Steve Ditko Passes Away At 90

Comic book artist, writer, and industry legend Steve Ditko has died. No cause of death has been announced yet. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ditko was found dead in his apartment on June 29, 2018. He was 90 years old.

Ditko was born on November 2, 1927 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Following his father’s lead, Ditko was a fan of newspaper comic strips when he was a child and that interest intensified when he was introduced to heroes like Batman and The Spirit.

After graduating from high school and serving in the U.S. Army, he moved to New York City to study under artist Jerry Robinson at the Cartoonists and Illustrators School. His professional career began in the early 1950s with published work in Daring Love #1.

After joining Atlas Comics, what would become Marvel, he worked on Journey into Mystery, Tales of Suspense, and Tales to Astonish. At Marvel, he and Stan Lee co-created Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, characters that would become some of the most important within comics. At DC, he worked on books like Action Comics, Detective Comics, and Legion of Super-Heroes.

“From the amazing heroics of Spider-Man to magic of Doctor Strange, and from the haunting suspense of his stories for Creepy to the action of the Blue Beetle, Steve Ditko’s artwork combined his distinct style with an uncanny sense of storytelling. I recently had the opportunity to view his art for Amazing Fantasy #15 in person at the Library of Congress and it’s an incredible experience for any comic book fan. He lived a long life and did so largely on his own terms, but the world of comics is diminished by his loss nonetheless,” said Steve Geppi, President and Chief Executive Officer of Diamond Comic Distributors.

Today, the Marvel family mourns the loss of Steve Ditko. Steve transformed the industry and the Marvel Universe, and his legacy will never be forgotten. Our thoughts are with his family, loved ones, and fans during this sad time. https://t.co/uKKR9oClqg pic.twitter.com/1ovYnE8Y2V

— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) July 7, 2018

Steve Ditko was one of the most amazing creators in the history of comics, and showed us there is a hero in all of us. Our hearts go out to his loved ones, and everyone who knew him. pic.twitter.com/ukvuA7odF5

— DC (@DCComics) July 7, 2018