There’s a reason Stan Lee pops up in a cameo in all those SPIDER-MAN movies, while the webslinger’s co-creator is nowhere to be found. Actually, there are several reasons, and they’re all detailed in STRANGER AND STRANGER: THE WORLD OF STEVE DITKO, Blake Bell’s bold and fascinating biography for Fantagraphics.
One of the few creative talents to survive the near-death of the comics industry in the wake of the Dr. Frederic Wertham-led witch hunt, Ditko remains one of its all-time greats, even if he’s not so comfortable being in the spotlight. The man simply wants his credit and his art — not awards or accolades.
As Bell recounts, Ditko and Lee helped make Marvel a publishing giant when they created Spider-Man. The author reveals that Ditko had more of a hand in shaping Spidey than just his look. He’s the one who insisted Peter Parker be an angst-ridden teenager, with problems rooted in reality. If it had all been up to Lee, Spidey would be fighting mythological demons and hanging out in outer space.
But for years, Lee tried to deny Ditko’s contribution at all, which caused an irreparable rift in their partnership. Lucky for us, Ditko managed to birth at least one other lasting character before calling it quits at Marvel: Doctor Strange. An entire chapter is devoted to the surrealist magic man, with the artist pushing boundaries in his depiction of other dimensions.
Ironically, it’s the creative freedom Ditko wanted that dims his standing, as his increasing involvement in the philosophies fronted by author Ayn Rand work their way onto the page. Although it spurred the creation of saintly do-gooder Mr. A, it marginalized his mainstream appeal — comics readers want action, not politics.
By the 1980s, comics work had all but dried up — in part to burned bridges — and Ditko had to lower himself to illustrating Transformers coloring books to pay the bills. As the years go by, it’s tough to read about him becoming stingier, embarking on a bizarre love/hate relationship with comics fanzines (as detailed in Douglas Wolk’s READING COMICS, but Bell fills in the blanks and shares photos). Today, Ditko still works, but he’s practically a J.D. Salinger-like hermit.
Bell plays more than biographer, providing insightful commentary on select panels and pages from Ditko’s long career that brings out the artist’s intentions and skills, all of which casual comics readers likely never noticed. Ditko informed his art with emotions and nuances and touches that could be expressed even without words. This is why he’s more than just a guy who could draw well, and why he’s still revered today.
Fantagraphics’ oversized hardback is expectedly handsome and well-designed, and containing an absolute smorgasbord of photos and illustrations, from sketches to stories. This allows readers to taste-test portions from all phases of Ditko’s career, including his oft-forgotten CREEPY work for Warren Publishing and the C-level oddball characters he did for DC, including The Creeper, The Stalker and Shade the Changing Man.
The book’s far-reaching scope and wealth of accompanying art, both widely seen and utterly rare, make this a must-purchase for Marvel, DC and Ditko enthusiasts. Along with David Hadju’s THE TEN-CENT PLAGUE, it’s one of the year’s finest nonfiction works on the comics industry. —Rod Lott
