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#1226227 2018-07-07 12:13 PM
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Man, that's a surprise. Although it really shouldn't be, I think we all knew he was old and had lived a very long life. I was surprised to read he was only 90!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Ditko

For me I'll always remember Ditko for his work on AMAZING SPIDERMAN and Doctor Strange in STRANGE TALES 110-146 (duh!), but also for his pre-Marvel monster stories in JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY, STRANGE TALES, TALES OF SUSPENSE, TALES TO ASTONISH, and shorter series such as AMAZING ADVENTURES/AMAZING FANTASY, WORLD OF FANTASY, STRANGE WORLDS, and the like.
I first discovered Ditko with The Creeper, his first appearance in SHOWCASE 73 was reprinted in 1974 in DETECTIVE 443, and I instantly fell in love with the character. The 6-issue BEWARE THE CREEPER series was among the hardest to find for me. I lucked on a copy of issue 6, and over several years tracked down the remaining 5 issues in reverse order back to 1.

A lesser known series Ditko did was THE DESTRUCTOR for Seaboard Atlas in 1975, 4 issues that could be seen as a recreation of Spiderman.

Also in 1975, STALKER for DC, that also ran 4 issues, one of the first series scripted by Paul Levitz.

Aside from that, Ditko did a few series for DC that have a fan following but never really did much for me, such as SHADE THE CHANGING MAN, and a new version of Starman in ADVENTURE COMICS. And a lackluster The Creeper revival backup series in WORLD'S FINEST.

In the 1980's Ditko did a nice run on the concluding 15 issues of ROM for Marvel. With a very respectable 75-issue run, I loved the series from the first issue as less of a superhero book, and more of a pre-Marvel-style alien silent invasion story, only done as a series instead of as a lone anthology story as all the others were. I love the Dire Wraiths as used in X-MEN and other titles. Sal Buscema did full art on the first 30 or so issues of ROM, and when inked for 2 years or so by Aiken and Garvey (around issues 30-50), the series developed beautifully. After those artists left after issue 55, Ditko was a very natural choice. As with Mantlo's MICRONAUTS, JACK OF HEARTS, and HULK runs, ROM was very consistent throughout its run, and that ended well with Ditko's run on the series.

The last series I remember Ditko being slated to do was around 1993-1994 called DARK DOMINION, from Jim Shooter's Defiant comics line, that similarly had a secret spiritual war between the forces of good and evil theme, that I thought would have been perfect for Ditko. But despite being promoted in ads, Ditko for some reason walked away in the months before the series began. Which added to the career-long perception that Ditko was very temperamental, and difficult to work with. I don't know if that was the case, but that is certainly the perception, when he left Marvel in 1966, when he walked away from DC in 1969, and again in this case in 1994. Ditko was reclusive, and at least for many years, he didn't meet fans or go to conventions.



For those who find Ditko's work simplistic and bland, I'd point out that Frank Miller, Jim Starlin, and John Byrne, among others, manifest a profound Ditko influence in their work. And that his contribution to Marvel is second only to that of Jack Kirby. All the more remarkable because Ditko walked away from Marvel in 1966, back when Marvel was just getting started. For his continuity and visual style to resonate so long after such a brief tenure is testament to the impact of his work.

I've also gained a further appreciation for Ditko because he originally came from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where both my parents and the majority of my family is from, going back over 100 years. As I mentioned in another topic, it's an interesting coincidence that I was introduced to Ditko's version of Spiderman in 1975 when I got a pack of coverless comics in a 3-pack, and one of them was AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL 6 (reprinting AMAZING SPIDERMAN ANNUAL 1 from 1964) that is the best annual I've ever read, and the best piece of Marvel self-promotion and crossover I've read, with cameos and promotion within this one annual for every series in the Marvel line at that time it was first published in 1964. What a wild coincidence to be introduced to Ditko's Spiderman in Ditko's (and my!) hometown! And to have only found out about that coincidence years later thanks to Wikipedia.

