Stan Lee died the same year, and Steve Ditko's passing was totally overshadowed by the media. I wonder who knew that Ditko had even passed. Truly sad. He deserved a hell of a lot more than he got.
I am really impressed by the amount of photos of Steve Ditko that you included in this documentary. In every other video of Steve all I have ever seen were the 2 most famous Ditko photos and that’s it. It’s nice to see photos of Ditko from before his artist days and from after.
Stan Lee did not outline Steve Ditko's most famous character. He merely mentioned his old "radiation power" origin, which he also used on other characters over the years. In his own words, Lee's main instruction regarding this super-hero was to base him on an old pulp magazine era star he liked called The Spider. After reading that info, I searched the internet for a bit before finding said pulp icon. There it was, alright - The Spider. To which, of course, Lee being too young at the time, had created nothing.
Ditko didn't create Spiderman in the sense of coming up with the initial concept, which came from Stan Lee, but he did elaborate on Stan's concept in creative ways that made the character what he is today
@narayanachakra3288 Stan Lee came up with the concept of a hero with spider powers, that he should be a teenager, that he should have personal problems, that the murder of his uncle motivated him to become a crime fighter, that he lives with his elderly aunt, that he should be regarded as a menace by newspaper editor J. Jonah Jameson. He also invented Gwen Stacy, Mary Jane Watson, the Green Goblin, Dr. Octopus and all of Spidey's other foes and secondary characters. He initially assigned Kirby to draw the character but later gave the job to Ditko who took Stan's basic story beats and plotted them out in pictures. The artists were hired hands under the direction of Stan Lee, the creator of Spiderman, who gave his workers a lot of freedom to bring his ideas to the page, contributions for which Stan never failed to give them generous credit and praise.
@narayanachakra3288 Spiderman came from Stan Lee, the artists just designed the costumes and things like that. Kirby did invent an incidental character in a Fantastic Four story that Stan Lee turned into the Silver Surfer, and Stan always gave Jack credit for it. Stan Lee had a collaborative approach that allowed his artists to make contributions, but the basic characters and situations came from him, not the men he hired to fill in the details. Ditko would take Stan's plots in weird directions (or ignore them altogether) and drop the artwork off without telling Stan what was going on, making it hard for Stan to write dialog, but that's not collaboration, that's passive aggressive hostility. Stan sensed that Ditko was going to try to sabotage Spiderman by quitting suddenly, so he wisely groomed a better artist, John Romita, to take over when Ditko walked away.
Great retrospective on Steve Ditko. Kirby got the same treatment from Lee and left Marvel for the same reason. Kirby felt he was the true author of his comics while Lee claimed credit for supplying the dialogue. Likewise, Kirby didn't like articles giving Lee all the credit for creating the Marvel Universe while Kirby had created more than 70% of it in the 1960s. Yet, Ditko and Kirby did their best work under Lee. Maybe the conflict drove them to do better.
It clearly says in those later Spider-Man issues "plotted and drawn by Steve Ditko" and it clearly says in those later Fantastic Four issues "by Stan (The Man) Lee and Jack (King) Kirby" . If Ditko and Kirby wanted more attention and more credit then perhaps they shouldn't have been so reclusive and promoted and talked up the comics more, like Stan did. Stan was tireless and worked his butt off spreading the Marvel word everywhere.
It’s sad that he never drew any Spider-Man art after he left the series, Spider-Man’s costume and powers are such a huge part of the character. Yes Stan Lee had the original idea but Ditko took that spark and helped him mold it into a finished character. I think he absolutely deserves to be known as the co-creator of Spider-Man. He could’ve however appreciated the opportunity to work on the story in the first place and his job at marvel to Stan Lee, and if he was able to compromise more with Lee probably could’ve made a lot more money for his contributions.
I think I have to agree with Stan on this one due to the fact that he gave it to Kirby first, knew it wasn't right and showed it didn't fit his vision, and moved it along until Ditko understood what he wanted. 60-40 split to Lee is how I see it. Great Video!
I don't dislike Stan Lee, but he really was just doing the same thing Bob Kane did to Bill Finger without all the later backlash. I think Stan Lee takes too much credit for things he didn't actually do or had little involvement with. Again, I don't dislike Stan Lee, but I sort of hate the pedestal he's put on and the lack of recognition guys like Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby get.
Great job pulling other info together. As a young Spidey fan in the mid 70's my Dad's friend (who lived in NYC) got his address from the phone book & I sent him a letter (of course asking about Spidey) he responded about that's the past and Mr A is the future for him, in a letter sent of course in SASE. He then sent me a Copy of Mr A....all of which I still have!
You lined up so much great history in this video. Thank you so much for putting this together. I know how much work and extra effort it takes for these biographies. Thank you!
Fantastic video! Man, that was sad at the end… You had said there wasn’t much love for the comics code video. However you should know there are nerds like me out here that love this stuff! Keep up the great work! 👊
I know you may not get the likes or the views or the shares on this that you do on many of your other videos but this was absolutely awesome. Ditko has always been 1 of my favorite artists.
David, I thoroughly enjoyed your beautiful homage to the late, great Steve Ditko. It was insightful and thoughtful of a Man who gave us his art openly. Unfortunately his name is somewhat obscured by time and perhaps his own uncompromising approach to the comic genre. Still, as a kid growing up in 1960's Brooklyn, his approach to Spider-Man to me, was wonderful. Thank you for this posting. By the way, you might have a budding career as a narrator/voice over artist. Best to all.
