This is my cornerstone interview. Steve Ditko rarely spoke to the press, which makes any genuine exchange with him something special.

Who Was Steve Ditko?

Steve Ditko co-created Spider-Man and Doctor Strange with Stan Lee at Marvel in the 1960s, and he designed Spider-Man’s now-iconic costume and visual style. Later in his career he created independent, creator-owned work — including the Objectivist character Mr. A — and he was famously private throughout his life. He passed away in 2018.

How the Interview Came About

[PLACEHOLDER — tell the true story of how you made contact: the year, the format (mail, phone, in person), and what it meant to you. This is your experience signal; keep it honest and specific.]

The Interview

[PLACEHOLDER — paste your ACTUAL questions and his ACTUAL answers here, in Q&A format. Do not invent or paraphrase his words. If the exchange was short, present it in full.]

What Ditko Taught Me

[PLACEHOLDER — your reflection in your own voice.]

Steve Ditko’s Legacy

Spider-Man and Doctor Strange became global franchises, and Ditko’s independent work and creator-rights stance left a lasting mark on the industry.

See also: more of my interviews with industry legends, the full interviews archive, and my Silver Age reviews of the early Ditko-era Spider-Man issues.