When Steve Ditko died in June 2018, I was filled with more of a genuine gratitude than a sense of sorrow. While I couldn’t claim to truly know the man, I was familiar enough with his belief system to recognize how pragmatic he was, especially in regard to a life lived and as to who the burden fell upon to summarize or extol said individual, if that individual warranted comment at all.
The reality of the situation meant what’s done is done- how Ditko lived his life was what counted and it was up to others to seek or ignore how he had lived it.
For all of the media narrative about Ditko as a famous recluse (largely due to his lack of interest in fan conventions, interviews, or any other method of self-celebration or self-advertisement), it was well known in certain circles that Ditko was a prolific letter writer- or, to be more precise, a prolific letter respondent.
Most “letters” from Ditko followed a familiar format: a brief and oft-terse response that either refused an interview request, refused a commission request, and/or gave a mannered response regarding something Ditko didn’t do, didn’t see, didn’t know about, and didn’t have any interest in.
It is honestly nice to see people who are grateful and excited at brief if tangible exchanges with a legend as Steve Ditko, really. By the same token I was baffled at people bragging about their own exchanges (they were almost always someone who had set off or obviously (mildly) annoyed Mr. Ditko), framing them and setting them up next to statues of Spider-Man (when the response they received expressed Ditko’s genuine lack of interest in Spider-Man nostalgia), and, in recent times, been selling these brief, impersonal notes for steeps sums of money.
I myself had a letter writing relationship with Steve Ditko for several years. In no way do I believe we had a real relationship or friendship, in no way do I delude myself that I was set apart or special in any way.
That being said, I did get a lot more than a brief note- as did several others. When examining what the difference was, I have to think it’s that the people Ditko most corresponded with simply knew better than to ask him things about Stan Lee and Spider-Man. At least at the offset.
I’d been aware that there was a Facebook group devoted to Ditko’s letters. Being that I didn’t use Facebook, I have been unable to explore it. I was also aware there was a book that one letter recipient had published- “Regards, Ditko by Jaison Chahwala” should you seek to check it out- but I didn’t think it was appropriate to share such letters and found it self-promoting of the author and disrespectful towards Mr. Ditko (and Amazon reviews seem to support that suspicion), so was adamant about never sharing anything I’d received from the man. Especially now that he was gone.
And then, a couple of events titled my outlook a bit. In sincere and unexpected ways.
The first was a simple comment made to me last month regarding the semi-recent glut of shared Ditko responses.
Since the majority of these involved Ditko being brief and dismissive, and because so many letters are available to be cited and researched going forward, wouldn’t it be helpful in an academic- or at least a curious/contextual sense- to share some of the things he’d shared in his letters to me?
While I was thinking about that, something else happened that a few friends brought to my attention: a man in Lancaster, PA had unknowingly bought an extremely rare trading card which was ostensibly autographed by Steve Ditko himself.
Of course, anyone familiar with Ditko knew this was an impossibility- the man in question did not seem as familiar- and it was quickly deduced that the manufacturer of said card simply took a Ditko signature from one of his many letters floating around eBay- and affixed it to this chase card.
I had no jealousy about this whatsoever. Indeed, I was unexpectedly compassionate toward this fellow, especially when an article reporting on this minor miracle is quoted as saying:
- “So, he did some research and texted a friend who is knowledgeable in the world of collecting. Soon, he had five or six missed calls. He said other sources have said the card could go as high as $300,000.”
Uh, what? Listen pal, if that could go as high as $300,00.00, there’s a bunch of us who have legitimate essays from Ditko that would surely get us $1,200,000,00 for sure!!! We’d be swimming in it- but, I digress…
So, it was this that caused your most gregarious of comic bloggers to feel sympathy for this man- I’m sure he’ll get something for it since it’s a rarity (in that it’s a generated collectible made by taking a signature on something else and putting it into a trading card), but money to buy a house-? I’m not sure. And I feel he’s being misled.
This news item caused me to do a cursory search of anyone selling a Ditko response online. And the results did not disappoint…!
Many people are hoping to pay off some credit card debt, it seems- all with the most minimal of Ditko handwriting! Shit, I’ve got letters from the Sturdy One that go up to 6 pages…!!! We could do an entire deck of trading cards at this point!