Thank you. It’s crazy to me because ditko is a house hold name in my family. I’m an old soul when it comes to comics. But I can see how most people don’t really know about him since he was much more prevalent in the 60s and started to fall by the way side later
@@ComicBookInvestments I agree that Steve had a part in it, but, if Stan would have been more pleased with Jack Kirby's work on Spiderman Steve would never have drawn Spiderman.
Ditko indirectly inspired the character we know as Adam Warlock. After Ditko pestered Jack Kirby with his Ayn Rand nonsense Kirby created Him ( Adam Warlock) to mock Rand , Ditko and Objectionism. Stan Lee , ever the kind man , altered the story and stopped Jack's mockery.
@@VaryingViewpointDidn't Kirby pitch a "Silver Spider" to marvel back in the 50's? For all we know Stan Lee could just have made up Peter's backstory, but was conceptually not the sole creator
@ComicBookInvestments "But Stan lee doesn’t consider ditko to be the creator which is weird" Why would he, considering Ditko WASN'T the 'creator' of Spider-Man? Stan Lee considered Ditko the co-creator of Spider-Man, which he was. Even though Lee actually had the idea and name for the new character before he gave it to Ditko to bring to life.
Great video! Weird the UA-cam algorithm suggested to me last week the that BBC documentary In Search of Steve Ditko. I think the algorithm can predict the future....
It clearly tells you that no matter how much Ditko appeared to have moved on from Spiderman, he never really did. Something like a lost love. The character and the entire episode always remained in his heart and although he walked away from the it, it was more his ego than his will. Honor!
Thank you for putting this together. You covered a lot of ground with lots of information and references. Although Spider-Man and Dr. Strange are my entry points to Ditko’s work, I later discovered reprints of his Atlas monster/ sci-fi / mystery and horror work, and that hit me on a whole other level. This video is important not only for the retrospective look at Ditko’s work, but also for the harsh lessons regarding a career as a cartoonist or any form of art. I hate that he died alone the way he did. The ‘industry’ is particularly cold and cruel to even our best creators (Kirby, Moore, and many others), so we have to remember to protect ourselves in every possible way. Stay on top of your health, finances, and your relationships… it’s important to have the people that care about you within reach. If these things aren’t in order, please, do what you can to fix them while you can. All the best.
Dave, can you do a video on your ppc? I am guessing you got some awesome books and would like to see it review and plus your thoughts and why you decide to invest in those books.
Exceptionally well done Steve Ditko documentary. I feel he is easily the co creator of spider man and deserves the same amount of credit as Stan Lee. 👍 👍
Ditko is not the creator but the co-creator of Spider-Man with Stan Lee. His departure was a good thing, because thanks to John Romita and Stan Lee, Spider-Man was taken to a whole other level, and we got some of the best Spider-Man episodes ever.
He was the best and most iconic Spider-Man artist in my opinion. He got co creator credit in the eyes of the fans but in real life he should have got it legally official.
You really shine in these Biographies! Keep them coming. I never realized how prolific Ditko was. An amazingly diverse career. Btw I love Ayn Rand. If anyone hasn’t read Atlas Shrugged, I can’t recommend it enough!
If Stan didn't bring Ditko on board to Marvel and give him the idea of Spider-Man then Ditko would not be even remotely as well known as he is. Spider-Man probably wouldn't have taken off as it did- and IF it did it would have been drastically different- but Stan would still be known for all the other things he is known for.
I still have a copy of Wally Wood's "Witzend" No. 3 that opens with the debut of Mr. A. I remember that as a big fan of Ditko's work on Spider-Man, I was a bit shocked at the time by the somewhat brutal tone of the story. Ditko's new character had no problem with beating the answers he wanted out of his opponents ("If this is the kind of discussion you scum want... you'll get it!") and can't be bothered to save the juvenile delinquent villain, who falls to his death at the end.
@@ComicBookInvestments I guess how much one would be a fan of the character would depend on how much one buys into the idea that there are no gray areas in life and morality, that everything is black and white. As someone who has lived nearly 70 years on this planet, that seems to me a rather iffy proposition.
This was great Dave. Excellent history lesson, sad about him and Stan Lee, that they just couldn't get over their differences. In my mind Stan is the creator and Steve was the tailor, may not have created the idea but definitely dressed the character is his web suit.
The name and purpose of your channel is hilarious! Why not create a channel about pork futures or one that tracks the price of barrels of oil on a daily basis?
Cool vid . Growing up ditko and Jack kirby were the only artists I knew about aside from Stan lee . His spider man was my favorite which is why I always wanted that asm 1 even tho I’m not even a collector. Pure nostalgia . Is used to try to draw it
Ya I grew up with the same. I would try to draw ditkos spiderman too. But I was terrible. Funny thing is I’m probably worse now then I was when I was young
Ditko was one of the best artist ever. Thank you for this insight on a truly amazing talent.. obviously you know who this is and I got rid of my Spider-Man page with Dr. octopus Steve Ditko issue 12 there was no Parker or Spider-Man in the panels. Remember I had to do what I had to do because I hate you don’t work anymore I was in the restaurant business, but that still pisses me off..
@@ComicBookInvestments hey Dave well I told you I gave up bartending so you have to do what you have to do but I still have some good stuff and you know what I still have. I still have the superman.1 5.0 moderate professional restoration. Hopefully I am getting the restoration removed and I still have my. Batman 1 5.0 restored tales of suspense, 39, 8.5, fantastic four 48 9.6 X-Men 1 7.0 amazing Spider-Man 1 6.5 amazing fantasy, 15 6.0 amazing fantasy, 15 8.0 no trimming restored, so I still have some good stuff left.
