Has anyone here ever met Steve Ditko?

[GoodyRickles]

As I remember Reading a Few Years ago (I think in the NEW "Alter Ego"), Steve was the FIRST Comic Convention Guest at the HISTORIC New York Con from 1963 or '64 (Can't remember dammit, gotta' dig out that issue). He Basically came down to Represent Marvel, and Kind of went on a Looong Tirade on how Horrible a Job a Comic Artist was, and that everyone there wanting to get into the Business should Look elsewhere. It sounded Like a Really depressing Visit. I also remember some story about some Fan-Boy visit to his House/Studio, and the Fan-Boy witnessing him Destroying/Damaging 1950's-60's original pages he had Laying around (HE Knew they were valuable, But didn't care...or had slipped off the Deep End). Steve I think might be the GREATEST Enigma in Comics... who knows if we will ever have the REAL Story from Him...or one Not affected By some kind of Madness.

[Kevin Boyd]

One famous story I read in an early issue of the current run of Alter Ego (perhaps when it was a flip book with CBA) was that Ditko was a regular guest at the first NY area conventions in the 1960's, but at his last appearance he decided to stop going because.... well, here's the story as I remember it....

 

On the last day of his last con he decided to concede to a young fan's request for a sketch and did up a nice sketch for him and gave it over. The young fan thanked Ditko, walked away... then proceeded to jump up on a chair or a table and shout "original Ditko sketch for sale" and held his own auction right then and there to the highest bidder. Ditko was thoroughly disgusted with himself for doing the sketch, with the kid for using him as a means to make money, and with the fans for behaving in such a manner.

 

The Ditko art thing was not the report of a fanboy but one of his fellow artists had been up to Ditko's studio to meet for lunch or dinner and it was there that the artist noted that Ditko was using his Marvel artwork as cutting boards on his drawing table (something to protect the surface of his drawing table from damage from nicks and cuts) and then throwing out the pieces as he was done with them.

 

But one would have to recall that in Ditko's era, original art was considered to be of little value to the people that worked in comics. What mattered was the final printed version. There was no secondary market for original art at that time.

 

Kev

 

 

[Zonker]

Ditko is an Objectivist, and Rand's Atlas Strugged and Prometheus Unbound are Objectivist tracts.

 

Hmmm - I have read much of Rand and enjoyed it but I thought Prometheus Unbound was Shelley? Or did Rand also do one?

 

Dag.

Nam.

It.

 

It was the Atlas/Prometheus similarity that induced that brain-flop. Rand had 2 books she was known for, the other was The Fountainhead, yes? Mary Shelley did indeed write Frankenstein.

 

[ArAich]

[Smokinghawk]

 

It's the origin of Iggy Pop!

[shiverbones]

[read_em-migration]

Mary Shelley did indeed write Frankenstein.

Not sure if you are joking, but he was refering to Percy B. Shelley.

[Zonker]

Yeah, I should quit while I'm behind.

Been away from lit too long, oughta just stick to engineering.

 

P.B.S. did write Prometheus Unbound.

Sis Mary's novel was sub-titled "A Modern Prometheus"

Ayn Rand wrote Atlas Shrugged & The Fountainhead.

 

I'm outahere.