Where Creatures Roam #3 [1970]

Two Ditko 5-page reprints in this issue.

"I Am The Victim Of The Sorcerer" is from TALES TO ASTONISH #16 [1961], a great little showcase for Ditko's art, featuring a confused and desperate man on the city streets at night, with no memory of who he is or how he got there, but with a a definite sense of fear of an evil entity drawing him closer.  The level of increasing despair Ditko brings to the character as he approaches his inevitable end is intense.  I especially like how for pages 4 and 5, he changes the layout to a less common 4 panels per row, increasing the sense of constriction the character is feeling and making the reveal in the last larger panel all the more satisfying.  Definitely a highlight among the many great shorts Ditko did in that period.

Later in the issue is "I Live Again" from TALES TO ASTONISH #8 [1960]. It's a sequel to "I Spent Midnight With The Thing On Bald Mountain", which was reprinted in the previous issue.  It's a comparatively lesser story, as the statue come to life survives its fall from the previous story (with some selective memory about what caused it), terrorizes the nearby village, then decides to head for America to fulfil its dreams of world conquest. So he takes over a fleeing ship, orders it to head to the US, sinks it as it gets close to Florida, just to be mean. Fortunately for Earth it decides to hide out in a steel structure in a fenced in field to plan some more, which just happens to be a rocket being fired out into deep space.  Seriously. Oh well, at least Ditko does his usual good job with the art to elevate the story.  The stone texture of the creature is great, and it punching out an alligator and tossing around a bull is kind of funny.

The cover is the Kirby/Ditko cover from TALES TO ASTONISH #16 [1961], with a lot of little modifications as was common for cover reprints at Marvel around that time.

Morlock 2001 #3 [1975]

Like most books in the short-lived Atlas/Seaboard line, MORLOCK 2001 saw a quick shift in creators and focus, as this third issues sees a title change on the cover to "Morlock 2001 and the Midnight Men" (with "Midnight Men" in larger type) and Gary Friedrich comes in as writer, and art by Steve Ditko and Bernie Wrightson. Even if it wasn't the final issue of the series, the art team at least was only going to be a one-shot deal, as the letter column says the next issue would have art by Jose Gaul.

Anyway, I haven't read those first two issues, but they seem to set up a future world borrowing from literary works like 1984 and FAHRENHEIT 451, with Thought Police and book-burnings, and toss in the title character, a man who turns into a mindless walking tree. In this issue, he's going to try to get help from a scientist named Whitlock, just as Whitlock's library is discovered by the police. For no reason we're given Whitlock manages to survive third degree burns all over his body, and takes Morlock to the subway based refuge of a band of rebels plotting against the mysterious Tribunal (you know they're mysterious since they always sit with their chairs facing away from us). Whitlock comes up with an ugly costume for himself, renames himself the Midnight Man and makes plans to use Morlock's powers, but then the Thought Police discover them, so he shoots Morlock and gets ready to blow up the refuge.

Weird hodge-podge of ideas, though there's a hint of something interesting in there, although never to be developed, of course. More interesting is the artwork, the only time Ditko was paired with Wrightson on inks. It's a combination that works very well, very similar to the better Ditko/Wood combinations, with some nice brushwork and shading never getting in the way of the solid Ditko compositions, though clearly not being done justice by the printing. Shame we didn't see more of that.

Unusual Tales - The Only One

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

The 5-page "The Only One" is one of the few westerns not starring a horse that Ditko did in those early years, from Charlton's TEXAS RANGERS IN ACTION #8 [1957]. It features the story of "King" Anderson, a cattle man who rules his region of the west with an iron fist, ruthlessly chasing off anyone who tries to settle in the land he claims for his cattle.  After we find out exactly what events early in his life made him so hard and cold, he then encounters the one thing that can change his ways.


A nice heart-warming story, and Ditko does a great job with the characters in this one, especially "King" Anderson. As I've said before, Ditko's westerns are generally pretty strong, and I wish he had done more of them.

Some links to check out:
Buy Ditko's creator-owned work
100+ new pages in 2009, plus lots of classics available
Find out about the fanzine DITKOMANIA
New issue in January on Ditko's independent work
Check out new and upcoming Ditko publications
The Creeper inches ever closer
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 images to big-up.

