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Author:
Title: JACK KIRBY'S SECRET CITY SAGA No. 4 * Steve Ditko Collection
Place Published:
Publisher:Topps
Date Published: August, 1993
Description: CGC certified: NM- (9.2). White pages. Grader notes: "Multiple spine stress lines spine." STEVE DITKO COLLECTION. CGC-certified as Steve Ditko's personal copy, and with a certificate of authenticity signed by Patrick Ditko, Steve Ditko's nephew. Not cleaned and pressed in order to preserve all traces of Steve Ditko's handling. Credits: Cover: Steve Ditko (George Perez inks). Scripts: Roy Thomas. Art: Steve Ditko. GPAnalysis: No reported sales in this grade. A non-Ditko Collection 9.8 sold for $10 in 5/24. Ditko Collection Census: This is the only certified Steve Ditko Collection copy.Jack Kirby's Secret City Saga was one of the last mainstream art gigs of Ditko's career. After its cancellation in 1993, Ditko mostly worked on small-circulation black-and-white polemical comics published by his pal, Robin Snyder. His income as an artist was next to nil, and according to biographer Blake Bell, he seems to have survived mainly on Social Security checks and Veterans benefits. According to one of his nephews, Ditko's tiny, rent-controlled Manhattan pad had no natural light, just a dark, dreary lightwell, with some floral posters hung on the walls to alleviate the gloom. Yet when fans offered Ditko big bucks to draw Spidey and Doc Strange, he steadfastly refused, and when Roy Thomas offered Ditko cold hard cash for some Secret City Saga original artwork, Ditko demurred, saying that he "didn't want to get involved in that market." It's tempting to think of Ditko as a victim of publishers, collaborators, or his own rigid ideology. But Ditko doesn't seem to have considered himself a victim. According to his family, he was a happy, normal guy who followed his own motivations and kept out of the spotlight. He didn't have a lot of dough, but then again, he didn't seem to need very much. His primary requirements were a clean, comfortable place to sit, draw, read, and think, and the freedom to pursue only those gigs that were interesting to him. As Ditko's brother Pat told the New York Post shortly after the artist's death in 2018, he was "never in it for the money." Is it possible that Ditko was the normal, well-adjusted one, and that fans who obsess over money, status, accolades, and past glories are the weirdos?***************************** Enjoying the Ditko Sale? Order a fully-illustrated softcover catalogue for 30 bucks or a limited edition hardcover for $200. Fun reference, great keepsake, fully illustrated, chockablock with bon mots, obscure facts, esoteric lore. These books always go fast so don't delay. To order, contact [email protected]. Consign to PBA Galleries. Top prices for Pre-Code Horror, Golden Age, Silver Age, original art and ephemera. Our sell-thru rate is 98%, and our research-intensive catalogues are the best in the biz. Find out why PBA is the new fan-fave of funnybook fiends. "This is some of the best commentary I've yet seen on the quality of the content of comic books... Priceless." – R. Crumb. Send inquiries to [email protected]. Coming soon: The DC Universe Collection Part 4: SUPERMAN, featuring every issue of Superman from #1 through the modern era. Contact [email protected] to get on the notifications list.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $199 $10
$200 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
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$50,000 + $5,000