</ref> and the [[Green Goblin]] in #14 (July 1964).<ref>Manning "1960s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 26: "Spider-Man's arch nemesis, the Green Goblin, as introduced to readers as the 'most dangerous foe Spidey's ever fought.' Writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko had no way of knowing how true that statement would prove to be in the coming years."</ref> Ditko eventually demanded credit for the plotting he was contributing under the [[Marvel Method]]. Lee concurred, and starting with #25 (June 1965), Ditko received plot credit for the stories.<ref>{{cite news | author = Kraft, David Anthony | author2 = Slifer, Roger | authorlink = David Anthony Kraft | authorlink2 = Roger Slifer | date = April 1983 | title = Mark Evanier | work = [[Comics Interview]] | issue = 2 | pages = 23–34 | publisher = [[Fictioneer Books]]}}</ref> |
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| − | One of the most celebrated issues of the Lee-Ditko run is #33 (Feb. 1966), the third part of the story arc "[[If This Be My Destiny...!]]", and featuring the dramatic scene of Spider-Man, through force of will and thoughts of family, escaping from being pinned by heavy machinery. Comics historian [[Les Daniels]] noted that "Steve Ditko squeezes every ounce of anguish out of Spider-Man's predicament, complete with visions of the uncle he failed and the aunt he has sworn to save."<ref name=DanielsMarvel>{{Cite book|last=Daniels|first=Les|authorlink = Les Daniels|title= Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World's Greatest Comics |publisher= [[Abrams Books|Harry N. Abrams]]|year= 1991|page= 129|isbn= 9780810938212}}</ref> [[Peter David]] observed that "After his origin, this two-page sequence from ''Amazing Spider-Man'' #33 is perhaps the best-loved sequence from the Stan Lee/Steve Ditko era."<ref>{{cite book|last = David|first = Peter|authorlink = Peter David|last2 = Greenberger| first2 = Robert|author2-link = Robert Greenberger|title = The Spider-Man Vault: A Museum-in-a-Book with Rare Collectibles Spun from Marvel's Web|publisher = [[Running Press]]|year = 2010|page= 29|isbn = 0762437723}}</ref> Steve Saffel stated the "full page Ditko image from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #33 is one of the most powerful ever to appear in the series and influenced writers and artists for many years to come."<ref name=saffel>{{cite book|last=Saffel|first=Steve|title= Spider-Man the Icon: The Life and Times of a Pop Culture Phenomenon|publisher=[[Titan Books]]|year= 2007|isbn= 978-1-84576-324-4|chapter= A Legend Is Born|page= 22}}</ref> Matthew K. Manning wrote that "Ditko's illustrations for the first few pages of this Lee story included what would become one of the most iconic scenes in Spider-Man's history."<ref>Manning "1960s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 34</ref> The story was chosen as #15 in the [[100 Greatest Marvels of All Time]] poll of Marvel's readers in 2001. Editor [[Robert Greenberger]] wrote in his introduction to the story that "These first five pages are a modern-day equivalent to Shakespeare as Parker's soliloquy sets the stage for his next action. And with dramatic pacing and storytelling, Ditko delivers one of the great sequences in all comics."<ref>{{cite book|last = Greenberger|first = Robert, ed.|title = [[100 Greatest Marvels of All Time]]|publisher = Marvel Comics|date = December 2001|page = 67}}</ref> |
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| − | ====Doctor Strange and other characters==== |
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| − | [[File:DitkoEternity.jpg|thumb|right|280px|Dormammu attacks Eternity in a Ditko "Dr. Strange" panel from ''Strange Tales'' #146 (July 1966).]] |
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| − | After drawing the final issue of ''[[The Incredible Hulk (comic book)|The Incredible Hulk]]'' (#6, March 1963), Ditko created the [[supernatural]] hero [[Doctor Strange]], in ''[[Strange Tales]]'' #110 (July 1963).<ref>DeFalco "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 93: "When Dr. Strange first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110, it was only clear that he dabbled in black magic and had the ability to project his consciousness into an astral form that could leave his physical body."</ref> Ditko and Lee shortly thereafter relaunched a [[Hulk (comics)|Hulk]] series as a short feature in the [[anthology]] ''[[Tales to Astonish]]'', beginning with issue #60 (Oct. 1964). Ditko, inked by [[George Roussos]], penciled the feature through #67 (May 1965). Ditko designed the Hulk's primary antagonist, the [[Leader (comics)|Leader]], in #62 (Dec. 1964). |
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| − | Ditko also penciled the [[Iron Man]] feature in ''[[Tales of Suspense]]'' #47–49 (Nov. 1963 – Jan. 1964), with various inkers. The first of these debuted the initial version of Iron Man's modern red-and-golden armor, though whether Ditko or cover-penciler and principal character designer [[Jack Kirby]] designed the costume is uncertain. |
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| − | Though often overshadowed by his ''Amazing Spider-Man'' work, Ditko's "Doctor Strange" stories have been equally acclaimed, for their [[surrealism|surrealistic]] mystical landscapes and increasingly psychedelic visuals that helped make the feature a favorite of college students. "People who read 'Doctor Strange' thought people at Marvel must be heads [e.g. drug users]," recalled then-associate editor and former Doctor Strange writer [[Roy Thomas]] in 1971, "because they had had similar experiences high on mushrooms. But ... I don't use hallucinogens, nor do I think any artists do."<ref>{{cite journal|authorlink=Robin Green (producer)|last=Green |first= Robin| url=http://www.reocities.com/area51/Chamber/8346/rs91.facefront.1.html |title=Face Front! Clap Your Hands, You're on the Winning Team!|magazine= [[Rolling Stone]] | issue=91| date= September 16, 1971|publisher = via fan site Green Skin's Grab-Bag | archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20101007234130/www.reocities.com/area51/Chamber/8346/rs91.facefront.1.html|page = page 31 of print version | archivedate=September 14, 2011|accessdate=September 14, 2011| deadurl= no}}</ref> |
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| − | Eventually, as co-plotter and later sole plotter, in the "[[Marvel Method]]", Ditko would take Strange into ever-more-abstract realms. In an epic 17-issue story arc in ''Strange Tales'' #130–146 (March 1965 – July 1966), Ditko introduced the cosmic character [[Eternity (comics)|Eternity]], who personified the universe and was depicted as a silhouette whose outlines are filled with the cosmos.<ref name=st134>[http://www.comics.org/issue/19306/ ''Strange Tales'' #134] at the Grand Comics Database: "Indexer Notes: Part 5 of 17. First mention of Eternity. Strange would finally find it in ''Strange Tales'' #138 (November 1965)".</ref> As historian Bradford W. Wright describes, |
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| − | {{bquote|Steve Ditko contributed some of his most surrealistic work to the comic book and gave it a disorienting, hallucinogenic quality. Dr. Strange's adventures take place in bizarre worlds and twisting dimensions that resembled [[Salvador Dalí]] paintings. ... Inspired by the pulp-fiction magicians of Stan Lee's childhood as well as by contemporary [[Beat Generation|Beat]] culture. Dr. Strange remarkably predicted the youth [[counterculture]]'s fascination with Eastern mysticism and [[psychedelia]]. Never among Marvel's more popular or accessible characters, Dr. Strange still found a niche among an audience seeking a challenging alternative to more conventional superhero fare.<ref>Wright, Bradford W. ''Comic Book Nation: Transformation of a Youth Culture'', Johns Hopkins, 2001. ISBN 0-8018-7450-5. p. 213</ref>}} |
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| − | The [[cartoonist]] and [[fine artist]] [[Seth (cartoonist)|Seth]] in 2003 described Ditko's style as "oddball for mainstream comics. Whereas Kirby's stuff clearly appealed to a boy's sensibility because there was so much raw power, Ditko's work was really delicate and cartoony. There was a sense of design to it. You can always recognize anything that Ditko designed because it's always flowery. There is a lot of embroidered detail in the art, which is almost psychedelic."<ref>Heer, Jeet. [http://www.jeetheer.com/comics/ditko.htm "Steve Ditko"], ''[[The National Post]]'', May 3, 2003, via JeetHeer.com. [http://www.webcitation.org/5snSoIIJ4 WebCitation archive].</ref> |
