Ditko Comics

May 5, 2012

Unusual Tales - The Secret Of Capt. X

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

"The Secret Of Capt. X" is a 5-page story from Charlton's OUT OF THIS WORLD #8 [1958]. This is another one of those space opera tales with a one-shot hero in the vein of Buck Rogers, this time Commander Dalles, Interplanetary Security Officer. I really like the opening splash, which frankly promises a much better story than is delivered. I also like the funky space hair on the one woman.

But before the story, some links:

Buy Ditko's creator-owned work
New publication #16: SIXTEEN now available
Find out about the fanzine DITKOMANIA
Back issues and subscriptions available
Check out new and upcoming Ditko publications
CREEPER hardcover available from DC
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 Elixir

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Labels: Unusual Tales

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

"The Elixir" is a 5-page story from Charlton's STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES #36 [1958], featuring an old traveling salesman who comes across some friendly aliens while seeking shelter from a storm. Very unusual ending to the story, quite cynical and not at all what you'd expect.

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Unusual Tales - The Great Martian Drought

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Labels: Unusual Tales

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

"The Great Martian Drought" is a 5-page story from Charlton's SPACE ADVENTURES #25 [1958], featuring the last few survivors of our neighbouring planet trying to survive a lack of water. This story was inspired by some observations of a large "W" shape on Mars in 1954, and gives a more fanciful explanation than the reality:

Before opposition, observers should be watching for the famous W clouds, so-called because the clouds grow so large that they form a "W" shape. These were noticed by E. C. Slipher in 1954 to be forming every late-spring afternoon over the Tharsis-Amazonis region. A decade later, it was proposed that the clouds were orographic in origin, and this was confirmed in 1971 when Mariner 9 images showed the clouds forming as wind passed over the volcanoes Olympus Mons, Ascraeus Mons, and Pavonis Mons.

Regardless, some really nice Ditko designs on the Martian cities and ships.

But before the story, some links:

Buy Ditko's creator-owned work
Including single edition complete longer works like STATIC and THE MOCKER
Find out about the fanzine DITKOMANIA
Back issues and subscriptions available
Check out new and upcoming Ditko publications
CREEPER hardcover available from DC
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

May 4, 2012

Unusual Tales - The Mirror

Posted by Bob 0 comments

Labels: Unusual Tales

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

"The Mirror" is a 5-page story from Charlton's UNUSUAL TALES #15 [1959], about a greedy landlord who has a strange encounter when he takes a mirror from a fortune teller tenant to cover an increase in the rent. Kind of a creepy little ending on this one, and Ditko would do better with mirror motif stories in other parts of his career.

But before the story, some links:

Buy Ditko's creator-owned work
Classic MR. A available in modern reprint
Find out about the fanzine DITKOMANIA
Back issues and subscriptions available
Check out new and upcoming Ditko publications
Steady supply of books coming out from many publishers
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 Green Man

Posted by Bob 0 comments

Labels: Unusual Tales

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

"The Green Man" is a 5-page story from Charlton's THIS MAGAZINE IS HAUNTED #14 [1957]. "Wherever the hounds of the unworld bay too the moon, there go I, I Dr. Haunt", to give you a taste of our narrator's style. Anyway, as the title says, this is the story about a man who turns green, and goes to a doctor to find out what's going on. Nothing too spectacular in the art or story for this one.

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Unusual Tales - There It Is Again

Posted by Bob 0 comments

Labels: Unusual Tales

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

"There It Is Again" is a 5-page story from Charlton's STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES #35 [1957]. An interesting variation on the old Frankenstein story, with a scientist creating an artificial life-form and being disappointed with the results, and then hounded by his creation. Sort of. Couple of nice bits where Ditko gets to show off his mastery of the creepy in some varied settings.

But before the story, some links:

Buy Ditko's creator-owned work
A wide variety of comics and essays in THE AVENGING WORLD
Find out about the fanzine DITKOMANIA
Back issues and subscriptions available
Check out new and upcoming Ditko publications
CREEPER hardcover available from DC
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

May 3, 2012

Unusual Tales - Journey's End

Posted by Bob 0 comments

Labels: Unusual Tales

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

"Journey's End" is a 5-page story from Charlton's OUT OF THIS WORLD #9 [1958] (not to be confused with the story of the same name in AMAZING ADULT FANTASY #7 [1961]), about a group of exiles who are forced to leave their planet after a robot revolution. The early bits of the story are really good, with a lot of vivid imagery. The ending is a bit of a cliche (I think it was used in an EC story, or maybe a Marvel story, possibly also by Ditko, or maybe both?), but cutely effective.

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May 2, 2012

Unusual Tales - The Shining Stallion

Posted by Bob 0 comments

Labels: Unusual Tales

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

"The Shining Stallion" is a 5-page story from Charlton's BLACK FURY #17 [1959], this time featuring the wild black horse being captured by by a bandit who hopes to break the horse and use its speed in his crimes. Nothing too noteworthy in this one, but check out that chin on that bandit.