December 26, 2021
Idols and inspirations can be so very important in helping us reach for our dreams. One of mine is Steve Ditko, the comic book artist/writer who created or co-created a plethora of influential comic book characters. 2021 was a big year for remembering and honoring Steve, especially in his hometown of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. An exhibit, play, and comics convention were all dedicated to his life and artistic career, which spanned decades and entertained millions (at least) around the world. The capper was a big new Hollywood movie that debuted in December and featured two of his most successful creations, Doctor Strange and Spider-Man (co-created with Stan Lee).
All this attention to Steve and his work has made me appreciate him even more as a personal inspiration. Throughout his career, he remained driven, dedicated, and true to his own unique creative vision and voice. While still striving to make a living as a working creator, he followed a path that was not constrained by the criticism of others or the limitations imposed by the powers-that-be. The stories he produced were conceived not by polls or beta readers or focus groups, but by his own imagination and talent, informed by extensive, lifelong learning and continuous interrogation of the philosophical underpinnings of civilization and the human mind. Also, he refused to be limited by the accepted outlets for disseminating and deriving earnings from creative work. In a time when being an indie/independent creator wasn’t fashionable, he steadily published outside the mainstream, putting out new content right up until the end of his life.
Steve was very much the patron saint of doing-it-your-own-way, carving out your own path through the ever-changing creative landscape. For that, he remains a key inspiration of mine, one I intend to explore further in the year to come…and emulate by doing what I love to do most: write as creatively as I can and share my stories with as many readers as possible.
