When you think of the countless pre-hero monster stories drawn by Steve Ditko for Marvel, it’s surprising how few covers he contributed to their line of fantasy titles. Jack Kirby got the lion’s share of the work. It’s a shame, for as much as I love Kirby, it’s nice to see Ditko’s perspective. Ditko does appear to have been the “go to” cover guy for Amazing Adult Fantasy. It’s for this reason, that this title’s covers really stand out from those rest – they are just so darned Ditkoesque. I love the design of this cover, as he is playing around with reality – something he did much more of for Charlton. Stripped of all unnecessary details, we are left simply with the two men and the menacing Krill. I’m sure that someone will note that the Krill’s shadow is all wrong because the moon is on the other side, but let’s not get too picky here. Perhaps there is some sort of yard light casting that shadow. It’s for you to figure out, after all this is the magazine that respects your intelligence.Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Amazing Adult Fantasy #8
When you think of the countless pre-hero monster stories drawn by Steve Ditko for Marvel, it’s surprising how few covers he contributed to their line of fantasy titles. Jack Kirby got the lion’s share of the work. It’s a shame, for as much as I love Kirby, it’s nice to see Ditko’s perspective. Ditko does appear to have been the “go to” cover guy for Amazing Adult Fantasy. It’s for this reason, that this title’s covers really stand out from those rest – they are just so darned Ditkoesque. I love the design of this cover, as he is playing around with reality – something he did much more of for Charlton. Stripped of all unnecessary details, we are left simply with the two men and the menacing Krill. I’m sure that someone will note that the Krill’s shadow is all wrong because the moon is on the other side, but let’s not get too picky here. Perhaps there is some sort of yard light casting that shadow. It’s for you to figure out, after all this is the magazine that respects your intelligence.
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Good choice Scott. I've always liked that one too. It highlights an aspect of Dikto I've always been partial toward: Those naked backgrounds occupied by different geometric expressions, be they doors from the void, discontcertingly angled windows from nowhere or strange helix like ribbons gyrating through empty space. And its not just the shapes, his characters have often been seen to be to be snared in this nowhere land, this space at once terrifyingly empty and claustrophically close. Man... wasn't Ditko the best!
I said it before on CBR... the release by Blake Bell (from your own neck of the woods in Toronto) of his long delayed Ditko biography is my most anticipated comic event of 2008. The previews on Ditko Looked Up sell it already for me.
Thanks again. Another great, great choice for your ongoing survey of Ditko's finest! Craig.
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