From what i have seen and read i am formulating that Ditko created the iconic suit and also other iconic villians but , Spider-Man's character and ideology i definitely not by ditko , that's where stan lee comes in . Ditko like straight arrow characters (good and bad) while Stan liked the drama of convoluted characters . Stan really liked the melodrama.
Good stuff! I hope you do more videos about comic creators and characters. Feel free to do less of those videos about 5 comics going up/down in value. 😅
I honestly would love to do less of those types. But that’s what everyone watches. I want to do more deep dives into artists and characters. But they sadly only get 1-2k views. While my 5 comics going up or down get 5-6k views.
An idea is just that a concept! Anyone with a creative mind can conceive concepts, ideas for a new character but until that concept is designed, and illustrated, it has no value, no Intellectual Property and that's what Stan Lee conceived: an idea that was not anything until Steve Ditko designed it and gave it life! It then became real and an intellectual property that would have value. Steve Ditko was and will always be the co-creator of Spider-Man. Sad that Stan Lee was so stubborn as to not give credit until many years later. Both of these great creators have passed, so it is fruitless to dwell on this subject any further. A writer, such as Stan Lee - whom I consider, as any comics fan does, the BEST comics writer EVER! - can only visualize concepts and has not the ability or lacks the creativity that is required to give physical life to a comics character until a very creative artist, such as Steve Ditko was, gives it its physical appearance as he did with Spider-Man! 'Nuff Said! AGL
Ditko was co-creator of Spider-Man, not creator. So many people accuse Stan Lee of overstating his credit and then they go on to do the exact same thing. Both Lee and Ditko created Spider-Man as a team. Take away Stan and the character might not even exist, Take away Ditko and even if it did exist it wouldn't be anything like the character we all know and love.
Why did you say in a comment here that Stan took financial credit and left Ditko broke? Ditko has been listed as a co-creator for a long time. Marvel not Stan withheld royalties or other monies similar to how Jack Kirby and others of the time didn’t get paid beyond their work-for-hire agreement. Stan didn’t get any extra money for credit for Spidey. Marvel didn’t give Stan money beyond his Salary or possible bonus any exec may have for the profitability of a company. Ditko is a legend but if he died broke it was not Stan’s fault, it was Marvel.
Unfortunately Ayn Rand validated a lot of bad ideas that not only were wrong but were just nuts and unfortunately Steve Ditko was susceptible and it caused much misfortune.
I personally do not think Kirby drew the cover for Amazing Fantasy 15. I see this get brought up a lot and I think it’s an easy thing to dispel especially if we look at Strange Tales Annual 2s cover (which kirby drew) with AF 15, they look nothing alike. Main things to look at are spidermans overall figure is much heavier (which Stan quotes to be the reason he didn’t choose Kirby to draw Spider-Man, which also begs the question as to why he would even have him draw the cover to the character), the spider on the suit, the black webbing on the suit and the coloring of the suit. We could also compare the interior of AF 15 and just compare the cover to the interior and those spidermen are just 1 to 1 accurate. I think the source of this claim was that Stan and Kirby have said this before, HOWEVER, kirby tried claiming ownership of creating Spider-Man previously and backpedaled on it later, and Stan also said he had no idea who originally designed the suit of the character so the credibility of both in the creation of Spider-Man is definitely questionable, most likely due to just age or issues remembering. It’s an interesting rabbit hole to go down in and idk just interesting to see the artwork being compared
Hey, besides that doc Ock page of Steve Ditko well I still have Indiana Jones original art Steve Ditko from the 1980s that’s hanging up on my wall. I also have one of Al Williamson best pieces of art hanging up in my kitchen it’s from EC it’s from weird science 14 page 6 awesome dinosaurs
I thank Steve Ditko because we all grew up with the better comic based Spiderman 1967 reruns cartoon which had more action, good villains, lots of swinging from building to building with nice music. He was perfect for animation because the Spiderman animation was more flexible and not stiff. The stories were fun and comical. Made perfectly for both adults and children. Jack Kirby in the Marvel Men was too stiff and made the incredible Hulk look like a troll. 🎉
@@lyndoncmp5751 Romita was not the animation of Spiderman's 1967 cartoon but he would of been preferable. He was a better artist for Spiderman in the comics afterwards. He probably was the artist in the newer Spiderman cartoons. John Romita Sr. was the better Spiderman artist. Ditko was to draw the 1967 Spiderman cartoons chosen by Stan Lee who did not prefer Jack Kirby.
Ditko was hired as an artist by Stan Lee, the creator of Spiderman. Stan has been very generous about giving credit to Ditko for his many creative touches that contributed to the character's success, but the basic idea came from Stan Lee. Ditko has become something of a patron saint for losers who feel they have been cheated by life. Stan Lee never fell into that syndrome of self pity, which is why he went on to create many more successful characters while grumpy misanthropes like Steve Ditko flounder.
That falls apart when some of the greatest and deepest works of all time, from Japan, were made by alike people and made a lot of change. Some of which were inspired by Ditko. And I’m talking about classics not shallow stuff.
