Happy #93

 

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Snyder/Ditko Kickstarter - Captain Atom and more.

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Upcoming Ditko - MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER Returns

The next SD Comics Kickstarter is running now, and features another issue of MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER, the old Charlton title which featured some of Ditko's earliest work, and previously was #16, #19 and #27 of this revolving anthology series. I'm not certain, but I think the preview image shown in the campaign is from a heretofore unpublished story.

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New Ditko - THE COMPLETE FOUR-PAGE SERIES AND OTHER ESSAYS

S. Ditko, "Why I Quit S-M, Marvel", 2015

Apparently now available from SD Publishing is THE COMPLETE FOUR-PAGE SERIES AND OTHER ESSAYS, an 80-page collection featuring the nine issue series of essays by Ditko published from 2012 to 2015 and twenty other essays from among the many to choose from.

Available from various sellers, use the ISBN codes:

ISBN-10: 1945307269

ISBN-13: 978-1945307263

And I assume Robin Snyder will have copies available, especially if you're picking up other SD Publishing books.

Here are the 45 essays as published in the original nine issue series (* numbering assumed for unnumbered essays)

#1*:  The Knowers & the Barkers [FPS#1]

#2*:  The Silent Self-Deceivers [FPS#1]

#3*:  A Newspaper Article, A Reporter's Report [FPS#1]

#4*:  A Deadly Fantasy [FPS#1]

#5*:  Why Out Of Their Way? [FPS#1]

#6*: Circle The Mind [FPS#2]

#7*: The Fixated Negative [FPS#2]

#8*: For/Against One's Best Interest? [FPS#2]

#9: An Eternal Truth, Lesson Rejected [FPS#3]

#10: The Fantasy Lifters [FPS#3]

#11*: LINT [FPS#2]

#12: For Good Or Ill [FPS#3]

#13: Tsk! — The Still Unreachable — Tsk! [FPS#3]

#14: Labels And Labelers [FPS#4]

#15: Wants/Needs Shortchanged [FPS#9]

#16*: Honoring Or Dishonoring [FPS#2]

#17: …To The Last Drop [FPS#3]

#18: Anti-Ditko 'Fans' [FPS#3]

#19: Action/Reaction And The Self-Claimed, Self-Creators [FPS#4]

#20: Out Of Their Way [FPS#9]

#21: How Dare He! [FPS#4]

#22: He Should Have X@*#! Done... [FPS#8]

#23: The Intolerable Other [FPS#6]

#24: The Eternally Fixated [FPS#5]

#25: Choice: Either/Or [FPS#5]

#26: 4 tHe knot 2 BritE, rite [FPS#5]

#27: The Movers And The Freezers [FPS#4]

#28: Red Flag [FPS#6]

#29: Too Late [FPS#4]

#30: Repeater, Spreader, Reinforcer [FPS#6]

#31: Copycat Mind [FPS#8]

#32: With Everyone, A Free-Will Choice [FPS#5]

#33: X's 'Idea' [FPS#6]

#34: Memory [FPS#5]

#35: FP: Comic Book Fan Packs [FPS#6]

#36: CC: The Caller and the Called [FPS#6]

#37: Start & Finish [FPS#6]

#38: Correct, Corrector, Corrections [FPS#8]

#40: The Chosen Grey Mind [FPS#7]

#41: A Cure Or The Actual Disease? [FPS#7]

#42 [FPS#8]

#43: The 1st New York City Comic Book Convention [FPS#7]

#44: Foolish Fans [FPS#9]

#45: Why I Quit S-M, Marvel [FPS#9]

#46: Either/Or [FPS#9]

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Snyder/Ditko Kickstarter - Captain Atom and more.

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Dennis O'Neil, R.I.P.

Wanted to note the passing of Dennis O'Neil, long time comic book writer and editor with a long list of accomplishments. Among other things, he worked with Ditko several times over the years (as well as doing a lot of notable work on characters Ditko created).

Early in his career, O'Neil scripted the last two published Doctor Strange stories by Ditko over in STRANGE TALES, which I thought were pretty good.  Shortly after that he was also working at Charlton under the pen-name "Sergius O'Shaugnessy", and Ditko drew at least two of O'Neil's stories (a lot of stories in that era have no credits, so there might be more with both of them).  One credited one is the middle chapter of a time travel epic in SPACE ADVENTURES #2 [1968], in between chapters by Jim Aparo and Pat Boyette, which is a pretty great selection of artists.  The other one is uncredited originally, but credited in a later letter column and in the SD Publishing reprint, an entertaining horror story hosted by Mr. Dedd appearing in GHOSTLY TALES #69 [1968].  Around the same time O'Neil was brought over to DC by editor Dick Giordano, where one of his first assignments was scripting Ditko's BEWARE THE CREEPER series following the SHOWCASE story scripted by Don Segall. And then years later, back at Marvel, Ditko drew most of O'Neil's story in IRON MAN #160 [1982], which had some fun scenes (there's some interesting behind the scenes on Ditko not drawing the splash page, but that's for another post).

