Happy Birthday Steve Ditko!

It's Steve Ditko's 87th birthday today.  One of the BIGGEST names in the hall of legends of comic book history, a master story-teller and cartoonist par excellence'! 

Mr. Ditko is a very private person who prefers his work to speak for him.  He prefers us to know him for what he does that what we might perceive from him in sound-bites as a public persona.  He was that way just starting out in the 1950's and he's still like that today.

So let's let his work speak volumes.

He has done many, many, many amazing things in his career (that is still going strong today) but the young-uns out there may be most fixated on the fact that he is one of the cornerstones of the creation of modern day comics/

I'mma let his work speak now.  For Charlton Comics he created THIS little character back in 1960.  From "Space Adventures" #33, here's the premiere of Captain Atom.

The good Captain is still published today as a mere shadow of his former fantastic-ness by DC comics.  We shant speak of this anymore.

Most folks are aware that he's also the co-creator and original plotter and artist on Marvel Comics Spider-Man.  Most folks know that Spidey debuted in Marvel's "Amazing Fantasy" #15 from 1962.  A LOT of folks have even read the reprints of the wall-crawler's first appearance.

But, AF was an anthology title...there were a couple MORE stories packed in there...ALSO done by Ditko.  After you re-live Spider-Man's debut...stick around for a few more pages and dig on the Ditko goodness.

Here's a forgotten classic!

AND another!

Ooooooooooooooh!  and ANOTHER!

Lastly, but not leastly.  More Ditko love is felt here in the last week or so as Marvel Studios/Disney has announced an upcoming Doctor Strange solo movie in the works to flesh out even more of the already grand Marvel Cinematic Universe!  Stephen Strange's name is even mentioned by S.H.I.E.L.D.-turned-HYDRA Agent Sitwell in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" earlier this year.

I've been salivating ever since.

From "Strange Tales" #110 and 1963,  Here's Doctor Strange's first ever appearance.

He did (and DOES) more genres than just super-heroes.  A master of fantastic imagery in everyday and realistic settings, we all love him dearly.

Here's wishing you the best of birthdays Mr. Ditko.

And wishing US another 87 years of your great work to fill our hungry minds!

Talk to you soon.