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| − | Whichever feature he drew, Ditko's idiosyncratic, cleanly detailed, instantly recognizable art style, emphasizing mood and [[anxiety]], found great favor with readers. The character of Spider-Man and his troubled personal life meshed well with Ditko's own interests, which Lee eventually acknowledged by giving the artist plotting credits on the latter part of their 38-issue run. But after four years on the title, Ditko left Marvel;<ref>DeFalco "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 117: "To this day, no one really knows why Ditko quit. Bullpen sources reported he was unhappy with the way Lee scripted some of his plots, using a tongue-in-cheek approach to stories Ditko wanted handled seriously."</ref> he and Lee had not been on speaking terms for some time, with art and editorial changes handled through intermediaries.<ref name=tomsinclair>Sinclair, Tom. [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,458355_2,00.html "Still a Marvel!"], ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' June 20, 2003. [http://www.webcitation.org/5w0kCRgq4 WebCitation archive].</ref> The details of the rift remain uncertain, even to Lee, who confessed in 2003, "I never really knew Steve on a personal level."<ref name=tomsinclair /> Ditko later claimed it was Lee who broke off contact and disputed the long-held belief<ref name=ross>[[Jonathan Ross|Jonathan, Ross]], ''In Search of Steve Ditko'', [[BBC Four]]</ref> that the disagreement was over the true identity of the [[Green Goblin]]: "Stan never knew what he was getting in my Spider-Man stories and covers until after [production manager] [[Sol Brodsky]] took the material from me ... so there couldn't have been any disagreement or agreement, no exchanges ... no problems between us concerning the Green Goblin or anything else from before issue #25 to my final issues".<ref name=wiz>Lawrence, Christopher, "Who Is Steve Ditko?", ''Wizard'' #124 (Jan. 2002)</ref> Spider-Man successor artist [[John Romita, Sr.|John Romita]], in a 2010 [[Deposition (law)|deposition]], recalled that Lee and Ditko "ended up not being able to work together because they disagreed on almost everything, cultural, social, historically, everything, they disagreed on characters...."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B_lZovnpi13JNWQ5MDJmOTgtZDMzYy00MzI3LTllYjctNmM0ZWE4NjgyOWEx&hl=en_US | title=Confidential Videotaped Deposition of John V. Romita |publisher = United States District Court, Southern District of New York: "Marvel Worldwide, Inc., et al., vs. Lisa R. Kirby, et al."| page= 45|location=[[Garden City, New York]] | date=October 21, 2010}}</ref> A friendly farewell was given to Ditko in the Bullpen Bulletins of Fantastic Four #52 (July 1966): "Steve recently told us he was leaving for personal reasons. After all these years, we're sorry to see him go, and we wish the talented guy success with his future endeavors."<ref>"Bullpen Bulletins", ''Fantastic Four'' #52 (July 1966). Marvel Comics.</ref> |
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| − | Regardless, said Lee in 2007, "Quite a few years ago I met him up at the Marvel offices when I was last in New York. And we spoke; he's a hell of a nice guy and it was very pleasant. ... I haven't heard from him since that meeting."<ref>[http://www.craveonline.com/entertainment/comics/article/excelsior-stan-lee-speaks-64443 "Excelsior! Stan Lee speaks"], ''[[CraveOnline]]'' July 31, 2007. [http://www.webcitation.org/5snT09GeE WebCitation archive].</ref> He recalled that though Ditko was emphatic that he did not want to work on Spider-Man or Doctor Strange again, he was not averse to a new collaboration with Lee, and they discussed ideas for new projects; however, nothing came of this.<ref>{{cite book |last=Field |first=Tom |authorlink= |title=Secrets in the Shadows: The Art & Life of Gene Colan |url= |year=2005 |publisher=TwoMorrows Publishing |location=Raleigh, North Carolina |isbn= |page= 65}}</ref> |
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| − | Comics historian Greg Theakston, who visited Ditko on occasion, theorized Ditko saw ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' as semi-autobiographical: "Spider-Man was the culmination of everything Ditko was up until that moment. Ditko had personal ties to the character. When people started to 'manipulate him' into bringing in more romance into the strip and changing the direction, Ditko felt slighted, crushed ... they were telling him how to do it. He wouldn't be told".<ref name=wiz /> |
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| − | Writer and then future Marvel editor [[Roy Thomas]] said of that time, "I'll never forget the day I walked into one Marvel office not long after Ditko quit, and here's [[John Romita, Sr.|John Romita]] [Sr.] drawing ''Amazing Spider-Man'' and [[Larry Lieber|Larry <nowiki>[</nowiki>Lieber<nowiki>]</nowiki>]] drawing the ''Spider-Man Annual'' and [[Marie Severin]] drawing 'Dr. Strange', and I joked, 'This is the Steve Ditko Room; it takes three of you to do what Steve Ditko used to do'".<ref>[http://twomorrows.com/comicbookartist/articles/02stanroy.html "Stan the Man & Roy the Boy: A Conversation Between Stan Lee and Roy Thomas"], ''[[Comic Book Artist]]'' #2 (Summer 1998). [http://www.webcitation.org/5lHwfKOI2 WebCitation archive].</ref> |
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| − | ===Charlton and DC Comics=== |
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| − | Back at Charlton — where the page rate was low but creators were allowed greater freedom — Ditko worked on such characters as [[Blue Beetle]] (1967–1968),<ref>McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 123: "After Ted Kord assumed the scarab as Blue Beetle in a back-up feature of ''Captain Atom'' #83, writer/artist Steve Ditko and co-writer 'D.C. Glanzman' (who was actually Ditko) launched the Blue Beetle into his own series."</ref> the [[Question (comics)|Question]] (1967–1968), [[Captain Atom]] (1965–1967), returning to the character he'd co-created in 1960. In addition, in 1966–1967, he drew 16 stories, most of them written by [[Archie Goodwin (comics)|Archie Goodwin]] for [[Warren Publishing]]'s horror comic magazines ''[[Creepy]]'' and ''[[Eerie]]'', most of which were done using [[Wash (painting)|ink-wash]].<ref>{{cite book |title= How to Draw Chiller Monsters, Werewolves, Vampires, and Zombies|last= Spurlock |first= J. David|authorlink=J. David Spurlock |year= 2011|publisher= Watson-Guptill|isbn= 0-8230-9532-0|page= 32 |url= http://books.google.com/books?id=LkU3Qs66GlwC&pg=PA32&dq=Steve+Ditko+Warren+ink-wash&hl=en&ei=Ir-sTvuEDYrk0QGV-6CyDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDoQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Steve%20Ditko%20Warren%20ink-wash&f=false|accessdate= October 29, 2011|quote= The tonal ink-wash drawings he did for ''Creepy'' and ''Eerie'' magazines afforded him unique opportunities to exercise his mysterious prowess.}}</ref> |
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| − | In 1967, Ditko gave his Objectivist ideas ultimate expression in the form of [[Mr. A]], published in [[Wally Wood]]'s independent title ''[[witzend]]'' # 3. Ditko's hard line against criminals was controversial{{Citation needed|date=January 2011}} and he continued to produce Mr. A stories and one-pagers until the end of the 1970s.{{Citation needed|date=January 2011}} Ditko returned to Mr. A in 2000 and in 2009.{{Citation needed|date=January 2011}} |
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| − | [[File:Ditko-DC-characters.jpg|left|thumb|600px|A panoply of Ditko [[DC Comics]] characters, from "DC Profiles" biographical page appearing in comics [[cover-date]]d April 1980, including ''Batman'' #322 and ''The Legion of Super-Heroes'' #262. From left: the [[Creeper (comics)|Creeper]], [[Hawk and Dove]], [[Stalker (comics)|Stalker]], the [[Odd Man (comics)|Odd Man]], [[Shade, the Changing Man]], [[Starman (comics)#Prince Gavyn|Starman]].]] |
