steve ditko Archives

Amazing Fantasy #15, the first appearance of Spider-Man by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee is also the first use of Aunt May giving wheatcakes to her nephew Peter Parker. Which are, for the uninformed American-style pancakes made with whole wheat flour and buttermilk, beaten eggs, butter, and egg whites Although Aunt May has a more involved recipe,[...]

The story by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee and with a cover by Jack Kirby and Ditko would help set the tone for the character and the Marvel line itself for decades to come. Amazing Spider-Man #1 (Marvel, 1963). The Amazing Spider-Man #1 Curator Pedigree (Marvel, 1963) CGC NM/MT 9.8 White pages. Here it is web-heads, your once-in-a-lifetime[...]

It is meant to include the artists whose work was used to develop Midjourney's AI art offering. They include comic book creators such as Tim Bradstreet, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Art Spiegelman, Brian Bolland, Bill Sienkiewicz, Bill Watterson, Bill Willingham, Ben Templesmith, Adi Granov, Al Davidson, Alex Toth, Arthur Rackham, Arthur Suydam, Scott McCloud, Ryan North, Mort Drucker,[...]

Back in 2021, comic book writer Larry Lieber and the estates of comic creators Steve Ditko, Larry Lieber, Gene Colan, Don Heck and Don Rico filed papers with Marvel Comics for the reversion of copyright rights to characters Spider-Man, Dr Strange, Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Hulk, Thor, and others, owned by Marvel and[...]

I thought this would have been Arthur's little toy or something. Peter: I didn't usually nick his toys and bring them to the office of a morning. Tamsin: You had your own toys didn't you? Victoria: It remains a mystery then. That green figure is The Vulture, the version seen in the Spider-Man cartoon, originally created by Stan Lee[...]

Recently, Bleeding Cool has been looking at the court case brought by Marc Toberoff against Marvel Comics and Disney on behalf of Larry Lieber and the estates of Steve Ditko, Don Heck, Gene Colan, and Don Rico Marvel Comics has reached settlements with four artists or their estates who attempted to reclaim copyright interests in Iron[...]

However, no settlement has been reached in the case of the estate of Steve Ditko, which seeks to reclaim his share of Doctor Strange and Spider-Man copyrights. Art by Marie Severin. The original filing read; It would be hard to find a better example of this than the amici who worked as freelancers from home, on their own[...]

The Marvel/Atlas war comic era started with War Comics #1, which hit newsstands in early September 1950, a little over a month after the United States entered the Korean War.  That war would soon help inspire a wave of war comic books from countless publishers in the early 1950s, but war comics would be a[...]

Created by Russ Jones, with Joe Orlando as illustrator and story editor, Archie Goodwin soon took over the managing editor role, and brought in the likes of Neal Adams, Dan Adkins, Reed Crandall, Johnny Craig, Steve Ditko, Frank Frazetta, Gray Morrow, John Severin, Angelo Torres, Alex Toth, Al Williamson and Wally Wood. In the seventies, Creepy would introduce the artists of the Barcelona Studio of Spanish agency Selecciones[...]

Charlton's Space Adventures is a somewhat confusing title, as the publisher launched the series four different times under varying circumstances.  The original series began in 1952 and ran for 22 issues.  It is best remembered for reviving the Blue Beetle and some early Steve Ditko covers, plus Dick Giordano's 1953 transgender-themed tale titled "Transformation."  The[...]

Chip Kidd and Geoff Spear are to follow up their Fantastic Four #1 Panel By Panel volume with a new one, Spider-Man Panel By Panel for Amazing Fantasy #15 and Amazing Spider-Man #1, the first appearance of Spider-Man followed by his first full length issue story by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee Senior VP and[...]

Jack Kirby, Siya Oum, Bryan K Vaughan, Klaus Janson, Chip Zdarsky, Will Eisner, Phil Jimenezm Mike Deodato, Matt Fraction, Bart Sears, Mike Mayhew, Tony Moore,  Aaron McGruder, Al Williamson, Albert Uderzio, Mobius, Alex Raymonf, Alex Rodd, Alex Toth, Angus McKie, Brian Bolland, Brian Stelfreeze, Bruce Timm, Charls Burns, Chris Ware, Daniel Clowes, Dave Gibbons, Dave[...]

The former two names are well known perhaps only among serious collectors as the original owners of significant collections, the latter is one of the most famous (or perhaps infamous) creators in American comic book history.  The tiniest detail about the provenance of a given comic book can completely alter your historical point of view[...]

Many such characters have become famous over the decades, such as DC Comics' Cain and Abel, EC's Crypt Keeper, Warren Magazines' Uncle Creepy, and countless others.  Such characters have often become more famous than the titles where they played host, but one instance where that certainly did not happen is with Charton's The Thing.  The[...]