A very talented man. A man who lived his way, and was not influenced by money grabbers like Stan Lee. Coincidence that he outlived Lee and got the last laugh? Karma, baby. Karma.
david who really created spider man? do you know who created spider man i feel in my gut ditko was the creator and certainly not stan lee i give stan lee credit for lots of comic book history and stan lee put his life into comics but he also liked to take credit even when it wasn't his ideas and we all know that but i truly feel ditko created spider man and stan lee claimed he created spider man and i think that is why ditko left marvel comic book history is really interesting and complex
Ditko was just an artist hired to draw Spiderman by the chatacter's creator, Stand Lee. Ditko contributed a lot because Stan knew how to collaborate, a skill that Ditko lacked. Ditko left the title in a huff, after which it went on to bigger success with Stan's new artist John Romita, while Ditko never had another big success. I admire Ditko despite the fact that he sabotaged his own career with his immaturity and egotism, but he was not the "creator" of Spiderman.
Watch the full video. Stan lee always too full credit for it. But ditko is the one who drew spiderman to begin with. The entire look and everything you see was created by ditko. Stan lee just created the concept with zero visuals
Aren't you guys a little too busy right now for you to do this video?! Lol. You got an auction to set up, my books I bought off eBay to send. BUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Wow I used to feel sorry for Ditko until hearing he was an Ayn Rand disciple. He can blame all the exploitation Marvel made at his expense on himself (according to Rand). Ditko was an OG right wing chud - who'd a thunk it!
Have you seen the face mask of the Ben Cooper Halloween Spider-Man costume, from 1954? No way the Marvel version was just a coincidence. It's even possible that Kirby was a designer at Ben Coopers in 1954. There are a couple of video on YT about this.
@@ComicBookInvestments Yep.. I guess we'll never know how the full story of how Spidey was developed. Even Ditko said Kirby came up with the character first, but then Ditko changed the costume and other details.
I wrote to Ditko back in 2016 and he actually wrote back and signed the letter both with his printed name and his signature.
what did he say???
@@Ali23111 "Your Mama!"
Steve Ditko.
I wrote to mr Ditko but it was only in my imagination five minutes ago 😊
I didnt know discover him till after he died. He did such great work Pre-Marvel years!
We were also pen pals but unfortunately I pissed him off badly. I was young and unaware he was so sensitive
Stan Lee died the same year, and Steve Ditko's passing was totally overshadowed by the media. I wonder who knew that Ditko had even passed. Truly sad. He deserved a hell of a lot more than he got.
Yo thats exactly what i was thinking, was it fate?
@@cristianeni6567 A very dark fate....
Romita's passing didn't get anywhere near the same attention either.
I am really impressed by the amount of photos of Steve Ditko that you included in this documentary. In every other video of Steve all I have ever seen were the 2 most famous Ditko photos and that’s it. It’s nice to see photos of Ditko from before his artist days and from after.
His nephew released some of those photos last year.
This is so beautiful. Thank you so much for doing this. Ditko is forever in my heart the true creator of Spider-man, along side with Stan Lee.
Stan Lee did not outline Steve Ditko's most famous character. He merely mentioned his old "radiation power" origin, which he also used on other characters over the years. In his own words, Lee's main instruction regarding this super-hero was to base him on an old pulp magazine era star he liked called The Spider. After reading that info, I searched the internet for a bit before finding said pulp icon. There it was, alright - The Spider. To which, of course, Lee being too young at the time, had created nothing.
Ditko didn't create Spiderman in the sense of coming up with the initial concept, which came from Stan Lee, but he did elaborate on Stan's concept in creative ways that made the character what he is today
Stan lee only wrote stories lmao the chracter idea came from Kirby and ditko made the character
@narayanachakra3288 Stan Lee came up with the concept of a hero with spider powers, that he should be a teenager, that he should have personal problems, that the murder of his uncle motivated him to become a crime fighter, that he lives with his elderly aunt, that he should be regarded as a menace by newspaper editor J. Jonah Jameson. He also invented Gwen Stacy, Mary Jane Watson, the Green Goblin, Dr. Octopus and all of Spidey's other foes and secondary characters. He initially assigned Kirby to draw the character but later gave the job to Ditko who took Stan's basic story beats and plotted them out in pictures. The artists were hired hands under the direction of Stan Lee, the creator of Spiderman, who gave his workers a lot of freedom to bring his ideas to the page, contributions for which Stan never failed to give them generous credit and praise.
@narayanachakra3288 Spiderman came from Stan Lee, the artists just designed the costumes and things like that. Kirby did invent an incidental character in a Fantastic Four story that Stan Lee turned into the Silver Surfer, and Stan always gave Jack credit for it. Stan Lee had a collaborative approach that allowed his artists to make contributions, but the basic characters and situations came from him, not the men he hired to fill in the details. Ditko would take Stan's plots in weird directions (or ignore them altogether) and drop the artwork off without telling Stan what was going on, making it hard for Stan to write dialog, but that's not collaboration, that's passive aggressive hostility. Stan sensed that Ditko was going to try to sabotage Spiderman by quitting suddenly, so he wisely groomed a better artist, John Romita, to take over when Ditko walked away.
Great retrospective on Steve Ditko. Kirby got the same treatment from Lee and left Marvel for the same reason. Kirby felt he was the true author of his comics while Lee claimed credit for supplying the dialogue. Likewise, Kirby didn't like articles giving Lee all the credit for creating the Marvel Universe while Kirby had created more than 70% of it in the 1960s. Yet, Ditko and Kirby did their best work under Lee. Maybe the conflict drove them to do better.
