Comic Legend Steve Ditko, Co-Creator of Spider-Man and Creator of Doctor Strange, Dead at 90 (VIDEO)

July 6, 2018 Victor Medina

Steve Ditko, the legendary co-creator of Spider-Man and sole creator of Doctor Strange, died last week at his New York City apartment. He was 90.

The reclusive Ditko lived alone, and his body was found on June 29, although it is believed he died about two days earlier.

Ditko’s most celebrated work came in his collaboration with Stan Lee in the early days of Marvel Comics, where the two co-created Spider-Man. He would later create the character of Doctor Strange, as well as a plethora of supporting characters that now make up the bedrock of the Marvel comic and cinematic universes.

The Hollywood Reporter has more on Ditko and his legacy.

In 1961, Ditko and Lee created Spider-Man. Lee, the editor-in-chief at Marvel Comics, gave Ditko the assignment after he wasn’t satisfied with Jack Kirby’s take on the idea of a teen superhero with spider powers. The look of Spider-Man — the costume, the web-shooters, the red and blue design — all came from Ditko. Spider-Man first appeared in Amazing Fantasy No. 15.

The comic was an unexpected hit, and the character was spun off into The Amazing Spider-Man. Ditko helped create such classic Spider-Man characters as Doctor Octopus, Sandman, the Lizard and Green Goblin. Starting with issue No. 25, Ditko received a plot credit in addition to his artist credit. Ditko’s run ended with issue No. 38.

Artist Jim Lee paid tribute to Ditko on Twitter.

Sad to hear of the passing of the legendary artist and creator Steve Ditko. Beloved for generations– his work was the Quirky to Kirby's Majesty and helped provide the early visual vocabulary in counterpoint to Kirby's power and influence. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/GvH8Mcrxg6

— Jim Lee (@JimLee) July 7, 2018

In 1963, Ditko created the surreal and psychedelic hero, Doctor Strange. The character debuted in Strange Tales No. 110, and Ditko continued on the comic through issue No. 146, cover dated July 1966.

After that, Ditko left Marvel Comics over a fight with Lee, the causes of which have always remained murky. The pair had not been on speaking terms for several years. Ditko never explained his side, and Lee claimed not to really know what motivated Ditko’s exit. The best explanation suggests Ditko was frustrated at Lee’s oversight and his failure to properly share credit for Ditko’s contributions to Spider-Man and Doctor Strange. The charismatic Lee was always the face of Marvel Comics, but Ditko (and Jack Kirby) thought Lee was more interested in self-promotion than selling the company, and, in the process, implied that he deserved the lion’s share of the credit for creating the characters in the Marvel Universe.

Ditko’s influence on Spider-Man looms large even to this day, and was even mirrored in the many Spidey films.

https://twitter.com/AdamofGotham/status/1015379616683515905

Ditko went on to work for Charlton, DC Comics and other small independent publishers. He returned to Marvel in 1979, where he worked on Machine Man and the Micronauts, and he continued working for them as a freelancer in the 1990s. Among his last creations was Squirrel Girl in 1992, who has become a cult favorite in recent years.

After his work at Marvel, Ditko is probably best known for creating Mr. A in 1967. The character embodied Ayn Rand’s objectivist philosophy, which Ditko was an ardent believer in from the mid-1960s on. Other objectivist-inspired characters Ditko created included The Question, Hawk and Dove and the Creeper — all for DC Comics.

Director Edgar Wright also went to Twitter with his thoughts.

RIP to comic book legend Steve Ditko, beyond influential on countless planes of existence. He never truly profited from his comic creations that have lasted for decades, but his work will never be forgotten. pic.twitter.com/UBZQWpF79i

— edgarwright (@edgarwright) July 7, 2018

The reclusive Ditko was known as the “J.D. Salinger” of comics. From the 1970s on, he rarely spoke on the record, declining almost every interview request. He sat out the publicity booms that accompanied the Spider-Man films and the Doctor Strange movie.

“We didn’t approach him. He’s like J.D. Salinger. He is private and has intentionally stayed out of the spotlight like J.D. Salinger,” Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson told THR in 2016. “I hope he goes to see the movie, wherever he is, because I think we paid homage to his work.”

In this video from YouTube, from a 1989 VHS video called “Masters of Comic Book Art,” Ditko himself speaks, a rare thing he did in his later years. He discusses the influences on his art.