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| − | Ditko moved to [[DC Comics]] in 1968, where he created the [[Creeper (comics)|Creeper]] in ''[[Showcase (comics)|Showcase]]'' #73 (April 1968) with scripter [[Don Segall]], under editor [[Murray Boltinoff]].<ref>McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 129 "Writer/artist Steve Ditko and co-scripter Don Segall gave [character Jack Ryder] more than the last laugh as the garishly garbed Creeper, one of DC's quirkiest protagonists."</ref> DC Comics writer and executive [[Paul Levitz]] observed that Ditko's art on the ''Creeper'' stories made "them look unlike anything else being published by DC at the time."<ref>{{cite book|authorlink= Paul Levitz|last=Levitz|first= Paul|chapter= The Silver Age 1956-1970|title= 75 Years of DC Comics The Art of Modern Mythmaking|publisher= [[Taschen|Taschen America]]|year=2010|ISBN= 9783836519816|page= 268}}</ref> Ditko created the quirky team [[Hawk and Dove]] in ''Showcase'' #75 (June 1968), with writer [[Steve Skeates]].<ref>McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 130 "Brothers Hank and Don Hall were complete opposites, yet writer/artist Steve Ditko with scripter Steve Skeates made sure the siblings shared a desire to battle injustice as Hawk and Dove."</ref> Around this time, he penciled the lead story, written and inked by [[Wally Wood]], in Wood's early mature-audience, [[Alternative media|independent-comics]] publication ''[[Heroes, Inc. Presents Cannon]]'' (1969).<ref name=gcd /> |
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| − | Ditko's stay at DC was short — he would work on all six issues of the Creeper's own title, ''Beware the Creeper'' (June 1968 – April 1969), though leaving midway through the final one — and the reasons for his departure uncertain. But while at DC, Ditko recommended Charlton staffer [[Dick Giordano]] to the company,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsfromme.com/archives/2007_09_11.html#013999 |author = [[Mark Evanier|Evanier, Mark]]|title= Ditko Doc |date= September 11, 2007|publisher="P.O.V. Online" (column) |accessdate=2010-04-27}}. [http://www.webcitation.org/60aq7NoBy WebCitation archive].</ref> who would go on to become a top DC penciller, inker, editor, and ultimately, in 1981, the managing editor. |
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| − | From this time up through the mid-1970s, Ditko worked exclusively for Charlton and various [[alternative comics|small press/independent]] publishers. [[Frank McLaughlin (comics)|Frank McLaughlin]], Charlton's art director during this period, describes Ditko as living "in a local hotel in [[Derby, Connecticut|Derby]] for a while. He was a very happy-go-lucky guy with a great sense of humor at that time, and always supplied the [female] color separators with candy and other little gifts".<ref name="CBA9">Cooke, Jon B., & Christopher Irving. [http://twomorrows.com/comicbookartist/articles/09empire.html "The Charlton Empire: A Brief History of the Derby, Connecticut Publisher"], ''[[Comic Book Artist]]'' #9, August 2000. Access date 2010-04-27. [http://webcitation.org/5qoV2vOA8 WebCitation archive].</ref> |
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| − | For Charlton in 1974 he did [[Liberty Belle (comics)#Charlton Comics|Liberty Belle]] backup stories in ''[[E-Man]]'' and conceived [[Killjoy (comics)|Killjoy]]. Ditko produced much work for Charlton's science-fiction and horror titles, as well as for former Marvel publisher [[Martin Goodman (publisher)|Martin Goodman]]'s start-up line [[Atlas/Seaboard Comics]], where he co-created the superhero the Destructor with writer [[Archie Goodwin (comics)|Archie Goodwin]], and penciled all four issues of the namesake series (Feb.–Aug. 1975), the first two of which were inked by fellow comics legend [[Wally Wood]]. Ditko worked on the second and third issues of ''[[Tiger-Man]]'' and the third issue of ''Morlock 2001'', with [[Bernie Wrightson]] inking.<ref name=gcd /> |
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===Latter-day Ditko=== |
===Latter-day Ditko=== |
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| + | Ditko returned to DC in 1975, creating one short-lived title, ''Shade, the Changing Man'' (1977-78). Shade was later successfully revived, without Ditko's involvement, and was one of the longer-running titles in the DC [http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Vertigo Vertigo] line. He also revived the Creeper and did various other jobs such as a short Demon backup series in 1979, work on Legion of Superheroes in 1980-81, and various stories in DC's horror and science-fiction anthologies. He also did the artwork for the Prince Gavin Starman in ''Adventure Comics'' #467-478 (1980). |
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| − | Ditko returned to DC Comics in 1975, creating a short-lived title, ''[[Shade, the Changing Man]]'' (1977–1978).<ref name=gcd/><ref>McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 174 "Steve Ditko returned to mainstream comics with ''Shade, the Changing Man''. Joined by writer Michael Fleisher, Ditko unveiled the story of Rac Shade, a secret agent-turned-fugitive from the extra-dimensional world of Meta."</ref> Shade was later revived, without Ditko's involvement, in DC's mature-audience imprint [[Vertigo (comics)|Vertigo]]. With writer [[Paul Levitz]], he co-created the four issue [[sword and sorcery]] series ''[[Stalker (comics)|Stalker]]'' (1975–1976).<ref>[http://www.comics.org/series/2226/ ''Stalker''] at the Grand Comics Database</ref><ref>McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 164 "This sword and sorcery title by scripter Paul Levitz and artist Steve Ditko epitomized the credo 'Be careful what you wish for'. The series anti-hero was a nameless wanderer whose dreams of becoming a warrior brought him first slavery, then worse."</ref> Ditko and writer [[Gerry Conway]] produced the first issue of a short-lived ''[[Man-Bat]]'' series.<ref>McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 168 "Thanks to his appearances in ''Detective Comics'' and ''Batman'', Man-Bat's popularity soared to the point where writer Gerry Conway and artist Steve Ditko launched the [character] into his own series."</ref> He also revived the Creeper and did such various other jobs as a short [[Etrigan the Demon|Demon]] backup series in 1979 and stories in DC's horror and science-fiction anthologies. Editor [[Jack C. Harris]] hired Ditko as guest artist on several issues of ''The [[Legion of Super-Heroes]]'', a decision which garnered a mixed reaction from the title's readership.<ref name="PartTwo">{{cite web |url= http://www.wtv-zone.com/silverager/interviews/harris2.shtml|title= Jack C. Harris Interview (Pt. 2)|first= Ron E.|last= Daudt|year= 2010|publisher= TheSilverLantern.com|archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/66JsNuBW9|archivedate= March 20, 2012|deadurl= |accessdate= March 20, 2011|quote= Some of the fans loved it and some hated it. Nobody was lukewarm about it. It was a very Ditko type of feeling. You hated it or you loved it and there was nothing in between.}}</ref> Ditko also drew the Prince Gavyn version of [[Starman (comics)|Starman]] in ''[[Adventure Comics]]'' #467–478 (1980).<ref name=gcd/><ref>Manning, Matthew K. "1980s" in Dolan, p. 186 "The second [feature in ''Adventure Comics'' #467] debuted a new version of Starman by writer Paul Levitz and illustrator Steve Ditko."</ref> He then decamped to do work for a variety of publishers, briefly contributing to DC again in the mid-1980s, with four pinups of his characters for ''[[Who's Who in the DC Universe]]'' and a pinup for ''[[Superman (comic book)|Superman]]'' #400 (Oct. 1984)<ref>[http://www.comics.org/issue/39168/ ''Superman'' #400] at the Grand Comics Database</ref> and its companion portfolio.<ref>[[Dick Giordano|Giordano, Dick]] "Meanwhile" column, ''Jemm, Son of Saturn'' #2 (Oct. 1984) "We have another goodie for you! Also on this year's October schedule is the ''Superman'' #400 portfolio...The portfolio will have a full-color painted cover by Howard Chaykin and will contain 15 black-and-white plates by [artists including] Steve Ditko...."</ref> |
