strange and stranger

chapter three

Marvel Comics and Stan Lee

1955-62

Twice in his life, Marvel publisher Martin Goodman acted on the advice of trusted
advisors — the first making him a fortune, the second costing him almost everything. Out of
those later ashes, Goodman rebuilt a publishing empire that would make, and then break, the
career of Steve Ditko.
Born in Brooklyn in 1910, Goodman was an industry boy wonder. In 1932, on borrowed
money, he and his partner Louis Silberkleit formed Western Fiction Publishing, producing
“pulps”: sensational fiction magazines printed on low-quality pulp paper. Goodman took sole
ownership of the company two years later, and in August 1938 the company released the pulp
Marvel Science Stories, the first use of the Marvel brand.
Prone to keeping his help at arm’s length, Goodman was a businessman first and foremost.
He treated the publication of his pulp line much as he would his comics, changing and cancel-
ing titles as circulation rose and fell. Industry trends were responded to with a title wave of
knockoffs. He made his living as an imitator, not an innovator, so it took someone like Frank
Torpey to show him that the comic book was an innovation worth imitating. opposite: Ditko, Strange Tales #50 (9/56).

In 1939, Torpey was on the front lines of a burgeoning revolution. New Fun Comics had ar- Dropping outlines and using shading to
rived on newsstands four years prior, the first comic book to feature all-new material instead of create figures within the fog.

29
above: Ditko, Two-Gun Western #4 (5/56).
The first Lee / Ditko collaboration.
below: Ditko, Journey into Mystery #38
(9/56). Two simple elements in the back-
ground — the cactus and the rocks — are
all that’s required to identify the environ-
ment. The Indian is framed between two
tall mountains in an empty sky to empha-
size his imposing figure. The lean figure
flows into the billowing robe which in turn
cloaks the hardened criminal.
simply repackaging newspaper strips. By 1939, thanks to the success of DC’s Superman, demand
for new material had dramatically increased for this cheap, disposable form of pulp publishing.
Comic-book packagers hiring writers and artists to produce material began to dot the
Manhattan landscape. Most prominent of these “shops” was the studio run by Will Eisner and
Jerry Iger. Also important was the Funnies, Inc. studio that included three of the next decade’s
most significant creators — Carl Burgos, Bill Everett and Joe Simon — and whose sales man-
ager was Frank Torpey.
Torpey met with Goodman and convinced him that superhero comic books were the next
big trend. Goodman bit, publishing Marvel Comics #1, featuring material packaged by Funnies
Inc., including Burgos’ Human Torch and Everett’s Sub-Mariner — characters that have sur-
vived for over sixty years.
In the fall of 1939, Goodman raided Funnies Inc. for the first editor of his new comics
division: Joe Simon. Simon brought in artist Jack Kirby and together they created Captain
America. Goodman would then eliminate the middle man altogether by hiring away the rest of
the Funnies Inc. crew to work directly for his newly christened
Timely Comics.
Described as everything from aloof to double-dealing,
Goodman brought to the field a stern business acumen that
would be mitigated over the next three decades by the more
easy-going managerial approach and superlative editorial prow-
ess of his next hire. In late 1940, Goodman’s 17-year-old neph-
ew by marriage, Stanley Martin Lieber, was brought into the
Timely fold to assist editor Simon.
For the third issue of Captain America Comics, Lieber wrote
a two-page text story featuring the hero. For the author’s credit,
he renamed himself “Stan Lee.” In so doing, Lee began a his-
tory of self-promotion that eventually resulted in his becoming
every bit as celebrated as the characters he helped make famous.
Akin to how most writers and artists viewed comic books, Lee
says of his rebranding, “I felt someday I’d be writing the Great
American Novel and I didn’t want to use my real name on these
silly little comics.”
Stan Lee’s boisterous personality, organizational skills and
ability to get the best out of his artists would result in the teen-
ager taking over the editor-in-chief reins after Simon & Kirby
left Timely in late 1941 after a financial dispute. Says Simon,
“We had a royalty arrangement with Goodman, but it was never
in writing,” an ominous sign of the publisher’s methods that
would come to haunt Steve Ditko 25 years later.
By Lee’s 19th birthday, he was running one of America’s pre-
mier comic-book companies. Working out of the 14th floor of
the Empire State Building, Lee held sway over what is referred
to now as the Marvel Bullpen — a large room of tables and
desks over which 15 artists sat pencilling and inking comics in
30
 inset: Ditko, World of Mystery
#3 (10/56). The background
is sparse, just a single design
element indicating a shaft of
light. The second, more detailed
panel brings the reader into the
environment; the elements —
chair, desk, and people — do
not clash thanks to their spacing
within the panel. In the third
panel, there is no background
— just emphasis on the features
of the character. this page: Ditko,
World of Mystery #6 (4/57);
an example of the three-panel
opening pages Ditko used in his
mid-1950s Marvel work.

