Steve Ditko was a comics artist and writer best known as the artist and co-creator, with Stan Lee, of my favorite Marvel Comics superheroes Spider-Man and Doctor Strange.
After creating the concept of Spider-Man, Stan Lee worked with Ditko to bring Spider-Man to life: the suit, the wrist shooter, the mask, the ability to scale walls with no assistance, the Spider-Man we know is thanks to Ditko’s interpretation of Lee’s concept. His artistic innovation influenced the comic book world, television, and movies to the present day.
But not only is he the father of Spider-Man. Ditko Co-Created Doctor Strange. And for DC Comics Creeper, Hawk and Dove, Mr. A, Question ( my sons favorite DC Character) Captain Atom, revamped the Blue Beetle. None of these characters would exist as we know them if it weren’t for the talents of Steve Ditko.
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.
Cover of The Thing #12 (Feb. 1954). Art (pencils & inks) by Steve Ditko
Date February 1954
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.
During the 1950s, Ditko also drew for Atlas Comics, a forerunner of Marvel Comics. He went on to contribute much significant work to Marvel. 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 he never specified.
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. As conceived by Ditko, the Question was also adherent of Objectivism during his career as a minor Charlton hero, much like Ditko’s earlier creation, Mr. A In a 1987–1990 solo series from DC, the character developed a Zen-like philosophy. Ditko largely declined to give interviews, saying he preferred to communicate through his work. (citation wiki)
Ditko was inducted into the comics industry’s Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1990, and into the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame in 1994.
All images courtesy of Steve Ditko/Wikipedia