(I post about some of O'Neil's other work here and here)

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New & Upcoming Ditko - THE RETURN OF GORGO #31 and GHOSTLY TALES

The latest SD Comics release is now available, THE RETURN OF GORGO #31. Headlining the issue is the second issue of the series from 1961, a 30-page epic by Joe Gill and Steve Ditko. Also included are a trio of 1950s short stories with some compatible themes, all stories in full colour. Plus a short essay by Ditko and some letters. Should be available now from the usual sources.

And the next SD Comics Kickstarter is currently running, and features the return of the Charlton title GHOSTLY TALES, where Ditko's work appeared regularly from 1966 to 1977, with a cover from another title Ditko appeared in often in that era, THE MANY GHOSTS OF DOCTOR GRAVES. Ditko did over 200 stories for various Charlton horror anthology titles in that decade-plus, so there's a lot to choose from. Bit late on announcing it here, I'm sorry to say, but still over a week to go and it's already almost made the minimum funding goal.

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Snyder/Ditko Kickstarter - Captain Atom and more.

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New & Upcoming Ditko - THE HERO COMICS #30 and GORGO

The latest SD Comics release is now available, THE HERO COMICS #30. Headlining the issue is some 1960s Captain Atom from Joe Gill and Steve Ditko, originally published by Charlton, with two stories reprinted in colour. Also included are some Captain Atom rarities by Ditko (fanzine art, etc.) and some of Ditko's independent work from different eras, including The Void from the 1970s, The Corrector from the 1980s and The Hero from 2010, plus a few surprises. Should be available now from the usual sources.

And the next SD Comics Kickstarter is currently running, and features the movie monster Gorgo who occupied much of Ditko's creative time from 1961-1963. Bit late on announcing it here, I'm sorry to say, but still over a week to go and it's already made the minimum funding goal.

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New & Upcoming Ditko - THE HERO COMICS #29 and OVERTURE

Latest Ditko release is under the Famous Comics label and titled THE HERO COMICS #29. The cover feature is Blue Beetle, highlighting a reprint of the 1968 Charlton comic by BLUE BEETLE #5 by Ditko, both the lead story and the Question backup. Also in this issue are some other Blue Beetle material, including an expansion of the look at the history of the character and the proposed 1980s revival of the character by Snyder and Ditko at DC. Also some short reprints of Ditko's Mr. A and The Hero and a short essay "Could/Should". Should be available now from all the usual sources.

Also now available is the collection of the first five 32-Page Series issues, THE 32 SERIES BY DITKO VOL. I - OVERTURE. The fifth and final collection, CURTAIN, should wrap up the series soon.

The next Kickstarter from Robin Snyder is also up now, which will feature some more Charlton Action Hero content in the form of some Captain Atom and no doubt a lot more in 48 pages.

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Snyder/Ditko Kickstarter - Captain Atom and more.

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World's Finest Comics #251 [1978]

Part of a short run of Creeper stories Ditko wrote and drew and in the late 1970s, which saw Jack Ryder as the head of a security team at Cosmic Broadcasting, this time tasked with foiling an extortion scheme led by a masked figure who gives the 8-page story its name, "The Disrupter".

Ditko did a lot of interesting slapstick humour in this series, which works well with the acrobatic abilities and quick change transformations of the character.  

All of Ditko's Creeper stories were collected in THE CREEPER BY STEVE DITKO [2010].

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Snyder/Ditko Kickstarter - The Hero / Blue Beetle.

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Bill Schelly, R.I.P.

Just wanted to quickly note the passing of Bill Schelly, a comic creator, historian and publisher, who early on was one of the fanzine publishers to print the Mr. A. work of Steve Ditko in his SENSE OF WONDER publication. In more recent times he wrote the definitive biographies of Joe Kubert, John Stanley, Harvey Kurtzman, Otto Binder and James Warren, as well as books looking at the early days of comics fandom, including his own autobiography SENSE OF WONDER.

Mark Evanier has more here, and his publishers at Fantagraphics have some memories of various associates.

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Marvel Comics Presents #80 [1991]

MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS was a long running twice-monthly anthology series which for most of its run featured four 8-page stories in each issue, with a mix of long-running serialized stories (as long as 25 chapters) and one-shot stories, and occasionally shorter serials like this one. Ditko was a frequent presence in the book from 1988 to 1991, mostly with single issue stories that he would usually plot and pencil, with other hands brought in to script and ink.

