Steve Ditko. Despite his most famous co-creator credit, the creation of Spider-Man, Ditko never really seemed to really get his due. At Marvel, there was Stan Lee, almost single-handedly writing most of their books, and there was Jack Kirby who was drawing most of the titles. Ditko had always been “the other guy”. When I started reading comics, Spider-Man had already gone through Romita Sr, and Andru on the art chores, and Stan Lee wasn’t even writing the book anymore. I was introduced to John Byrne and Chris Claremont’s run on the team-up Spider-Man book called Marvel Team-Up. Sure I had read Spider-Man’s first appearance a bunch of times in various re-prints, but I had largely been unaware of Ditko or his influence. I was aware of Stan Lee and his larger than life writing ability, as it was often talked about reverently by everyone in the industry. Because I had been groomed on John Byrne’s Spider-Man, I was very receptive to John Buscema and John Romita Sr’s version of the hero. And I was always being drawn to that style, emulating it on my own comic book creations years later.
The initial run of Spider-Man had often been mythologized by the other creators and eventually I came around to reading more of Ditko’s run on the title. And since there were rarely any interviews with Mr Ditko, I was unware of his involvement on the book other than the artwork, thinking everything was in fact Stan Lee’s ideas.
I was a big Spider-Man fan and I was collecting back issues of Spider-Man, working my way as far back as Buscema’s work and quite a few Russ Andru issues. Eventually and quite finally, I was unable to go any further back without completely breaking the bank. Marvel started putting out collected editions of their early titles under the Essentials trade format series, a black and white chronological reprint of an entire runs of titles. I was a completist and I needed to fill in what I could to have all of the Spider-Man issues. This was how I glomed onto Steve Ditko.
I also learned that Ditko’s involvement on the title was far more involved than what I had at first assumed. Ditko was not only drawing the title, he was co-plotting all of it. In fact, it was Ditko that controlled the narrative, the pacing, the invention of all of those early villains that have forever remained one of the best rogue’s galleries in all of comics. Peter Parker’s pathos, his frustrations, his anger--- all key elements to the book, were from the mind of Ditko.
I found Dr Strange immediately thereafter. Here was another Ditko co-creation (with Stan Lee again). For all the greatness of his Spider-Man, Dr Strange was on a whole other level. Spider-Man was grounded in reality, with the art really sharing a real New York to the world. Dr Strange was abstract, other dimensional and really trippy. My young brain exploded on the visuals Ditko came up with. Even in black and white, the art was out of this world.
It became apparent that Ditko’s roles in both Dr Strange and Spider-Man were much more than artist. His work raised these characters into the public consciousness. He made them relatable that they were just like us yet they were fantastic enough that we all could escape from the real world. All due credit to Stan Lee as well for his work on both of those titles. His role in both characters should not be minimized. It took Stan’s vision to pick Ditko, who was NOT the mainstream artist designed for Spider-Man and later for Dr Strange, but the one Stan chose to go with. It took Ditko’s quirky art to elevate Spider-Man. Without Ditko, it is entirely possible and plausible that Spider-Man and later Dr Strange might have never taken off. It was essentially Spider-Man that was responsible for Marvel Comics’ growth as a company, and the first title to really push Marvel to the next level.
We all owe a debt to Ditko. Without him, we likely would never have had the Marvel Comics we know and love today. Without him, Marvel might not have taken the chances they took. Marvel not only changed how comics were created, they created a revolution, a movement that extended far beyond the comic books. Comics were being quoted in the mainstream press often, and the edgy stories within the pages of these “funny books” were changing the sociological landscape.
Decades later, I still find myself going back and losing myself in those pages. Every time I forget my writing ethos, Ditko takes me back. I re-read all of Ditko’s early Marvel work to re-ignite my own writing. It is essential to taking chances, bucking the norm and finding the character within the character. It is about making things relatable yet fantastic, about writing visually, about believing in what you are creating and just running with it anyway, even if others think it wouldn’t work. Ditko was revelatory and revolutionary. There will never be another like him.
Long live Ditko.
~SeanGeek
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