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In Search of Steve Ditko

While I would never tell someone to break the law by downloading, if you are a comics fan of a certain age with no access to current BBC programming, you may want to let your conscience be your guide and find the new special, In Search of Steve Ditko. For reporter Jonathan Ross, meeting and talking to Ditko-- the artist many believe was the true creator of Spider-Man-- was a life's dream, and he flew with crew to New York to find comics' most reclusive genius. The result is a fascinating, wonderful look at a genuinely great artist.

Ditko's life, extreme right-wing politics, and-- best of all-- his glorious work are all treated thoroughly and well, with reverent comments by Ditko fans Alan Moore and Neil Gaiman. (The latter's notion for the famously-unexplained split between Ditko and Stan Lee was that Ditko would draw Spidey swinging by student protestors, undoubtedly thinking ill of them in the artist's mind, only to see Lee's dialogue change it to "Right on, kids, let's end this war!") He also talks to Stan the Man about the dispute bewteen them over who created what-- it's sad to watch this genuinely talented and lovable old comics great not have the generosity to give Ditko his due, and in a piece in The Guardian, Ross said it was the most uncomfortable, personally unpleasant moment of his career.

So . . . does Ross meet his idol? He's coy about it in the Guardian piece-- he wanted people to watch the show, of course-- but I'm going to do something I've never done before, and tell you the ending. Or at least some of it-- yes, with Neil Gaiman at his side, Ross meets his idol. And afterward, the look on their faces is enough to make an old comic-book lover weep-- Ross's childlike delight is palpable, and Gaiman seems so moved that he looks to be holding back tears.

I haven't seen an hour of television that moved me this much in ages, and I recommend In Search of Steve Ditko to everybody, but especially those of us who were young when Spidey was.

(The real Peter Parker-- Steve Ditko's 1944 high school yearbook photo, one of a total of four existing pictures of the artist.)

Posted by Steve Monaco at September 21, 2007 7:45 PM

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