 

Unusual Tales - The Dancing Cat

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

From Charlton's STRANGE SUSPENSE STORIES #37 [1958] comes "The Dancing Cat", a 5-page story about a  TV writer who goes to Egypt with his wife to do some research on a series he's hoping to sell.  As a gift for his wife he buys a music box in the shape of a dancing cat, not realizing that if you're in a comic book story set in Egypt you really should listen to that old beggar on the streets trying to warn you of a curse.

A simple but effective story, the floating musical notes are a nice design element around that ominous looking cat.  That bit across the top tier of page four works really well.

Some links to check out:
Buy Ditko's creator-owned work
Find out about the fanzine DITKOMANIA
Check out new and upcoming Ditko publications
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 images to big-up.

 

 

Unusual Tales - Menace From The Moon

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

"Menace From The Moon" is a 5-page story from Charlton's SPACE ADVENTURES #26 [1958], and it seeks to explain the great Luna/Atlantis atomic war, shamefully absent from most approved textbooks.  If we don't learn the lessons of history, we're doomed to repeat it, people!

Anyway, cute little story, Ditko's design of the Lunar city on the first panel is nice, and the six-panel depiction of the final battle on the last page, with no characters, is quite memorable.  I also really like the resigned look on the face of the leader of Atlantis on page 4.

Some links to check out:
Buy Ditko's creator-owned work
Waiting for news on the next new release
Find out about the fanzine DITKOMANIA
Order a set, hours of fun reading
Check out new and upcoming Ditko publications
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 images to moon-size.

Unusual Tales - For Amusement Only

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

"For Amusement Only" is a 5-page story from Charlton's OUTER SPACE #18 [1958].  In it, the entire planet faces the menace of accelerated plant growth, starting gradually at first but quickly reaching crisis levels.

Of particular note in this one, that first big panel is a nicely laid out image to represent the story.  The water tower falling over is a nice touch.  And dig that crazy alien hairdo!

Some links to check out:
Buy Ditko's creator-owned work
Stock up now, they can't stay in print forever
Find out about the fanzine DITKOMANIA
New issue out soon, see the big-name artist doing the cover of one of Ditko's newest characters at the link
Check out new and upcoming Ditko publications
Lots of stuff out in 2009
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 images to big-up.

 

 

Ditko in 2009 wrapup

Well, barring last minute surprises it looks like all the Ditko that's going to come out in 2009 is now released, so  here's the summary post, still in time for all your Winter Solstice gift exchanges.  Nothing says "thinking of you" like the gift of Ditko.

As usual, new books are listed as they're announced and released over here.  If you want details on the contents of any of these publications, I refer you to Brian Franczak's invaluable Ditko Fever site.

Very big year for Ditko releases, no less than 30 publications listed below. Biggest year for new Ditko comics since 2000, and among the reprints are many things that have never been reprinted before.

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Most important, of course, was the continued release of material published by Ditko and Robin Snyder.  Three new comics, cover to cover Ditko,  plus a gorgeous reprint of a Ditko classic, the 1973 MR. A. comic. We should see some more in 2010, with one new comic (A Ditko Act Two) already announced.

Oh No! Not Again, Ditko! [Robin Snyder and Steve Ditko]
Ditko Once More [Robin Snyder and Steve Ditko]
Ditko Presents [Robin Snyder and Steve Ditko]
Mr. A. [Robin Snyder and Steve Ditko]

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There were also a few Ditko essays in the year.  One in the usual forum for such things, Robin Snyder's monthly newsletter, and one available online (courtesy of Batton Lash).  Some interesting reading in those.

"The Ever Unwilling" in The Comics v20 #3 [Robin Snyder]
"The Ever Unreachable" [Big Hollywood, original on-line essay, no longer on-line]

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And for Ditko from the fan perspective, Ditkomania continues to come out at an even faster rate than its already generous bi-monthly schedule (plus with some extra-sized issues this year).  You get a focus on a wide variety of Ditko work in the 2009 issues, from some of his most popular works to largely overlooked periods, plus reviews of the new Ditko material and some nice fan art.  Doesn't look like editor/publisher Rob Imes is going to slow down much in 2010, so order some back issues and subscribe now.