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| − | Ditko returned to Marvel in 1979, taking over Jack Kirby's ''[[Machine Man]]'',<ref>[[Peter Sanderson|Sanderson, Peter]] "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 185: "Jack Kirby wrote and drew the initial nine issues of ''Machine Man''. In August 1979, the series was revived by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Steve Ditko."</ref> drawing ''The [[Micronauts (comics)|Micronauts]]'' and [[Captain Universe]], and continuing to freelance for the company into the late 1990s. A [[Godzilla (comics)|Godzilla]] story by Ditko and [[Marv Wolfman]] was changed into a [[Dragon Lord (comics)#|Dragon Lord]] story published in ''[[Marvel Spotlight]]''.<ref>DeFalco "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 197: "Tako Shamara became the Dragon Lord in ''Marvel Spotlight'' #5 by writer/editor Marv Wolfman and artist Steve Ditko."</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2009/12/24/comic-book-legends-revealed-239/|title= Comic Book Legends Revealed #239|first= Brian|last= Cronin|date= December 24, 2009|publisher= [[Comic Book Resources]]|archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/6HsFhtcy2|archivedate= July 4, 2013|deadurl= no|accessdate= January 13, 2013|quote= The Godzilla fill-in by Marv Wolfman and Steve Ditko, ended up appearing in the pages of the re-launched ''Marvel Spotlight'' in 1980 as Dragon Lord, about a fellow who can control dragons.}}</ref> Ditko and writer [[Tom DeFalco]] introduced the [[Robbie Baldwin|Speedball]] character in ''The Amazing Spider-Man Annual'' #21 (1988)<ref>DeFalco "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 238: "Editor-in-Chief Tom DeFalco thought Marvel should publish more titles starring teenagers...He wrote the basic scenario and character descriptions for a new series and hired Steve Ditko to design it."</ref> and Ditko drew a ten-issue series based on the character. |
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| − | In 1982, he also began freelancing for the early independent comics label [[Pacific Comics]], beginning with ''[[Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers]]'' #6 (Sept. 1982), in which he introduced the superhero [[Missing Man]], with [[Mark Evanier]] scripting to Ditko's plot and art. Subsequent Missing Man stories appeared in ''Pacific Presents'' #1–3 (Oct. 1982 – March 1984), with Ditko scripting the former and collaborating with longtime friend [[Robin Snyder]] on the script for the latter two. Ditko also created [[Mocker (comics)|The Mocker]] for Pacific, in ''[[Silver Star (comics)|Silver Star]]'' #2 (April 1983).<ref name=gcd /> |
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| − | |||
| − | For [[Eclipse Comics]], he contributed a story featuring his character [[Static (Steve Ditko character)|Static]] (no relation to the later [[Milestone Comics]] character) in ''[[Eclipse Monthly]]'' #1–3 (Aug.–Oct. 1983), introducing [[supervillain]] the Exploder in #2. With writer Jack C. Harris, Ditko drew the backup feature "The Faceless Ones" in [[First Comics]]' ''[[Warp (First Comics)|Warp]]'' #2–4 (April–June 1983). Working with that same writer and others, Ditko drew a handful of the [[Fly (Red Circle Comics)|Fly]], [[Fly-Girl]] and [[Jaguar (Archie Comics)|Jaguar]] stories for ''The Fly'' #2–8 (July 1983 – Aug. 1984), for [[Archie Comics]]' short-lived 1980s superhero line; in a rare latter-day instance of Ditko [[inker|inking]] another artist, he inked [[penciler]] [[Dick Ayers]] on the Jaguar story in ''The Fly'' #9 (Oct. 1984).<ref name=gcd /> [[Western Publishing]] in 1982 announced a series by Ditko and Harris would appear in a new science-fiction comic, ''Astral Frontiers'', but that title never materialized.<ref>{{Cite journal | url = http://www.tcj.com/archive-viewer-issue-71/?pid=4643 | title = News from Hither and Yon: Ditko at Western |work=[[The Comics Journal]]|issue= 71 |date=April 1982|page= 16 | archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/6A1iObsCM |archivedate=August 19, 2012 | accessdate= August 19, 2012}}</ref> |
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| − | |||
| − | In 1992 Ditko worked with writer [[Will Murray (writer)|Will Murray]] to produce one of his last original characters for Marvel Comics, the satirical superheroine [[Squirrel Girl]], who debuted in ''[[Marvel Super-Heroes (comics)|Marvel Super-Heroes]]'' vol. 2, #8, a.k.a. ''Marvel Super-Heroes Winter Special'' (Jan. 1992).<ref name=gcd-msh>[http://www.comics.org/character/name/Squirrel%20Girl/sort/chrono/ ''Marvel Super-Heroes'' (Marvel, 1990 series)] at the [[Grand Comics Database]]</ref> |
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| − | |||
| − | In 1993, he did the [[Dark Horse Comics]] [[One-shot (comics)|one-shot]] ''The Safest Place in the World''. For the [[Defiant Comics]] series ''[[Dark Dominion]],'' he drew issue #0, which was released as a set of [[trading cards]]. In 1995, he pencilled a four-issue series for Marvel based on the ''[[Phantom 2040]]'' animated TV series. This included a poster that was inked by [[John Romita Sr.]] ''Steve Ditko's Strange Avenging Tales'' was announced as a quarterly series from [[Fantagraphics Books]], although it only ran one issue (Feb. 1997) due to publicly unspecified disagreements between Ditko and the publisher.{{Citation needed|date=January 2010}} |
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| − | |||
| − | ''[[The New York Times]]'' assessed in 2008 that, "By the '70s he was regarded as a slightly old-fashioned odd-ball; by the '80s he was a commercial has-been, picking up wretched work-for-hire gigs. ...following the example of [Ayn] Rand's John Galt, Ditko hacked out moneymaking work, saving his care for the crabbed Objectivist screeds he published with tiny presses. And boy, could Ditko hack: seeing samples of his [[Transformers]] coloring book and his Big Boy comic is like hearing [[Orson Welles]] sell frozen peas."<ref>Wolk, Douglas. [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/17/books/review/Wolk-t.html Sunday Book Review: "From Spider-Man to Ayn Rand"], ''The New York Times'' August 15, 2008. [http://www.webcitation.org/5w0jXpxGr WebCitation archive].</ref> |
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| − | [[File:Ditkoselfportrait.png|thumb|left|Self-portrait of Steve Ditko, from ''[[The Amazing Spider-Man]] Annual'' #1 (1964)]] |
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| − | |||
| − | Ditko retired from mainstream comics in 1998.<ref>Bell, Blake. Archive of [http://web.archive.org/web/20080611122406/www.ditko.comics.org/ditko/news2002.html Ditko News, December 6, 1998] (requires scrolling down), Ditko Looked Up. Entry refers to Ditko's final mainstream comics work, a [[New Gods]] story that would remain unpublished for 10 years. [http://www.webcitation.org/5syKeeMu1 WebCitation archive].</ref> His later work for Marvel and DC included such established superheroes as the [[Sub-Mariner]] (in ''[[Marvel Comics Presents]]'') and newer, licensed characters such as the [[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers]]. The last mainstream character he created was Marvel's Longarm in ''Shadows &<!--ampersand correct--> Light'' #1 (Feb. 1998), in a self-inked, 12-page [[Iron Man]] story "A Man's Reach....", scripted by [[Len Wein]]. His final mainstream work was a five-page [[New Gods]] story for DC Comics, "Infinitely Gentle Infinitely Suffering", inked by [[Mick Gray]] and believed to be intended for the 2000–2002 ''Orion'' series<ref name=df>{{cite web|url=http://www.ditko-fever.com/totngtp.html|first=B.|last=Franczak |title=Tales of the New Gods|publisher=Ditko-Fever.com |date= |accessdate=2010-04-27}} [http://www.webcitation.org/5syK2zC8i WebCitation archive] of page. [http://www.webcitation.org/60apwmu1H WebCitation archive] of main page.</ref> but not published until the 2008 [[trade paperback]] ''Tales of the New Gods''.<ref name=df /> |
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| − | |||
| − | Since then, Ditko's solo work has been published intermittently by Robin Snyder, who was his editor at Charlton, Archie Comics, and [[Renegade Press]] in the 1980s. The Snyder publications have included a number of original books as well as reprints such as ''Static'', ''The Missing Man'', ''The Mocker'' and, in 2002, ''Avenging World'', a collection of stories and essays spanning 30 years.<ref name=gcd>{{gcdb|type=credit|search=Steve+Ditko}}</ref> |