It clearly says in those later Spider-Man issues "plotted and drawn by Steve Ditko" and it clearly says in those later Fantastic Four issues "by Stan (The Man) Lee and Jack (King) Kirby" .
If Ditko and Kirby wanted more attention and more credit then perhaps they shouldn't have been so reclusive and promoted and talked up the comics more, like Stan did. Stan was tireless and worked his butt off spreading the Marvel word everywhere.
@@lyndoncmp5751Perfectly said.
@@LouieKaboom
Thank you ✌
This is unbelievable. Your content absolutely KILLS IT. Thank you SO much.
This is an incredible video! Wow you must have put in so much time into this. And it shows.
Thanks. Ya it was a lot of work. But fun to learn all these cool things
It’s sad that he never drew any Spider-Man art after he left the series, Spider-Man’s costume and powers are such a huge part of the character. Yes Stan Lee had the original idea but Ditko took that spark and helped him mold it into a finished character. I think he absolutely deserves to be known as the co-creator of Spider-Man. He could’ve however appreciated the opportunity to work on the story in the first place and his job at marvel to Stan Lee, and if he was able to compromise more with Lee probably could’ve made a lot more money for his contributions.
Yes it was sad they never really spoke anymore. Stan lee took financial credit for spider man. Leaving ditko near broke
Remember ditko was also instrumental in creating dr strange.
@@alexkoronec4326He was solely responsible for Dr. Strange. Most of Spider-Man too.
@@alexkoronec4326Ayn Rand influenced a lot of bad thinking that amounted to being nuts and unfortunately Ditko was susceptible.
The writers are the creators and give ideas to the artists. Artists are not co-creators.
Very informative David. Thanks for the history lesson, loved it. I have a new appreciation for Ditko.
So do I. Doing all this research was eye opening
I think I have to agree with Stan on this one due to the fact that he gave it to Kirby first, knew it wasn't right and showed it didn't fit his vision, and moved it along until Ditko understood what he wanted. 60-40 split to Lee is how I see it. Great Video!
I think it’s 100% Stan lee though. Ditko should get at least 50%. Even higher in imo
And Stan tirelessly worked his butt off spreading the Marvel word around everywhere. Stan's promotion of Marvel was amazing.
This is an awesome historical highlight. First time I've seen someone showcase a key figure. Great job.
Glad you enjoyed!
@@ComicBookInvestments very much, thanks!
I don't dislike Stan Lee, but he really was just doing the same thing Bob Kane did to Bill Finger without all the later backlash. I think Stan Lee takes too much credit for things he didn't actually do or had little involvement with. Again, I don't dislike Stan Lee, but I sort of hate the pedestal he's put on and the lack of recognition guys like Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby get.
Great job pulling other info together. As a young Spidey fan in the mid 70's my Dad's friend (who lived in NYC) got his address from the phone book & I sent him a letter (of course asking about Spidey) he responded about that's the past and Mr A is the future for him, in a letter sent of course in SASE. He then sent me a Copy of Mr A....all of which I still have!
This type of video is amazing. I really enjoyed the historical perspective as well as unknown facts. I can’t wait to watch your next one.
You lined up so much great history in this video. Thank you so much for putting this together. I know how much work and extra effort it takes for these biographies. Thank you!
Thanks. I’m glad you appreciate it. I do enjoy doing these
Fantastic video! Man, that was sad at the end… You had said there wasn’t much love for the comics code video. However you should know there are nerds like me out here that love this stuff! Keep up the great work! 👊
Thanks. Ya I really like doing these videos. But takes along time to do
I absolutely love videos like this man! Great job! Thank you!
I know you may not get the likes or the views or the shares on this that you do on many of your other videos but this was absolutely awesome. Ditko has always been 1 of my favorite artists.
Thanks. Ya they don’t get barley any views. But I do like doing these
Amazing video. Thanks for putting this together!
Another great historical piece David, well done!
Thanks 😊
Great video! Steve Ditko is probably one of the most fascinating creators of the 20th century.
Yes he was. Thanks
David, I thoroughly enjoyed your beautiful homage to the late, great Steve Ditko. It was insightful and thoughtful of a Man who gave us his art openly. Unfortunately his name is somewhat obscured by time and perhaps his own uncompromising approach to the comic genre. Still, as a kid growing up in 1960's Brooklyn, his approach to Spider-Man to me, was wonderful. Thank you for this posting. By the way, you might have a budding career as a narrator/voice over artist. Best to all.
Thank you. It’s crazy to me because ditko is a house hold name in my family. I’m an old soul when it comes to comics. But I can see how most people don’t really know about him since he was much more prevalent in the 60s and started to fall by the way side later
Cool video bro! I always wanted to meet Steve Ditko but had only got to write letters to him and It was very nice of him to write back.
That’s cool he actually wrote back
Great content, please give us more comic history.
Great video. Thank you for offering this type of content!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great recap of Ditko's career !
I love these videos so much!
Great video
Great video! Stan Lee is the creator of Spiderman, without Stan Lee, Steve would have never drawn Spiderman.
That is the question. They are both creators of spider man. But Stan lee doesn’t consider ditko to be the creator which is weird
@@ComicBookInvestments I agree that Steve had a part in it, but, if Stan would have been more pleased with Jack Kirby's work on Spiderman Steve would never have drawn Spiderman.
Ditko indirectly inspired the character we know as Adam Warlock. After Ditko pestered Jack Kirby with his Ayn Rand nonsense Kirby created Him ( Adam Warlock) to mock Rand , Ditko and Objectionism. Stan Lee , ever the kind man , altered the story and stopped Jack's mockery.