Ditkomania #70-76 [Rob Imes]

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Part of Dark Horse's business model now seems to be in picking up the rights to some old comics from publishers who are either no longer around or whose licenses to that material has lapsed, and got some Ditko in the deal.  Their second book of Marvel's Indiana Jones comics of the 1980s only has Ditko's first story, so their upcoming third volume should have his remaining seven.  And along with the second volume of Creepy from last year, all sixteen of Ditko's stories for Warren (most with Archie Goodwin) are now in print, spread across five $50 hardcovers.  A few upcoming books will, oddly, reprint full issues that contained reprints of earlier issues, so expect some redundant Ditko in those.  And yes, I know, you want to see a single all-Ditko book with all sixteen stories. Tell it to Dark Horse.

Indiana Jones Omnibus: The Further Adventures #2 [Dark Horse]
Creepy Archives #3 [Dark Horse]
Creepy Archives #4 [Dark Horse]
Eerie Archives #1 [Dark Horse]
Eerie Archives #2 [Dark Horse]

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Big thing for Marvel this year was the new softcover line of Masterworks. It's all stuff that's been reprinted multiple times in multiple formats in the last few years, but still, nice affordable books.  The first Spider-Man volume does have some photos of the recently made publicly available artwork to Amazing Fantasy #15. Anyway, expect a few more volumes with Ditko content in 2010, most importantly Spider-Man v4 and Doctor Strange v1 (sadly they'll probably follow the lead of the hardcover for that and stop short of Ditko's full run).

Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man v1 Tradepaperback [Marvel]
Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man v2 Tradepaperback [Marvel]
Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man v3 Tradepaperback [Marvel]
Marvel Masterworks: The Incredible Hulk v1 Tradepaperback [Marvel]
Marvel Masterworks: The Fantastic Four v2 Tradepaperback [Marvel]

Some stray Ditko in a few other Marvel books did manage to include a few minor but previously unreprinted works, like a Masked Marvel story in that Pet Avengers books.


What If? Classic v6 [Marvel]
Pet Avengers Classic [Marvel]
Spider-Man: The Sinister Six [HC] [Marvel]
Marvel 70th Anniversary Collection [Marvel]

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And lastly, various publishers continued or began reprinting copyright free Ditko stories, mostly from Charlton.  What a strange idea...  Anyway, some overlap among these books, and with prior reprints, I again refer you to Ditko Fever which has or soon will have full contents details with for each book.

Steve Ditko: Edge of Genius [Pure Imagination]
The Art of Steve Ditko [IDW]
Strange Suspense: The Steve Ditko Archives [FBI]
Crypt of Horror #6 [AC Comics]

Expect some more of that going on in 2010.

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One thing we didn't see in 2009 was a reprint of Ditko's Creeper stories from DC.  A black and white volume, which wouldn't have included all of Ditko's 1970s stories, was on DC's long-range schedule for a while, but pulled in favour of a full colour hardcover which should come out in 2010, and which will include not only all of the officially published Ditko stories but the story intended for Showcase #106 which fell victim to the DC Implosion.  Sadly, looks like they'll be printing it in black and white, but still, a complete Ditko Creeper book.

Ditko was also missing from the hardcover Marvel Masterworks line in 2009, but next year he'll at least be represented with various shorts in the third Tales to Astonish book.

Unusual Tales - The Strange One

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

"The Strange One" is a 2-page story from Charlton's MYSTERIES OF UNEXPLORED WORLDS #10 [1958], about a man who comes ashore on an uncharted island after a shipwreck, and what he sees there, or doesn't see, that scares him off.

An odd little story, with an ending that, as you'll see, doesn't really use Ditko's skills, but he does good with everything up to that.  The splash of the man washing up on the beach is really good, with those ominous black clouds in the background.

Some links to check out:
Buy Ditko's creator-owned work
Find out about the fanzine DITKOMANIA
Check out new and upcoming Ditko publications
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 images to big-up and really appreciate the details on the last two panels.