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| − | |||
| − | In 2008, Ditko and Snyder released ''The Avenging Mind'', a 32-page essay publication featuring several pages of new artwork; and ''Ditko, Etc...'', a 32-page comic book composed of brief vignettes and editorial cartoons. Releases have continued in that format, with stories introducing such new characters as The Hero, Miss Eerie, The Cape, The Madman, The Grey Negotiator, The !? and The Outline. The most recent release is ''Ate Tea N'', #18 in the series. |
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| − | |||
| − | In addition to the new material, Ditko and Snyder have reprinted earlier Ditko material. In 2010 they published a new edition of the 1973 ''Mr. A'' comic and a selection of Ditko covers in ''The Cover Series''. In 2011 they published a new edition of the 1975 comic ''...Wha...!? Ditko's H. Series''. In March 2013, Snyder launched a [[Kickstarter]] campaign to finance a new edition of the 1991 book ''The Ditko Public Service Package''.<ref name=gcd /> |
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| − | |||
| − | Two "lost" stories drawn by Ditko in 1978 have been published by DC in hardcover collections of the artist's work. A Creeper story scheduled for the never published ''[[Showcase (comics)|Showcase]]'' #106 appears in ''The Creeper by Steve Ditko'' (2010)<ref>{{cite book |last1= Ditko|first1= Steve|editor1-first= |editor1-last= |editor1-link= |title= The Creeper by Steve Ditko |url= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |volume= |year= 2010 |publisher= [[DC Comics]] |isbn= 1-4012-2591-8 |pages= |quote= }}</ref> and an unpublished ''Shade, the Changing Man'' story appears in ''The Steve Ditko Omnibus Vol. 1'' (2011).<ref>{{cite book |last1= Ditko|first1= Steve|editor1-first= |editor1-last= |editor1-link= |title= The Steve Ditko Omnibus Vol. 1|url= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |accessdate= |volume= |year= 2011|publisher= [[DC Comics]]|isbn= 1-4012-3111-X|pages= |quote= }}</ref> A [[Hulk (comics)|Hulk]] and the [[Human Torch]] story written by Jack C. Harris and drawn by Ditko in the 1980s was published by Marvel as ''Incredible Hulk and the Human Torch: From the Marvel Vault'' #1 in August 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.digitalspy.com/comics/news/a315941/lost-steve-ditko-comic-unveiled.html |title= Lost Steve Ditko Comic Unveiled |first= Hugh |last= Armitage |date= April 22, 2011 |publisher= [[Digital Spy]] |archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/66Rfl6P0o |archivedate= March 26, 2012|deadurl= |accessdate= March 26, 2012|quote= }}</ref> |
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| − | |||
| − | ==Personal life== |
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| − | As of mid-2012, Ditko continues to work at a studio in Manhattan's Midtown West neighborhood.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/the_secret_hero_of_spider_man_XHZklFc7QJWuekwj2zDDCM |title=The secret hero of Spider-Man |work=[[New York Post]] | date = July 5, 2012 |accessdate=2012-07-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2007/sep/14/art.usa|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080822225755/http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2007/sep/14/art.usa| archivedate=August 22, 2008|authorlink=Jonathan Ross|last=Ross|first=Jonathan |title=The Unsung Hero Behind Spider-Man |work=[[The Guardian]]|location=UK |date=September 13, 2007 |accessdate=2011-10-23}}</ref> He has refused to give interviews or make public appearances since the 1960s, explaining in 1969 that, "When I do a job, it's not my personality that I'm offering the readers but my artwork. It's not what I'm like that counts; it's what I did and how well it was done.... I produce a product, a comic art story. Steve Ditko is the brand name".<ref>Ditko interview in ''Masters of Imagination: The Comic Book Artists Hall of Fame'' by Mike Benton (Taylor Publishing, 1994, ISBN 978-0-87833-859-7), quoting from [[fanzine]] ''Marvel Main'' #4 (1969), published by Mike Howell and [[Richard Howell (comics)|Richard Howell]]</ref> He has, however, contributed numerous essays to Snyder's fanzine ''The Comics''.{{citation needed|date=January 2011}} |
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| − | |||
| − | Ditko is an ardent supporter and advocate of the philosophy of [[Objectivism (Ayn Rand)|Objectivism]].<ref>Wolk, Douglas. [http://dir.salon.com/story/books/review/2005/06/03/ditko/ "The Amazing Steve Ditko"], [[Salon.com]], June 3, 2005, p. 2. [http://www.webcitation.org/5w02g3xgE WebCitation archive].</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Young|first= Thom|title=Ditko Shrugged: Part 1: Ayn Rand's Influence on Steve Ditko's Craft, Commerce, and Creeper|date=September 10, 2007|publisher= Silver Soapbox (column), ComicsBulletin.com|url= http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/soapbox/118945139174676.htm |archiveurl= http://www.webcitation.org/5w0ljaGm3 | archivedate=January 25, 2011}} [http://web.archive.org/web/20100405073916/http://www.comicsbulletin.com/soapbox/118952109462730.htm "Part 2: Apollonian and Dionysian Conflicts in ''The Hawk and the Dove'' and ''Beware the Creeper''"] (September 10, 2007). Archived from [http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/soapbox/118952109462730.htm the original] on April 5, 2010. [http://web.archive.org/web/20090531134129/http://www.comicsbulletin.com/soapbox/11897806446424.htm "Part 3: Did Neal Adams Work on ''Beware the Creeper'' #5?"] (September 14, 2007). Archived from [http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/soapbox/11897806446424.htm the original] on May 31, 2009. ; and [http://web.archive.org/web/20090114221146/http://www.comicsbulletin.com/soapbox/119047224282703.htm "Part 4: After Ditko, the Drought"] (September 22, 2007). Archived from [http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/soapbox/119047224282703.htm the original] on January 14, 2009.</ref> |
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| − | |||
| − | He has an artist nephew also named Steve Ditko.<ref name=tomsinclair /> According to [[Will Eisner]], Ditko has one son.<ref>''Eisner/Miller'', Dark Horse Books, 2005, p.128</ref> |
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| − | |||
| − | ==Awards and honors== |
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| − | * 1962 [[Alley Award]] for Best Short Story: "Origin of [[Spider-Man]]" by [[Stan Lee]] and Steve Ditko, ''[[Amazing Fantasy]]'' #15 (Marvel Comics). |
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| − | * 1963 Alley Award for Best Adventure Hero Comic Book: ''[[The Amazing Spider-Man]]'' |
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| − | * 1963 Alley Award for Top Hero: Spider-Man |
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| − | * 1964 Alley Award for Best Adventure Hero Comic Book: ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' |
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| − | * 1964 Alley Award for Best Giant Comic: ''The Amazing Spider-Man [[annual publication|Annual]]'' #1 |
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| − | * 1964 Alley Award for Best Hero: Spider-Man |
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| − | * 1965 Alley Award for Best Adventure Hero Comic Book: ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' |
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| − | * 1965 Alley Award for Best Hero: Spider-Man |
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| − | * 1985 [[Eagle Award (comics)|Eagle Award]]: Roll of Honour<ref name=bails>{{cite web|url=http://www.bailsprojects.com/(S(b2pprd5524b5xe55dsglot55))/bio.aspx?Name=DITKO%2c+STEVE |title=Ditko, Steve, entry|title= Who's Who of American Comics Books, 1928–1999 |author=Bails, Jerry, and Hames Ware, eds.|publisher=BailsProjects.com |date= |accessdate=2010-04-27}} [http://www.webcitation.org/5w0kv9uZz WebCitation archive].</ref> |
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| − | |||
