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Topic: Steve Ditko’s GoBots (Topic Closed Topic Closed) Post ReplyPost New Topic
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Bob Simko
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Posted: 19 March 2012 at 12:13am | IP Logged | 1  

My readings of Ditko are that he felt he was compensated for what he
produced and that he only wanted fair recognition regarding creations.
I've heard stories that his origal returned artwork was used as cutting
boards, as his compensation was for work printed, not original art sales
(my Reader's Digest version). He strikes me as a fascinating individual
(a big "duh" to any who know me).
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James Lansberry
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Posted: 19 March 2012 at 8:34am | IP Logged | 2  

Oh my...
I had these when I was a kid, interesting to see these again. 
I liked to refer to the Go-Bots as "affordable Transformers"...as my mother wasn't about to plunk down $20 for a Decepticon jet.  (But boy, did I get some Go-Bots!)
I remember getting the Spider-Man Marvel Masterworks a few years later, and thinking, "This looks like the guy that drew those Go-Bots books..."
Sure enough...
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Jason Czeskleba
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Posted: 19 March 2012 at 11:39am | IP Logged | 3  

 Nathan Greno wrote:
I'll have to read up on him. I'd love to know what he was turning down...


When Ditko returned to Marvel circa 1979, he refused to draw any stories that featured "flawed heroes"... ie a hero making mistakes or being morally gray.  There's the famous example of Iron Man #160 where the splash page features a drunken Tony Stark.  Ditko refused to draw that because he didn't want to draw a drunk hero.  He also was not willing to draw Spider-Man or Dr. Strange under any circumstances. 

BTW, I believe the story about Ditko using his original art as cutting boards (referred to by Bob) is not true, and is based on a misinterpretation by Greg Theakston (the guy who is the source of that story).



Edited by Jason Czeskleba on 19 March 2012 at 11:41am
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John Byrne
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Posted: 19 March 2012 at 12:12pm | IP Logged | 4  

The site where this is from has a line that says:

"Oh, don't let the halfway decent cover art fool you. The art in these books is completely phoned in."

Fairly odd comment.

••

Well, come on! Those covers have COOL TONAL COLORS. Maybe even some AIRBRUSH EFFECTS! Sheer GENIUS!

Ask any six year old. Or any adult with the mind of a six year old.

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Nathan Greno
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Posted: 19 March 2012 at 8:55pm | IP Logged | 5  

Jason: When Ditko returned to Marvel circa 1979, he refused to draw any stories that featured "flawed heroes"... ie a hero making mistakes or being morally gray. 

---

So Yellowjacket is out of the question...

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Bob Simko
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Posted: 19 March 2012 at 11:49pm | IP Logged | 6  

I'm guessing there was more to it that Ditko saw, as he has been pretty
vocal about heroes being heroes, when all is said and done.
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Nathan Greno
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Posted: 20 March 2012 at 9:38am | IP Logged | 7  

Ditko's views are interesting. Without flawed characters, there might not have been "Marvel Comics"!

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Jason Czeskleba
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Posted: 20 March 2012 at 9:05pm | IP Logged | 8  

Shooter says that he asked Ditko how he could have drawn Spider-Man if he didn't believe in flawed heroes.  Ditko replied that it was okay for Spider-Man to make mistakes or be uncertain because he was still a teenager, but adult heroes should not have any moral flaws or uncertainty.  Also, I believe that was one of the points of contention between Lee and Ditko in their later Spider-Man issues:  Lee writing dialogue or thought balloons that made Spider-Man appear more uncertain or conflicted about things than Ditko thought he should be.

Edited by Jason Czeskleba on 20 March 2012 at 9:09pm
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Nathan Greno
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Posted: 20 March 2012 at 9:16pm | IP Logged | 9  

Ditko refuses $$$ from any of the Spider-Man films, correct?
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Dave Kopperman
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Posted: 20 March 2012 at 9:51pm | IP Logged | 10  

One interesting tidbit from the Blake Bell Ditko book is that it was Stan Lee who first introduced Ditko to Ayn Rand, since Lee liked her portrayal of heroic leads.  Ditko obviously ran with it...
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Nathan Greno
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Posted: 20 March 2012 at 10:32pm | IP Logged | 11  

Dave: One interesting tidbit from the Blake Bell Ditko book is that it was Stan Lee who first introduced Ditko to Ayn Rand, since Lee liked her portrayal of heroic leads.  Ditko obviously ran with it...

---

I need to buy the Ditko book. It all sounds interesting!
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Jason Czeskleba
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Posted: 20 March 2012 at 10:56pm | IP Logged | 12  

 Nathan Greno wrote:
Ditko refuses $$$ from any of the Spider-Man films, correct?


Most likely that's an urban legend.  I've heard this rumor many times, but never with an official source cited (never with any source cited, for that matter).  It strikes me as highly unlikely for a couple of reasons.  First of all, why would Marvel offer unsolicited money to Ditko?  That's not the way corporations work.  Considering the fact that Stan Lee had to sue in order to get the Spider-Man movie money to which he was contractually entitled, it seems improbable that Marvel would decide to offer film money to Ditko for nothing, when he wasn't even asking for it.

Secondly, I don't think Ditko would have turned the money down if it had been offered.  We know he is not willing to do certain things for money that most people in his position would do (eg drawing commissions or selling off his original art).  But that doesn't mean he does not like money.  According to Shooter, Ditko once told him that he did not feel entitled to money for past work he'd already been paid for (such as reprints).  But if Marvel wanted to gift him with reprint royalties, he would not turn it down. 

The only way the story would be credible would be if possibly Marvel offered him Spider-Man movie money in exchange for doing something, such as giving an interview or promoting the film somehow.  Under those circumstances it's believable he would have turned it down.   But absent confirmation from a source, I see no reason to believe that even that happened.  And I do not believe Ditko would have turned down money that was offered with no strings attached.


Edited by Jason Czeskleba on 20 March 2012 at 10:58pm
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