31
above left: Ditko, This Magazine Is Haunted
#13 (10/57). The creaky old house, the
twisted broken pathway, and the naked
tree complement the lonely, weary scien-
tist in his solitary laboratory. above right:
Ditko, This Magazine Is Haunted #16
(5/58). This title was marked by innovative
incorporation of the book’s host into the
narrative.
assembly-line format.
Even with their superhero line put to rest, Marvel never published more books than they
did in the 1950s, with at one point over 80 titles. Lee loved his interactions as a writer with
his artists, so much so that he built up a sizeable inventory for publication. Upon discovering
this, Goodman, the businessman, promptly laid off almost his entire staff of artists and writers
and forced them to work freelance. Gone were the days when a Marvel artist could rely on a
steady paycheck.
Concurrently, Goodman broke with his distributor, Kable News, and set up his own com-
pany, Atlas News. Lee remained as editor and writer through the 1950s, making adjustments
almost monthly to satisfy Goodman’s demands for profitable titles.
Meanwhile, following his recovery from tuberculosis, Steve Ditko planned to return
to Charlton in late 1955, but found the company in similar circumstances to Johnstown
in 1889.
On Thursday, August 18, 1955, Hurricane Diane swept through Connecticut, devastating
the region, leaving hundreds dead and flooding Charlton’s 129 acres of property, including
its office space and presses. Learning it would take months for the operation to fully recover,
Ditko brought his portfolio over to Stan Lee.
By 1956, Marvel was struggling to survive in the post-Comics Code world, and had moved
into smaller offices on Madison Avenue. The majority of Marvel’s output consisted of watered-
down fantasy comics featuring four- and five-page short stories. Over a period of six months,
Ditko drew 17 stories for interchangeable titles such as Astonishing, Journey Into Mystery, Journey
Into Unknown Worlds, Marvel Tales, Mystery Tales, Spellbound, Strange Tales of the Unusual,
World of Mystery, and World of Suspense.
Ditko’s only non-fantasy story was for Two-Gun Western, notable for being the first ever
signed “by Stan Lee & Steve Ditko,” the significance of that partnership still years away.
In comic books, the equation was simple: better rates attract better art. Even though Marvel’s
scripts were only marginally more imaginative than Charlton’s, the pay was better, and Ditko’s
draftsmanship made considerable strides during this first foray with Marvel.
His first stories at Marvel followed the industry’s prescribed first-page formula of featuring
32
a large establishing “splash” panel — designed to set the environment and the character’s place
within it — followed by two smaller panels to begin the story. Having only three or four pages
to work with, Ditko initially felt compelled to communicate a great deal on the first page. As
had been the case in 1954, Ditko’s splashes were ornate with details to enhance the mood and
atmosphere: an old bookshelf filled with spider webs, an elaborate carnival, cavernous rooms
in a creaky gothic mansion, etc.
But by his eleventh story, Ditko began to develop a flair for high-impact imagery; he dis-
covered how to jolt the reader to identify with his characters instead of concentrating overly
on atmospheric details. On “Those Who Vanish” (Journey into Mystery #38), Ditko added a
storytelling motif he would follow to a tee in his remaining six stories: a close-up on an unusual
face, making a simple yet engrossing play to draw the reader into the tale. The smaller second
panel would fall back far enough to establish a location, giving the reader a sense of the char-
acters’ environment. Ditko would then move to a headshot featuring an interaction between
the main characters to lead the narrative to the next page.
“Those Who Vanish” (Journey into Mystery #38), “The Mystery Man” (World of Mystery #3)
and “The Fog That Couldn’t Lift” (Strange Tales #50) all follow this same sequential pattern,
underscoring Ditko’s burgeoning ability to create clear, readable panels and pages through
visual emphasis. His use of single design elements, spatial interaction of objects, negative space
and spotting of blacks were giving his work a recognizable visual identity.
As Ditko ascended as an artist, Martin Goodman was about to make a terrible business below, clockwise from top left:The many
decision. His second example of taking the advice of a trusted advisor would have a dramatic faces of Ditko in 1956. Astonishing #53
impact on Lee, Ditko and the entire Marvel freelancing staff. (9/56), Journey into Unknown Worlds
Goodman had been successfully running his own Atlas distribution company to get his books #51 (11/56), Marvel Tales #147 (6/56),
on the newsstands. On the advice of his business manager, Monroe Froehlich Jr., Goodman Spellbound #29 (8/56), and Strange Tales
switched to a national distributor, signing a five-year contract with American News Company of the Unusual #5 (8/56).