One of the earliest comic book retailers, comic art collectors and comic historians Bob Beerbohm (author of Comic Book Store Wars) set up the Californian comic book store Comics & Comix Store #1 near the UC-Berkeley campus with Bud Plant and John Barrett, which went on to host comic conventions and become the first comic book chain store. Best of Two Worlds[...]

especially when he is part Galactus. John Ridley is very serious. Steve Ditko looks like what was going on inside Steve Ditko. Milo Manara… I mean that checks out, right? Raina Telgemeir is as joyful as her books But no glasses? Dav Pilkey finally gets close ion Midjourney but you can see where it was coming from. Skottie Young is way[...]

Today sees the publication of Amazing Fantasy #1000, for the 60th anniversary of Amazing Fantasy #15, the first appearance of Spider-Man by Steve Ditko and Stan Lee I first came to Marvel Comics through the Marvel UK reprints, published by the likes of Dez Skinn and Neil Tennant, and sold in British newsagents, reprinting the[...]

Steve Ditko is of course best known as the creator of iconic Marvel characters such as Doctor Strange and the co-creator of Spider-Man, but before he did that, he worked on a huge range of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and western material for a range of publishers, primarily Charlton and Marvel.  Ditko's late 1950s work[...]

argued lower courts relied on what it called the misguided "instance and expense" rule created in the 1960s to find the game a "work for hire." The lower courts said Bill Markham and his employees created it at the behest of Hasbro's predecessor, Milton Bradley. However, aside from the game in question, the decision may have[...]

Co-created by Steve Ditko and Will Murray in 1992, a bit of a joke character, but one who has gained a lot of traction in recent years. Bleeding Cool identified one Doreen Greeley, manager and long-time employee for almost thirty years at a New England Comics store as the basis for the character Squirrel Girl, who is[...]

The original artwork to the opening splash page from 1966's  Amazing Spider-Man #37 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, featuring Norman Osborn, J Jonah Jameson, Gwen Stacy, is up for auction Indeed, this is the first drawing of Norman Osborn in the comic where he is finally named, after previously popping up in cameos And[...]

We have been looking at the attempts of the estate of Steve Ditko and other legendary comic book creators to appeal for Marvel to action the reversion to copyright rights to characters Spider-Man, Strange, and others In response, Marvel Comics filed their own lawsuits to dismiss these claims, as referring to work-for-hire practices which would[...]

"Prototype" probably isn't quite the right name for the concept.  It's often just a name, a visual look, or a super-power that was recycled for later use — perhaps sometimes knowingly, perhaps not.  Still, prototypes do have their appeal.  It's another little hook into understanding comics history.  One of the most famous Marvel prototype issues,[...]

Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko cover Ditko art Overstreet 2021 FN 6.0 value = $282; VF 8.0 value = $761 CGC census 11/21: 70 in 7.0, 229 higher. View the certification for CGC Certification ID 1207543006 and purchase grader's notes if available. Of all the early Silver Age Marvel characters, Doctor Strange might be the one[...]

In the last year-and-change, Diamond Comics Distributors has gone from being the monopoly exclusive distributor of almost the entire direct market of

On the 26th of August, Patrick S Ditko, the brother of the late Steve Ditko and administrator of his estate, registered two notices of copyright termination against Marvel Entertainment for the first appearances of Doctor Strange and Spider-Man in comic books. Doctor Strange Master of Black Magic! published in Strange Tales Vol 1, No 110 /[...]

Amazing Spider-Man #4 has always been one of my favorite issues of the series, and it was the first single-digit issue of the series I picked up for my personal collection.  Steve Ditko's four-panel cover is very effective at showing what this comic is about.  "See why I'm called the Sandman?!!!" the character says after[...]

It's Steve Ditko time Bleeding Cool has run many articles looking at pieces of original comic book artwork up for auction But the 2021 June 17 – 19 Comics & Comic Art Signature Auction #7244 auction from Heritage may be their most significant comic book auction to date with some insanely valuable, desirable, and influential examples[...]

Based on a Ray Bradbury short, the Beast was an atomic radiation-created giant monster film that directly inspired Godzilla the next year.  Lourié would go onto become a critically acclaimed director, production designer, and art director, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects on the 1959 film Krakatoa, East of Java. Konga[...]

Legendary comic book creator Steve Ditko became known for responding to letters that fans wrote to him through the better part of six decades.  The man who created or co-created numerous important characters such as Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, Hawk and Dove, Shade the Changing Man, Mr A, and many others answered fan mail and other[...]