The Steve Ditko Reader
Published by Pure Imagination Publishing
160 pages
$25.00

If you only know Steve Ditko from his work on Spider-man, then you don't really know Steve Ditko.

An extremely prolific creator, the man birthed many other comics projects outside of the famous wall-crawler, and some of that work is equal to his most famous co-creation. This truth is nowhere better displayed than in the compilation, The Steve Ditko Reader, amassed by comics historian extraordinaire, Greg Theakston, and published by Pure Imagination Publishing.

The Reader begins with "The Road to Spider-man," an entertaining account of how the character ultimately (no pun intended) came to be; it may be no small surprise to many fans that Spidey's roots go all the way back to the Golden Age of comics, and involve another phenomenal creator, Jack Kirby.

Recountings of comics work, relationships between key pro-fessionals, and workplace politics combine to create an enthralling read for any individual interested in the history of comics, and serves as a fitting introduction of sorts to some of Ditko's most awe-inspiring work from the Golden and Silver Ages.

Ditko is largely remembered so fondly because of his style of art. Apparently adaptable to nearly every genre, yet consistent in its individual style, it is as distinctive as it is conducive to great storytelling.

Science fiction, horror, fantasy, mystery... they all seemed to be come naturally to Ditko, as he proved he could master each of them.

The Steve Ditko Reader is suggested for anyone who enjoys simple, straightforward comic book entertainment, as well as those interested in the history of the genre. Find it at comic shops, comic conventions, or online auctions and catalogs.

Berserkotron mini comic, 1 of 2
Published by Tiarfmtyk Productions
28 pages
$2.00

A young man hopes to enter his robot in the "Robot Wars" competition. Not without an aspect of fun, the story moves slowly. Readers may also become annoyed at so many "sweary words." Available by contacting David Robertson, d1robertson@hotmail.com.

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