Number 1285: Daring Love of Daring Ditko

Even if Daring Love #1 (cover dated Sept.-Oct. 1953) was not the obscure (Overstreet says “scarce”) love comic that contained Steve Ditko’s first published story, it might be known for its cover by Bernard Baily, which illustrates the historic Ditko tale.

It’s not the kind of sex we see in our porn-saturated age,but harkens back to a simpler time, when a picture like this and its implications would evoke an immediate reaction. You saw a picture of a couple in a hayloft and you just knew...they were gettin' it ON!

For its time Daring Love was aptly named.

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While we’re on the subject of Steve Ditko, Craig Yoe’s book, Ditko Monsters Gorgo will be released on February 12, 2013. I’ve read a pre-release PDF copy of the contents and it was enough to send me into nostalgic nirvana. Gorgo was a comic book I loved and bought when it came out on the comic book rack, but only the issues drawn by Ditko. (Craig has wisely chosen not to include the non-Ditko issues.)

Something I remembered about the artwork was Ditko’s underwater scenes, which I found striking at the time, and still impress me.

From the PDF copy:

I was also particularly impressed with Ditko’s design sense and dramatic staging.

This is a book I highly recommend, and if you’re a Ditko fan you’ll love it. It’s available from the usual booksellers, or you can ask your local comic book store to get it for you.