@@VaryingViewpointDidn't Kirby pitch a "Silver Spider" to marvel back in the 50's? For all we know Stan Lee could just have made up Peter's backstory, but was conceptually not the sole creator
@ComicBookInvestments
"But Stan lee doesn’t consider ditko to be the creator which is weird"
Why would he, considering Ditko WASN'T the 'creator' of Spider-Man? Stan Lee considered Ditko the co-creator of Spider-Man, which he was. Even though Lee actually had the idea and name for the new character before he gave it to Ditko to bring to life.
I love these documentary style vids - can’t wait for the one on Jack Kirby 😊
Excellent video
Great video! Weird the UA-cam algorithm suggested to me last week the that BBC documentary In Search of Steve Ditko. I think the algorithm can predict the future....
Thanks. Yes the algorithm is a complete unknown
I agree with Steve. A thought is an idea until manifested. Rest Well Steve.
Really like these kind of videos. Comic book history is 🆒
Yes I like doing these types of videos a lot
Correction: Dr Strange was NOT co-created. Stan said that he didn't know where Steve got the idea of the sorcerer.
Great vid!
Thanks
Without Steve Ditko, there would still be Spider-Man, but it wouldn't be the same.
Ditko is to Spider-Man what Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson are to Batman. You know Bob Kane and Stan Lee were friends IRL. No surprise there!
Great history. Can you do more like this I learned so much. Keep it alive brotha. ❤
Ya I’ve done a few already like this
It clearly tells you that no matter how much Ditko appeared to have moved on from Spiderman, he never really did. Something like a lost love. The character and the entire episode always remained in his heart and although he walked away from the it, it was more his ego than his will. Honor!
Thank you for putting this together.
You covered a lot of ground with lots of information and references.
Although Spider-Man and Dr. Strange are my entry points to Ditko’s work, I later discovered reprints of his Atlas monster/ sci-fi / mystery and horror work, and that hit me on a whole other level.
This video is important not only for the retrospective look at Ditko’s work, but also for the harsh lessons regarding a career as a cartoonist or any form of art. I hate that he died alone the way he did.
The ‘industry’ is particularly cold and cruel to even our best creators (Kirby, Moore, and many others), so we have to remember to protect ourselves in every possible way. Stay on top of your health, finances, and your relationships… it’s important to have the people that care about you within reach. If these things aren’t in order, please, do what you can to fix them while you can.
All the best.
A mad genius. Template for what the work ethic of total grind to your field achieves in the mind's eye 👁️
Dave, can you do a video on your ppc? I am guessing you got some awesome books and would like to see it review and plus your thoughts and why you decide to invest in those books.
Exceptionally well done Steve Ditko documentary.
I feel he is easily the co creator of spider man and deserves the same amount of credit as Stan Lee.
👍 👍
Yes he did do create spider man
Ditko is not the creator but the co-creator of Spider-Man with Stan Lee. His departure was a good thing, because thanks to John Romita and Stan Lee, Spider-Man was taken to a whole other level, and we got some of the best Spider-Man episodes ever.
He was the best and most iconic Spider-Man artist in my opinion. He got co creator credit in the eyes of the fans but in real life he should have got it legally official.
John Romita in my opinion.
You really shine in these Biographies! Keep them coming. I never realized how prolific Ditko was. An amazingly diverse career. Btw I love Ayn Rand. If anyone hasn’t read Atlas Shrugged, I can’t recommend it enough!
Glad you like them! ya they take along time to do, but I really enjoy the deep dive into comic book artists that built the thing I love
i never got steve's autograph but i know how awesome he was
If Stan didn't bring Ditko on board to Marvel and give him the idea of Spider-Man then Ditko would not be even remotely as well known as he is. Spider-Man probably wouldn't have taken off as it did- and IF it did it would have been drastically different- but Stan would still be known for all the other things he is known for.
Agreed... Blue Beetle just was not it !
I still have a copy of Wally Wood's "Witzend" No. 3 that opens with the debut of Mr. A. I remember that as a big fan of Ditko's work on Spider-Man, I was a bit shocked at the time by the somewhat brutal tone of the story. Ditko's new character had no problem with beating the answers he wanted out of his opponents ("If this is the kind of discussion you scum want... you'll get it!") and can't be bothered to save the juvenile delinquent villain, who falls to his death at the end.
I haven’t read any of Mr A stories. But sounds really cool as an adult now
@@ComicBookInvestments I guess how much one would be a fan of the character would depend on how much one buys into the idea that there are no gray areas in life and morality, that everything is black and white. As someone who has lived nearly 70 years on this planet, that seems to me a rather iffy proposition.
This was great Dave. Excellent history lesson, sad about him and Stan Lee, that they just couldn't get over their differences. In my mind Stan is the creator and Steve was the tailor, may not have created the idea but definitely dressed the character is his web suit.
Awesome video 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Do one for Matt Baker GGA Master.
The name and purpose of your channel is hilarious! Why not create a channel about pork futures or one that tracks the price of barrels of oil on a daily basis?
Cool vid . Growing up ditko and Jack kirby were the only artists I knew about aside from Stan lee . His spider man was my favorite which is why I always wanted that asm 1 even tho I’m not even a collector. Pure nostalgia . Is used to try to draw it
Ya I grew up with the same. I would try to draw ditkos spiderman too. But I was terrible. Funny thing is I’m probably worse now then I was when I was young
@@ComicBookInvestments 😂
wow, the light is starting to shine on the lies we were told this entire generation
Ditko was one of the best artist ever. Thank you for this insight on a truly amazing talent.. obviously you know who this is and I got rid of my Spider-Man page with Dr. octopus Steve Ditko issue 12 there was no Parker or Spider-Man in the panels. Remember I had to do what I had to do because I hate you don’t work anymore I was in the restaurant business, but that still pisses me off..
Wow. What a piece. Even though it didn’t have spiderman on it. Still very cool. Those old ditko are hard to come by
@@ComicBookInvestments hey Dave well I told you I gave up bartending so you have to do what you have to do but I still have some good stuff and you know what I still have. I still have the superman.1 5.0 moderate professional restoration. Hopefully I am getting the restoration removed and I still have my. Batman 1 5.0 restored tales of suspense, 39, 8.5, fantastic four 48 9.6 X-Men 1 7.0 amazing Spider-Man 1 6.5 amazing fantasy, 15 6.0 amazing fantasy, 15 8.0 no trimming restored, so I still have some good stuff left.
From what i have seen and read i am formulating that Ditko created the iconic suit and also other iconic villians but , Spider-Man's character and ideology i definitely not by ditko , that's where stan lee comes in . Ditko like straight arrow characters (good and bad) while Stan liked the drama of convoluted characters . Stan really liked the melodrama.
Could anyone answer my question on when he and Stan Created Peter, was it like June or August
Good stuff! I hope you do more videos about comic creators and characters. Feel free to do less of those videos about 5 comics going up/down in value. 😅
I honestly would love to do less of those types. But that’s what everyone watches. I want to do more deep dives into artists and characters. But they sadly only get 1-2k views. While my 5 comics going up or down get 5-6k views.
Just do the type of video you want, but use a misleading title about comics booming or dropping in price. 🤣
Thanks for sharing this history!! None like it! 😊
No problem. I love doing these types of videos
@@ComicBookInvestments I just shared on social media! Think everyone with love of comics should see this! Can’t wait for more! ♥️
Stan Lee during an interview explained why Steve Ditko insisted to be called the co-creators so Stan said okay that's fair.
An idea is just that a concept! Anyone with a creative mind can conceive concepts, ideas for a new character but until that concept is designed, and illustrated, it has no value, no Intellectual Property and that's what Stan Lee conceived: an idea that was not anything until Steve Ditko designed it and gave it life! It then became real and an intellectual property that would have value. Steve Ditko was and will always be the co-creator of Spider-Man. Sad that Stan Lee was so stubborn as to not give credit until many years later. Both of these great creators have passed, so it is fruitless to dwell on this subject any further. A writer, such as Stan Lee - whom I consider, as any comics fan does, the BEST comics writer EVER! - can only visualize concepts and has not the ability or lacks the creativity that is required to give physical life to a comics character until a very creative artist, such as Steve Ditko was, gives it its physical appearance as he did with Spider-Man! 'Nuff Said! AGL
Ditko was co-creator of Spider-Man, not creator. So many people accuse Stan Lee of overstating his credit and then they go on to do the exact same thing. Both Lee and Ditko created Spider-Man as a team. Take away Stan and the character might not even exist, Take away Ditko and even if it did exist it wouldn't be anything like the character we all know and love.
Why did you say in a comment here that Stan took financial credit and left Ditko broke? Ditko has been listed as a co-creator for a long time. Marvel not Stan withheld royalties or other monies similar to how Jack Kirby and others of the time didn’t get paid beyond their work-for-hire agreement. Stan didn’t get any extra money for credit for Spidey. Marvel didn’t give Stan money beyond his Salary or possible bonus any exec may have for the profitability of a company. Ditko is a legend but if he died broke it was not Stan’s fault, it was Marvel.
I think there was a reason why Stan could never fully say ditko created him
Now Blue Beetle has a movie, too.
Unfortunately Ayn Rand validated a lot of bad ideas that not only were wrong but were just nuts and unfortunately Steve Ditko was susceptible and it caused much misfortune.
I didn't realize he past away some what recently. I wonder how many are still left from the golden age, I know al jaffe passed this month
Ya I knew he had died but wasn’t sure when until I did this video
Romita passed just a couple of months ago. The greatest Spider-Man artist ever.
I personally do not think Kirby drew the cover for Amazing Fantasy 15. I see this get brought up a lot and I think it’s an easy thing to dispel especially if we look at Strange Tales Annual 2s cover (which kirby drew) with AF 15, they look nothing alike. Main things to look at are spidermans overall figure is much heavier (which Stan quotes to be the reason he didn’t choose Kirby to draw Spider-Man, which also begs the question as to why he would even have him draw the cover to the character), the spider on the suit, the black webbing on the suit and the coloring of the suit. We could also compare the interior of AF 15 and just compare the cover to the interior and those spidermen are just 1 to 1 accurate. I think the source of this claim was that Stan and Kirby have said this before, HOWEVER, kirby tried claiming ownership of creating Spider-Man previously and backpedaled on it later, and Stan also said he had no idea who originally designed the suit of the character so the credibility of both in the creation of Spider-Man is definitely questionable, most likely due to just age or issues remembering. It’s an interesting rabbit hole to go down in and idk just interesting to see the artwork being compared
Hey, besides that doc Ock page of Steve Ditko well I still have Indiana Jones original art Steve Ditko from the 1980s that’s hanging up on my wall. I also have one of Al Williamson best pieces of art hanging up in my kitchen it’s from EC it’s from weird science 14 page 6 awesome dinosaurs
I thank Steve Ditko because we all grew up with the better comic based Spiderman 1967 reruns cartoon which had more action, good villains, lots of swinging from building to building with nice music. He was perfect for animation because the Spiderman animation was more flexible and not stiff. The stories were fun and comical. Made perfectly for both adults and children. Jack Kirby in the Marvel Men was too stiff and made the incredible Hulk look like a troll. 🎉
The stories were not boring like the modern cartoons in the 80's.
