Nick will know more, I'm sure, but I can contribute a little bit. The Odd Man was originally slated as the backup story in Shade The Changing Man #9 ~ the series was cancelled before issue 9 got published properly, but photostats of the original art appeared in DC's Cancelled Comic Cavalcade. Eventually the Odd Man story appeared, with small revisions, in an issue of Detective Comics. I suspect (but don't know for sure) that more stories were intended, had Shade continued.
One more thing ~ The Odd Man is one of the rare Ditko creations who actually works much better in colour than in black & white. Since his indie work in that era was all black & white except for the covers, one can assume that The Odd Man was specifically created for DC ~ rather than a pre-existing indie concept which would have been published by any company Ditko happened to be associating with at the time.
I must have read the story when it was in Detective , because I distinctly remember it was in color. It's been many years since I read it, and frankly I don't remember it very clearly. I was talking about clowns with a friend this afternoon, and how even the funny clowns seem to have a core of sadness to them. I also remembered that many people find clowns frightening, even as adults. This reminded me of the Odd Man, and I started wondering if Ditko intended it to be a lighthearted character, or if he was going to introduce some darker themes if it had continued.
I'm terrified of clowns. I get a little sick to my stomach just thinking about them.
I blame MOD SQUAD -- the episode with the Bozo-type clown (Milton Berle?)performing before a TV studio full of little kids. His half-naked female assistant gave him a balloon, much to his delight. The kids in the peanut gallery squealed with delight, "distracting him" for a moment while his assistant stepped off-stage. He looked around for her, "dumbstruck" by her disappearnce.
"Where's Jennifer!?!" he asked his audience.
The kids squealed with delight.
"Wheeere's Jennifer!?!" He folded his arms, and noticed the balloon in his hand.
The kids squealed like rabbits at the slaughter.
The clown points at the balloon, pretending amazement. "Is she in here?"
The kids go insane, completely hysterical at his mistake.
"She's in here!?!"
He pretend to call into the balloon: "Hello, Jennifer! Helloooooo, Jennifer!"
The kids are reduced to psychomaniacs, absolutely distraught with laughter.
"Hellooooooo, Jennifer! Helloooooooo, Je--!"
POP
The balloon pops, and the word catches in the clown's throat. He coughs. He coughs again. Apparently, a bit of the rubber balloon has lodged in his throat. He gags. He chokes.
He clutches his throat as the kids somehow fly to an even higher level of hysteria -- laughing, LAUGHING. As as the laugh -- like evil imps, like hysterical monkeys screeching in trees -- the old clown collapses to one knee, one hand to the floor, one to his throat. Choking, he collapses -- and DIES, as the kids have the time of their lives...
So clowns horrify me. The fact that they are mortal men with mortal feelings and problems, DRESSED as the counterfeit of delight, just plain horrifies me. I know it's silly.
I was talking about clowns with a friend this afternoon, and how even the funny clowns seem to have a core of sadness to them. I also remembered that many people find clowns frightening, even as adults.
Now, see...I think clowns are just f@#king evil and should be destroyed.
The odd thing is, I have very little info to add to your eloquent missive, aside from the fact that the Odd Man appeared in Detective Comics # 487. I suspect the character was specifically created for DC, although what Ditko intended to do with the strip is anyones guess. Perhaps Ditko took some of the ideas for the character and transferred them to the Missing Man, a character that had some elements of humor to it, especially in the design of the hero (I always got a kick out of MM's look, or non-look, as it were!)