Anyway, my POINT is that all of this stampede to profit from a private man’s politeness just aggravated me and I thought- right, I’ll share some excerpts from Ditko’s letters to me.
I am sure that they are similar or exact to other things he wrote in his many essays and self-published comics, and I am very sure that they are similar or exact to other letters that he shared with others- for I am not a special case. (Which is why I didn’t write a book about my correspondence.)
But anyone who benefits from reading some of the things Steve Ditko wrote and shared in writing- beyond what I can see in a Google search of scanned Ditko letters made available online- that’s a good thing. Anyone reading and learning more about Ditko’s words and beliefs- that’s fantastic.
Anyone who realizes that these guys trying to sell brief, blunt responses from a disinterested Ditko for profit are a bunch of swindling, selfish fuckers- even better.
I also want to spare people from parting with their hard-earned money to buy a book of letters (that were not written for publication!) when I can share a bit here on Four Color Sinners for free. Who says this isn’t the Marvel Age of generosity??!
Ditko’s niece Helena wrote “From my personal perspective as both his Niece and as a clinical therapist, uncle Steve was a man of high intelligence and very private, for many good reasons. He was self-protective and yet leaked out huge pieces of his persona in the many letters he wrote, just as his mind can be understood visually in the beautiful unique style of art he created.”
SOME NOTES ABOUT THE FOLLOWING EXCERPTS: Everything emphasized was emphasized by Mr. Ditko, not by me. If there is something he writes pertaining to a specific thing, I will comment for context. These are not presented in chronological order. Thank you.
April 24th, 2011: “You seem to have read some Aristole and A.Rand and yet you seem to have problems where they should have been informed guides for your self-understanding.
There’s a context for everything.
Why should you apologize for sending me something that is part of the comic book industry? How are you, or anyone, supposed to automatically know my (anyone’s) actions or reactions?” – Steve Ditko, 2011
April 9th, 2011: “Everyone LIES to himself about somethings. Everyone has his secrets. We’re not programmed like machines to always be truthful, honest, even with oneself.
Man is a great self-deceiver.
“I’m lonely”- people in crowds, parties, events are “lonely” needing someone, something else to avoid dealing with themselves. People always need, want someone, others to somehow protect them from facing, dealing with their life, a world they somehow helped make yet can’t handle.
Public celebrities, politicians, public figures are lonely without their crowd of admirers, supporters. Individuals with authentic short/long range goals are never lonely.
They can prefer, wanting to be alone, away from the distractions of others. They are not obsessed with any present “poor me”, not passively wanting, needing others. They are actively working for some positive goals, a better later, tomorrow, future life.
It’s the passive wanters versus the active doers.
All wants, achievements, demands a price to be paid, the right kind of understanding, effort. No guarantees.
“How can we get rid of excess baggage?”
How does one get rid of excess weight, bad habits, etc.? By understanding what the excesses, wrongs, etc. really are, how accumulated, etc. and to take the necessary steps to correct them.
It’s the way baseball pitchers, batters, etc. have to actively work at it, like with all wanted skills and goals. No guarantees.
Individuals collect all kinds of negative habits, baggage in various ways with various rationalizations.
People are always conning themselves.
And there are experts for all kinds of self-made problems. Finds/read some books by Nathaniel Branden. The world is filled with experienced understanders of the right way to fix all kinds of self-made difficulties.
Self discovery, self improvement works only if the real problem(s) are truly discovered, faced and worked at and corrected.
“Complete understanding!?”- what kind of “complete understanding” do you want? You want omniscience, knowing EVERYTHING? You want omnipotent… all powerful like a GOD?
A “solitary one”, join a religion for your “complete understanding” without effort, just obedience. Understanding is contextual. One understands to some degree, in some specific context like spelling, adding that have rules to follow for the right, best results.
Different contexts require understanding certain principles, standards for operating successfully. No guarantees.
In the context of life; rationality, objectivity, logic, productive goals, the earned and the deserved are required. No guarantees.
I have no interest in comic book controversies like the Kirby’s children vs Marvel bit.