As with so many great writers and artists, Ditko may be gone, but his work will live on and be loved by generations to come.


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A great sample page of Ditko's pre-Marvel (1958-1963) art:



This page from STRANGE TALES 82, March 1961.

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From JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY 66, March 1961.

I have it reprinted in FEAR 7, May 1972.

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A little Ditko Spider-Man magic.
Ditko's last issue was AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 38. But some of his coolest art is in ANNUALs 1 (1964) and 2 (1965).




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And who doesn't love the reality-warping surrealism of Ditko's DOCTOR STRANGE?

Artists such as Jim Starlin, Frank Brunner, Craig Russell, Marshall Rogers and Paul Smith, among others, have carried on well in that tradition. On DOCTOR STRANGE, and in other series that likely would never have been created without Ditko's work that preceded it.

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Someone who agrees with me, that the Lee/Ditko story in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL 1 (1964) is arguably
the best annual ever published.

In a story that combines 6 of Spider-man's villains as "The Sinister Six", and in the span of a 41-page story fits in cameos and solicitation for every series in the Marvel line at that time. And also manages to fit in 6 full-page pin-ups within the story, of Spider-man fighting one-on-one with each of the 6 villains.

The above link gives a sampling of 20 of the 41 pages.






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I never would have imagined an obituary for Ditko in Reason.com, but thinking twice about Ditko's objectivist obsession, it makes perfect sense!

Also interesting that at least two of Reason.com's contributors other than Ditko come from the comics world.

I have a few of Ditko's more avant-garde objectivist comics. In his creation of THE QUESTION, Ditko's objectivism came across a bit more calmly and rationally (I have the origin story in one of DC's MILLENNIUM EDITION reprints.) Ditko's later objectivist writings in comics are much further off the deep end, and rather than convert people to objectivism, I felt his comics just made it seem like an obsessively crazy notion.

I (and probably many) tend to forget what a huge contribution Ditko made to the various Charleton heroes, that were later refined into Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' WATCHMEN series. But without Ditko preceding them, there never would have been a WATCHMEN. I wonder what Ditko thought of Alan Moore's Rorschach.

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Say hi to Ayn Rand for me, Steve.

Pariah #1226255 2018-07-09 11:11 PM
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I wonder if Ditko ever met or had a personal relationship with Ayn Rand.


I know Ditko left DC abruptly because he was really ticked off about the way Dennis O'Neil, Steve Skeates and editor Dick Giordano on both books re-interpreted his intended vision for HAWK AND THE DOVE and THE CREEPER, to the point he left both series very suddenly, and Jack Sparling was brought in (uncredited) to finish pencils on the last half of CREEPER issue 6, the last issue of the series. And Gil Kane finished issues 3-6 of HAWK AND THE DOVE.


I can't imagine Ditko was overly pleased with Dennis O'Neil being selected in 1987 to revive THE QUESTION, another Ditko character. A run I actually enjoyed quite a bit. But definitely more "Zen" than Ayn Rand.

Ditko wasn't the most visible creator, but he quietly created a lot of characters over the last 50-plus years, that have continued or been revived by other hands after he moved on.



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(click to enlarge)

What a cool Ditko tribute!
A cover that's an amalgam of most of his characters, using a modified version of the DETECTIVE COMICS logo.












And the first page of SHOWCASE 73, presenting the Creeper's origin in 1968. That I first saw reprinted in DETECTIVE COMICS 443 in 1974. Making BEWARE THE CREEPER 1-6 (1968-1969) among the most sought after back issues for me for the roughly 10 years it took me to complete my run.





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Good
Glad he's dead.
Always hated that guy.


"My friends have always been the best of me." -Doctor Who

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I can tell by the position of the sun in the sky, that is time for us to go. Until next time, I am Lothar of the Hill People!
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 Originally Posted By: Lothar of The Hill People
Good
Glad he's dead.
Always hated that guy.


Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Stan Lee.

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\:lol\:

In the cases of both Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby, Stan Lee took credit for writing, ideas, characters and storytelling that was actually done by the artists. Reading ORIGINS OF MARVEL COMICS or SON OF ORIGINS or BRING ON THE BAD GUYS, Lee was the brilliant fountain of ideas who conceptualized everything, and handed down like manna from Heaven stories fully formed for Kirby and Ditko to draw.

I don't think it's so much hatred, as that Stan Lee didn't want Ditko vocally exposing the truth. And I think Lee was pretty safe on that ground, as Ditko was uniquely reclusive and unlikely to do interviews. I think it was only through friends in the comics field that Ditko talked to about it that we, the fans and the fan press, even know what happened that Ditko left Marvel in 1966. I get the impression it was much easier for Lee to make peace with Ditko, and that he never was able to make peace with Jack Kirby.

And I wonder how many other artists Lee stole the credit from.
Don Heck on Iron Man?
Gene Colan on DAREDEVIL?
Bill Everett?
John Buscema on SILVER SURFER or THOR?

Lee pretty much stopped writing in 1972, and became more of a figurehead at Marvel, before finally becoming Marvel's Hollywood/licensing guy. But I've only ever heard of him screwing over Kirby and Ditko.


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It occurs to me that Ditko, like Kirby, created an enormous amount of new series and characters.

As compared to, say, Neal Adams, another giant in the field. Adams worked almost exclusively on established characters like the Spectre, Deadman, Batman, X-Men, Avengers, Green Lantern/Green Arrow, Inhumans.
The one exception being Adams' Continuity characters in the 1980's that weren't particularly memorable, and echo the characters Adams worked on for DC in the late 1960's/early 1970's. Rather than creating new characters, Adams' innovation was more a refining of existing characters, and portraying them in a more "realistic" way. Or artwork more ornately detailed, if not more realistic. Adams' innovation was to create more of a visual style, that obviously many have imitated since.

Ditko also has a very distinct visual style. The splash pages on his pre-Marvel monster stories are very striking and atmospheric. Some of which I've thought of making enlarged copies of and framing. Along with Kirby he was an innovator with a lot of new ideas, characters, and series, but I think I love most his anthology stories.

And have a complete run of his stories in TALES OF SUSPENSE and TALES TO ASTONISH in Marvel Masterworks hardcovers. As well as tons more in 1970's reprints like WHERE CREATURES ROAM, WHERE MONSTERS DWELL, CREATURES ON THE LOOSE, MONSTERS ON THE PROWL, FEAR, and so forth.










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A personal recollection of Steve Ditko by Chuck Dixon:

http://www.chuckdixon.net/2018/07/steve-ditko.html



While Dixon probably speaks for the majority, I much preferred Ditko's pre-Marvel work, and Doctor Strange. And my favorite series work by Ditko was on THE CREEPER.

While pretty much everyone cites Spider-man as their favorite, I felt Ditko's greatest gift was the surrealism he brought to comics. What I liked best in Spider-man was his introvertedness, and sense of being shunned and rejected, even when he wasn't. That lack of confidence and angst I think every reader could relate to, particularly every adolescent and teenage reader. And it's quite a display of Ditko's range of artistic ability that he was simultaneously doing a very real-world introspective SPIDER-MAN at the same time he was doing a very other-worldly surrealistic DOCTOR STRANGE. Both those series are at their absolute best when their creators look back to the original Ditko model (I think on DOCTOR STRANGE 46 and 48-73, the issues scripted by Roger Stern. And likewise the Stern issues of AMAZING SPIDERMAN 224-251, and by Mantlo/Hannigan in SPECTACULAR SPIDERMAN 60-72. Although there are a number of other great runs on Spider-man titles.)

