Editing Steve Ditko (section)

==Personal life ==
As of 2012, Ditko continued to work in Manhattan's Midtown West neighborhood.<ref name=newyorkpost2012>{{cite web | url = https://nypost.com/2012/07/03/the-secret-hero-of-spider-man/ |title=The secret hero of Spider-Man |work=[[New York Post]] | date = July 5, 2012 |access-date=July 5, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131003062623/http://nypost.com/2012/07/03/the-secret-hero-of-spider-man/ | archive-date= October 3, 2013 | url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/sep/14/art.usa|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080822225755/http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2007/sep/14/art.usa | archive-date=August 22, 2008|author-link=Jonathan Ross|last=Ross|first=Jonathan |title=The Unsung Hero Behind Spider-Man |work=[[The Guardian]]|location= London, United Kingdom|date=September 13, 2007 |access-date=October 23, 2011}}</ref> He mostly declined to give interviews or make public appearances, explaining in 1969 that, "When I do a job, it's not my personality that I'm offering the readers but my artwork. It's not what I'm like that counts; it's what I did and how well it was done. I produce a product, a comic art story. Steve Ditko is the brand name."<ref>{{cite news| title= An Interview With The Man of Mystery...| work=Marvel Main| issue =4 | date=October 1968 | url =http://www.vicsage.com/wp/interviews/interview-with-ditko-from-marvel-main-4/ | publisher= Reprinted at Vicsage.com | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140602021349/http://www.vicsage.com/wp/interviews/interview-with-ditko-from-marvel-main-4/ | archive-date=June 2, 2014|url-status=live}} Also reprinted in {{cite book| title= Masters of Imagination: The Comic Book Artists Hall of Fame| first= Mike| last= Benton| publisher= [[L.G. Balfour Company|Taylor Publishing]]| year= 1994| location= Attleboro, Massachusetts| isbn= 978-0-87833-859-7| url-access= registration| url= https://archive.org/details/mastersofimagina00bent}}</ref> However, he did contribute numerous essays to Robin Snyder's fanzine ''The Comics''.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://comicsbulletin.com/return-steve-ditko-and-robin-snyder/|title= The Return of Steve Ditko and Robin Snyder|first= Robert|last= Sodaro|date= March 27, 2014|publisher= [[Comics Bulletin]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160125125533/http://comicsbulletin.com/return-steve-ditko-and-robin-snyder|archive-date= January 25, 2016|url-status= live|quote= We have been hard at work. Steve Ditko and I together have published more than 30 books, hundreds of articles and essays, the first-person history, ''The Comics!'' and our new publication, ''The Four-Page Series'' from 1988 to date.}}</ref>

He had a nephew who became an artist, also named Steve Ditko.<ref name=tomsinclair /> As far as it is known, he never married and had no surviving children at the time of his death.<ref name=newyorkpost2012 /><ref name=throbit>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/steve-ditko-dead-spider-man-creator-was-90-1125489|title = Steve Ditko, Spider-Man Co-Creator and Legendary Comics Artist, Dies at 90|last = Lewis|first = Andy|date = July 6, 2018|website = [[The Hollywood Reporter]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180817204220/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/steve-ditko-dead-spider-man-creator-was-90-1125489|archive-date= August 17, 2018|url-status= live|df= mdy-all|access-date = July 6, 2018 |quote= The New York Police Department confirmed his death to ''The Hollywood Reporter''. No cause of death was announced. Ditko was found dead in his apartment on June 29 and it is believed he died about two days earlier.}}</ref> [[Will Eisner]] stated that Ditko had a son out of wedlock;<ref>Eisner in {{cite book|last= Brownstein|first= Charles|title= Eisner/Miller|publisher= [[Dark Horse Comics|Dark Horse Books]]|date= 2005|location= Milwaukie, Oregon|page= 128|isbn= 978-1569717554}}</ref> this may have been a confused reference to the nephew.<ref name=newyorkpost2012 />

Politically, Ditko supported a "constitutional republic" and "inalienable individual and property rights". He supported neither [[George W. Bush]] nor [[John Kerry]] in the [[2004 United States presidential election|2004 presidential election]] due to believing neither would prioritize them.<ref name="Youtube.com">{{cite web|url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7rgYC0Ge6k|title= Celebrating Steve Ditko with Mark Ditko|date= June 13, 2021|publisher= [[Youtube.com]]|access-date= December 28, 2021|archive-date= May 26, 2024|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240526160535/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7rgYC0Ge6k|url-status= live}}</ref>

