This past weekend broke the news that legendary comics artist Steve Ditko had passed away at age 90. He actually died a week before that. Such was the opaque veil of secrecy and privacy that Steve Ditko maintained around his life that it took a week to find out he was dead.
Among Ditko's biggest contributions to comic books was his co-creation of Doctor Strange whose trippy designs and layouts continue to inspire comic book artists today and served as the foundation for some of the more way out there visuals in the Doctor Strange movie.
Making an even bigger impart on comic books and pop culture was Steve Ditko's work as the co-creator of Spider-Man.
It should be clarified that yes, that dramatic dialogue was from Stan Lee but by this point, Steve Ditko was fully plotting the book as well providing the penciled and inked art.
This collaboration was not satisfactory with Steve Ditko so he left Marvel to go work at Charlton Comics where he would work on Blue Beetle, the Question and Capt. Atom. Charlton had the lowest page rates in the industry but that's didn't matter to Ditko. He got to tell his stories his way.
When Charlton editor Dick Giordano jumped ship to DC, he brought Steve Ditko with him where Ditko created Hawk & Dove and the Creeper.
Steve Ditko had some very strong views regarding society and politics which would show up in Ditko's more personal works. Mr. A was created by Ditko and was inspired by the belief-system and moral absolutism of the philosopher-novelist Ayn Rand. Mr. A acted on the belief that there can only be good and evil, and no moral grey area.
Steve Ditko would continue to work for DC and Marvel off and on through latter part of the 20th Century. At DC, Steve Ditko drew Shade, the Changing Man, Stalker and Starman.
Steve Ditko collaborated with writer Paul Levitz and inker Romeo Tanghal on Starman in Adventure Comics. While I was not a big Steve Ditko fan in my youth, I actually quite enjoyed the Starman series.
Steve Ditko even worked for Marvel, co-creating and penciling Speedball and drawing the first appearance of Squirrel Girl.
The thing that defined Steve Ditko through out his life was his strict adherence to his own moral code. Steve Ditko believed there was good and there was evil and if you weren't one, you had to be the other. It was a code that cost Ditko a lot of people who could've been his friends.
Ditko seemed to hold little regard for the impact of his work and the regard it held for so many in comic fandom. He eschewed interviews and appearances at conventions.
I mentioned that I was not a fan of Steve Ditko's work when I was young. Ditko was a little too weird for my tastes. But as I've gotten older, I've come to appreciate more Ditko's very distinctive style.
Steve Ditko's impact on comics is unique and substantial and it will be missed.
Rest in peace, Steve Ditko.
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