Speedball #9 cover
Artists: Steve Ditko (Penciller) , Bruce Patterson (Inker)
16 Comments - 343 Views - 15 Likes
Artwork Details
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DescriptionIt was kind of a big deal when Steve Ditko returned to Marvel for Speedball in the late 80's. Unfortunately the series didn't really take off and ended with #10, but the character has continued to live on.I've been meaning to post this for a while. I've actually owned this cover since 2002 when I bought it from the inker's rep off of eBay. It might be hard for newer collectors to believe, but eBay was actually a great place for original art in the late 90's to early 2000's. I really like Ditko's layout here with a very interesting usage of the Speedball bubbles. Fun fact - the corner box art is taken from Speedball #1 page 1, which I also own the original art to. (You can also find that in my Steve Ditko folder.) Social/Sharing |
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Comments on this Artwork
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E DLS 
Member Since 2005
1 - Posted on 3/1/2024
While ASM is obviously his Masterwork, you simply can't deny the brilliance of these later works. This is such a great cover.
Steve Kro
Member Since 2007
1 - Posted on 3/1/2024
The Ditko energy was always there in Speedball. Great cover! Viva eBay!
K Gearon
Member Since 2011
1 - Posted on 3/1/2024
Great composition and you gotta love the Ditko line work, with Patteson assist! Big congrats on this, as well as the #1 page 1 splash!
Michael Greczek
Member Since 2003
1 - Posted on 3/1/2024
By the late 80s, Ditko's style had grown stale. People had moved on. Plus many had not forgotten how he abandoned them on Spider Man over 20 years earlier. Maybe he would have had greater success with some EC type sci-fi / fantasy book rather than another super hero reach. Or perhaps an "Untold Tales Of Dr Strange" book where Ditko was also the writer would have captured big sales.
That being said, I bought multiple copies of each issue in the hope that Speedball would hit it big. It didn't. But I really enjoyed the character, the storyline, and, of course, Steve Ditko !!
Ted Latner
Member Since 2005
Posted on 3/1/2024
Michael Greczek wrote:
By the late 80s, Ditko's style had grown stale. People had moved on. Plus many had not forgotten how he abandoned them on Spider Man over 20 years earlier. Maybe he would have had greater success with some EC type sci-fi / fantasy book rather than another super hero reach. Or perhaps an "Untold Tales Of Dr Strange" book where Ditko was also the writer would have captured big sales.
That being said, I bought multiple copies of each issue in the hope that Speedball would hit it big. It didn't. But I really enjoyed the character, the storyline, and, of course, Steve Ditko !!
Unfortunately Ditko was never willing to draw Spidey or Dr. Strange again due to his unhappiness about lack of credit and compensation. Speedball just wasn't the right project at the right time, but Ditko did do some nice work during this period on smaller projects such as Static and the Mocker.
E. C.
Member Since 2006
1 - Posted on 3/1/2024
Die hard Speedball fan and when a friend pointed this out I had an intense moment of glee!
Absolutely incredible page and I'm so very glad that you posted it. You don't see very many of these out in the wild.
Totally worth the 22 years it took for you to post it🙂
Ted Latner
Member Since 2005
Posted on 3/1/2024
E. C. wrote:
Die hard Speedball fan and when a friend pointed this out I had an intense moment of glee!
Absolutely incredible page and I'm so very glad that you posted it. You don't see very many of these out in the wild.
Totally worth the 22 years it took for you to post it🙂
Thanks. I used to own the cover to #6 too, but I traded that years ago. I don't recall seeing any other covers, but they must be out there somewhere.
Ruben DaCollector
Member Since 2008
1 - Posted on 3/1/2024
As a Ditko Spider-Man fan, I was already excited to see him take over on Rom, but when that title came to an end, I was worried it was the last we's ever see of new Ditko work. So I was thrilled when Speedball was launched and saw not only that Ditko had another title to work his magic on, but that the character LOOKED like a Ditko character! A great, beautiful cover, Ted, congrats!
Marcus Wai
Member Since 2005
1 - Posted on 3/1/2024
It's great Ditko as it has the themes and touches of his career's worth of work put in here! Spidey, Creeper, Mr. A and more used to bring Speedball to light! He's even philosophically approaching the question mark of what makes a hero and villain on the cover!
Bill C
Member Since 2009
1 - Posted on 3/1/2024
Awesome! This was a real fun series, I loved it at the time. It harkened back a bit to the innocence of the silver age.
Miki Annamanthadoo
Member Since 2003
1 - Posted on 3/2/2024
Great cover. I enjoyed Speedball for as long as it lasted.
Sean Rutan
Member Since 2012
1 - Posted on 3/3/2024
Great cover by a pillar of Marvel. Beautiful piece!
Dave W
Member Since 2006
1 - Posted on 3/4/2024
A Ditko cover?!? Nice!
Like a fine wine, aging in your collection cellar - nice to see it shared here on CAF!
Congrats!
Joe Murray
Member Since 2006
1 - Posted on 6/5/2024
Wow, a Ditko Speedball cover, very cool indeed, congrats!
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