New Ditko - DITKOMANIA #92

Sorry for the lack of updates recently. Unless I've missed something, there hasn't been any new Ditko published work since the last update.  There have been the usual steady stream of reprints from other publishers, I've updated those I know about over here.

But just received in the mail, the latest issue of DITKOMANIA from Rob Imes. Among the usual mix of fan art and articles, Mort Todd writes about some of his work with Ditko, in particular Skyman for ACE Comics. Which I didn't realize had just been reprinted in a print-on-demand edition featuring Ditko's pencils, see details over here. There are also lengthy discussions about LASZLO'S HAMMER by Rodney Schroeter and Dave Sim and more.

Order info over here, as well as pdf copies of a few DITKOMANIA back issues.

Ditko in 2013 wrapup

Snyder/Ditko publications

The Four-Page Series #2-#4
Ate Tea N 18
Ditko Public Service Package, 2nd Edition
Laszlo's Hammer new edition

Fanzines

Ditkomania #90-#91 

ACE Comics

Skyman Pencil Portfolio 

Archie

New Crusaders - Legacy 

Dark Horse

Creepy Presents Steve Ditko HC 

IDW

Thunder Agents Classics Vol. 2 

Valiant

Valiant Masters - Shadowman v1 

Plus various reprints from Marvel and various collections of public domain material.

New Ditko - LASZLO'S HAMMER

The new edition of Ditko's LASZLO'S HAMMER is now available, Kickstarter backers should be getting it from Robin Snyder directly soon.  For those who didn't back the funding campaign, ordering information is at the usual spot, and sellers who order from Snyder should have copies soon if they don't already. Like right here. Retailers interested should contact Snyder for bulk rates on the entire library of Ditko/Snyder co-publications.

The title feature of course is the 27-page comic format essay from 1992 (as revised in 2002, to correct the spelling of "Laszlo" from "Lazlo") on the opposing topics of creation and destruction, starting with the example of Laszlo Toth's 1972 damage to Michelangelo's The Pieta using the same type of tool Michelangelo used to create the sculpture. Ditko explores the issue in a variety of ways, from the allegorical to the abstract to the concrete (including some amusing scenes on the creation and "editing" of comic books). It's one of the crucial texts in Ditko's independent work.

Also included are the single page "It's Either... Or" (first seen in the fanzine GUTS #5 [1969], and I believe the earliest example of one of Ditko's signature constructs, reducing characters down basic forms to make a universal point) and the 4-page "In Principle : The Unchecked Premise" (first printed in STEVE DITKO'S STATIC [1988], and one of his most fully realized allegorical pieces). Robin Snyder provides some introductory notes and a list of Kickstarter backers.

New Ditko - FOUR-PAGE SERIES #4

Now available from Robin Snyder, Ditko's THE FOUR-PAGE SERIES #4, with five new essays:

“#19: Action/Reaction And The Self-Claimed, Self-Creators”
“#14: Labels And Labelers”
“#21: How Dare He!”
“#29: Too Late”
“#27: The Movers And The Freezers”

In addition, THE FOUR-PAGE SERIES #1, previously available as a section in an issue of THE COMICS newsletter, is now available as a standalone reprint.

List of Ditko essays

In-Print Ditko/Snyder publications and ordering information

Upcoming Ditko - THE FOUR-PAGE SERIES #4

Robin Snyder advises that THE FOUR-PAGE SERIES #4 is on the way, and there's a new printing of #1 now available for those who missed it. Ordering info here.

Here's a preview of one of the essays in #4:

#14: LABELS AND LABELERS
© 2013 S. Ditko

As usual with fan comments—labels, smears—about me, they have more “emotional” truth than any factual substance.

These fan labelers, abusers, insulters, have no real interest in, concern with, facts, truth, 1st hand experience, knowledge.

Their “truth” is subjective, emotional or intrinsic, some “authority” is believed, parroted.

Did I “retire” or is it that comic book editors didn’t want my work anymore?

Is that relevant to anything?

Can these so-concerned fans explain why, outside of my Marvel work on S-M and DS, all other comic book titles, characters, I worked on at Marvel and DC soon failed.

Where was my claimed, believed, huge fan support or were my “fans” some overblown hype?

Isn’t it that ALL—or most—fans are emotionally selective fans?

Fans, like all of us, are turned on or off by specific subject material.

Any artist has X number of fans (sales) for his mystery, his fantasy, his war, science fiction, specific super hero...

Upcoming Ditko - WITZEND reprint

According to the Wallace Wood Estate there will be a complete reprint of the magazine WITZEND in 2014. The magazine was founded and edited by Wallace Wood in 1966, later continued by Bill Pearson until #13 published in 1985. Steve Ditko appears in 8 issues with a total of 37 pages.

#1 - spot illustration of smoking invisible man with an iron mask
#2 - comedic 1-page story "Midnight Special"
#3 - first Mr. A story - "Angel"
#4 - second Mr. A story - "Money"
#6  - "The Avenging World - Part 1"
#7 - "The Avenging World - Part 2" (AW added to extensively for 1973 collection and subsequent reprints, but WITZEND version has a few pages not seen again until the 2002 AVENGING WORLD book)
#8 - comedic 1-page story "The Break-Out"

#12 - comedic 1-page story "The Booby Trap"

--Link-- Last day for LASZLO'S HAMMER Kickstarter

If you've been considering the Kickstarter to fund the reprint of Ditko's LASZLO'S HAMMER, this is the last day to get in on it.

Here's another brief sample from the 2002 AVENGING WORLD reprint of the story:

I'll have details on ordering options for those who don't do Kickstarter soon.

--Link-- LASZLO'S Kickstarter

The Kickstarter for the new edition of LASZLO'S HAMMER is about to meet its goal with the next handful of backers, so if you wanted to be one of those who helped get it there now is the time to act. Otherwise, you still have eleven days.

Those of you currently reading the recent new edition of the DITKO PUBLIC SERVICE PACKAGE might be interested to know that LASZLO'S HAMMER features a bit of a callback to that book, with some scenes of the creativity at "Genius Pub. Inc." (or "G. Ness", as it was called in PUBLIC SERVICE).

And for those curious, a look at the rare first edition, and a starting place to read about Laszlo Toth.