| − | * In 1987, Ditko was presented a [[Comic-Con International]] [[Inkpot Award]] in absentia, accepted on his behalf by [[Renegade Press]] publisher [[Deni Loubert]], who had published ''Ditko's World'' the previous year. Ditko refused the award, and returned it to Loubert after having phoned her to say, "Awards bleed the artist and make us compete against each other. They are the most horrible things in the world. How dare you accept this on my behalf". At his behest, Loubert returned the award to the convention organizers.<ref>Bell, ''Strange and Stranger'', pp. 165–166</ref> |
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| − | |||
| − | * Ditko was inducted into the [[Harvey Award#The Jack Kirby Hall of Fame|Jack Kirby Hall of Fame]] in 1990, and into the [[List of Eisner Award winners#The Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame|Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame]] in 1994. |
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| − | |||
| − | ==BBC documentary== |
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| − | In September 2007, [[Jonathan Ross]] hosted a one-hour documentary for [[BBC Four]] titled ''[[In Search of Steve Ditko]]''. The program covers Ditko's work at Marvel, DC, and Charlton Comics and at [[Wally Wood]]'s ''[[witzend]]'', as well as his following of [[Objectivism (Ayn Rand)|Objectivism]]. It includes testimonials by [[Alan Moore]], [[Mark Millar]], [[Jerry Robinson]] and [[Stan Lee]], among others. Ross, accompanied by [[Neil Gaiman]], met Ditko at his New York office but he declined to be filmed, interviewed or photographed for the show. He did however, give the two a selection of some comic books. At the end of the show, Ross said he has since spoken to Ditko on the telephone and continued to say, as a joke, that he was now on first name terms with him.<ref name=ross /> |
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| − | |||
| − | ==Selected bibliography== |
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| − | [[File:StrangeSuspenseStories75.jpg|right|thumb|''[[Strange Suspense Stories]]'' #75 (June 1965), reprinting Captain Atom stories from ''Space Adventures'' #33, 34, and 36. Cover art by Ditko.]] |
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| − | As penciler (generally but not exclusively self-inked), unless otherwise noted |
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| − | |||
| − | '''Marvel''' |
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| − | * ''[[Amazing Adventures]]'' #1–6 (1961); becomes |
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| − | :''[[Amazing Adult Fantasy]]'' #7–14 (1961–62); becomes |
||
| − | ::''[[Amazing Fantasy]]'' #15 (1962) |
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| − | * ''[[The Incredible Hulk]]'' #2 (inking [[Jack Kirby]]), #6 (1962–63) |
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| − | * ''[[The Amazing Spider-Man]]'' #1–38, Annual #1–2 (1963–66) |
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| − | * ''[[The Fantastic Four]]'' #13 (inking Jack Kirby) (1963) |
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| − | * ''[[Strange Tales]]'' #110–111, 114–146 ([[Doctor Strange]]), Annual #2 (inking Jack Kirby) (1963–66) |
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| − | * ''[[Tales of Suspense]]'' #47–49 ([[Iron Man]]) (1963–64) |
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| − | * ''[[Tales to Astonish]]'' #60–67 (The Hulk in #60–67, Giant Man in #61) (1964–65) |
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| − | * ''[[Machine Man]]'' #10–19 (1979–81) |
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| − | * ''[[Rom (comics)|ROM Spaceknight]]'' #59–75, Annual #4 (1984–86) |
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| − | * ''[[Avengers (comics)|Avengers Annual]]'' #13, 15 (1984–86) |
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| − | * ''[[Speedball (comics)|Speedball]]'' #1–10 (1988–89) |
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| − | * ''[[Marvel Super-Heroes (comics)|Marvel Super-Heroes vol. 2]]'' #8 (debut [[Squirrel Girl]]) (1992) |
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| − | * ''[[Phantom 2040]]'' #1–4 ([[The Phantom]]) (1995) |
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| − | * ''[[Mighty Morphin Power Rangers|Saban's Mighty Morphin Power Rangers]]'' #2, #4 (1995–96) |
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| − | |||
| − | '''DC''' |
||
| − | *''[[Strange Adventures]]'' #188–189 (1966) |
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| − | *''[[Showcase (comics)|Showcase]]'' #73 (debut, the [[Creeper (comics)|Creeper]]) #75 (debut, [[Hawk and Dove|The Hawk and the Dove]]) (1968) |
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| − | * ''[[The Creeper (comics)|Beware the Creeper]]'' #1–6 (1968–69) |
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| − | * ''[[Hawk and Dove|The Hawk and the Dove]]'' #1–2 (1968) |
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| − | * ''[[Stalker (comics)|Stalker]]'' #1–4 (1975–76) |
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| − | * ''[[1st Issue Special]]'' #7 (Creeper) (1975) |
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| − | * ''[[Man-Bat]]'' #1 (1975) |
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| − | * ''[[Shade, the Changing Man]]'' #1–8 (1977–78) |
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| − | * ''[[World's Finest Comics]]'' #249–255 (script and art, Creeper series) (1978–79) |
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| − | * ''[[Cancelled Comic Cavalcade]]'' #1, 2, a 25-page [[The Creeper (comics)|Creeper]] story planned for ''[[Showcase (comics)|Showcase]]'' #106; and the aforementioned ''[[Shade, the Changing Man]]'' #9 (1978) |
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| − | * ''[[Detective Comics]]'' #483–485 ([[Etrigan the Demon|The Demon]]) (1979) |
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| − | * ''[[Detective Comics]]'' #487 ([[Odd Man]]—debut, originally planned for ''Shade, the Changing Man'' #9<ref>[http://www.comics.org/issue/33950/ ''Detective Comics'' #487] at the Grand Comics Database</ref>) (1979) |
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| − | * ''[[Legion of Super-Heroes]]'' #267, 268, 272, 274, 276, 281 (1980–81) |
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| − | * ''[[Adventure Comics]]'' #467–478 ([[Starman (comics)#Prince Gavyn|Starman]]) (1980) |
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| − | |||
| − | '''Charlton''' |
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| − | * ''[[Strange Suspense Stories]]'' #75–77 ([[Captain Atom]]) (1965) |
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| − | * ''Captain Atom'' #78–89 (1965–67) |
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| − | * ''[[Blue Beetle]]'' #1–5 (1967–68) |
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| − | * ''[[Question (comics)|Mysterious Suspense]]'' #1 (1968) |
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| − | * ''Ghostly Haunts'', ''Ghostly Tales'', ''[[The Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves]]'' (most issues) |
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| − | |||
| − | '''Warren''' |
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| − | * ''[[Eerie]]'' #3–10 (1966–67) |
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| − | * ''[[Creepy]]'' #9–16 (1966–67) |
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| − | |||
| − | '''Independent''' |
||
| − | *''[[Witzend]]'' #3, 4, 6 (Wallace Wood) (1967–69) |
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| − | *''Mr. A.'' (Comic Art Publishers) (1973) |
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| − | *''Avenging World'' ([[Bruce Hershenson]]) (1973) (Note that the 2002 ''Avenging World'' is a collection of Ditko works including the 1973 comic) |
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| − | *''...Wha..!?'' (Bruce Hershenson) (1975) |
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| − | *''Mr. A.'' (Bruce Hershenson) (1975) |
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| − | |||
| − | '''Atlas/Seaboard''' |
||
| − | * ''[[The Destructor]]'' #1–4 (1975) |
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| − | * ''[[Morlock 2001]]'' #3 |
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| − | * ''[[Tiger-Man]]'' #2, 3 |
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| − | |||
