Steve Ditko in the 1960s is a delightful tome assembled by J. Ballman. He researched and gathered most all of the surviving fanzine responses, reviews, and interviews concerning Steve Ditko and his work, most notably The Amazing Spider-Man from the decade. There is some minor coverage of Captain Atom and other work at Charlton as well as a peek at what Ditko got up to at DC after he left Marvel, but the overwhelming majority of the material is about Spidey. We begin with announcements of a new comic book character from Marvel and follow the fan response as Ditko wins over the community with his dedication and with is willingness to engage the fanzine makers on their terms. He responds to written interviews with terse but clear answers, and we see him withdraw from that practice as the decade develops. Finally, we see him reflected by the fans as the only artist for Spider-Man, the most sensational creation of the decade.
The heart of this package though is a piece titled "Steve Ditko and Memories of Another Day" by Bernie Bubnis who shares with the reader his earliest contacts with Ditko in those bygone days of 1962 and after when the artist shared a studio with Eric Stanton. Bubnis became a regular visitor to the studio, finding in the somber and quiet Ditko a man he could respect, more than he could respect his gangster father. Ditko's fiery sense of injustice is seen ablaze when he learns that Bubnis has been beaten, but that fire is tempered by the streetwise advice of Stanton who knows that it will only be worse for Bubnis if they intercede. Not only does Bubnis share these recollections of early days, but he also frames those tales with a visit he made to Ditko's studio in 2017 with his wife. Great stuff and for someone who has been a Ditko fan as long as I have been, it's fantastic to finally get a glimpse of the real flawed man beneath the reputation.
This volume is an absolute treasure trove for any Marvel fan of the era when comics were more important than movies, and Steve Ditko was an idol.
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Cool review. Though the book was published 5 or so years back, yours is the first review I've come across.
ReplyDeleteIt's a nifty tome. Worth the time of any vintage Marvelite.
DeleteI've just picked up a copy of Stantoons, Richard Pérez Seves' collection of collaborations between Steve Ditko and Eric Stanton, originally published 1965-68 and distributed via mail order. Mostly lots of catfighting in tight skirts or underwear (the only nudity occurs in an extra story credited to Stanton alone). Several nice photos of Steve Ditko working at the studio they shared on West 43rd Street.
ReplyDeleteLooks interesting. Thanks for the tip.
DeleteI obtained my copy via Amazon UK's print on demand service. No doubt the same will be available in the US.
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