| Posted: 07 July 2018 at 3:18am | IP Logged | 10
|
post reply
|
|
Hitting me hard tonight, although not as hard given the fact that he was 90 (good age) but that he's no longer with us and creating as he did up until his passing. Loss of talent rather than loss of someone at a young age.
In any event, it's well known 'round these parts that Spider-Man is my favorite character. All-time. Without question No one even comes close and that's saying a ton when you consider that Batman is my number two.
I do have to admit my history with Ditko, which I've also divulged on this forum albeit over a decade ago. Originally? I didn't like his work. I shunned it. I avoided it. I didn't enjoy it. But you have to understand that was through the eyes of a ten-year-old kid in the mid 70s whose frame of reference was the "Marvel Style" more akin to Romita than Ditko. So I didn't "get" him. Didn't understand him in the way that even Kirby had gelled with me at the same time. I would have to say that I didn't become a fan of Ditko until the late 80s/early 90s. And it was only by going back and revisiting his runs on ASM, on DR STRANGE, on THE HULK and CAPTAIN ATOM that I appreciated not only his place in the pantheon but, just by his work and the characters he created on ASM alone, his absolute slot as arguably the most important creator to ever come out of Marvel. Ever. He's as big as Siegel and Shuster to me in terms of his importance to the medium. Arguably more-so given the vast wealth of characters that are being mined today for so many projects.
In any event, I don't want to start a debate on the merits of Ditko. I just want to say that I loved and enjoyed his work. It spoke to me as a kid who felt as Peter Parker did; alone, bullied and afraid. His work gave me confidence and inspired me to be better than myself. I can think of no better eulogy because, frankly, words escape me.
Godspeed, Steve Ditko.
|
