Comic books are such an important part of pop culture now. In the 90's, I recall kids getting bullied for liking Iron Man or Luke Cage. Now, there's nothing more in style than superheroes. The most popular and lucrative comic book franchise currently is Marvel, which is owned by Disney. Back before Marvel was the powerhouse that cranked out blockbusters like Black Panther, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Avengers: Infinity War, Stan Lee and Steve Ditko were busy creating new heroes. Ditko co-created Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, two very important characters in the Avengers roster. He also helped create a number of famous Spider-Man foes, including Doctor Octopus, Green Goblin, Electro, Sandman, and Lizard. Unfortunately, the legendary comic book creator has passed away at the age of 90.
The New York Police Department confirmed Ditko's death to The Hollywood Reporter. He was found dead in his apartment on June 29, and it is believed that he had been deceased for two days before he was found. Ditko was never a fan of publicity, and he spent years avoiding the press. He was never involved with big Spider-Man movie rollouts, and did not attend the Doctor Strange premiere either. Ditko left Marvel comics in the late 60's after a feud with Stan Lee, but returned years later to work for the company.
