Steve Ditko, Co-Creator of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, Dies at Age 90 (ew.com) 48
Slashdot reader Dave Knott brings news:
Steve Ditko, the legendary comics artist best known for co-creating Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, has died at age 90. No cause of death was announced.
Neil Gaiman posted on Twitter, "I know I'm a different person because he was in the world." Entertainment Weekly reports: Ditko's most enduring characters were created during his tenure at Marvel Comics, where he worked alongside editor-in-chief Stan Lee to develop the look of Spider-Man in 1961. Jack Kirby had previously taken a swing at the webslinger, but Lee was unconvinced by that artist's interpretation of the now-iconic character.
When Spider-Man -- whose red-and-blue costume, Spidey senses, and web-shooters all came directly from Ditko -- first appeared within the pages of Amazing Fantasy No. 15, the friendly neighborhood superhero proved a surprisingly massive hit for Marvel Comics, paving the way for a solo comic series titled The Amazing Spider-Man. Ditko's influence on Spider-Man was tremendous, his often dark sensibilities informing an at-the-time rare superhero whose life was often worsened and trauma-filled as a consequence of his good deeds. The artist additionally helped conceive many of the most memorable members of Spidey's rogues' gallery, including Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Vulture, and the Lizard...
Two years later, Ditko delivered another Marvel icon by creating Doctor Strange, the mystical Sorcerer Supreme who furthered the comic book empire's reach into more cosmic, even psychedelic realms... As a freelancer, he continued contributing to Marvel and created cult-favorite character Squirrel Girl for them in 1992.
Neil Gaiman posted on Twitter, "I know I'm a different person because he was in the world." Entertainment Weekly reports: Ditko's most enduring characters were created during his tenure at Marvel Comics, where he worked alongside editor-in-chief Stan Lee to develop the look of Spider-Man in 1961. Jack Kirby had previously taken a swing at the webslinger, but Lee was unconvinced by that artist's interpretation of the now-iconic character.
When Spider-Man -- whose red-and-blue costume, Spidey senses, and web-shooters all came directly from Ditko -- first appeared within the pages of Amazing Fantasy No. 15, the friendly neighborhood superhero proved a surprisingly massive hit for Marvel Comics, paving the way for a solo comic series titled The Amazing Spider-Man. Ditko's influence on Spider-Man was tremendous, his often dark sensibilities informing an at-the-time rare superhero whose life was often worsened and trauma-filled as a consequence of his good deeds. The artist additionally helped conceive many of the most memorable members of Spidey's rogues' gallery, including Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Vulture, and the Lizard...
Two years later, Ditko delivered another Marvel icon by creating Doctor Strange, the mystical Sorcerer Supreme who furthered the comic book empire's reach into more cosmic, even psychedelic realms... As a freelancer, he continued contributing to Marvel and created cult-favorite character Squirrel Girl for them in 1992.
Stan Lee says (Score:1)
Ha ha Ditko! First Kirby and now you I beat you all! I have the final credit NOW! HAHAHAHAHAHA (cough) (cough) (wheeze)
Re: (Score:1)
Whatever anthro cartoon character existed first, either animated or in a comic or book of some sort (ie. Bugs Bunny, Mickey Mouse) is the first. No idea who it was...
Probably ancient cave drawings started the idea or Egyptians if you want to sound really smart about the subject.
At least 2000 years, possibly 4000 (Score:2)
Whatever anthro cartoon character existed first, either animated or in a comic or book of some sort (ie. Bugs Bunny, Mickey Mouse) is the first. No idea who it was...
Probably ancient cave drawings started the idea or Egyptians if you want to sound really smart about the subject.
It depends on how you define cartoon and animated, and first.
I have a book documenting a type of Roman werewolf-ism dating from about 0 BC. The minotaur was part man, part bull. The bible talks about a snake person tempting Eve to eat the apple, and Navajo have stories about skin walkers that probably go back 10,000 years. Rakshasa from the Rigveda is 1200 BC and might qualify.
Re: (Score:2)
The bible talks about a snake person tempting Eve to eat the apple
Fun fact: the Bible never specifies what the forbidden fruit is. Other interpretations make it a fig, pear, tamarind, grape, banana, pomegranate, wheat, psychedelic mushroom, or just a metaphor for the sex organs.
Re: (Score:2)
It's not a snake person, just a talking snake with legs. (I'm Israeli, we're legally forced to study bible, so I'm pretty sure of this)
RIP (Score:2)
Steve Ditko's influence through Spiderman, along with Stan Lee, helped shape my perspective on responsibility and helping others in need. Thank you Mr. Ditko.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Taken to the extreme, almost everything everyone does for entertainment is pointless. Humorless bastards dwell on that, but normal people accept it and move on.
Re: (Score:2)
We all can't be heartless bastards who kill animals on the endangered species list but you go for it. It sounds like you are in that crowd.
Re:pre pubescent fantasy (Score:5, Insightful)
But by the time I was 12, I left all that behind.
You have my sympathy then.
"When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty, I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up."
-CS Lewis
Not that I like superhero comics, but at least it's not some sort of self denial because I feel I should't like them because I'm too old.
Re: (Score:2)
I remember feeling in jr. high how happy I was that I was a big boy who didn't get recess any more like the little kids.
Pardon my French, but what a fucking idiot.
Re: (Score:2)
I remember feeling in jr. high how happy I was that I was a big boy who didn't get recess any more like the little kids.
Allow me to point you to the bit of my (very) short post you never even got to:
Clearly you have not got over your fear of looking childish. It's good and proper for children to want to grow up. But you're not a kid any more, I assume.
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:1)
Dr. Seuss would have been my preference when I was 5 and into children's fantasies. Nothing against Steve Ditko or Stan Lee who certainly created colorful and magical dream worlds. But by the time I was 12, I left all that behind. Heroism that depends on magic doesn't seem heroic to me when there are real human heroes who have no supernatural advantages. I don't understand why an adult would continue to devote time and energy to such foolishness.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing."
-George Bernard Shaw
Re: (Score:2)
"Besides, have you seen what's passing for a grownup these days? Apparently believing and proliferating insane conspiracy theories or bullying coworkers on social media is par for the professional course. And the U.S. president is only the most prominent example. Before she was unceremoniously dumped by ABC, Roseanne Barr had spent years using social media as a platform for a slew of bigoted comments and ideas it would be generous to call far-fetched. Meanwhile, recently fired EPA administrator Scott Pruitt
Steve Ditko's greatest work of art (Score:2)
http://cloud-109.blogspot.com/... [blogspot.com]
No cause of death was announced (Score:3)
But the art! (Score:2)
The quote from Entertainment Weekly doesn't touch on Steve Ditko's amazingly creative style of art, even his quickie horror-comic one-shots were far more inventive and interesting than they needed to be--
Try doing a web image search on "steve ditko doctor strange" and you'll see it immediately. I'm more than a little annoyed that Marvel decided to downplay the original Ditko's to do revamped versions with Cumberbatch's likeness...
And yeah, his solo work on Mr. A was a remarkable job of doing an Ayn Rand
RIP Steve Ditko (Score:4, Funny)
Not for long (Score:2)