| − | '''Renegade Press''' |
||
| − | *''Revolver'' #1–5 (1985–86) |
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| − | *''Ditko's World featuring...Static'' #1–3 (1986) |
||
| − | *''Murder'' #1–3 (1986) |
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| − | |||
| − | '''Dark Horse''' |
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| − | * ''The Safest Place...'' (1993) |
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| − | |||
| − | '''Fantagraphics''' |
||
| − | * ''Steve Ditko's Strange Avenging Tales'' #1 (1997) |
||
| − | |||
| − | '''Robin Snyder''' |
||
| − | *''Ditko Package'' (1989) |
||
| − | *''The Mocker'' (1990) |
||
| − | *''Ditko Public Service Package'' (1991) |
||
| − | *''The Ditko Package series:'' |
||
| − | :''Steve Ditko's 160-Page Package'' (1999) |
||
| − | :''Steve Ditko's 80-Page Package: The Missing Man'' (1999) |
||
| − | :''Steve Ditko's 160-Page Package: From Charlton Press'' (1999) |
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| − | :''Steve Ditko's 176-Page Package: Heroes'' (2000) |
||
| − | :''Steve Ditko's 32-Page Package: Tsk! Tsk!'' (2000) |
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| − | *''Steve Ditko's Static: Chapters 1 to 14 plus...'' (2000) |
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| − | *''Avenging World'' (2002) (240-page expanded version of 1973 edition) |
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| − | *''The 32-page series:'' |
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| − | :''The Avenging Mind'' (2008) |
||
| − | :''Ditko, etc...'' (2008) |
||
| − | :''Ditko Continued...'' (2008) |
||
| − | :''Oh, No! Not Again, Ditko'' (2009) |
||
| − | :''Ditko Once More'' (2009) |
||
| − | :''Ditko Presents'' (2009) |
||
| − | :''A Ditko Act Two'' (2010) |
||
| − | :''A Ditko Act 3'' (2010) |
||
| − | :''Act 4'' (2010) |
||
| − | :''Ditko #5-Five Act'' (2010) |
||
| − | :''Act 6'' (2011) |
||
| − | :''Act 7 Seven'' (2011) |
||
| − | :''Act 8'' (2011) |
||
| − | :''A Ditko #14'' (2011) |
||
| − | :''A Ditko #15'' (2011) |
||
| − | :''#16: Sixteen'' (2012) |
||
| − | :''#17: Seventeen'' (2012) |
||
| − | :''Ate Tea N 18'' (2013) |
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| − | *''Mr. A.'' (2010) (Revised and reformatted reprint of the 1973 edition) |
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| + | Ditko finally returned to Marvel in 1979, taking over [[Jack Kirby]]'s ''[[Comics:Machine Man Vol 1|Machine Man]]'' title. He freelanced regularly for both companies until his retirement from mainstream comics in 1998, having produced in his latter years a wealth of work showcasing his unique take on everything from such established characters as the [[Namor McKenzie (Earth-616)|Sub-Mariner]] (in ''[[Marvel Comics Presents]]'') to the ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers''. The last major character he created was [[Robert Baldwin (Earth-616)|Speedball]], for Marvel Comics. |
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| − | ==References== |
||
| − | {{reflist | 2}} |
||
| + | Since then, his strictly solo work has been published intermittently by independent publisher and long-time friend Robin Snyder, who was his editor at Charlton, Archie Comics (where Snyder scripted Ditko's plots on a revival of [[Joe Simon]] and Jack Kirby's ''The Fly'', and Renegade Press in the 1980s. The Snyder-published books have included ''Static'', ''The Missing Man'', ''The Mocker'' and, in 2002, ''Avenging World'', a giant collection of stories and essays spanning 30 years. |
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| − | ==External links== |
||
| − | *{{comicbookdb|type=creator|id=101}} |
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| − | *[http://www.dcindexes.com/features/database.php?site=&pagetype=creator&id=72 Steve Ditko] at Mike's Amazing World of Comics |
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| − | *[http://www.maelmill-insi.de/UHBMCC/namd18.htm#N77 Steve Ditko] at The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators |
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| − | *Hart, Hugh. [http://www.wired.com/underwire/2008/08/book-looks-at-s/ "Strange and Stranger Salutes Spider-Man Artist Steve Ditko"], ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]'', August 21, 2008. [http://www.webcitation.org/5w0m3sRmQ WebCitation archive]. |
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| − | *Archive of McQuarrie, Jim, [http://web.archive.org/web/20070516174618/www.oddballcomics.com/article.php?story=2007-03-05 "''Fantastic Giants'', Vol. 2, #24"], "Oddball Comics" (column), #1146, March 5, 2007 |
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| − | *{{cite web | url = http://ditko-fever.com/ | title = The Illustrated Steve Ditko Compendium | first = B., ed. | last = Franczak | publisher = (fan site) | accessdate = April 9, 2013}} |
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| − | *{{IMDb name|228492}} |
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| + | In 1993, he did a one-shot comic, ''The Safest Place in the World'' at Dark Horse Comics, then an aborted series at Fantagraphics Books, ''Steve Ditko's Strange Avenging Tales'' that lasted only one issues in 1997. |
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| − | {{Steve Ditko}} |
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| − | {{Doctor Strange}} |
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| − | {{Spider-Man}} |
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| − | {{Sinister Six}} |
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| + | Ditko resides in [[New York City]] as of 2006. Though a prolific and hard-working artist, he is also an intensely private man. Preferring to let his work speak for itself (through both his comics work and numerous essays in Synder's fanzine ''The Comics''), he has refused to give interviews since the 1960s. |
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| + | | Notes = |
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| − | |NAME=Ditko, Stephen J. |
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| + | | Trivia = |
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| − | |ALTERNATIVE NAMES= |
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| + | | OfficialWebsite = |
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| − | |SHORT DESCRIPTION=American [[comic book artist]] |
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| + | | Links = |
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| − | |DATE OF BIRTH=November 2, 1927 |
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| + | * http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Steve_Ditko |
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| − | |PLACE OF BIRTH=[[Johnstown, Pennsylvania]] |
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| + | * [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Ditko Wikipedia entry on Steve Ditko] |
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| − | |DATE OF DEATH= |
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| + | * [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ditko-l Steve Ditko discussion group] |
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| − | |PLACE OF DEATH= |
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| + | * [http://toonerville.net/theme-ditko2.htm Toonerville Theme Comics: More Ditko Covers — Short Lived Series] |
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| + | * [http://www.oddballcomics.com/article.php?story=BlueBeetle5 OddBall Comics article on Blue Beetle #5] |
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| − | [[Category:Jack Kirby Hall of Fame inductees]] |
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| − | [[Category:Objectivists]] |
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Revision as of 05:08, 5 September 2013
Steve Ditko
Real Name
Stephen J. Ditko
Pseudonyms
Steve Ditko
Employers
Job Titles
Characteristics
Gender
Date of Birth
November 2, 1927
Place of Birth
Johnstown, Pennsylvania, United States of America
First publication
Unknown
Personal History
Steve Ditko, hard at work. (1965)
Stephen Ditko is a renowned American comic book artist and writer best known as the co-creator of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange.
