Stan Lee is honoring Steve Ditko, the legendary comic book artist who died at 90 last month.
“I cannot let the week go without commenting on Steve Ditko. Steve was certainly one of the most important creators in the comic book business. His talent was indescribable,” Lee said in a video posted to his Twitter account Friday. “I worked with him for many years and was always impressed with how he saw everything in terms of photos and pictures and movement and scenes. He told a story like a fine movie director would,” stated Lee.
Along with Jack Kirby, Ditko was one of Lee’s most important collaborators during their Marvel heyday in the 1960s. Ditko and Lee created Spider-Man in 1961, introducing the character in Amazing Fantasy No. 15. Lee gave Ditko the assignment after being unsatisfied with Kirby’s take on the idea of a teen with the powers of a spider. Ditko came up with the costume, web shooters and the iconic red and blue design. He also helped create Spider-Man characters such as Doctor Octopus, Sandman, the Lizard and Green Goblin, and received plot credit beginning with Amazing Spider-Man No. 25. Lee and Ditko had a falling-out that was never fully explained, and the artist left Marvel in 1966 after co-creating Doctor Strange.
“I’m sure there will be a lot written about him as time goes by and I will be one of the guys who buys the first book. You made a real impression here in the world,” Lee said in his video Friday.
