Original Art: Jungle Jim #22 – “Wizard of Dark Mountain” Original Art (Page 5, 1969) (Charlton Comics)

Layouts by Bhob Stewart
Pencils by Steve Ditko
Inks by Wally Wood

Original Art: Tales of Suspense #15 – “I am the living ghost!” (Full 5-page story) (Marvel, 1961)

#2oww1 by Robin Snyder and Steve Ditko (Kickstarter) NOW LIVE!

Steve Ditko and Robin Snyde have just announced their latest comic: #2oww1.

Funding for the 32 page, black and white, comic book is being sought through Kickstarter (the crowd funding website). By pledging you can guarantee a copy (+extras) and help fund the creation of their latest work.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW & PLEDGE

The rewards for pledges are:

• $1 or more – An acknowledgement in the book
• $5 or more – An acknowledgement in the book + a copy of the four page series
• $10 or more – An acknowledgement in the book +  a copy of the four page series + a copy of the Comics! (newsletter)
• $15 or more – A copy of the new book + An acknowledgement in the book +  a copy of the four page series + a copy of the Comics! (newsletter)
• $20 or more – A copy of the new book + An acknowledgement in the book +  a copy of the four page series + a copy of the Comics! (newsletter) + a copy of the 32 series
• $30 or more – A copy of the new book + An acknowledgement in the book +  a copy of the four page series + a copy of the Comics! (newsletter) + a copy of the 32 series + a copy of the Ditko Package series
• $35 or more – A copy of the new book + An acknowledgement in the book +  a copy of the four page series + a copy of the Comics! (newsletter) + a copy of the 32 series + a copy of the Ditko Package series + Mr.A book
• $45 or more – A copy of the new book + An acknowledgement in the book +  a copy of the four page series + a copy of the Comics! (newsletter) + a copy of the 32 series + a copy of the Ditko Package series + Mr.A book + Mr.A #15
• $50 or more – A copy of the new book (Signed by Robin Snyder) + An acknowledgement in the book +  a copy of the four page series + a copy of the Comics! (newsletter) + a copy of the 32 series + a copy of the Ditko Package series + Mr.A book + Mr.A #15 + The Cover Series
• $60 or more – A copy of the new book (personalised and signed by Robin Snyder) + An acknowledgement in the book +  a copy of the four page series + a copy of the Comics! (newsletter) + a copy of the 32 series + a copy of the Ditko Package series + Mr.A book + Mr.A #15 + The Cover Series

Currently these are only on offer to the USA. However Ditkocomics.com will be stocking in the future.

Happy pledging! There is a lot of value in these rewards! Don’t miss out!

CLICK HERE TO VISIT KICKSTARTER PAGE & PLEDGE

Ditkocomics.com MEGA SALE (50% off) begins today!

Click the image – or here – to visit the Ditkocomics.com website for the 50% off Mega Sale. It includes all items, collections and bundles except the latest three Ditko/Snyder releases and the last issue of Ditkomania (fanzine). Check it out!

 

Ends 22nd of July 2014

 

 

NEWS: Kickstarter #3 for Robin Snyder & Steve Ditko’s #9Teen

Thats right! Steve Ditko and Robin Snyder are at it again by offering you the chance to help fund their latest 32-page comic book: #9Teen.

All pledges can be made on the official Kickstarter page – here – with donations starting as little as $1.

Pledges of $10 or more will be rewarded with a variety of products including a copy of the book plus extras.

Original Art: Tales To Astonish #13 – My friend is not quite human! (Splash, 1960) (Marvel)

Letter: Thanks for the copies of Bizarre Fantasy

Thanks to Steve Busti for sharing his letter from Steve Ditko. With his permission I am able to share the story he sent me with it:

I was self-publishing under the imprint Flashback Comics, and had two titles at the time, Bizarre Fantasy and Fantastic Worlds. At the time, the industry was only interested in the hot new artist-of-the-month, and I missed seeing some of my favorite artists I grew up with. So with Flashback Comics I was attempting to recreate the glory days of the Silver Age of comic books (my tagline was “Making Comics FUN Again!”), reaching out to many of the legendary comic artists and writers to see if any would be interested in working on either series. I befriended many of them, including Al Williamson, Joe Sinnott, Dick Ayers, Roger Stern, Rich Buckler and Sam Glanzman (all of whom contributed artwork/stories).

