Steve Ditko
Co-creator of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange
Unknown authorUnknown author · via Wikipedia: Steve Ditko · Public domain
Stephen John Ditko was born on November 2, 1927, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, to second-generation American parents of Rusyn Byzantine Catholic immigrant descent.[1] He co-created the iconic superhero Spider-Man with Stan Lee, designing the character's costume, web-gimmick, and spider-signal.[2]
Quick Facts
- Birth name
- Stephen John Ditko
- Born
- 2 November 1927
- Birthplace
- Johnstown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
- Died
- c. 29 June 2018
- Place of death
- New York City, U.S.
- Notable works
- Spider-Man
- Doctor Strange
- Creeper
- Hawk and Dove
- Mr. A
- Question
- Captain Atom
- Blue Beetle
- Nightshade
- Speedball
Facts from the source article.
Life and work
He enlisted in the U.S. Army on October 26, 1945, and drew comics for an Army newspaper while serving in occupied Germany.[3] After his discharge, Ditko enrolled at the Cartoonists and Illustrators School in New York City under the G.I. Bill.[4] Ditko began a long association with Charlton Comics in 1954, where he co-created Captain Atom with writer Joe Gill.[5] He shared a Manhattan studio from 1958 to 1968 with fetish artist Eric Stanton, an art-school classmate.[6]
"Paper Romance," a six-page story, was the first published comic-book work by Ditko, appearing in Daring Love #1 (October 1953).[7]
What the cited sources add
The Cooke and Irving article notes that Ditko's impressive work appears in Tales of the Mysterious Traveler, based on a Shadow-like radio show.[8] According to the same source, Ditko returned to Charlton after a creative disagreement with Lee, choosing lower pay over editorial interference.[8] The article reports that Ditko and Billy Anderson would duel each other with bent coat hangers, and that ping-pong matches were marathon events.[8]
References
- Wikipedia, "Steve Ditko" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Obituary for Stephen John Ditko", Moskal-Reid Funeral Home, April 25, 2014; Bell, pp. 14–15.; Comics Buyer's Guide #1636 (December 2007) p. 135; Anderson, "The beautiful witness of the Eastern Catholic Churches", Catholic Herald, March 7, 2019 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Steve Ditko" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Ditko interview, "Steve Ditko – A Portrait of the Master", Comic Fan #2 (Larry Herndon, pub.) via Ditko.Comics.org (Blake Bell, ed.), Summer 1965 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Steve Ditko" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bell 2008, p. 15; Bell 2008, p. 15; For information on the Ditkos's origins and Steve's siblings, see Bell, Strange and Stranger, Endnotes, p.1, citing 1920 and 1930 United States census data. "Di; Bell 2008, p. 15 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Steve Ditko" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bell 2008, p. 15; Jerry Robinson interview, Alter Ego #38 (Aug. 2004), p. 9; Jerry Robinson interview, Alter Ego #38 (Aug. 2004), p. 9; Bell 2008, p. 15 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Steve Ditko" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: McAvennie, "DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle", Dorling Kindersley, 2010, p. 99 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Steve Ditko" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Pérez Seves, Eric Stanton & the History of the Bizarre Underground, p. 213. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Steve Ditko" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bell 2008, p. 15; "Fantastic Fears #5", Grand Comics Database; Bell 2008, p. 15; Daring Love #1 at the Grand Comics Database (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Cooke, Jon B., & Christopher Irving. "The Charlton Empire: A Brief History of the Derby, Connecticut Publisher", Comic Book Artist #9, August 2000. Access. facts only, no text reused. twomorrows.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Steve Ditko (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
More in Artists & Composers
Elsewhere in Historical Figures
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced