Unusual Tales - The Silver-Tip Outlaw

"Unusual Tales", a series presenting Steve Ditko's comics from 1957 to 1959 that are in the public domain.

"The Silver-Tip Outlaw" is a 7-page story from Charlton's ROCKY LANE'S BLACK JACK #27 [1959]. It's a human free story of the legendary horse, and not a great one. Pretty much just Black Jack protecting his herd from a bear. Some pretty drawings, though, one benefit of the lack of humans is that there's no dialogue, so you get some nice unobscured pictures.

But before the story, some links:

Buy Ditko's creator-owned work

1970s Charlton reprints in STEVE DITKO'S 160-PAGE PACKAGE: FROM CHARLTON PRESS
Find out about the fanzine DITKOMANIA

Back issues and subscriptions available

Check out new and upcoming Ditko publications

Lots of rare Ditko in the two DITKO OMNIBUS books
Download public domain comics, likely including the one this story is from

Scans in this series generally adapted to my personal tastes from those copies

Click to embiggen

  

  

Unusual Tales - The Great Escape

"Unusual Tales", a series presenting Steve Ditko's comics from 1957 to 1959 that are in the public domain.

"The Great Escape" is a 5-page story from Charlton's SPACE ADVENTURES #27 [1959], wherein a man finds a small meteorite and it tells him the story of the destruction of the planet Bala and the escape plan of the Balarites. All this leads to him making a questionable decision. Some striking visuals on the flashback to doomed Bala by Ditko.

But before the story, some links:

Buy Ditko's creator-owned work

Classic MOCKER graphic novel available

Find out about the fanzine DITKOMANIA

Back issues and subscriptions available

Check out new and upcoming Ditko publications

Ditko's Legion of Super-Heroes stories in DC's DITKO OMNIBUS v2

Download public domain comics, likely including the one this story is from

Scans in this series generally adapted to my personal tastes from those copies

Click to embiggen

   

Unusual Tales - The Vision Came

"Unusual Tales", a series presenting Steve Ditko's comics from 1957 to 1959 that are in the public domain.

"The Vision Came" is a 5-page story from Charlton's TALES OF THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER #8 [1958], telling the story of a sad blind girl named Susi living in an orphanage in the Bavarian alps. Little sappy but entertaining, I especially liked the Traveler's background appearances on the bottom of page 4.

But before the story, some links:

Buy Ditko's creator-owned work

1980s graphic novel STATIC available
Find out about the fanzine DITKOMANIA

Back issues and subscriptions available

Check out new and upcoming Ditko publications

Ditko/Levitz Starman and more in DC's DITKO OMNIBUS v2

Download public domain comics, likely including the one this story is from

Scans in this series generally adapted to my personal tastes from those copies

Click to embiggen

   

Unusual Tales - The Greater Jovians

"Unusual Tales", a series presenting Steve Ditko's comics from 1957 to 1959 that are in the public domain.

"The Greater Jovians" is a 5-page story from Charlton's OUTER SPACE #20 [1958]. A very amusing little trifle about the inhabitants of Jupiter, the tiny Lesser Jovians and giant Greater Jovians, and how they work together to solve their food shortage. Ditko does a good job as usual with the designs, and pay particular note to page three, which nicely uses a large full-page panel with several inset images to give a feeling of scale while still moving the story along in the brief number of pages available.


Click Lesser Jovian images to embiggen to Greater Jovian size:

 

Now that you've enjoyed the story, some links you might want to check:

Buy Ditko's creator-owned work

Over two dozen publications in print

Find out about the fanzine DITKOMANIA

Back issues and subscriptions available

Check out new and upcoming Ditko publications

Various DC hardcovers include almost all of Ditko's work for DC, Tower and the Charlton "Action Heroes" line

Download public domain comics, likely including the one this story is from

Scans in this series generally adapted to my personal tastes from those copies

Unusual Tales - Failure

"Unusual Tales", a series presenting Steve Ditko's comics from 1957 to 1959 that are in the public domain.

"Failure" is a 5-page story from Charlton's STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES #36 [1958]. An entertaining little science fiction parable about scientist Karl Phalen, who has been working on a device to see the future with the help of three wealthy backers, and the choice he has to make on the cusp of success. A few really good images by Ditko, especially in the glimpse of the near future.

But before the story, some links:

Buy Ditko's creator-owned work

Next new release A DITKO #16 coming soon
Find out about the fanzine DITKOMANIA

Back issues and subscriptions available

Check out new and upcoming Ditko publications

Ditko's 1980s INDIANA JONES stories in print from Dark Horse

Download public domain comics, likely including the one this story is from

Scans in this series generally adapted to my personal tastes from those copies

Click to embiggen

   

Unusual Tales - The Phantom Spring

"Unusual Tales", a series presenting Steve Ditko's comics from 1957 to 1959 that are in the public domain.

"The Phantom Spring" is a 5-page story from Charlton's ROCKY LANE'S BLACK JACK #26 [1959], another of just over two dozen western stories that Ditko illustrated.  In this story, the famed ebony horse helps out an old prospector.  Some decent art in here, always good to see a few silent panels, and the big action sequence on the last page is fun.

But before the story, some links:

Buy Ditko's creator-owned work

Over two dozen publications in print

Find out about the fanzine DITKOMANIA

Back issues and subscriptions available

Check out new and upcoming Ditko publications

Most of Ditko's 1980s THUNDER AGENTS tales in DC's ARCHIVES v7
Download public domain comics, likely including the one this story is from

Scans in this series generally adapted to my personal tastes from those copies

Click to embiggen

 

 

Unusual Tales - The Night Of The Red Snow

"Unusual Tales", a series presenting Steve Ditko's comics from 1957 to 1959 that are in the public domain.

"The Night Of The Red Snow" is the cover-featured 6-page story from Charlton's UNUSUAL TALES #9 [1957]. The Mayor of Crestville narrates the story of a strange occurrence in his small mountain-top town, a strange red snow that fell shortly after a strange artist named Duval moved into town. Strange little story, with an unexpected ending (especially with what might have been a deliberate red herring in the name of the moving truck), it's a great example of Ditko's early work, especially the middle of page 2 and the close-ups on page 5.

But before the story, some links:

Buy Ditko's creator-owned work

Newest work, A DITKO #15, now available

Find out about the fanzine DITKOMANIA

Back issues and subscriptions available

Check out new and upcoming Ditko publications

Almost complete DC Ditko available in three hardcovers (CREEPER, OMNIBUS v1, OMNIBUS v2) 

Download public domain comics, likely including the one this story is from

Scans in this series generally adapted to my personal tastes from those copies

Click to embiggen

 

New Ditko - DC's DITKO OMNIBUS v2

Now available is DC's THE STEVE DITKO OMNIBUS v2, collecting Ditko's three 1960s stories featuring The Hawk And The Dove, plus almost (but not quite) everything else he ever drew for DC not included in the matching OMNIBUS v1 and CREEPER  hardcovers published in the last two years.