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Steve Ditko was born on November 2, 1927, in Johnstown Pennsylvania who was known to be an influential and iconic comic-book artist that helped create Spider-Man. Together with Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, he was known to be the pillar of Marvel Comics during what was known to be the “Silver Age of Comic Books.” This term refers to a time period in which the comic books were originally available. The Silver age began around 1956 and lasted until 1975.
Ditko was also known for adding a personal touch to all of his characters by making them more relatable through enhancing the hero’s inner struggles and insecurities. For example, his character Peter Parker was not the heroic or handsome type, but a struggling and kinda geeky teenager. He would also use his stories to apply philosophy, especially the objectivism theory by Ayn Rand. This was where Rand described Objectivism as "the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life".
For the 15th and final issue of Spider-Man, which appeared in August 1962 under the title ‘Amazing Fantasy’, Ditko and Lee’s most beloved creation made its debut. Jack Kirby was originally intended to draw ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’, but Lee was more eager to let Steve Ditko do the job. Even though Kirby had already made some initial designs and pages, Ditko quickly made the character his own. ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ was an instant hit and got its own monthly title in March 1963.
Not only has Ditko influenced a whole generation of American comic book artist, but also the top British comic writers. Steve Ditko has won eight Alley Awards in the period 1962-1965 alone for his work on ‘Spider-Man.” His legacy is secured by the influence he had on the art form of comic books.
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