No true, valid records are available. No one has the actual needed evidence, proof. The lawyers, jury and judge will decide “Justice”. The Supreme Court usually has a split vote.” – Steve Ditko, 2011
(Some notes about this last letter: Ditko was responding to me telling him that “I don’t go to conventions or gatherings with most people interested in comic books because if I go, I’m lonely”- I think he took this more literal than what I meant- which was that I didn’t relate to guys arguing about which actors should be cast to play superheroes or superstar comic creators- and I also told him the reason I read every interview about the industry I could find was so that I could find “complete understanding”- well, he didn’t spare me, did he!)
February 12th, 2011: “Yes, one should be an “eternal student” because now knowledge of all kinds is being discovered by the various science and the imaginative innovations created by active minds expanding their thinking and doing.
The more one’s awareness without all the actual details, the more one can prevent believing he already knows all he needs to know. That kind of thinking is found in tribalism, racism, etc. The future (tomorrow) will be different from the past (yesterday) and history.
Worry/self-pity-? The two are distinct but can blend and the self-pity dominate.
The more honest one is willing to be with oneself, the better he will be able to know what is a proper worry or a feeling sorry for himself.
It’s not an easy task since emotions are part of everything one does.
Living is an adventure of self-discovery, not in how to get along or please others, not others oriented. One gains understanding about how others deal with situations, life, what wider understanding is possible, necessary, how and why, etc.
It’s why novels, dramas, stories, even fables are examples of beliefs, conflicts, resolutions, etc. If one is acting as he believes correct, there shouldn’t be problems of loneliness.
If one is being tempted, pressured, being forced to “deviate from his beliefs” or to “compromise his beliefs”?
Frustration is usually common because one is unable to act the way one believes he should and is somehow blocked by others (or reality), or unwilling to act for some valid, invalid reason.
There are many things, negatives that one can’t automatically change or ever change.
But “frustration” is more the result of wanting something to happen that way because THEY WANT IT. Children are chronically frustrated as are too immature.
Society is a broad abstraction.
Society is made up with all kinds of individuals, beliefs, values, goals, etc.
And individuals are carrying all kinds of different baggage- beliefs, religions, etc. from childhood. Why argue with these people?? Are you their keeper, master, etc. responsible for their behavior, lives?
Freedom means individuals have a right to choose to go their own way for good or ill and reap the rewards or pay the consequences. It’s earning and deserving JUSTICE.
“Bad childhood” usually carries baggage of self-pity, a “poor me…”
What’s done is done. No time machine is going to take anyone back and make it right. People are always annoyed because others aren’t pleasing them.
2 Stories: Twin brothers of an alcoholic father were asked by a psychologist- why he became an alcoholic. He said, “If you knew my father you wouldn’t ask.”
The brother who didn’t drink was asked “why not?” He said: “If you knew my father, you wouldn’t ask.”
Two minds facing the same reality and making opposite, free will choices.
And- In a communist and satellite country, an order came down from the party that all movie directors had to SIGN AN OATH of allegiance to the party to get hired, get work.
One director signed: “I did it (signed) for my family.” One director refused to sign: “I didn’t sign- for my family.”
The first signer is blaming his family for his cowardice. The unsigner is honoring himself and his family’s integrity.
Individuals make free will choices based on what kind of life they value and with all kinds of rationalizations. An “environment” doesn’t force or decide for or against one’s behavior. Minds make free will choices for good or ill.
No one will ever learn, understand everything he needs to know about successful living.
One can only keep trying to learn more, better ideas, to do the best one can whatever the situation. There are no guarantees.
The best can fail and the worst (dictatorships) succeed.
Is it your job, duty to “reach people”, educate them. What makes you their master? The best thing one can do for others is let them go their own way unless they are actively, directly interfering in your action, behavior, goals.” – Steve Ditko, 2011
August 9th, 2015: “One has to be, should be an active observer. An extreme example: a hunter in a jungle, a dangerous environment.
“Duty” is an Altruist, moral “must” and not a free will choice. It is not the law of casualty.
Pragmatism is a short-range philosophy. “Truth” is what works- for now.
