‘The Strange Worlds of Steve Ditko, Comic Book Illustrator’ Webinar

Up until 1962, the artistic milieu of comic book writer and illustrator Steve Ditko mirrored the archetypical superhero story — a struggle between good and evil, ugliness and beauty, age and youth, the weak versus the strong. That was, of course, until his groundbreaking co-creation of Spider-man with Marvel Comics’ writer/editor Stan Lee in 1962, which showcased a superhero (or super anti-hero, for that matter) as an everyman, a loner, an underdog. This is the story of how an unassuming comic book writer/artist became one of the medium’s most revered.

Join New York Adventure Club as we take a surrealistic journey through the wondrous worlds of Steve Ditko’s artistic imagination, who evolved into one of the greatest comic book artists and writers of all time.

Led by award-winning comic book art illustrator and historian Arlen Schumer, this “visualecture” and dynamic presentation showcasing Ditko’s comic book panels, pages, and covers like you’ve never seen before, will include:

• How the legendary TV series The Twilight Zone factored into the creation of Spider-man
• The influence controversial author Ayn Rand (Atlas Shrugged) had on Ditko’s antiheroes The Question and Mr. A
• A discussion around Ditko’s other characters made for Marvel and DC Comics, including Dr. Strange, The Creeper, The Hawk, and The Dove
• Why Ditko left his two most popular comic book creations at the height of their success

Afterward, we’ll have a Q&A with Arlen — any and all questions about Steve Ditko are welcomed and encouraged!

Can’t make it live? Don’t worry, you’ll have access to the full replay for one week!

See you there, virtually! $10.

*Immediately upon registering, you will receive a separate, automated email containing the link to join this webinar

**For the best possible viewing experience, please ensure you’re using the latest version of your internet browser — Google Chrome is the most compatible. Exact technical requirements and a webinar user guide will be shared in the automated confirmation email upon registration.

***A full replay of the experience will be available to all registered guests for up to a week

About Arlen

Arlen Schumer, MFA is one of the foremost historians of comic book art, named by Comic Book Artist magazine in 1998 as “one of the more articulate and enthusiastic advocates of comic book art in America.” His coffee table book, The Silver Age of Comic Book Art, won the Independent Publishers Book Award for best Popular Culture book.

Schumer is also one of comic book art’s most idiosyncratic practitioners, creating award-winning illustrations for the advertising and editorial markets.

“One of the country’s pre-eminent authorities on comics and culture.” —Jon Meyerson, Producer, ABC News’ 20/20

“Nobody speaks about comics with more authority, understanding and love than Arlen does. He is to comics what Pauline Kael was to movies.” —Clem Robins, letterer for DC and Marvel Comics