Well, in my posting of Ditko's work from 1957-1959, I've gone as far as I can with the first part, the stories never reprinted in the 50+ years since they first saw print. Out of
81 such stories when I started, I've
posted 71 (plus
one additional story which had been reprinted, but the most recent reprint had some problems) . Those 72 stories add up to 355 pages, almost exactly one-third of the non-Marvel stories Ditko did in that three year stretch. A lot of variety in there, along with the usual science fiction and fantasy there are a number of westerns, plus a Civil War story and even a Robin Hood adventure. A few different art styles on display, with some stories featuring highly detailed rendering while others display a more open look.
[I've subsequently found and posted the remaining ten stories previously unreprinted stories, plus all the other ones]
One of the stories posted has been reprinted since I started, and
it's a good one, among the best. Expect another handful of them to be reprinted from various publishers by the end of the year.
Regarding the 5-page story "Evil Allies" from BLACK FURY #16 [1958], it's been on Ditko checklists before, and I had it on my initial list. I wasn't sure when I actually got a chance to see the story (kind of hard to tell since there are no humans in the story, and the quickest way to identify Ditko is by the people), and seeing that
Ditko Fever didn't list it had no problem crossing it off the list. If anyone wants to see it to judge for themselves, let me know, maybe I'll post it elsewhere. Oddly enough, I did find
one 5-page story not previously appearing on Ditko checklists, so balance restored!
If a list of 72 stories, a few of them admittedly on the mediocre side, is too daunting, here's a list of 10 above average stories from the list.
"
A World Where I Was King"
"
Secret Mission"
"
The Only One"
"
The Menace Of The Maple Leaves"
"
Forever And Ever"
"
Look Deep Into My Eyes"
"
Never Again"
"
For Amusement Only"
"
Little Boy Blue"
"
Valley Of Eternity"
Feel free to list your favourites in the comments if you want to point them out to other people.
Anyway, I'm taking a short break and will post some things regarding Ditko's work less than a half-century old for a few weeks. After that I'll start in on the stories of that era that have been reprinted before, though some not for decades, and at least one never in its entirety. Once I get started expect about a story every three days, which will take about a year to post them all. Also look for a few galleries of Ditko's covers from that era. Some story titles and images to whet your appetite:
"Stranger In The House"
"The Sultan"
"Moon-Run"
"Little Girl Lost"
"The Desert"
"Tomorrow's Punishment"
"I Made A Volcano"
"Flying Dutchman"
"The Juggernauts Of Jupiter"
