DITKO, STEVE 151
Over the years, the series was home to several ongoing backup features, such as
Th e Elongated Man and Roy Raymond, TV Detective. Th e most notable of these
was “Th e Martian Manhunter,” which was introduced in Detective Comics #225. Th e
importance of Detective Comics to the comics industry is perhaps best seen in that, by
1940, a logo containing the letters “DC” began appearing on all of National’s publica-
tions. Years later the company’s name was offi cially changed to DC Comics in honor
of its fl agship publication.
Charles Coletta
DITKO, STEVE (1927–). Born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Steve Ditko left the steel
factories of western Pennsylvania behind in order to pursue a career as a comics illus-
trator, ultimately becoming one of the most important artists in comics history. While
many other artists breaking into the comics fi eld did so in order to provide a steady
paycheck until they could break into advertising or other visual design fi elds, Ditko’s
end goal was comics. After leaving Pennsylvania for New York City, Ditko studied at
New York’s Cartoonists and Illustrators School, where he studied under such Golden
Age artists as Jerry Robinson. Ditko began illustrating comics professionally in the
1950s, illustrating comics of varied genres for Charlton, Atlas (which would become
Marvel), and a variety of smaller publishers. Although Ditko is best known for his
work in monster, science fi ction, and superhero comics— as well as his later, self-
published, Objectivist themed works —his fi rst published story, “Paper Romance,” was
a romance that appeared in Daring Love #1 in 1953. From there, Ditko went on to
greater fame as the co-creator of Marvel Comics’ Spider-Man, and as a prominent il-
lustrator on Doctor Strange. Ditko also created a handful of other characters, includ-
ing the Creeper, Hawk and Dove, and Shade, the Changing Man for DC Comics, and
the Question and Captain Atom for Charleton Comics.
A Ditko comics page is distinctive — rarely is any other artist’s work described as
reminiscent of Ditko. His use of hands, in particular, stands out, whether in Spider-
Man’s web-slinging or Doctor Strange’s ritual spell-crafting motion. Still, it is Ditko’s
page design that sets him apart as an artist. Ditko mixed tight, almost claustrophobic
panels tinged with panic and discomfort with expansive, surreal designs that leant an
otherworldly nature to his art. Th is is most notably seen in his work on Doctor Strange
and in the character of Eternity, a humanoid silhouette that contained no anatomical
defi nition or musculature but, instead, a vast, expansive space scene.
Ditko eventually cut most of his ties with the mainstream comics industry, originally
leaving Marvel Comics over a dispute regarding direction of Amazing Spider-Man. He
worked on superhero comics for DC Comics and Charlton throughout the 1970s, and
continued to freelance for Marvel and DC, and his work also appeared in comics from
Eclipse and Dark Horse. His primary focus had changed, however—Ditko became a
devoted supporter of the Objectivist philosophy of Ayn Rand, and much of his later
work expressed Objectivist leanings, most notably in his creation of Mr. A, a character
whose name is taken from the law of identity, which posits that an object is the same as
