Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Do You Believe in Nightmares #1

This was one of the last series launched by St. John. Ditko did not have much of a history with St. John, as this was his only work for them, but they certainly wanted to go out with a bang - assigning him the cover and 5 stories. What a beautifully composed cover! I'm certain that it was quite unlike anything else on spinner racks back in 1957. It has the look of something from a children's book, perhaps even hearkening back to Windsor Mackay's Little Nemo. Ditko establishes a dream-like atmosphere perfectly in line with the subject matter of the series. What I find interesting, however, is how much this looks like a Charlton cover, right down to the color scheme. If it didn't have that little St. John pennant, I'd assume it was printed in Derby, CT. All in all, it's a wonderful late 50s masterpiece from our good friend, Mr. Ditko.