Steve Ditko – The other Spider man’s father.

Steve Ditko represents together with Stan Lee, the brain behind Spiderman.

Born in (Johnstown, Pennsylvania, November 2nd 1927) Died in (New York, June 29th, 2018).

His father was an avid fan of comic stories typically published in the newspaper, he loved Batman and The Spirit.

In 1945 Ditko joined the American Army working in Germany after WWII, creating comic stories for the army’s official newspaper.

In 1950 he moved to New York because discovered that his idol Jerry Robinson taught in Animation and Comic Books school some years later changed the name to Visual Arts School. He was a brilliant student and also created his own stories.

During this time Stan Lee visited the school and noted Ditko's work. Lee was the creative director of Atlas Comics, actually Marvel.

Steve started to work professionally in 1953 with his friend Bruce Hamilton and his initial story was “Stretching Things” a sci-fi published by Stanmor Publications.

Shortly after it Joe Simon and Jack Kerby (Captain America’s creators), invited Steve to join their studio, where he was Mort Meskin’s apprentice at that time his biggest work was a comic book with only six pages called “A hole in his head.”

Before long after it Ditko was hired by Charlton Comics, a company that he worked for until its bankruptcy in 1986.

However, in 1955 he was also working with Stan Lee in Atlas Comics.His first story issued by Marvel’s precursor was “There would be some changes made”, after it he remains as a freelancer in this company producing a bunch of comic books like “Amazing Adventures”, “Strange Worlds”, “Tales of Suspense” and “Tales to Astonish”, those narratives had various illustrators, although the final writer was Lee and the drawings were Dikto’s responsibility.

The Spider-Man was born.

“The first thing that I carried out was designing a uniform, and it was the process after Stan Lee showed up the idea for the character.”

“First of all I was wondering to know how he will look like, a man who scales walls couldn’t have a heavy footwear by the instance, in addition, I had to consider a web shooter instead of a weapon, I was unsure that Stan will approve the idea of covering the character’s face, furthermore I must need to do it, in reason that he is a kid and it would help to bring up a mystery behind his personality.”

The publisher didn’t approve the superhero, alleging nobody likes spiders, however, Lee convinced him the opposite.

The first Spider-Man publication was in 1962 illustrated by Steve Ditko but the cover page, it was developed by Jack Kirby.

Different from the scenario that everybody knows the first five pages were inside a house where a kid finds a ring and becomes Spider-Man.

During an interview, Ditko said that Lee came up with an idea, but he developed the uniform, the web and the spider sensor, in addition, this hero represented his only job.

The partnership between Ditko and Lee was successful not only for producing heroes but also villains like Dr Octopus, The Sandman, The Lizard, Electro and the Green Goblin.

Steve demanded that Marvel put his name in the credits and Stan Lee accepted it, so from the 25th edition both were cited as creators of this hero.

Throughout his career Ditko sketched other characters like Hulk, Iron Man, furthermore Dr. Strange was equally loved by the fans as Spider-Man.

Charlton and DC Comics

In 1968 Dikto left Marvel and DC Comics hired him there, he did not stay for a long time, however he drew some grand narratives developed by Archei Goodwin employing an unusual technique called ink wash.

The other mind behind Peter Parker created the Creeper in a successful partnership with Don Segall, DC Comics’ CEO said that Dikto’s stories were completely different from what DC was used to publish.

In the course of the 70s he was working exclusively for Charlton, and it was a publishing company that bankrupted in 1986.

He equally drew the Blue Beetle, Question and Captain Atom (This comic persona was elaborated before he started working for Marvel.) Moreover, Steve maintained another creative partnership with Archie Goodwin to create the superhero the Destructor.

Went back to DC in 1975 to draw The Creeper again but also Shade, The changing Man in addition, some black magic narratives like Stalker he worked on some standard editions of Legion of superheroes something that the fans in general did not like, including it along the ’80s drew out Who’s Who and some Superman’s comic books.

As a freelancer, he came back to Marvel to develop Godzilla and Captain Universe, although the most extended narrative was SpeedBall with 10 publications in 1992.

In 1998 he retired from mainstream comic books, however, continued to develop personas for secondary stories like the Sub Mariner and a new Marvel’s franchise Power Rangers, furthermore, those famous superheroes under no circumstances represented the primary focus of the company.

With this “promptly break” his friend Robin Snyder continued publishing Dikto’s books which contained original sketches.

DC Comics published some old fascinating stories that were never released as a tribute to Ditko. Marvel equally carried out the identical thing when the company wisely decided to print two comic books drawn by him during the 80s (Hulk and the Human Torch).

Steve continued working until his death in a studio localized at Midtown West-Manhattan, he never liked to be interviewed or talk about his complex relationship with Stan Lee, also never showed up at Comic Cons, in reason he said “When I’m working I’m not showing up my personality but my art”, in his opinion he developed a product, the art of a comic book, Steve Ditko is merely a brand.