Very nice! One quick "Question":

Why isn't the background art in Black and White?





frank :-{>

Ah you winked BUT I'll answer you seriously ... I did try B&W pencil art first, but it looked too distracting for some reason. Too "busy". The quartertoned colour in the background seemed superior to my eyes. That image will change at my whim, or anyone else's whim who has cool Ditko scans to share.

If someone would like to make a more extravagant Ditko banner for the top of these pages, please do! But good luck finding a RECENT photo for the corner box ...

I suggest a corner box showing Ditko's self-portrait (not quite a caricature) from "How Stan Lee and Steve Ditko Create Spider-Man" from Spidey Annual #1, reprinted in one of the Essentials volumes. What do you guys think?

I think Mr. A should be in the corner box.

Hey, where's the wall paper from, anyway? Who's the red, white and blue chick? (Obviously, I'm not as well-versed in Ditko's work as some of you.)

"Your superior intellect is no match for our puny weapons."
-From The Simpsons ("Treehouse of Horror II")

That's Liberty Belle defending America against THE RED MENACE ~ from an issue of E-Man circa 1972.

Is there any relation to the Quality Comics character of the Golden Age (The one seen in Roy Thomas' ALL-STAR SQUADRON)?

"Your superior intellect is no match for our puny weapons."
-From The Simpsons ("Treehouse of Horror II")

No, this was her first appearance. The '70s Liberty Belle was a martial arts expert and a trained astronaut. (She's fighting a Russian who's masquerading as an American astronaut in the background image of this forum.)

...I wonder how "demure" belle'd be if she were created today, by the latest hot knucklehead. Any takers care to venture an opinion?




DADDIO

They'd be having her fight AGAINST the US government, no?

...in a red, white & blue thong.

Geez, Bob. You say it like it's a bad thing.



frank :-{>

"I suggest a corner box showing Ditko's self-portrait (not quite a caricature) from "How Stan Lee and Steve Ditko Create Spider-Man" from Spidey Annual #1, reprinted in one of the Essentials volumes. What do you guys think?"

Do you recall us having a discussion about Steve dropping himself into stories? Jeez, now I'm gonna have to go find those stories.....that one guy looked so much like Ditko, and he was an artist, and had a "THINK" sign on his mirror, and everything.
Yer memory's better'n mine, Linda; any recollection?




DAD

Don't remember which story, but yeh I do remember a story with that. Steve also likes to draw himself as a fountain pen with a face.

DADDIO

Yes!!

Also worth noting there ~ that was one of the first "artist devotionals" published in the comic book industry. Steve was THAT big.

This is from a story called The Blue Men of Bantro, from Space War #6, 1960. Note the dark-haired guy (Martin) is at a drafting table, precisely like the one Ditko uses, complete with "THINK" sign:



And the other guy (Leon), in glasses looks a whole lot like Sturdy Steve. Note the Captain Atom poster (panel 3, here) and the statue (panel 1) is a clone of one used as the primary prop for "The Unconquered", from Blue Beetle #5. Its also on the cover, but reversed:



DAD
(fixed images?)

For posting all these fascinated, beautiful, rare, unknown pieces of Ditko-work. Really.

In the photo the anatomy studies on the wall behind Ditko appear to be by Hogarth. Guess he was a direct influence after all!

That is either a Hogarth, or a Ditko drawing while in Hogarth's anatomy class. Either way, it is clearly in the Hogarth fashion.
Jim, the existence of this board has been around in Ditkophiles emails and IMs for quite some time! Several of the threads were created from existing/ongoing discussions about different ideas and images that have probably been discussed for a loooong time.


DAD