Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Journey Into Mystery #58

Here is an interesting one. I really love this cover as it has the  amazing mixture of bright colours and stark grey that I have come to love about Atlas covers. I think this is a fairly early entry as far as Ditko cover assignments for Atlas are concerned, as this is early 1960.What makes it even more interesting is that Jack Kirby was the go-to cover artist on Journey Into Mystery and he even contributed the splash page for the RRO! story. In fact, that splash page as used as the cover for the UK reprint title Zombie. As I said, I really love this one, and I'm happy they chose Ditko for the job. There must be a number of covers out here with monsters clutching subway trains. Time for me to start looking around!

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Ghostly Haunts #25

Here's a pretty cool Ditko cover that is absolutely ruined by the coloring job. I understand that Charlton wanted its books to stand out of the racks, but this garish green was a bad decision. Ditko has never been one for highly detailed artwork but we still want to be able to see what he has drawn. I'm not sure whether or not this is a paste job based on interior images, but I actually really like the layout. There is a lot to absorb, much of it quite sinister. I've written about my love for Ditko Water before, but now I feel as though I should focus on Ditko Flowers. They are so simple and yet so effective. Overall, this is a subpar Charlton cover due to the color work. Too bad.

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Speedball #4

I never read any Speedball during its initial run. I was in high school and likely thought it looked a little silly and juvenile. I was an idiot. I now look for charm whenever I go comic book shopping. I quite like the series as it does capture some of that Marvel Age magic. This cover is also a real throwback as Ditko seems to combining the work he did for Marvel, DC and even Charlton in the 60s here. Sure, there's a lot going on, but I really like a cover that tells a story. As far as late 80s and early 90s Ditko covers go, this one is a keeper.

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Out of This World #16

Have I discussed all of the Ditko covers from this series? It sure feels like it. They are hard to avoid discussing as they are just so unique and interesting. I think I've stated before that the great thing about Ditko's covers for Charlton, and this series in particular is that he was obviously allowed to do as he pleased. These covers are unlike anything else from that era. The abstract quality of the images and the sheer blackness of the background is a far cry from the clear design and clean lines that one would see on a House of Mystery cover. Both are great, but I am just so impressed that covers such as this one were showing up on spinner racks in the late 50s. It's too bad that tacky 'Free Prizes' banner interferes with the overall impact of this cover. It brings us all back to Earth, unwillingly.

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Ghostly Haunts #24

The reason I am posting a black and white image of the original art for this particular cover is because I think it looks so much than the final product from the press in Derby, CT. The garish colour choices made by the folks at Charlton stripped this image of much of its texture. For example, the tire treads are nowhere to be seen on the printed cover and the impact of the car crash is lessened. The choice to go with a day glo green for the ghosts makes him jump off the page. If you look at the fine pencils and ink, I think Ditko was looking for a more subtle look. It is quite a good cover, and is from a time when Ditko was still doing covers for Charlton.

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Marvel Tales #143

I was reading my tattered copy of Marvel Tales #3 (1966) with my two kids last week. We had a good conversation about just how amazing Steve Ditko's character design was on the Lizard and how his work on Spidey villains overall is what led to the long-term success of the Spider-Man empire. Well, maybe I was rambling, but I think they were listening. On revisiting this story, I was struck by just how much I love the look of the Lizard. He's a great tragic, sci-fi monster. You all know that I love Ditko covers, but the cover to Amazing Spider-Man #6 never did much for me. It was only after seeing the cover to Marvel Tales #143 that I realized the problem. The colour was all wrong. He lab coat was purple! It ruins the overall effect as the Lizard's Green/White/Purple colour scheme is very appealing. I'm not sure who fixed it for this reprint cover, but I commend them as they've actually improved a Ditko cover - a rare feat.

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Amazing Spider-Man #30

It is incredible to think about how many iconic covers Ditko created during his time on Amazing Spider-Man. It is also incredible to think that he was capable of creating something so bland. I don't know what was going on and how this one got the stamp of approval. I have seen far better covers by Ditko that were rejected. I don't actually mind the use of Atlas-era grey, but there is simply too much of it. The layout is also problematic:  the main figures are so small and the spotlights seem a bit awkward for some reason I can quite put my finger on. I feel as though this is a so-so splash page they rushed to turn into
a cover. Honestly, I feel that it is among the worst covers Ditko ever drew. I am certain that there must be a story behind this one, does anyone know it?