33
right: Ditko, Tales of the Mysterious
Traveler #4 (8/57). The close-up of the
Traveler’s eye in panel one sets an omi-
nous tone. Next, a long shot from above
establishes the viewpoint of the characters
in the next panel before they are revealed
to the reader. The “camera” then pulls
away to reveal an almost helpless Traveler
waiting for impending doom before a
savior appears. The Indian is attacked, the
P.O.V. moving behind the Indian’s hat to
both set up the final panel and establish
the space of the environment — the at-
tacking villains flying right out of the panel
towards the reader. No words would have
been needed to tell the story; Ditko’s
choice of imagery reveals the drama.

opposite: Ditko, Out of This World #3
(3/57). The excessively high ceiling in
panel three conveys the weight of the world
on this man’s shoulders as he stands bent
over his desk. When he faces his black-
mailer, the clock eventually begins to tick
away his final hours as a free man.
in the summer of 1956. By April 1957, American News ceased operations, falling under gov-
ernment investigation for alleged Mafia connections.
With the sole exception of Lee, Goodman once again laid off his entire staff. He was forced
into a distribution deal with Independent News Company, owned by his rival, DC, who pre-
vented Goodman from flooding the market by restricting the Marvel output to eight monthly
allotments (which Lee would turn into 16 bimonthly titles).
Goodman and Lee canceled their other 59 titles, and began using up the resultant inventory.
Hardly any new material was produced for an entire year, and artists and writers had to look
elsewhere for work.
In the meantime, Charlton had completely recovered from its disaster, and by 1957 were
operating at full steam. It had taken months for the company to fully recover and clean up its
huge operation. Co-owner John Santangelo had been guaranteed millions of dollars in flood
relief from the government, but what he told his creative talent was a different story.
Already paying half of what the major comic-book companies offered, Santangelo told his
staff that he was committed to carrying on — at half the amount they had been receiving.

34
35
36
 Charlton’s lead writer, Joe Gill, saw his page rate drop to two dollars. “If I didn’t write fast, opposite: Ditko, Mysteries of Unexplored

I wouldn’t have been able to get along under that price structure,” Gill explained when asked Worlds #9 (8/58). Ditko changes the
about the notoriously inferior quality of the Charlton material. “There was the pride of doing angle in the first three panels, leaving the
good work, but it was impossible to do our best work consistently over a period of time.” character standing imprisoned in a square
These were the circumstances Ditko returned to in late 1956. Again, Charlton offered Ditko of light surrounded by darkness. The ten-
all the work he could handle and editorial freedom, but with a page rate of $6.50 for finished sion is rebuilt by reversing this order, from
art (pencils and inks), Ditko would need all the work he could get. Said Gill, “If you want to a long shot of the character in the rain, to
know why Charlton comics were so shitty, that’s one of the reasons,” but this never deterred the final shot of the hand on the shoulder,
the young Ditko. “Steve has ethics and stern beliefs, and he kept them. He wouldn’t do bad his fedora framing the terrified eye looking
work just because he was getting bad pay. He tried to do just as well for Charlton as he was back. The pupils pop out of the character’s
for Marvel.” eyeball, beads of sweat adding to the sug-
Gill touches on what made Ditko a genuine contributor to the comic-book medium. Faced gested paranoia — Ditko being one of the
with the ethical conundrum of weighing quantity versus quality, Ditko would attempt both. few artists to render shading on people’s
After producing fewer than 70 published pages for Marvel, Ditko’s output soared to over 450 eyeballs.
for Charlton in 1957.
The prodigious page count — and lack of editorial control — allowed Ditko to experiment
with a multitude of genres and drawing styles. He exhibited particular inspiration in titles that
invoked, or borrowed from, old radio shows of the era, his most accomplished work appearing
in Tales of the Mysterious Traveler and the second volume of This Magazine Is Haunted.
Both titles featured hosts (The Traveler and Dr. Haunt, respectively) that would narrate
the stories, and Ditko cleverly incorporated them directly into his page designs. For exam- below: Ditko, Unusual Tales #9 (11/57).

