--Link-- DITKOMANIA #91 Kickstarter

Rob Imes has a Kickstarter project ending in a few days for the publication of DITKOMANIA #91, the next issue of his on-going fanzine. If it makes its funding goal, this issue features at least 32 pages on various Ditko topics, including his bouncing heroes (including Speedball) and letters about previous issues, plus for the first time in the Imes-published era of the fanzine, colour covers.

Check it out, both print and digital editions available, plus other premiums for higher funding amounts. And as usual, subscription information for DITKOMANIA is over here.

New Ditko - PUBLIC SERVICE PACKAGE 2nd Edition

Now available from Robin Snyder and Steve Ditko is a new edition of the long out-of-print 1991 DITKO PUBLIC SERVICE PACKAGE, featuring all the Ditko content from the original book at a slightly larger page size, a reprint of the Ditko essay "The Self-Proclaimed" from THE COMICS V11 #5 [2000], an introduction by Robin Snyder and a list of all the Kickstarter backers of the book. All for $14, only $1.05 more than the original 22 years ago.

As usual, all the new books and various other Ditko publications are available directly from Robin Snyder, details here, and the new book should be available from retailers who order from Snyder now or in the near future (interested retailers should contact Snyder for terms, which are probably better than you get for similar comics from your main distributor). For those who usually buy from me, you can order the single comic with various shipping options from this page, or contact me (bobh1970 at gmail dot com) if you want to order it with any of the other books.

Upcoming Ditko - #9 TEEN

As announced in the just released ATE TEA N: 18, this is the next new Ditko scheduled to come out, #9 TEEN, featuring the continuing adventures of Madman, Hero, E (e) & I (i) and more. Here's the cover: 

New Ditko - ATE TEA N: 18

While most of the actual dates that comics were created and published back in the 1950s are lost to us, from some of the dates I have seen I think it's useful to use 5 to 6 months prior to the cover date as a ballpark figure for latest time when the main creative work on comics would be done on newsstand comics.  The cover dates were usually 2-3 months after the on-sale date, so that still leaves at least 3 months for production and printing.

I bring this up because DARING LOVE #1 had a cover date of Sept-Oct 1953, and using that ballpark estimate that means the artwork on it was probably being worked on around April 1953 or earlier. And that comic is now generally accepted as having the first published Ditko illustrated comic book story, "Paper Romance". So, pending further evidence, now is as good a time as any to mark 60 years of Ditko comics.

And that's 60 and counting, since the first new Ditko comic of 2013 is now available:

Ditko's latest all-new 32-page comic, ATE TEA N: 18, is now available. Returning features, as seen on the cover, are  The Cape, The !?, The Hero and The P Mask, plus a new concept that will probably return and the usual single page bits.

As usual, all the new books and various other Ditko publications are available directly from Robin Snyder, details here, and the new book should be available from retailers who order from Snyder now or in the near future (interested retailers should contact Snyder for terms, which are probably better than you get for similar comics from your main distributor). For those who usually buy from me, you can order the single comic with various shipping options from this page, or contact me (bobh1970 at gmail dot com) if you want to order it with any of the other books.

I also have a few copies of the recent FOUR-PAGE SERIES#2 essay collection that I can also send with the comic for $1.50, e-mail me first to make sure I still have it.

New Ditko - Mr. A. in THE COMICS

Robin Snyder's newsletter THE COMICS Vol. 23 No. 11 [November 2012] features a retrospective on Ditko's Mr. A., including a black and white version of the wraparound Mr. A. cover to THE COLLECTOR #26 [1972] (also used as the centerfold in both MR. A. [2010] and THE COVER SERIES [2010]), a bibliography of Mr. A. appearances from WITZEND #3 [1967] to the present and articles by Joe Frank, Batton Lash, Joe Brancatelli and Rodney Schroeter.

Ordering and subscription info for THE COMICS is available on this page. You can also order the recent and upcoming FOUR-PAGE SERIES collections of new Ditko essays from Snyder, and the other in-print Ditko material he has.

Upcoming Ditko - Archie / Red Circle reprint

Archie has the following book scheduled to come out in a few months:

LEGACY OF THE CRUSADERS TP(W) Ian Flynn & Various (A) Jerry Gaylord & Various (CA) Ben Bates
A super hero legacy is born! In one of history's greatest battles against the forces of evil, The Mighty Crusaders did the impossible: they won. Now, witness their heroic battle for the fate of the world like never before in this unique graphic novel collection from Red Circle Comics! Using an innovative blend of new and classic material, Legacy of the Crusaders takes readers on a tour of the Red Circle universe, guided by the characters themselves! Picking up directly following the events of New Crusaders: Rise of the Heroes, our new team of young heroes struggle under the tutelage of the world's first patriotic super hero: the Shield. The Shield teaches these New Crusaders about the early history of their parents, the Mighty Crusaders, seen by the reader in the form of some of the best classic tales from the 1980s Red Circle super hero titles. Featuring legendary comic artists such as Steve Ditko and Alex Toth!
Softcover, 192pgs, Full Color $16.99

I'm not sure exactly what Ditko material is going to be included. Most of his work for Archie's Red Circle line was on The Fly, and I'm not sure if Archie still has the rights to that character. Other than that, he did draw a Hangman story and two Jaguar stories as back-ups in the series which might be included.

Last Call For PUBLIC SERVICE PACKAGE Kickstarter

This is the last day to back Robin Snyder's Kickstarter for the new edition of THE DITKO PUBLIC SERVICE PACKAGE. Hopefully word's gotten out about it enough that we won't have to hear too much of this starting tomorrow:

And for those of you who have already backed it, now's the time to decide if you want to bump up your pledge level.

--Link-- Nocenti on Ditko/DD

Article about writer Ann Nocenti, includes this on her one story with Ditko:

Steve Ditko used to sit in my office! He pitched a Daredevil story that we did. He wanted lots of shots of characters walking around with packages filled with bombs. It had very a Communist, espionage, pre-terrorism feel to it.