Ditko said in 2012 that he had made no income on the four ''Spider-Man'' films released to that time.<ref name=newyorkpost2012 /> However, a neighbor of Ditko stated that Ditko received royalty checks.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.vulture.com/2016/11/steve-ditko-doctor-strange-c-v-r.html|title= The Creator of Doctor Strange Will Not See You Now: Marvel Comics legend Steve Ditko wants his work to stand for itself. If only it were that easy.|first=Abraham |last=Reisman|date= November 16, 2016|publisher= [[Vulture.com]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161115221750/http://www.vulture.com/2016/11/steve-ditko-doctor-strange-c-v-r.html |archive-date=November 15, 2016 |url-status= live|quote='One time, about ten years ago, I accidentally got a piece of his mail,' she said, her eyebrows rising scandalously. 'I opened it and then realized it wasn't mine because that check had too many zeroes.' My body jerked up with shock — that contradicted Ditko's claim that he doesn't get a cut. I asked for more details. She said it was from a movie studio, and that when she gave it back to him, he just took it and said nothing. 'That's probably why he can work in that little office,' she said, and laughed. 'He's doing all right.'}}</ref> Those involved with creating the 2016 film ''[[Doctor Strange (2016 film)|Doctor Strange]]'' purposely declined to contact him during production, believing they would not be welcome.<ref name=throbit/>

Ditko described himself as an atheist.<ref>{{Cite web |last=C |first=Ryan |date=2018-07-07 |title=In Memoriam : Steve Ditko, 1927-2018 |url=https://fourcolorapocalypse.wordpress.com/2018/07/07/in-memoriam-steve-ditko-1927-2018/ |access-date=2025-02-27 |website=Ryan C.'s Four Color Apocalypse |language=en}}</ref>

===Objectivism===
Ditko was an ardent supporter of [[Objectivism]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Wolk |first=Douglas |url=http://dir.salon.com/story/books/review/2005/06/03/ditko/ |title=The Amazing Steve Ditko |work=[[Salon (website)|Salon.com]] |date=June 3, 2005 |page=2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101026044957/http://dir.salon.com/story/books/review/2005/06/03/ditko/ |archive-date=October 26, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Young |first=Thom |title=Ditko Shrugged: Part 1: Ayn Rand's Influence on Steve Ditko's Craft, Commerce, and Creeper |date=September 10, 2007 |publisher=Silver Soapbox (column), Comics Bulletin |url=http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/soapbox/118945139174676.htm |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5w0ljaGm3?url=http://www.comicsbulletin.com/soapbox/118945139174676.htm |archive-date=January 25, 2011 |url-status=dead}} (September 10, 2007). Archived from [http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/soapbox/118952109462730.htm the original] on April 5, 2010. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090531134129/http://www.comicsbulletin.com/soapbox/11897806446424.htm |date=May 31, 2009 |title="Part 3: Did Neal Adams Work on ''Beware the Creeper'' #5?"}} (September 14, 2007). Archived from [http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/soapbox/11897806446424.htm the original] on May 31, 2009; and {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090114221146/http://www.comicsbulletin.com/soapbox/119047224282703.htm |date=January 14, 2009 |title="Part 4: After Ditko, the Drought" }} (September 22, 2007). Archived from [http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/soapbox/119047224282703.htm the original] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012192239/http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/soapbox/119047224282703.htm |date=October 12, 2007 }} on January 14, 2009.</ref> The philosophy of [[Ayn Rand]] had "forever changed [Ditko's] outlook on morality, finances and his mission as a comic-book creator".{{sfn|Bell|2008|p=83}} After Ditko had received greater control of the plotting, he began revering the role of policemen in his Spider-Man work. Ditko had once told his Charlton co-worker [[Pete Morisi]], a policeman who moonlighted as a comic book artist, that he envied Morisi for being able to arrest criminals.{{sfn|Bell|2008|p=84}} Randian philosophy had influenced Ditko to demand being credited and compensated as both the plotter and artist for Spider-Man beginning in issue #25, which Stan Lee (now credited as "scripter") allowed, though their working relationship would begin deteriorating.{{sfn|Bell|2008|p=89}} Other ways Ditko incorporated Randian views into Spider-Man were by having Peter Parker become more aggressive, demand better pay for his Spider-Man photos, and show contempt for student protestors.{{sfn|Bell|2008|p=93}} Marvel publisher Martin Goodman had been worried that Parker's hard right-wing politics would distance the character from most left-leaning, countercultural university students,{{sfn|Bell|2008|pp=93–94}} and disputes with Goodman over royalties had led to Ditko leaving Marvel.{{sfn|Bell|2008|p=95}} Ditko later expressed his Objectivist views even further with the Question, who criticized the apathy of the public toward right and wrong, and Mr.&nbsp;A, who refused to save villains from death.{{sfn|Bell|2008|pp=110–111}}

He also described himself as an [[Aristotelianism|Aristotelian]] which his Objectivist views would align with.<ref name="Youtube.com"/>