Diggin' Ditko: "Don't Lose Your Head!" by Gill and Ditko

Beware the Ides of March, baby (especially if you're name is Julius)! While Ol' Groove isn't here to stab anyone in the back, I am here to share a classic shocker by Joe Gill and Sturdy Steve Ditko from The Many Ghosts of Dr. Graves #43 (September 1973). Remember: be extra careful today...and "Don't Lose Your Head!"

Diggin' Ditko: "His Own Little World"

Psst. Hey, Groove-ophile. Wanna rule your own world? Okay, but ya better be careful of what you--or your pals--wish for! This far-out sci-fi tale features Sterling Steve Ditko at his best.  Originally published in Outer Space number one-and-only (August 1968), this version of "His Own Little World" comes from its reprinting in Space Adventures #13 (December 1978). Enjoy!

Diggin' Ditko: "All in the Mind of Lucille Michaud" by Gill and Ditko

Greetings, Groove-ophiles! The road to Halloween is paved with many a comicbook creature-fest, and you can bet many of the best of 'em were drawn by Steve Ditko...liiiiiiike f'rinstance "All in the Mind of Lucille Michaud" from Beyond the Grave #3 (September 1975), written by the great Joe Gill. Ya shouldn't need a crystal ball to dig this one!

Diggin' Ditko: "The Magnet of Magento" by Gill and Ditko!

Hoo-hah! What better way to cap off a week than with some classic Steve Ditko sci-fi, Groove-ophiles? This Joe Gill scripted shocker is from Charlton's Space Adventures #5 (October 1968). Are you ready, baby? We're gettin' ready to blast off, but before we go remember the immortal words of the late, great Jim Croce: "You don't tug on Superman's cape, you don't spit into the wind, you don't pull the mask off the ol' Lone Ranger and you don't mess with 'The Magnet of Magento'!" ...Or somethin' like that!

Wonder if Sturdy Steve got paid double for that splash-page-that-became-a-cover? Or was it a cover-that-became-a-splash-page? Hmmmmmmm...

Diggin' Ditko: "Class Reunion" by Gill and Ditko

What it is, Groove-ophiles! We all know that Sturdy Steve Ditko co-created Dr. Strange with Stan the Man back during the dawn of the Marvel Age. We also know that Ditko left the strip in 1966, leaving the Master of the Mystic arts behind for good. Thing is, fandom would have loved it if Ditko had ever returned to Dr. Strange, 'cause nobody could draw creepy-cool-cosmic-conjuring like him. Every once in a while, we got a taste of what might have been, like this tale of revenge (almost like a twisted version of Dr. Strange's origin, y'think?) from Ghostly Haunts #48 (November 1975) written by Joe Gill (under the nom de plume "Tom Tuna"). As for the theme for today's sorcerous shocker, look at it this way: the only thing that could ever be worse than high school itself would be a..."Class Reunion"!

Diggin' Ditko: "Come Back...to Tlakluk"

Here's a far-out fear-fable courtesy the genius of Sturdy Steve Ditko, Groove-ophiles! Ol' Groove can't track down any credits for the author (Joe Gill?), but whoever it was sure gave Ditko room to strut his stuff with this outing. Those airplane action scenes are breathtaking, and the flashbacks--layout, coloring, and all--are outta site! From Ghost Manor vol. 2, #4 (January 1972) prepare to "Come Back to...Tlakluk"!