A letter to Steve Ditko

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Can you prove otherwise?

Ditko is a loner. He would never have some 'assistant' put words in his mouth. His handwriting has not changed since the 60s. It's him.

These letters are awesome to see and read

His signature looks similar to the few signed books that have been shown on these boards, as well as the signatures on his self published stuff.

It's him.

I doubt he has a secretary, there was no mention of one when Johnathan Ross visited his studio, or in any other articles about him.

If he interacts with anyone on a regular basis, it appears to be Robin Snyder, and I don't believe the writing is hers.

Besides, Ditko allowing someone else to hand write his correspondence under the pretense of it being him would go against his principles.

And if anything, Steve Ditko is highly principled.

Yup, I think it is him. I don't think he has or needs a assistant at this point in his life. I have my letter framed and hung on the wall, I was excited when it came in the mail that day!

I like the idea of a guy that can't be bought. Sticks to his guns. Makes me wanna find a way to buy him ahaha

A "customer" on that Comic Book Men show tried to sell a very similar letter from Ditko.

I'm sure he wanted $10,000 or something equally absurd.

I wrote to Steve about 2 months ago and he replied with a very nice one page letter. Also printed and signed his name at the bottom of the page. I got a response in just under a week. I didn't ask for a reply or offer up a self addressed stamped envelope. Simply wrote him to tell him that I appreciated his work. I was stunned to get a response much less a very quick one.

Ditko seems to live up to what Thomas Jefferson said:

...in maters of principle, stand like a rock.

Good for him. That's hard to find in today's world.

If there was ever a more stick to his principals creator in the industry I've yet to come across them.

Not "technically" the same industry....but the only one I can think of would be Bill Watterson....another artist that sticks to his principles and that I have a tremendous amount of respect for.

If there was ever a more stick to his principals creator in the industry I've yet to come across them.

Not "technically" the same industry....but the only one I can think of would be Bill Watterson....another artist that sticks to his principles and that I have a tremendous amount of respect for.

 

You can add Miller to the list. Miller has stood up and stuck to his principals. His work over the years with CBLDF has shown that.

I wonder if Steve Ditko is living a good life or whether he has money problems. He has isolated himself right after his Marvel times and surely enough, he left the game before it became profitable as it is today.

My guess is that he either has a rent controlled apartment in Manhattan he pays nothing for or bought a place in the 60s/early 70s for nothing and it is worth $2-4 million now. He is almost 90, so he has his medical taken care of. He publishes a comic a year and can sell a sketch a month and basically print money.

Joe Koch's brother had a comic shop on the UWS into the 90s that closed. I went over to his apartment to pick up some art I won from him on ebay in the early 2000s.. The place was huge. It would probably rent for $6-$7K a month now, sell for $2-$3 million. If you got "in" Manhattan early enough you could be a millionairre now by doing absolutely nothing. My folks bought the apartment I grew up in for $8700 in 1967, so like 1/3 what a house in the burbs would cost. They moved out in the 90's, but it would be $3-$4 million right now. If only they had stayed!

I enjoyed reading his responses.

Where do you find Steve Ditko's mailing address to correspond?

This is the best thread of 2016 for me. Great job and really sweet that he chose to respond to you, very politely in fact. You made a connection with one of your idols - that's pretty special

Where do you find Steve Ditko's mailing address to correspond?

http://www.fanmail.biz/56689.html

Make sure you send a photo. I neglected to do this and received no reply. He's a stickler.

Dr Graves...

All I said in my letter was how did he feel when Stan Lee came up with Spider Man and let him draw it.

Here's my letter to SD:

"B"

-slym

Very cool!