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Mysteries of Unexplored Worlds #19

Steve Ditko drew a lot of very 'busy', multi-panel covers for Charlton's Mysteries of Unexplored Worlds but this one may be my favourite. If you can mange to look beyond the giant logo and the intrusive sweepstakes advertising along the bottom, you will note some very atmospheric underwater artwork. Ditko and water have always worked for me. While Charlton was often guilty of choosing rather garish colour palettes, this one is not too bad at all. I particularly like the green and yellow hues at bottom left, and the shadowy figures in the panel above. I have owned some books from this series, but never this one. The more I look at this issue, the more I want to get my hands on it.

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Konga's Revenge #2

Ok, it has been more than a week but it I don't see myself changing the category label at this point. Steve Ditko drew a number of amazing covers in the 1960s. This was not one of them. I love the Konga stories but, for some reason, the covers were often lacklustre. The problem with this one is not the rat. Sadly, it's not a giant rat, because Konga becomes Doll Man sized in this story. The rat looks gross, but in a cool kind of way. Konga, on the other hand, is posed very awkwardly. It just doesn't work for me at all. The biggest problem for me, however, is the background. It's just a terrible, garish yellow. Why not go with something that would cause less eye strain? Overall, although I dig the rat, this one is a dud.

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Mad Monsters #1

Here's one that you may not have seen before. In the early 60s, Charlton got in on the monster mag trend with Mad Monsters. The very first issue of this short-lived series featured this great, drooling werewolf by Mr. Ditko obviously based on the Lon Chaney Jr. design.  Unfortunately, the image is crowded out by a ton of cover text but that's often the case with these mags. This one makes me wish that I had a blacklight poster with Steve's take on all of the Universal monsters.

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Daughters of Time

This, my friends, might be the most obscure Steve Ditko cover that I every discuss in this space. Daughters of Time was published in 1991 by 3-D Zone comics. Never heard of it? Neither had I until recently. I love Ditko and I love Kurt Schaffenberger, but this cover just does not work for me. I think it is a combination of the disorienting layout and the garish colours. As far I can recall, this is the only time these two artists collaborated. I'd love know if they worked together elsewhere, as they would be an interesting team. The GCD tells me that it's 100% Schaffenberger on the inside. $3.95 was pretty pricey back then, and I wonder if this book lived up to its price tag. The hunt begins, my curiosity cannot be sated until I own it.

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Showcase #75

Every now and I like to return to a true Ditko classic an look at it with fresh eyes. The funny thing about Ditko's work on the Hawk and the Dove, two characters greatly associated with him, is that he only did three covers in all. There's a lot here that seems pretty offbeat for 1968. To begin with, the lay out (with the multiple panels and framing) is more akin to an anthology book from the 50s than a late 60s superhero book. While's Ditko's bird illustrations may not be 100% zoologically accurate, they are certainly intriguing and quite stirring. All of this is set against a stark, black background. There's so much going on here symbolically, that one almost doesn't notice Hank and Don Hall at the bottom corners, looking like Ditko's interpretation of what a typical Riverdale High student. Ditko's trying to say something important here and, for the most part, it works.

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Gorgo #2

We are in the thick of summer, and I have been spending very little time in front of my computer. That's the main reason we have not had a new Ditko cover on here in quite some time. As much as I love Charlton and Steve Ditko, I only seem to own one Gorgo comic book. I should really start to work on that. This cover has just about everything you could want in a Ditko cover: fighter jets, a giant monsters, NYC landmarks and loads of Ditko water. It's quite dynamic and I love how Gorgo absolutely dwarfs the UN Building. Kudos to the folks at Charlton for keeping the cover caption and dialogue-free. I find all of the movie studio stuff to be a bit intrusive, but at least there are two bystanders pointing to Gorgo and yelling something inane. Charlton can be admired for letting the picture do the talking. This is a very fun effort by Mr. Ditko, and I should get myself a copy.

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Many Ghosts of Doctor Graves #35

I own a lot of 70s Charlton horror, but I do not own this one. I want to change that, as I absolutely adore this cover. I am not sure if it's one of those Covers-by-Paste-Ups that were assembled in the Charlton offices or an actual original cover. I'm leaning towards the latter with this one, but I can't say for sure. In any case, it's a great example of the unique approach that Charlton had with covers during this period. They were anxious to showcase Ditko's originality, rather than to try to get him to fit a mold. The design is simple, and yet the way Ditko plays with perspective really helps it stand out. I'm always a big fan of characters running 'off cover', and this one has them running in all directions. I particularly like the frightened look on the figure in the red hood. The only problem for me is the decision to place Graves' head and the caption right in the middle. It detracts from the overall impact.