One can choose not to observe but to evade, even deny “the world around them.”
It’s the dominant behavior today.
Too many minds sell out to belong to some group, to get along “get on the band wagon”, etc. Too many only feel comfortable, protected in some “we” group, gang, mob, rioters, etc.
In New York City one continually sees some crossing the street against the light, head down, pushing some button on some toy or gadgets plugged into one ear talking to another gadget, etc. while entering, in an elevator, etc. etc.
Sidewalks are filled with people playing with all kinds of toys, even people driving vehicles.
Man/life needs heroes- “Any person admired for his qualities and achievements and regarded as an ideal of model.” Young people especially need heroes, authentic heroes. Everyone needs heroes- a high model.
Aristotle, 4 BC: “Man is a rational animal.” The anti-hero is against his own mind and well- being, against his own survival.
Today, it is the irrational that is GLOBAL, dominating the world, politics, the U.N., etc. No amount of facts, truth will convince the emotionally driven mind.
The early period, settings give a better mood for dramatic action. Marvel’s heroes, all in New York City, a fraud, never seen etc. is NY’s actual Mayor, newspapers, radio, tv, stations etc.
Batman worked best in Gotham though ruined with Robin.
Comics should explore the great range, opportunities of fiction and fantasy.” – Steve Ditko, 2015
September 13th, 2015: “I’m not concerned about others, especially comic book fans.
I have no, want no control over them. This is not a PERFECT UNIVERSE, there will always be DIFFERENCES, conflicts, etc.
NO discussion will solve others problems. How much time must be spent on trying to analyze, dissect, others? What will be changed?
Stan Lee, fans- Pro/Con, so what? The Pro/Con will continue no matter what one says, writes, does.
Hero goes back to ancient times, Hercules was a Greek hero, etc. Fiction and fantasy is just that. The degree of a mind’s reason or common sense will decide what he likes, moves him, etc.” – Steve Ditko, 2015
July 12th, 2015: “Yes. One can’t reach minds that refuse to be reached.
Religious mind the most extreme case- closed minds. One who receives mail from me or who reads, hears about what is going on can be influenced in different ways.
“The message is what is essential”. The primary, secondary one mental action about it.
Hero- any man admired for his qualities or achievement and regarded as an ideal or model. Check your dictionary.
The comic book code drove some comic companies out of business, the professional editors, writers, and artist. Later, comic book fan “professionals” with their emotionalism, anti-hero mentality took over and dominates.
“Why must we devalue the behavior of heroes in fiction?”
Not “We”
The definition of man is: “rational animal.” If a mind chooses not to be rational, objective, then the mind becomes, remains emotional, more childish.
“The audience cannot relate to them.”
Minds are always acting objectively or subjectively with the appropriate positive/negative results, consequences.
“Is there hope for a hero in fiction?”
Is “there hope for” honestly in human life?
It’s your or other’s choice. The U.S. Patriots, 1776, created a Constitution Republic with “inalienable individual, property rights.” The U.S. NEVER was a Capitalism system, yet continually publicly blamed for U.S. problems.
One always has a choice to act for one’s best rational interest or to be a passive complainer, irrelevant to all the negative, anti-life behavior being accepted and act on.” – Steve Ditko, 2015
August 30th, 2015: “The anti-hero, before he was in the comic books, he was in the culture: novels, movies, plays, etc.
Stan Lee introduced him into comic books.
“Misguided notion…” Readers/fans need to relate to the hero… hero needs to “relect” to the average individual.
“Average individual?”
Everyone “relates” to someone, something. Everyone needs to have some wider perspective, understanding. Of who, what, etc. It starts in a family context. There are no “average” individuals. What is your measuring standard?
Every character in comics, novels, movies, sports, etc. affect, “inspire” someone in some way.
“What is the role of the enabler?”
“..enable” to make able, provide some means, opportunity, power, authority to do something, etc. That could be getting into psychology. For to find the enabler just as guilty as those who “benefit” directly or indirectly come from such things.
So Hitler was voted into power. Are the voters responsible for WWII and all the destruction Hitler caused? If the voters are responsible for the cause of WWII does that make Hitler somehow innocent? How qualified is anyone to judge anothers actions or others effects- TV shows, etc?