This Captain America story is a bit of an exception, being a two-part story, concluded in the next issue, and being scripted by Ditko. I think this might be the only time he did the final scripting on any work he did for Marvel. It's not quite an all-Ditko show as Terry Austin inks both parts of the story, the only time he inked Ditko. It's also the only solo Captain America story Ditko drew, though he did other team books with the character.

"Wargod" is the title of the first chapter, and features a new foe for Captain America by that name, an armoured villain who has just killed FBI agent Jake Bage (yeah, you can tell Ditko scripted this...) and is fighting Cap as the story opens. Eventually Cap follows up on some clues that Bage left about a secret army that Wargod is raising.

This story is surprisingly similar to a lot of the independent work that Ditko was doing in the era, with very little modification I could see it appearing in one of his own publications. There's a lot of exploration of patriotism, fanaticism and ethical business dealings mixed in with the action. Very unusual style for Marvel of the era, with a dense story and lots of dialogue and thought balloons. Austin's inks are pretty effective, a little slicker than is usual for Ditko, but not in an overpowering way like some other Marvel work of the era.

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Adventure Comics #474 [1980]

This issue opens with "The Chains That Bind", chapter 8 of the 12-part space opera by the Ditko/Levitz/Tanghal team. At this point we're knee-deep in intrigue, plots and secrets, as the Empress Clryssa is assumed dead, but really in the care of Starman, still unaware  that he's really Prince Gavyn, her supposedly dead brother and potential claimant to her throne. As they stage a rescue of their confederates on a prison planet, the usurper Lord Oswin makes his own plans, involving further betrayals.

A very engaging story with a lot of plot in the few pages it got every month. Ditko's given a lot to do in the design department, with a variety of aliens, robots and spaceships to draw, and some nice action scenes.

The complete Ditko drawn adventures of Starman were reprinted in THE STEVE DITKO OMNIBUS #2 [2011].

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Snyder/Ditko Kickstarter - The Hero / Blue Beetle.

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New & Upcoming Ditko - OUT OF THIS WORLD and HERO / BLUE BEETLE

Sorry this is a bit late. I thought I posted it a few weeks ago.

Now available from all the usual sources, OUT OF THIS WORLD no. 28, a 48-page anthology of Ditko science fiction, with several 1950s stories, plus a sampling of stuff from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, a few of them stories from WITZEND, QUESTAR and MONSTERS ATTACK that a lot of people haven't seen before. Also includes a short essay by Ditko and a long "Under The Gun" letter column from Snyder.

And already available for backing is the next SD Publishing Kickstarter, this time for another issue of THE HERO COMICS (previous issues are no. 23 and no. 26 of the revolving anthology title).  Looks like this one will include something with the Blue Beetle from Ditko's Charlton days, with the preview image having the cover to BLUE BEETLE #5 [1968], a comic which included a brief encounter of Ted (Blue Beetle) Kord and Vic (The Question) Sage.

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--Link-- Ditko Kickstarter - OUT OF THIS WORLD

Now on Kickstarter is another 48-page anthology title of Ditko classics, this time the revolving title landing on OUT OF THIS WORLD for the first time since OUT OF THIS WORLD #20 back in 2016. There's still a lot of great science fiction themed Ditko material from either Charlton or his independent work out there to be collected (like that great 1954 SPACE ADVENTURES cover seen in the preview), so this should be a good read.

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Snyder/Ditko Kickstarter - Out Of This World.

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New Ditko - MR. A. and 32 Series collections

The latest SD Publishing comic, DITKO'S MR. A. #8, is now available. Leading off with a long out-of-print classic 1960s Mr. A. story (maybe my favourite Mr. A. story) and with a variety of other reprints from throughout Ditko's career, with a few surprises.

Kickstarter backers should have copies now, and available now or soon from the usual sources, including direct from Robin Snyder over here with the other Snyder/Ditko publications, now accepting PayPal. Retailers who are interested in making the books available to their customers should contact Snyder for wholesale rates. Look for the next Kickstarter to be live later this week.

And catching up a bit, I missed that SD Publishing was also doing some collections of Ditko's long running and recently concluded 32 Series. The series of 27 comics will be reprinted in five volumes, with 2, 3 and 4 available now, with the first and last planned for later this year. Those are available directly from Robin Snyder, and from various booksellers, using the ISBN numbers listed below.