Peter Parker in the cartoon looks far more like Romita's.
@@lyndoncmp5751 Romita was not the animation of Spiderman's 1967 cartoon but he would of been preferable. He was a better artist for Spiderman in the comics afterwards. He probably was the artist in the newer Spiderman cartoons. John Romita Sr. was the better Spiderman artist. Ditko was to draw the 1967 Spiderman cartoons chosen by Stan Lee who did not prefer Jack Kirby.
@@lyndoncmp5751I agree some were other artists used in the 1967 Spiderman's cartoon as well as Buscema in Marvel Men.
Isn’t writing bringing an idea to life?
Ditko was hired as an artist by Stan Lee, the creator of Spiderman. Stan has been very generous about giving credit to Ditko for his many creative touches that contributed to the character's success, but the basic idea came from Stan Lee. Ditko has become something of a patron saint for losers who feel they have been cheated by life. Stan Lee never fell into that syndrome of self pity, which is why he went on to create many more successful characters while grumpy misanthropes like Steve Ditko flounder.
That falls apart when some of the greatest and deepest works of all time, from Japan, were made by alike people and made a lot of change. Some of which were inspired by Ditko. And I’m talking about classics not shallow stuff.
It must be tough to speak with his dick in your mouth.
I used to write ditko letters
Wow, Dr. Strange predates Dr. Who by months. Nice.
A very talented man. A man who lived his way, and was not influenced by money grabbers like Stan Lee. Coincidence that he outlived Lee and got the last laugh? Karma, baby. Karma.
And yet Lee was more famous, much more loved and far richer, while Ditko faded into obscurity. They both lived to ripe old ages.
Great video… thank you.
I wonder if Ditko was on the spectrum and slightly autistic?
A true legend…. A creative genius.
Definitely, on all counts.
I’ve noticed now, thanks to this video- that stan wore a toupee.
david who really created spider man? do you know who created spider man i feel in my gut ditko was the creator and certainly not stan lee i give stan lee credit for lots of comic book history and stan lee put his life into comics but he also liked to take credit even when it wasn't his ideas and we all know that but i truly feel ditko created spider man and stan lee claimed he created spider man and i think that is why ditko left marvel comic book history is really interesting and complex
Yes it’s hard to say. Stan lee just had a 2 line description of a character. But what you actually see is was all created by ditko.
@@ComicBookInvestments i agree i also enjoy your videos keep up the good work you are a wealth of knowledge on comic books
Stan Lee had the idea of Spider-Man, not Ditko. It wasn't even handed over to Ditko until after Kirby failed to fulfill Stan's idea.
ComicBookInvestments
"Stan lee just had a 2 line description of a character."
Where do you get that from? Ditko? 😏
I recently read an interview with Ditko's cousin. Fascinating stuff.
You mean. Lee wasn't paying Ditko nor talking to him.
Ditko was just an artist hired to draw Spiderman by the chatacter's creator, Stand Lee. Ditko contributed a lot because Stan knew how to collaborate, a skill that Ditko lacked. Ditko left the title in a huff, after which it went on to bigger success with Stan's new artist John Romita, while Ditko never had another big success. I admire Ditko despite the fact that he sabotaged his own career with his immaturity and egotism, but he was not the "creator" of Spiderman.
Co-creator.
Co-Creator
48 Laws of Power, take credit for others work
Stan Lee created Spiderman.
Watch the full video. Stan lee always too full credit for it. But ditko is the one who drew spiderman to begin with. The entire look and everything you see was created by ditko. Stan lee just created the concept with zero visuals
both are creators imo...
It's a tragedy that Ditko's mental illness was never treated and that he sank so deeply into Ayn Rand' s poisonous stupidity.
Aren't you guys a little too busy right now for you to do this video?! Lol. You got an auction to set up, my books I bought off eBay to send.
BUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Well I pretty much work everyday sun up until 9-10pm. It’s funny I consider UA-cam my relaxing time 😂
Wow I used to feel sorry for Ditko until hearing he was an Ayn Rand disciple. He can blame all the exploitation Marvel made at his expense on himself (according to Rand). Ditko was an OG right wing chud - who'd a thunk it!
Me gusto mucho el vídeo pero ese póster de musk 🤮
When motherfuckers be stealing your shit, Ayn Rand's Siren Song sounds pretty enticing.
Ayn Rand was a cancer
Stan always claimed Kirby's version of Spider-Man was 'too heroic' yet he used Kirby covers on AF#15 and ASM #1.
Have you seen the face mask of the Ben Cooper Halloween Spider-Man costume, from 1954? No way the Marvel version was just a coincidence. It's even possible that Kirby was a designer at Ben Coopers in 1954. There are a couple of video on YT about this.
Just looked it up. It’s crazy and pretty interesting.
@@ComicBookInvestments Yep.. I guess we'll never know how the full story of how Spidey was developed. Even Ditko said Kirby came up with the character first, but then Ditko changed the costume and other details.