What standard is being used: objective, subjective, emotional, intrinsic; some authority? Is every voter who voted for Obama, congressmen also responsible for our national DEBT?
Who has the ACTUAL POWER for doing the bad, wrong, evil? Who ACTUALLY ACTS?
Is the victim of a hold-up man also guilty responsible for having money, etc. or is the INITIATOR OF FOURCE/FRAUD the only guilty one?
A human has the responsibility to act rationally, even to act with common sense, like in NYC to listen to and obey a policeman and not actively resist, etc.?
The credit, who created S-M, etc. issue started with interviews, interviewers, the fan press, comic book fans.
They NEVER cared to seek proof of Lee’s and Kirby’s claims. They just wanted public contact with some comic book personality.
Who has the duty, responsibility, duty to do something about the “enablers”?
The many “comic book fans” who talk, write me choose not to read what I wrote on the issues. They just whine about “…Ditko doesn’t do interviews, etc.” and the majority of fandom choose just to remain ignorant of available material on the issues.
Who says you-or-I have some duty to do something about the enablers?
Everyone has a choice to mind his own business or get emotionally involved with other’s behavior. “…Get on the bandwagon” is always subconscious, subjective, emotional. They do not rationally examine, judge the issues, etc.
Comic book fans are basically childish and remain so.
How many choose to advance comic book fictions/fantasies to novels, etc.? The older generational when newspapers had pages of daily/Sunday comic strips, the elders read the ones they enjoyed and went on with their lives. They didn’t write fan letters, etc. etc. etc.
Too many comic book fans never grow up. “Wanting to know…” – Steve Ditko, 2015
November 13th, 2016: “Comics are FICTIONS and FANTASY. Stan chose to undercut man the hero, man at his rational, moral best.
Stan gave his “heroes” flaws so there can be no rational, moral best, no right/wrong, no good/bad, NO judgments. Everyone is flawed.
So no one is better than anyone else.” –Steve Ditko, 2016
January 24th, 2018: “The New York weather is off and on. One has to adjust to all conditions, inconvenient, bothersome, bad- heavy rain, snow, etc. As a singer, you have a focus with your life. Every profession has it’s range of good to bad. -Life is a continuum-
LIFE_____________________________________________DEATH
A is A INSULT cheat steal attack KILL
Etc.
You’re not going to reach everyone, no sense in trying. One can just go one’s own way- PAY THE PRICE.
One can adjust with the conditions of life with others, or increase the negatives, contradictions and failures. A division of labor can have one that fails to perform causing problems for everyone after.
Interviews are too often more to promote the interviewer than his subject.
[Irving] Thalberg: “Credit you give yourself is not worth having.” !?
Whose credit is worth having?! Everyone who acts like an authority on your life, etc.?
The “role and responsibility of the artist?” It’s the role and the responsibilities of an independent, individuals mind. No one else is qualified to determine how others should, just live. We see it with the 3 GODS: ISLAM- ISRAEL- ROME
And the still continuing wars among the three- ALL rejecting Aristotle (4BC): “Main is a rational animal.” One always has a choice and a price to be paid.” – Steve Ditko, 2018
September 26th, 2011: “Ever since man emerged on the planet, there have been conflicts within himself and with other men, individuals, group and beliefs about what is true, good, just, etc.
But with all the learning, known facts, truths that have been discovered, known, proved, spread, one cannot reach a mind that refuses to be reached.
This is continually repeated, demonstrated with earth continuing history of all kinds of abuses, conflicts, killing, atrocities, wars. Most of individual and group problems- crime, drugs, gambling, etc. are self-created.
It is not that truths are not known, not proven but that no one can make another accept a fact, a truth and act on it consistently. The whims, emotions, self-gratifications soon take over, dominate, rule.
And too many are out to force their “facts”, “truths” on others as with religions, ideologies.