The 32 Series By Ditko Vol. II - Opening Acts
ISBN-10: 1945307161
ISBN-13: 978-1945307164
DITKO PRESENTS [2009]
A DITKO ACT TWO [2010]
A DITKO ACT 3 [2010]
ACT 4 [2010]
DITKO NO. 5 - FIVE ACT [2010]

The 32 Series By Ditko Vol. III - Character Twists
ISBN-10: 1945307161
ISBN-13: 978-1945307164
ACT 6 [2011]
ACT 7, SEVEN, MAKING 12, TWELVE, OF DITKO'S 32S [2011]
ACT 8, MAKING LUCKY 13, THIRTEEN DITKO'S 32S [2011]
A DITKO NO. 14 [2011]
A DITKO NO. 15 [2011]

The 32 Series By Ditko Vol. IV - Postshadowing
ISBN-10: 1945307161
ISBN-13: 978-1945307164
NO. 16 - SIXTEEN [2012]
NO. 17 - SEVENTEEN [2012]
ATE TEA N - 18 [2013]
NO. 9 TEEN [2014]
NO. 20 [2014]
NO. 2OWW1 [2014]

Upcoming
The 32 Series By Ditko Vol. I - Overture
The 32 Series By Ditko Vol. V - Curtain

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New Ditko - THE COMICS v30#1

The January 2019 issue of Robin Snyder's long-running newsletter THE COMICS (Vol. 30, No. 1) features several pieces on the passing of Steve Ditko, including an artistic tribute from Gary Kato, an essay by Rodney Schroeter, a long piece by Snyder in his "Under The Gun" column with several anecdotes and quotes, a few choice pieces of art from Ditko's independent work and four short essays, two of which are original to this publication ("Once Upon A Time" by Snyder and Ditko and "Sad Words" by Ditko) and two also appear in DOWN MEMORY LANE ("Identity" by Snyder and Ditko and "A Toast" by Ditko).

Subscription details to THE COMICS are at the bottom of this page, along with contact information for Snyder if you want to inquire about availability of this particular issue.

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--Link-- Ditko Kickstarter - MR. A. Returns

Robin Snyder has launched another Kickstarter project, this time for MR. A. RETURNS, another 48-page anthology issue of Ditko comics, the eighth issue for the iconic title character. The featured image (probably the cover) is an especially nice example of the single-page fanzine pieces with Mr. A. that Ditko did over the years, this one from GRAPHIC ILLUSIONS #1 [1971].

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New Ditko - DOWN MEMORY LANE

Now available, DOWN MEMORY LANE, the latest release from SD Publishing. This is the 27th and final issue of The 32 Series of publications that began in 2008 with THE AVENGING MIND, and was the primary home of new Ditko comics in the 21st Century, with over 800 pages of comics and illustrations, plus essays and more. This wind up issue includes a few new pages of art and essays, plus a few reprints from earlier in the series, a letter column under Snyder's long-running "Under the Gun" title, an index to the previous 26 issues and... something else quite unexpected that I think some people will quite enjoy. I'll leave it as a surprise for those who haven't gotten the book yet, but I will say it'll take some time to absorb (it's 12 pages of the book).

Available now or soon from the usual sources, including direct from Robin Snyder over here with the other Snyder/Ditko publications, now by popular demand accepting PayPal. Retailers who are interested in making the books available to their customers should contact Snyder for wholesale rates.

And while it may be the end of The 32 Series, it's not the end of SD Publishing, so expect news on their next book soon.

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--Link-- Ditko Kickstarter - DOWN MEMORY LANE

Latest SD Publishing Kickstarter is now up. DOWN MEMORY LANE is the hook, and possibly the title, and it has something to do with the THE AVENGING MIND book published 10 years ago, which kicked off the long series of "Ditko's 32s" that has run for 26 issues to date, the latest earlier this year. The featured image is from the inside cover of THE AVENGING MIND.

It will no doubt, after the Kickstarter is over, also be available direct from Snyder, along with most of the previous books, details here.

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New Ditko - MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER NO. 27

Now available, TALES OF THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER NO. 27, the latest release from Snyder and Ditko. The book leads off with the 8-page "If...Then... The Game", continuing a feature from the late 20th century and the first posthumous release of original material from Ditko. The rest of the book is a voyage through Ditko's work in the first six decades of his professional career, with samples of his Charlton work in the 1950s and 1970s and his independent work from the other decades.

Available now or soon from the usual sources, including direct from Robin Snyder over here with the other Snyder/Ditko publications, now by popular demand accepting PayPal. Retailers who are interested in making the books available to their costumers should contact Snyder for wholesale rates.

There should be some news on the next book within the next week.

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Happy 91

November 2, 1927, Steve Ditko born

Couldn't quite get up to 91 publications there for the photo (I guess if I stretched things a bit I could), I'm hoping by next year I can get up to 92.

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