Unusual Tales - The Heel And The Healer

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

"The Heel And The Healer" is a 6-page story first published in Charlton's TALES OF THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER #7 [1958].  The Traveler narrates a brief parable about a snake-oil salesman down in Mexico trying to sell his phony cures when he runs into a real healer.

Entertaining enough story, but like a lot of these stories with hosts the more interesting thing is the variety of ways Ditko would draw the host.  I especially like the first image in this one, which has an interesting effect which I don't think Ditko used very often.

But before the story, some links:

Buy Ditko's creator-owned work

Read fascinating comic-book history in THE AVENGING MIND

Find out about the fanzine DITKOMANIA

New issue coming soon

Check out new and upcoming Ditko publications

Will the Shade reprint include the unpublished issue?  Your guess is as good as mine...

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

--Link-- Marvel Mysteries and Comics Minutiae

Nick Caputo, who attentive readers of this weblog will know is the one most likely to correct me in the comments when I make a mistake, has just started his own blog, Marvel Mysteries and Comics Minutiae, and as you'd expect one of his first posts is about Steve Ditko, as I'm sure many in the future will be. Go read and subscribe in your rss reader of choice.

Unusual Tales - The Wrong Planet

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

"The Wrong Planet" is a 5-page story first published in Charlton's SPACE ADVENTURES #27 [1959]. This is the story of Rogul, a strange colourfully dressed man who appears on a city street one day, speaking an unknown language and not knowing where he is.  Fortunately one of the people on hand for his appearance is a linguistics professor, so we eventually get some answers, which only raise more questions.

Strange little story, Ditko does a good job with Rogul's attire, and we get one of those classic Ditko alien cityscapes on the final page.

But before the story, some links:

Buy Ditko's creator-owned work

A DITKO #14 coming soon, Miss Eerie returns

Find out about the fanzine DITKOMANIA

Lots of great back issues with great articles and art

Check out new and upcoming Ditko publications

Almost every Ditko story for DC in print by year's end

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 - Live For Reunion

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

"Live For Reunion" is a 5-page story first published in Charlton's MYSTERIES OF UNEXPLORED WORLDS #5 [1957]. It's about a boy named Hal, whose parents vanish when he's young due to the appearance of some mysterious "Green People" and his quest to find out what really happened.

An entertaining story with some great body language and facial expressions by Ditko.  And check out the interesting bit on the middle tier of page 4, with a look at Hal's travels through the world in search of clues.  Very cleverly done, and very evocative of some later Ditko work as well.

But before the story, some links:

Buy Ditko's creator-owned work

ACT 8 now available

Find out about the fanzine DITKOMANIA

New issue coming soon

Check out new and upcoming Ditko publications

Several DC hardcovers coming soon, Stalker, Shade, Starman, Hawk & Dove among contents

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

Upcoming Ditko - DC's DITKO OMNIBUS v2

Official solicitation for the second DITKO OMNIBUS from DC, a companion to the imminent first volume which will include SHADE, STALKER and Ditko's short non-series bits.

THE STEVE DITKO OMNIBUS VOL. 2 HC
Written by STEVE DITKO, LEN WEIN, PAUL LEVITZ, MARK MILLAR and others • Art by STEVE DITKO and others • Cover by STEVE DITKO
On sale DECEMBER 14 • 384 pg, FC, $59.99 US
Collecting tales by artist Steve Ditko from SHOWCASE #75, THE HAWK AND THE DOVE #1-2, MAN-BAT #1, DETECTIVE COMICS #483-485 and 487, ADVENTURE COMICS #467-468, LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #267, 268, 274, 276 and 281, OUTSIDERS #13, LEGENDS OF THE DC UNIVERSE 80-PAGE GIANT #1 and the TALES OF THE NEW GODS TP.

The issues for ADVENTURE are obviously a typo, it should be #467-478 for the complete run of Starman.  Two Legion stories are missing, #257 and #272, which would be an odd omission, since those are stand-alone stories while a few of the others are chapters of larger stories (and another features Doctor Mayavale).  And not too surprising, but no mention of the Ditko pages from longer stories in DC SPECIAL SERIES #9 [1978] and ACTION COMICS #642 [1989].  And hopefully one or the other of the Omnibus volumes will include stray single pages like Ditko's Superman pin-up and his pages for WHO'S WHO.

Upcoming Ditko - A DITKO #14

Ditko's next original publication looks like it does away with the "Act" numbering he's been using for the last few and just uses the total number since he began publishing in this format in 2008, therefore we get A DITKO #14.  Returning characters are Miss Eerie and The Cape, plus a new feature The Distorter and more. Coming soon, ordering details over here for this and previous Ditko works in print.

New Ditko - ACT 8

Now available, ACT 8, MAKING LUCKY 13, THIRTEEN DITKO'S 32s, the latest Ditko solo release from Ditko and Robin Snyder.

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).  For those who usually buy from me, I'll have copies soon, and you'll get the usual e-mail when I do.

New Ditko - Hulk/Torch one-shot available

Now in stores, The Incredible Hulk and The Human Torch From The Marvel Vault #1, the early 1980s inventory story for MARVEL TEAM-UP by Jack C. Harris and Steve Ditko, newly completed with script and inks from Karl Kesel.  Click here to order, or just to see the cover you should look for.

If you're not into buying single issues these days,  there's a collection that will include this one-shot and some other recently completed books from Marvel's inventory coming out in October.