The one artist (other than Kirby, who had already passed away) who really had an influence on my style was Steve Ditko. I got up the nerve and wrote him a letter telling him of the influence his work had on me, and sent him some copies of my comics. I asked if he’d be interested in doing any artwork for Flashback Comics, and also if he could give me any constructive criticism. I had no doubt he would say no, but I figured I’d always regret it if I didn’t at least ask. I really had no idea if he would even have the time or inclination to reply, so I was knocked off my feet when I actually received a response letter from him, hand-written in pencil!

Needless to say, it is one of the most special gifts I have ever received. Now after all these years, I’d like to share it with you and your readers. I feel this letter sheds a lot of insight into the mind of Ditko, and how he felt about the comics of the time. I hope you and your readers enjoy it!

Photo: Steve Ditko in his NY Studio – 1970s

A new photo of Steve Ditko is circulating the net. Taken by Martin Greim in Ditko’s New York studio in the 1970s.

Ditkocomics.com is now live!

Good news folks! Ditkocomics.com is now live and selling Steve Ditko books worldwide.

It has been a fun project to build and so far the response has been excellent. With orders coming thick and fast and being dispatched within 24 hours.

The store currently stocks all the Robin Snyder & Steve Ditko books (that are still in-print). Including the new 32 page comics, the paper bound collections (including packages, Static and The Mocker) and of course the very popular essays.

Until December 1st I am offering 15% off to all DitkoCultist.com readers. This can be claimed at check-out using the coupon code: dc15off

So visit Ditkocomics.com and give it a try; I am certain you won’t be disappointed!

Until next time,

Rob

NEWS: Steve Ditko Archives Volume 4: Impossible Tales – A Sneak Preview

Behold the new cover to the fourth volume of The Steve Ditko Archives (Fantagraphics).

From the Fantagraphics exclusive page:

Ditkophiles rejoice! A fourth heaping helping of Steve Ditko’s classic suspense and horror work from the 1950s is on its way to give you the creeps right around Halloween. Impossible Tales collects another 200-plus pages of tales from This Magazine Is Haunted, Tales of the Mysterious Traveler, Mysteries of Unexplored Worlds, Out of This World, Strange Suspense Stories and more, impeccably compiled by Ditko doyen Blake Bell and given our painstaking restoration treatment. Ditko’s mastery of the comics page is in full effect here, with a real burst of creativity and innovation that marks this work as one of his peaks.

Update: A message from Robin Snyder

Just received via email from Robin Snyder (Ditko’s co-publisher) with regards to the recent successful Kickstarter project:

Dear Friends,

Today is the day. I have gone over the make-ready looking for problems, crooked pages, pages out of order and so forth. I couldn’t find any flaws.

So.

We now go to press.

Thanks to each of you who have helped bring us this far, who have helped to bring to production this important book.

Until we meet again,

Robin

 

NEWS: The Four-Page Series #4 OUT NOW!

Steve Ditko and Robin Snyder’s 4th installment of The Four-Page Series is out now. Thanks to Ditkomania author Rob Imes for the screenshot.
Contact the address below (in the screenshot) to order directly.

 

NEWS: Two Volume Witzend Collection from Fantagraphics

Officially not announced (yet) but news has spread via the Wally Wood FB Group:

Just got a form letter from Bill Pearson announcing that Fantagraphics will be publishing a bound boxed two-volume set of witzend next summer. The last issue, which I believe was unpublished, has a story by Bill and I about the true death of Elvis Presley.

Steve Ditko did some amazing stories and illustrations for Wally Wood’s independent publication: Witzend. This was spread over 8 issues (1-4, 6-8 & 12) totaling 37 pages. We  can expect these works to be collected in the volumes.

I will keep you updated with any developments.

Steve Ditko’s Amazing Spider-man #12 Cover….Lego Style!

Leonel Castellani has produced a great lego version of Steve Ditko’s classic Amazing Spider-man #12 cover. It is to feature as a variant on the new Mighty Avengers #1. Below is the lego variant compared with the original:

Image sourced from Comic Book Resources

Steve Ditko on the San Diego Comic Con 1977

Steve Ditko has a rich history of doing illustrations for the brochures that were produced for the San Diego Comic Con. He begun doing this in the 1972  brochure and continued with four more from 1975-1978. Below is one of my favorites from the 1977 edition:

Thanks to seminal the Ditko-fever.com for the scan.