Ditko Shrugged: The Uncompromising Life of the Artist Behind Spider-Man
David Currie author Ryosuke Takeuchi author Ao Uoyama author Daniel Herman editor
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Hermes Press
Published:12th Jan '21
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
Steve Ditko was the last of a sturdy generation ofAmerican comic book artists who produced iconic, modern day mythology and wasamong the most influential and original creators of the 20th Century. A primearchitect, together with Jack Kirby and Stan Lee, of a universe of heroiccharacters that took Marvel Comics from an underdog New York publisher in the1960s to the world-recognized brand of comic book superheroes andmulti-million-dollar movies of today, Ditko co-created Spider-Man but walkedaway from the character he designed over 50 years ago, to never again return tothe enduring superhero and retreating completely from the public eye thereafter.Seeking his own individualistic paths for creative and personal expression wouldlead to condemnation from some, restricted work opportunities from others and areclusive life peppered with memories of interfering editors; original artworkthat had been stolen from him and a life-long adherence to his Objectivistconvictions. With the book sourcing a decade-long correspondence between SteveDitko and its author David Currie, the history of the formative years ofAmerican comic books and the rise of Marvel Comics is revealed, illuminatedfurther by interviews with many other comic book creators from all periods. It'san intrigue-filled story of heroes and villains, both fictional and real;visionary artists on zero-hour contracts and one man's artistically productiveand diligently uncompromising life.
“BY 1995, IT WAS CLEAR JUST HOW IMPORTANTMARVEL'S INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY WAS, WHETHER IT WAS PRESENTED IN COMICS OR ON TVOR IN THE MOVIES OR IN VIDEOGAMES. IT WASN'T PLAYTIME ANYMORE” - DANNYFINGEROTH
“BY 1995, IT WAS CLEAR JUST HOW IMPORTANTMARVEL'S INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY WAS, WHETHER IT WAS PRESENTED IN COMICS OR ON TVOR IN THE MOVIES OR IN VIDEOGAMES. IT WASN'T PLAYTIME ANYMORE” - DANNYFINGEROTH
"COMIC BOOKS COULD HAVE BEEN A PLACE TO SERIOUSLYEXAMINE IDEAS IN FICTION AND FANTASY. LIKE SO MANY THINGS, ITSELF-DESTRUCTED” - STEVE DITKO
"COMIC BOOKS COULD HAVE BEEN A PLACE TO SERIOUSLYEXAMINE IDEAS IN FICTION AND FANTASY. LIKE SO MANY THINGS, ITSELF-DESTRUCTED” - STEVE DITKO
“STEVE DITKO WAS VITAL TO THE CREATION OF MARVELCOMICS” - NEIL GAIMAN
“STEVE DITKO WAS VITAL TO THE CREATION OF MARVELCOMICS” - NEIL GAIMAN
“CREATION IS A WORD OF INFINITESTRETCHABILITY” - ROY THOMAS
“CREATION IS A WORD OF INFINITESTRETCHABILITY” - ROY THOMAS
“I WAS TOTALLY CONFUSED WHEN HE HANDED ME ASINGLE PARAGRAPH AND EXPECTED ME TO CREATE A 17-PAGE STORY OUT OF IT AND, OFCOURSE, MY LEFTY BRAIN IMMEDIATELY REALIZED THAT I WOULD BE DRAWING AND WRITINGA STORY WITHOUT GETTING PAID FOR BOTH!” - RAMONAFRADON
“I WAS TOTALLY CONFUSED WHEN HE HANDED ME ASINGLE PARAGRAPH AND EXPECTED ME TO CREATE A 17-PAGE STORY OUT OF IT AND, OFCOURSE, MY LEFTY BRAIN IMMEDIATELY REALIZED THAT I WOULD BE DRAWING AND WRITINGA STORY WITHOUT GETTING PAID FOR BOTH!” - RAMONAFRADON
“WALLY WOOD AND STEVE DITKO GOT ON WELL BECAUSETHEY SHARED A MUTUAL HATRED OF STAN LEE” - RALPHREESE
“WALLY WOOD AND STEVE DITKO GOT ON WELL BECAUSETHEY SHARED A MUTUAL HATRED OF STAN LEE” - RALPHREESE
ISBN: 9781613451779
Dimensions: 254mm x 203mm x 25mm
Weight: 703g
208 pages