User blog:ARTaylor/RIP Steve Ditko

Comic book creator Steve Ditko has passed away. New York City police officers found the legendary writer dead in his apartment on June 29th, and estimate that he had been dead for two days putting his deathdate on June 27th. No cause of death was announced and he has no known survivors. Ditko was ninety at the time of his passing.



Ditko was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania on November 2nd, 1927. His father was a steel mill worker and his mother was a homemaker. He gained his love for comics from his father, reading the works of Prince Valiant, Batman, and The Spirit. He served in the army in post-World War II Germany and drew for a military paper. Following his discharge, he moved to New York City and studied under the makers of Batman. He later worked for Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. He eventually went to work for Atlas Comics in 1955, working with Stan Lee on a number of science fiction stories.

Ditko is most famous at the co-creator of several characters, most notably Spider-Man and Doctor Strange. Then Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Lee gave Ditko the assignment to create a teenage superhero with spider-based powers after Lee was unsatisfied with Kirby's take. Ditko created the famous Amazing Fantasy #15 that established almost everything fans know and love about the friendly neighborhood wallcrawler. The comic was a hit and launched the character into superstardom, becoming the company's flagship character. He also created such iconic villains like Doctor Octopus, Sandman, Lizard, and Green Goblin. Two years later he created the master of the mystic arts Doctor Strange.

However, Ditko and Lee soon had a falling out causing Ditko to leave Marvel and causing the two to not speak for several years. The details of which are unknown as Ditko never explained and Lee claimed not to know why his partner left. Some have said Ditko was frustrated with Lee's oversight and failure to share credit. Ditko then went to work for other publishers like Charlton, DC, and numerous others, eventually returning to Marvel in 1979. One of his last creations was Squirrel Girl, who has since become a cult favorite.

He was reclusive and secretive, known as the J. D. Salinger of comics. He rarely spoke on record, declined almost every interview request, and avoided the publicity that came with the film adaptations of his characters.

He continued writing in his Manhattan studio up until his death, and it is unknown how much is unpublished. He struck up a friendship with comic book creator Graig Weich in the last year of his life who said, "He wasn't ninety. He seemed like a young, cool artist who happened to have an aged body." According to Weich, he once asked Ditko about his relationship with Lee who responded, "We're peaceful." Following his death, Weich found that he was one of the few Ditko allowed into his office.