Friday, May 21, 2021

"Ditkoesque:" An Unpublished Appreciation of Steve Ditko by Dan Clowes

 

Via Noah Van Sciver and Paul Gravett, here's a two page color rough for a never-published visual essay on comic book artist Steve Ditko by Dan Clowes.

Here's Paul:

"A superb, fully-developed colour rough by Daniel Clowes for a two-page personal 'appreciation' about the '64-year career' of 'America's greatest living comic book artist' (so not a posthumous tribute but made in 2017 when Clowes was 56, so a year before Ditko's death in 2018), as well as his formative and lifelong influence on Clowes. As always with Clowes, there is some superb writing here - 'Out-of-shape weirdos who cut their own hair' and 'It's all in the hands' (and not a peep about Stan 'The Man'). Who remembers the 'Killjoy' back-ups in E-Man, a favourite of mine? It was intended for The New Yorker, but sadly never saw print, though I gather these artworks have been exhibited. Thanks to Noah Van Sciver for sharing this... And if you've not watched Jonathan Ross's BBC TV doc 'In Search of Steve Ditko', here's the link.

 



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