By Steve Ditko and various
No ISBN
Steve Ditko is one of the most unique stylists in an artform literally brimming with diversity and innovation. By using a set of stylisations that reduce the universe to cartoon simplicity he has made the most fantastic premises realer than real, and thus created a hyper-reality that can denote good or evil, happy or sad hopeful or damned with the merest flick of a brush.
In his earliest days he worked for shoe-string publisher Charlton Comics, who throughout his career gave him the editorial latitude he craved but never the remuneration he deserved. No company has ever given him the acclaim he is due.
Between 1957 and 1959 he produced an unbelievable number of short mystery and science-fiction stories for Charlton’s genre anthology comics – by far the backbone of the industry in the days before super-heroes re-emerged as the dominant form – and this book collects a sampling from one of those titles. Culled from Out of This World issues #3-12, and decently printed on good quality paper rather than the appalling pulp stock Charlton utilised, the glorious chiaroscuric black and white is undiluted by poor colouring hastily applied.
This little volume has episodes that terrify, amaze, amuse and enthral. They are an utter delight, with lean, stripped down plots and simple dialogue that let the art set the tone, tug the heartstrings and tell the tale, of times when a story could end sadly as well as happily and only wonderment was on the agenda, hidden or otherwise.
Isn’t it time this marvellous creator’s work was rediscovered and put into the kind of permanent graphic packages that all our giants deserve?
© 1989 Robyn Snyder. All Rights Reserved.
Well, Marvel have just released an oversize hardback of the complete run of Amazing Adult Fantasy — all those fabulous Stan Lee/Steve Ditko shorts in a single volume. It’s a must buy as far as I’m concerned, and indeed is sitting next to my bed where I can easily digest a story a night.
Robin Snyder and Ditko published a whole slew of DItko’s more personal work during the 1990s. I have numerous volumes under the banner of ‘Ditko Package’, as well as Out of this World, The Lonely One, Static vols 1 & 2, The Mocker, Avenging World, and more. There’s loads of it. Much of it is an exploration of Ditko’s Ayn Rand inspired Objectivist beliefs — so it probably won’t play well in the Wiacek household! — but it’s always worth a look.
And, of course, Ditko is currently in the public eye thanks to Jonathan Ross’s excellent BBC documentary, In Search of Steve Ditko, that is currently playing on BBC 4, and available for viewing on You Tube. It’s worth the price of entry just to see Stan Lee caught off guard over the ‘who created Spider-Man’ debate.
More thoughts here: http://www.thefifthbranch.com/gorilladaze/?p=285
I know what you mean, and I’m debating getting that Ditko book myself, but I’m always reluctant to fork out cash for stuff I’ve already got, when there’s so much that I haven’t seen at all.
Maybe Marvel will send the CCG a review copy.
I love what Robyn Snyder’s done to keep not just Ditko but so many unsung comic luminaries in our consciousness, and I’ll admit that it was the upcoming TV exposure that prompted my Ditko reviews of material that I knew would be a little harder for interested parties to track down. But that’s what the internet and even back issue comic shops are for, right?
I’ve no real problem with the man’s belief systems either, just the weak, average, human shlubs he wishes could live up to them. Our artform needs more creativity inspired by deeply held beliefs and not a pay-cheque and a marketing plan if we want to be taken seriously.
Win