New Ditko - ATE TEA N: 18

While most of the actual dates that comics were created and published back in the 1950s are lost to us, from some of the dates I have seen I think it's useful to use 5 to 6 months prior to the cover date as a ballpark figure for latest time when the main creative work on comics would be done on newsstand comics.  The cover dates were usually 2-3 months after the on-sale date, so that still leaves at least 3 months for production and printing.

I bring this up because DARING LOVE #1 had a cover date of Sept-Oct 1953, and using that ballpark estimate that means the artwork on it was probably being worked on around April 1953 or earlier. And that comic is now generally accepted as having the first published Ditko illustrated comic book story, "Paper Romance". So, pending further evidence, now is as good a time as any to mark 60 years of Ditko comics.

And that's 60 and counting, since the first new Ditko comic of 2013 is now available:

Ditko's latest all-new 32-page comic, ATE TEA N: 18, is now available. Returning features, as seen on the cover, are  The Cape, The !?, The Hero and The P Mask, plus a new concept that will probably return and the usual single page bits.

As usual, all the new books and various other Ditko publications are available directly from Robin Snyder, details here, and the new book should be available from retailers who order from Snyder now or in the near future (interested retailers should contact Snyder for terms, which are probably better than you get for similar comics from your main distributor).