Professional History
Early career
Ditko studied at the Cartoonists and Illustrators School in New York City under Jerry Robinson and began professionally illustrating comic books in 1953. Much of his early work, beginning in the early 1950s, was for Charlton Comics (for whom he continued to work intermittently until the company's demise in 1986), producing science fiction, horror and mystery stories, as well as the first Captain Atom stories in 1960-61. Later in the decade, he would also begin drawing for Atlas Comics, the 1950s precursor of Marvel Comics.
Marvel Comics
Ditko and writer-editor Stan Lee created Spider-Man in Amazing Fantasy #15 (Aug. 1962), and shortly thereafter Doctor Strange, in Strange Tales #110 (July 1963). Ditko also drew many stories of the Hulk, first in the final issue of The Incredible Hulk (#6, March 1963), and then in Tales to Astonish, launching the character's feature in issue #60 (Oct. 1964) of that split book, and continuing through #67 (May 1965). Ditko designed the Hulk's primary antagonist, the Leader, in #62 (Dec. 1964).
Often overshadowed by his Amazing Spider-Man work, Ditko's "Doctor Strange" stories were equally remarkable, showcasing surrealistic mystical landscapes and increasingly head-trippy visuals that helped make the feature a favorite of college students, according to contemporaneous accounts. Eventually, as co-plotter and later sole plotter, in the "Marvel Method", Ditko would take Strange into ever-more-abstract realms, which yet remained well-grounded thanks to Lee's reliably humanistic, adventure/soap opera dialog. Ditko's tenure on "Dr. Strange" culminated in the introduction, in Strange Tales #146 (July 1966), of Ditko's grand and enduring conception of Eternity, the personification of the universe, depicted as a majestic silhouette whose outlines are filled with the cosmos. It was a groundbreaking creation at a time long before such cosmic conceits were commonplace.
Whichever feature he drew, Ditko's idiosyncratic, cleanly detailed, instantly recognizable art style, emphasizing mood and anxiety, found great favor with readers. The character of Spider-Man and his troubled personal life meshed well with Ditko's own style and interests, which Lee eventually acknowledged by giving the artist plotting credits on the latter part of their 38-issue run. But after four years on the title, Ditko left Marvel; he and Lee had not been on speaking terms for some time, though the details remain uncertain. The last straw is often alleged to have been a disagreement as to the secret identity of the Green Goblin, but Ditko himself has stated in print that this was not the case.
Writer and future Marvel editor Roy Thomas said in a 1998 interview that, "I'll never forget the day I walked into one Marvel office not long after Ditko quit, and here's John Romita drawing Amazing Spider-Man and Larry Lieber drawing the Spider-Man Annual and Marie Severin drawing 'Dr. Strange', and I joked, 'This is the Steve Ditko Room; it takes three of you to do what Steve Ditko used to do' " [1]
Charlton and DC Comics
At Charlton - where the page rate was low but which allowed its creators great freedom - Ditko in the 1960s worked worked on such characters as Captain Atom (1960-61;65-67), Blue Beetle (1967-68) and The Question (1967-68), and in the 1973/74 writer Joe Gill's Liberty Belle (a backup feature in the comic E-Man), and Ditko's own Killjoy (also in E-Man). With the The Question and Killjoy, Ditko freely expressed his personal philosophy, inspired by Ayn Rand's objectivism and the writings of Greek philosopher Aristotle. Ditko also produced much work for Charlton's science-fiction and horror titles. In addition, he drew 16 stories for Warren Publishing's horror-comic magazines, most of which were done using ink-wash.
In 1967, Ditko gave his philosophical ideas ultimate expression in the form of Mr. A, published in Wally Wood's independent title witzend #3. Ditko's hard line against criminals was controversial and alienated many fans, but he continued to produce Mr. A stories and one-pagers until the end of the 1970s. Ditko returned to Mr. A once more in 2000.
In 1968, Charlton editor Dick Giordano moved to DC Comics and Ditko, like several other artists and writers in Giordano's stable, moved with him. He created the Creeper (in Showcase #73, March-April 1968, with scripter Don Segall); and with writer Steve Skeates, co-created the The Hawk and the Dove in Showcase #75, working on the first two issues of their ongoing series (Sept.-Nov. 1968) before it was turned over to artist Gil Kane. Unusually for the time, plotter and penciller Ditko used these fondly remembered superhero features to explore complicated ethical issues.
Ditko's stay at DC was short - he would work on all six issues of the Creeper's own title Beware the Creeper (June 1968 - April 1969), though leaving midway through the final one - and again, the reasons for his departure are uncertain. From this time up through the mid-1970s, he worked exclusively for Charlton and various small press/independent publishers.
Latter-day Ditko
Ditko returned to DC in 1975, creating one short-lived title, Shade, the Changing Man (1977-78). Shade was later successfully revived, without Ditko's involvement, and was one of the longer-running titles in the DC Vertigo line. He also revived the Creeper and did various other jobs such as a short Demon backup series in 1979, work on Legion of Superheroes in 1980-81, and various stories in DC's horror and science-fiction anthologies. He also did the artwork for the Prince Gavin Starman in Adventure Comics #467-478 (1980).
Ditko finally returned to Marvel in 1979, taking over Jack Kirby's Machine Man title. He freelanced regularly for both companies until his retirement from mainstream comics in 1998, having produced in his latter years a wealth of work showcasing his unique take on everything from such established characters as the Sub-Mariner (in Marvel Comics Presents) to the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. The last major character he created was Speedball, for Marvel Comics.
Since then, his strictly solo work has been published intermittently by independent publisher and long-time friend Robin Snyder, who was his editor at Charlton, Archie Comics (where Snyder scripted Ditko's plots on a revival of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby's The Fly, and Renegade Press in the 1980s. The Snyder-published books have included Static, The Missing Man, The Mocker and, in 2002, Avenging World, a giant collection of stories and essays spanning 30 years.
In 1993, he did a one-shot comic, The Safest Place in the World at Dark Horse Comics, then an aborted series at Fantagraphics Books, Steve Ditko's Strange Avenging Tales that lasted only one issues in 1997.
Ditko resides in New York City as of 2006. Though a prolific and hard-working artist, he is also an intensely private man. Preferring to let his work speak for itself (through both his comics work and numerous essays in Synder's fanzine The Comics), he has refused to give interviews since the 1960s.
Notes
- No special notes.
Trivia
- No trivia.
See Also
- Gallery of Steve Ditko's pictures
- Steve Ditko's Images as a Penciler
- Steve Ditko's Images as an Inker
- Steve Ditko's Images as a Cover Artist
Work History
Official Website
- None.
Links and References
- http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Steve_Ditko
- Wikipedia entry on Steve Ditko
- Steve Ditko discussion group
- Toonerville Theme Comics: More Ditko Covers — Short Lived Series
- OddBall Comics article on Blue Beetle #5