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Remembering The Creator of Marvel's Doctor Strange, Steve Ditko (hollywoodreporter.com)

Posted by EditorDavid on from the expanding-your-mind dept.

An anonymous reader writes: As Marvel publicizes its Doctor Strange movie, "there's one key figure you won't be hearing from: the person who created the Sorcerer Supreme." Steve Ditko (who also co-created Spider-Man with Stan Lee in 1962) introduced Doctor Strange in 1963, remembers The Hollywood Reporter, then abruptly left Marvel in 1966 to work for other publishers. "He would more or less be done with mainstream comics by the 1970s, though he would pop up from time to time (he co-created Squirrel Girl for Marvel in the 1990s)."

Ditko was recently involved in a Kickstarter campaign to honor the anniversaries of famous comics (in which 152 backers ultimately pledged $5,462). He celebrated his 89th birthday this week, but "He is private and has intentionally stayed out of the spotlight like J.D. Salinger," says the director of Doctor Strange, adding "I hope he goes to see the movie wherever he is, because I think we paid homage to his work."
The article includes fond memories of working with Ditko from both Jim Starlin and Stan Lee, who also praised his work in a book called The Art of Steve Ditko. "All I had to do was give Steve a one-line description of the plot and he'd be off and running. He'd take those skeleton outlines I had given him and turn them into classic little works of art that ended up being far cooler than I had any right to expect."

14 of 44 comments (clear)

  1. We're lucky by elrous0 · · Score: 2

    The fact that so many of these guys from the early days of Marvel are still alive is amazing, really. I doubt Stan Lee or Ditko could have imagined that they would still be kicking around and being venerated over 50 years after their seminal works.

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    1. Re:We're lucky by JustOK · · Score: 1

      Well, as they used to say: if the ink don't stink, it won't make you think.

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      rewriting history since 2109
    2. Re:We're lucky by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 1

      Back in the day, black ink used in throwaway printings like pulp paper newspapers and comics was pig blood-based. Cheap was the name of the game.

      --
      (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
    3. Re:We're lucky by T.E.D. · · Score: 1

      Kevin Smith compared it to being alive at the same time as Homer or Shakespeare. I thought it was a silly comparison at first, but thinking about it, not only is it apt, but it undersells things. These are the guys who created the mythology the entire human race is likely be using to tell its stories for centuries, if not until the day entropy descends. We can interact with the living breathing creators today. That's a huge privilege.

  2. no salinger, just a derivative of others by sittingnut · · Score: 1

    "He is private and has intentionally stayed out of the spotlight like J.D. Salinger"

    his is ok, but he is not salinger. fact that there is a new derivative movie based on characters he "created" (if that is the word, given comparative lateness of his characters to a genre, and which he did nothing to expand beyond its limitations).

    1. Re:no salinger, just a derivative of others by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 1

      his is ok, but he is not salinger.

      yeah, he's definitely more Garbo than Salinger.

      --
      #DeleteChrome
    2. Re:no salinger, just a derivative of others by hey! · · Score: 3, Informative

      Well, maybe he's no Salinger, but he's not quite the talentless hack you paint him to be. He was very influential in establishing the look and story for many iconic characters -- Iron Man, Spider-Man, and of course Doctor Strange.

      I think a lot of people don't care for Ditko because of his politics -- he's an Objectivist. But the thing about really creative people is that there always a "where the hell did that come from?" aspect to their work. In that he's quite a bit more interesting than as an artist than Rand herself.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
  3. Wait a minuite by willoughby · · Score: 1

    "Squirrel Girl"? ...oh my..

    I'll be in my bunk...

    1. Re:Wait a minuite by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 1

      A minor joke character to use when even the Avengers and Fantastic Four can't handle it.

      And now, the sad truth: she has more power than Aquaman for most situations.

      --
      (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
  4. His non mainstream characters are underappreciated by Crashmarik · · Score: 1

    Mr. A was the basis for the question but significantly superior in the original conception

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    The Creeper was also incredibly good.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

  5. Re:Headline bait (Meta) by Hognoxious · · Score: 1

    I think the odds are fairly high for all of us, depending on the election results.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  6. Stan Lee and Marvel f***ed him and Kirby by jgfenix · · Score: 2

    Ditko and Kirby did most of the job while Lee collected the money and the fame. He didn't support them, the two men he owes most of his prestige.

    1. Re:Stan Lee and Marvel f***ed him and Kirby by K10W · · Score: 1

      Ditko and Kirby did most of the job while Lee collected the money and the fame. He didn't support them, the two men he owes most of his prestige.

      If only I had mod points. Always pissed me off since Lee is such a media whore and has often taken sole credit for stuff that was collaboration at best, theft at worst. Don't ge me wrong Stan Lee has some talent, just he built a lot of his fame on the backs of others he actively screwed out of recognition.

    2. Re:Stan Lee and Marvel f***ed him and Kirby by jgfenix · · Score: 1

      I used to idolize the man, with all that "Stan Lee presents" and the cameos he had in the comics long before the movies. But when I read what had happened it infuriated me.