One has to respect his own mind, abilities to seek, know facts, truths, correct governing, acting principles for one’s life and well-being, to upload and defend them, and to let the others self-destruct as something, & justice, they are earned and deserved by their negative, anti-life principles.” – Steve Ditko, 2011
Some notes now on the next letter and it’s follow up: As I alluded to in an earlier photo caption, I also made the mistake of sending Mr. Ditko some stamps- I believe I sent him a strip of like 4 or 5- just to receive a stern “Anti-A” lecture. Which, as you might imagine, had me completely devastated and I thought that I’d now lost the distant connection I had to this fascinating man.
I was fairly gloomy and reserved to the fact that I shouldn’t write him again. Then, when reading Jim Shooter’s blog, I was struck by this anecdote from Shooter about hiring Ditko in the Nineties:
- “Giving Steve work is easier said than done. He’s very particular about what he will and won’t do. He wouldn’t consider anything to do with Spider-Man or Doctor Strange, for instance. He refused to work on any books with “flawed” heroes. He had a pretty strict definition of “hero.” Per him, the character isn’t a hero if he or she is flawed.
- I said, but what about Spider-Man? Wasn’t he flawed? Steve said that when he worked on Spider-Man, Spider-Man wasn’t yet an adult. It was okay for a kid to make some mistakes, but….“
That gave a naiver and perhaps more idealistic me a notion to just sincerely apologize. To the great Ditko. So, I wrote him and didn’t overdo it, simply writing: “I’m sorry about the stamps- you’re right, I should’ve thought about the value of the stamps- I’m still young but I’m still improving.” As you’ll see below, and to my continued amazement, Mr. Ditko accepted it! End of interlude!
October 9th, 2010: “One can choose to Objective- acting on facts, truth, etc., or be Subjective- moved, ruled by emotions about what is, why and how, etc. or be Intrinsic- ruled by some authority, etc.
There is the old “the first dog barks at something it is directly, first hand aware of. The next hundred dogs bark at the first’s bark and so 2nd, 3rd, 4th handed.”
One has to be a “first dog” and not to mindlessly accept and act on others claims, beliefs unchecked, unproven as mere sounds on labels. Times, conditions change.
It’s like the first pioneers who went into unknown territory, braving all the unknown dangers, counting only on themselves. Once they settled the wilderness, those who came after wanted the benefits without the hardships, struggles, dangers, risks, understanding etc.
It’s worse today with so much good things being produced by others and the non-producers just insist, demand to entitled, to be consumers as a “right”, and our educational and political system encourages it and other groups want to make it the law of the land.
Extremism- black/evil and white/good is almost impossible for most minds today to grasp, accept, unless our wants to use extremism as evil, a smear, a negative label. Most people are only comfortable in the grey areas where they can claim, believe that they are not as grey as some others- it’s what makes horror movies so popular.
No one in the audience believes he is as bad as the monster or fantasizing that they were as powerful as a monster they would get even with others, etc. So “we’re all grey” so no one should judge them as bad or worse.
But there is a justice, an earned, deserved pay off for one’s chosen behavior.
The stamps are an example of a political grey, a non, an anti-A. There is no price value on the stamps. What should be clearly identified is deliberately omitted. It is just another example of how wide and how deep our grey world has become. Real clarity is rejected for whim, an authorities whim.” – Steve Ditko, 2010
October 31st, 2010: “No need to apologize.
All kinds of oversights happen to use humans that are not intentional in the course of living and acting.
Communications with others go on hourly with people everywhere and distance need not be a barrier. Reality sets the terms for man and everything that happens in nature.
Reality doesn’t contradict its nature, its identity, but man keeps trying to gain the unearned and undeserved and injustice should and does have to pay a price in some way. Life gives us a great variety of all different people to understand and to measure ourselves with. It’s an opportunity to test oneself to explore ourselves and others. It’s an ongoing life of schooling, education.
In your twenties is just an early beginning with the normal doubts, uncertainties, more emotional than logical. Knowing isn’t automatic or guaranteed true, right and good for all time.
A major theme in professionalism today is compromise and corruption. Every profession seem tainted with ongoing self-made problem. I don’t believe people acting wrong are even embarrassed but resent being caught.
Ambition, desire to do better, have more, rise higher etc. is a natural desire, drive. It depends on just what motive and by what means.
There are authentic successes, earned and deserved and there are the unauthentic, the unearned and the undeserved.