ple, a blown-up Dr. Haunt looms over the creaky house on the hill (and the scientist inside) The figures never move from their respec-
of “Menace of the Invisibles” (This Magazine Is Haunted #13) and the Traveler’s ephemeral tive positions, but the varying angles create
presence sets the foreboding tone on the first page of “Tomorrow’s Punishment” (Tales of the the story around them.
Mysterious Traveler #6).
Ditko conveyed action and emotion through the move-
ment and nuances of the human body. His subjects’ hands
revealed a variety of emotions, accentuated by his empha-
sis on the eyes. An outstretched hand and arm defined
a character’s personal space, and created foreshortened
depth within the confines of a two-dimensional page.
Fabric also became a method of staging and communi-
cation. “Nobody does drapery like Ditko,” says artist Paul
Smith, who would have a heralded run on the Uncanny
X-Men and Dr. Strange in the 1980s. “He knew that
a particular form, draped in a particular fabric, would
stress here, wrap around the form there, and release.
Picking a light source, he’d lay in dense, liquid blacks that
not only supplied volume and weight but incredible mood
as well.”
Artist Jim Starlin (acclaimed for his runs on Marvel’s
Warlock, Captain Marvel and his creation Dreadstar) vis-
ited Ditko’s studio back in 1965 and would later note,
“Steve’s got a formula for doing clothing. It’s abstract
lines that work off into the folds. He had notebooks
that he could go to. If he needed to draw an arm in a
sleeve at any position, he had a notebook just for sleeves.
The notebooks were his drawings, most times just a few
pen strokes.”
Ditko’s use of blacks to frame an image and to cre-
ate background took on added weight in his Tales of the
Mysterious Traveler material. In “Tomorrow’s Punishment,”
Ditko builds mystery and atmosphere with thick brush-
work reminiscent of Will Eisner, and experiments with
cross-hatching to add texture.
In its ongoing attempt to latch onto any trend, Charlton
published various anthology books packed with two- to
eight-page stories, for which Ditko drew genres as dispa-
rate as Western, war and science fiction.
Ditko’s array of characters reached its peak during this

37
right: Ditko, Tales of the Mysterious
Traveler #6 (12/57). The first stirrings of
another recurrent Ditko motif: old curio
shops filled to the ceiling with arcane
objects, Ditko emphasizing the European
flavor of his heritage. opposite, clockwise
from top left: Ditko, Strange Worlds #1

(12/58). Two pages from Ditko’s first story

upon returning to Marvel show experimen-
tation with multiple panel arrangements.
Ditko, Tales to Astonish #7 (1/60). Ditko’s
early1960s Marvel material still featured
lush rendering. Ditko, Journey into Mystery
#50 (1/59). Using four inset panels within
four primary panels, two of the insets
crossing over into all four primaries, Ditko
milked the page for every inch of story it
could contain.

below: The many faces of Ditko in 1957-8.

left to right:
Two panels from “Forever
and Ever” in Strange Suspense Stories
#33 (8/57), “A Strange Kiss” in Unusual
Tales #10 (1/58), “The Forbidden Room”
in Mysteries of Unexplored Worlds #4
(7/57), and “Imagination” in Out of This
World #8 (5/58).

38