Friday, July 13, 2018

Steve Ditko's The Creeper--Covers and Splashes from the Groovy Age

As we are still recovering from the news of Steve Ditko's passing, why don't we remember his legacy by enjoying the covers and splashes featuring one of his most memorable and enduring creations, The Creeper. Ol' Groove thinks Jack Ryder's eccentric super-heroic other self might've been one of Ditko's favorite characters, since, in a rare move, Mr. Ditko returned to The Creeper not once, but twice (1975 in 1st Issue Special and 1977 in World's Finest Comics). And since the covers and splashes Ditko provided for The Creeper were so gorgeous, Ol' Groove couldn't bear to split them up, so here they are in all their glory (including the Creeper cover and splash intended for a 1978 issue of Showcase, courtesy Cancelled Comics Cavalcade #2).






Beware The Creeper #6
Layouts by Carmine Infantino, Pencils by Ditko, Inks by Al Milgrom

World's Finest #249

World's Finest #250

World's Finest #251

World's Finest #252

World's Finest #253

World's Finest #254

World's Finest #255

From Cancelled Comics Cavalcade #2
From Cancelled Comics Cavalcade #2

3 comments:

  1. This post makes me a little sad. I just lost a good friend days ago. And Ditko dying was like losing a second friend. These covers and splashes are a good tribute to him. I wasn't reading comics when the Creeper appeared in World's Finest, but it looks like Steve was revitalized there with some artwork that was hitting home runs.

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  2. I'm gearing up for some in-depth reading of vintage Ditko and alas the one character I don't have all of is The Creeper. I have the original issues of the first run, but none of the later stuff. The Creeper was a vital part of the DCU when I was first plumbing its depths, showing up in a great Brave and Bold issue by Neal Adams and in curious issue of Justice League of America with art by Dick Dillin and Sid Greene. I want to have The Creeper tome which came out some years ago, but prices I find are too steep. Hopefully DC will issue it again. I've seen indications of a Showcase volume due out next year, but I'm sure if that's for real or a phantom of the internet.

    Rip Off

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yowza. I need to open up the long boxes and reread these gems! I remember seeing them on the spinner and thinking there was something special there (especially for DC) though I’d end up selecting Marvel.

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Special thanks to Mike's Amazing World of Comics and Grand Comics Database for being such fantastic resources for covers, dates, creator info, etc. Thou art treasures true!


Note to "The Man": All images are presumed copyright by the respective copyright holders and are presented here as fair use under applicable laws, man! If you hold the copyright to a work I've posted and would like me to remove it, just drop me an e-mail and it's gone, baby, gone.


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