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Machine Man #13

Here's one from a book that, for one reason or another, I've never actually owned or read. At first glance, it seems like a fairly standard late 70s superhero cover. There are, however, some little touches that help to set it apart. For one, it has an incredible clean design. Covers were becoming increasingly cluttered during this era, and even Ditko fell into the trap of throwing too much onto a cover from time to time. I also really like the perspective chosen for this cover. The way it has been slightly titled to the left really helps provide the sense of height. Finally, the small figures of the construction workers really help to accentuate the perspective. I'm not really sure what 'Xanadu!' has to do with anything, but I am kind of wondering if Kublai Khan was a big Sam Peckinpah fan. This is not a Ditko classic, but serves as proof that he could still design an attractive and effective cover.

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Out of this World #6

Well, Hello Dali! You know, what I really love about Charlton is that they always gave their artists carte blanche. Could you imagine this kind of cover coming from either DC or Atlas during the 1950s? Of course, I imagine it didn't sell as well as the product from those companies but I give the Derby crew full marks for effort. This cover looks like something out of the opening credits to the Twilight Zone. While, I really appreciate the surrealist design, I kind of wish that the cover was a little less 'black' and that a bit more of the purple and/or green had been used. I imagine that this is a tough book to find in high grade. I really like Ditko's signature here as it mimics the other rectangles. Good stuff!

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Beware the Creeper #2

I'm not sure that anyone has done more effective 'menacing faces' covers than Ditko. This design concept is evidence of the enormous impact Mort Meskin had on Ditko. This is one of his earlier covers after his move to DC, and he really fit right in with the changes happening over there in the late 60s. It is a very moody piece, announcing to readers that the Creeper is a very different type of hero. I am really disappointed that Ditko broke away from DC after such a short period of time. Under Jack Alder's guidance, the DC production department had become fertile ground for innovative covers. I truly think that Ditko would have produced his best covers ever if he'd been around from 1969 through to 1972 or so. It's too bad.

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Blue Beetle #2

While this may not be the most dynamic of Ditko's 'Action Heroes' era covers at Charlton, it contains some very interesting. To my eyes, it seems as though there was a conscious effort to mimic Marvel's covers. The split cover definitely has a Tales of Suspense and Tales to Astonish vibe to it. The image to the left could come straight out of a Hulk or Sub-Mariner story. The one on the right is reminiscent of an early Spider-Man cover; quite melodramatic in tone with identity and origin details to be revealed. I like the fact that two Beetles are together in the same image. My biggest complaint about the cover is the overall colour scheme. The yellows, reds and purples do not mesh together at all. I know that the top banner was crammed with Blue Beetle images in order to get attention on newsstands, but is it really far too busy. It is an interesting cover, but there are many superior ones from this time frame.

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: The Thing #17

Here's a very early example of Ditko's work. Published in 1954, it seems quite ahead of its time, and would not have been at all out of place as a black light poster hanging in some stoner's dorm room in 1973. I'm quite comfortable declaring Steve Ditko to be the King of the Wizards. I don't really think anyone does them better than Sturdy Steve. Ever heard of Dr. Strange? He's a Wizard. I find the amount of black used in these Charlton covers to be amazing. It really helps set the tone. I can't imagine that there are many copies of this books in high grade. People talk about Amazing Spider-Man #28, but how many Charlton horror books from the 50s managed to survive without white stress marks? We also get some terrific Ditko spider webs and his signature on a scrap of paper. Great stuff, all around!

Steve Ditko Cover of the Week: Scary Tales #11

What I really like most about this cover is how the main figures are perfectly centaured. Bad puns aside, I must admit that this is not one of Sturdy Steve's better efforts of the 70s. Actually, it's not a true cover at all, as it is a retouched mirror image of the final panel of the 5-page story 'Unicorn'. A tree stump has been added and the rocky hill on which the unicorn stands has been expanded considerably, as the image really needed to be 'stretched' vertically to fit the dimensions of a cover. I'd love to see the original cover, as it would be a real mash-up of stats and ink. The concept is actually quite fun, and I really like the unicorn in the background, but the human portions of the centaurs are just too stiff looking, and the male's head is wicked small. Ditko's figures lost some of their fluidity from time to time, and it really grabs your attention in all the wrong ways.