The “breakers” have to first break what is best within themselves and undercut their potential for authentic achievement.
One has to choose one’s life style, continually act to support, achieve it and be willing to pay the price. You could get a notebook, write down any problem, etc. with some comments, questions, etc. and keep referring back to earlier entries to see what you more understand, add new questions, etc.
It’s one way to have a continuing overview of your life and have wider understanding of your world. One has to continue to make choices for one’s better or worse.
Others are not your problem. You have to make your own choices, they will have to make theirs and both pay the price for wrong thoughts and actions or profit by the right ones.”– Steve Ditko, 2010
January 4th, 2009: “Everyone born doesn’t even know he’s alive. It takes a long time for the brain/mind to begin his intellectual self-awareness that he exists and of the outside world, and much more to start thinking for himself.
The history of mankind’s behavior is revealing of the wide range of thoughts, ideas and actions for good or ill. Everyone’s thinking/acting behavior is first conditioned by parent’s beliefs, by growing up in a specific environment, community, educational system, friends, TV, movies, religions, politics, laws, etc.
So real independent thinking is a slow, active process and not even in all areas of one’s life as influences with elders, neighborhoods, authorities, etc. So there are the “isolation” areas depending on who, where, how, why, etc.
Everything in a story should make the reader/viewer think. Different characters make different choices for different ends, goals, benefits, based on some accepted right/wrong, moral code. Everyone is a character in his own life story.
He is the author and the main character, choosing, deciding what role he wants to play- hero or villain or some go along with other characters.
Choices always have to be made. One becomes independent choosing all the risks or becomes dependent, others doing one’s thinking, etc.” – Steve Ditko, 2009
January 12th, 2011: “Communication doesn’t require any specific form. Sign languages between different cultures worked for centuries. Time is a measurement of motion of how long it takes to go from one spot to another. With time, it’s seconds, minutes to light years.
The speed of light sets the standard.
Paramedies, an ancient Greek philosopher said: “What is, is, what is not, is not. There is no nothing.”
The problem is many people want to deny, ignore the “is” and want to live in fiction, fantasy worlds of all kinds of wishing, make believes.
In today’s word, society, everyone is a victim of someone else’s foolishness to deliberate abuses and we all can innocently or deliberately play a role where a system is out of control so all parts are affected.
There is no perfect world, environment, closed off private area, safe for all time, to the degree that one does or is able to act correctly is the degree of living the best one can at the time. But life is a motion and all kinds of people are acting for all kinds of goods, pleasures, authority, power, etc.
Justice is identifying a thing for what it is and treating it accordingly.
Justice is getting the earned and deserved. The injustices are the UNearned and UNdeserved, the entitlements, subsidies, special favors, the “I’m owed a living”, etc.
Society has been described as “Dumbing down and Deviations UP”, the rule of injustice. Ancient fables carried good moral messages. Any fiction can be with man at his best or his worst. What publication success shows is what the buying public is willing to pay for, support. Everyone has to make choices as to what to accept, reject and why.” – Steve Ditko, 2011
There are so many more letters and so many more excerpts I could share of Steve Ditko’s wisdom, weariness, and wonder- but I do fear oversaturating and overloading everyone’s attention span. Especially when there are groups devoted to the sharing of Ditko letters- I don’t mean that sarcastically!
In the meantime, I hope any fan of Ditko found these fragments even mildly interesting- for me, I was not taking it for granted in real time but, nearly two decades after we first connected, as an older man it hit me just how much Ditko gave– especially when he didn’t have to.
And that’s the biggest thorn in my side when it comes to these guys selling their rejection slips from the man and building their own (boring) biographies up in conjunction with a man who wrote to them freely, owed them nothing, and still believed in common courtesy- it was the reason he responded at all.
A huge thanks to Steve Ditko who continues to be misunderstood and selectively viewed by a majority of the true believers. He left such a wealth of work and wisdom still there to be pursued and studied, should those intrigued be moved to seek it out.
Where you can find (and Order!) great Ditko works: Ditko Comics: Ditko Books In Print
With a sincere thanks to Steve Ditko. (Who else?!)
