Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Out Of This World #7

I believe that this rather odd cover represents a significant stepping stone for Ditko. To my eyes, the central figure greatly informs many of his later creations ranging from Static to the Missing Man. I really like the character's design as so many elements are mixed together. The slight tilt that Ditko gave the figure, along with the colorful lines in the background add a sense of motion to an otherwise static image. The newsprint comes from a story about the investigation into the involvement of Johnny Dio in the acid attack on columnist Victor Riesel. Riesel was investigating linkages between the Teamsters and organized crime. Two of the attackers were murdered before trial and charges against Dio were dropped. He ultimately served a short prison sentence on a separate charge but, in essence, no one was ever punished for the attack on Riesel. It makes me wonder whether stories like such as this played a role in pushing Ditko towards Objectivism.