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And here's another blog with two complete pre-Marvel Ditko stories for your reading pleasure.

http://belatednerd.com/tag/steve-ditko/

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 Originally Posted By: the G-man
 Originally Posted By: Lothar of The Hill People
Good
Glad he's dead.
Always hated that guy.


Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Stan Lee.


\:lol\:


"My friends have always been the best of me." -Doctor Who

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"Why Steve Ditko Quit"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe21fi7wAxw


A really exceptionally well-produced and informative 22-minute video of Ditko's life, artistic career and Ayn Rand-based objectivist beliefs, as manifested in the stories, characters and career decisions he made.

I learned a heck of a lot I didn't know about Ditko from this video.

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https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/authors/steve-ditko-net-worth/


 Quote:
Steve Ditko Net Worth:

Steve Ditko was an American comic book artist and writer who had a net worth of $1 million dollars at the time of his death in 2018. Born November 2, 1927 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania he was best known as the artist and co-creator, with Stan Lee, of Marvel Comics heroes Spider-Man and Doctor Strange.

Ditko studied under Batman artist Jerry Robinson at the Cartoonist and Illustrators School in New York City, New York and began his professional career in 1953 as an inker in the studio of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.

During the '60s he also drew for Atlas Comics (a forerunner of Marvel Comics). In addition to being involved in the creation of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, he was also instrumental in the creation of The Hulk and Iron Man.

Ditko was inspired to be a cartoonist by his father's love of the newspaper comic strips and his interest escalated with the introduction of the superhero Batman in 1940. Following his discharge from the U.S. Army, Ditko learned that his idol, Batman artist Jerry Robinson, was teaching at the Cartoonists and Illustrators School in New York City and he made the decision to move there in 1950, where he enrolled in art school under the G.I. Bill.

Steve Ditko was inducted into the comic industry's Jack Kirby Hall of Fame (1990) and the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame (1994).

Steve Ditko died in June 2018 at the age of 90.

Movies based on his creations have earned billions of dollars at the global box office.


Well, he wasn't penniless, but he was less than fully compensated for being what I think most would agree with me were one of the 3 most prolific and influential comics creators of the last 60 years (the other 2 being Jack Kirby and Neal Adams).



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 Originally Posted By: Wonder Boy



https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/authors/steve-ditko-net-worth/


 Quote:
Steve Ditko Net Worth:

Steve Ditko was an American comic book artist and writer who had a net worth of $1 million dollars at the time of his death in 2018. Born November 2, 1927 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania he was best known as the artist and co-creator, with Stan Lee, of Marvel Comics heroes Spider-Man and Doctor Strange.

Ditko studied under Batman artist Jerry Robinson at the Cartoonist and Illustrators School in New York City, New York and began his professional career in 1953 as an inker in the studio of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby.

During the '60s he also drew for Atlas Comics (a forerunner of Marvel Comics). In addition to being involved in the creation of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, he was also instrumental in the creation of The Hulk and Iron Man.

Ditko was inspired to be a cartoonist by his father's love of the newspaper comic strips and his interest escalated with the introduction of the superhero Batman in 1940. Following his discharge from the U.S. Army, Ditko learned that his idol, Batman artist Jerry Robinson, was teaching at the Cartoonists and Illustrators School in New York City and he made the decision to move there in 1950, where he enrolled in art school under the G.I. Bill.

Steve Ditko was inducted into the comic industry's Jack Kirby Hall of Fame (1990) and the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame (1994).

Steve Ditko died in June 2018 at the age of 90.

Movies based on his creations have earned billions of dollars at the global box office.


Well, he wasn't penniless, but he was less than fully compensated for being what I think most would agree with me were one of the 3 most prolific and influential comics creators of the last 60 years (the other 2 being Jack Kirby and Neal Adams).




Wouldn’t Stan Lee be one of the three most prolific comic book creators?

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I was referring to comics artists.

While I like Stan Lee, it has certainly been argued that much of what Lee has been credited for was actually stolen glory from Kirby and Ditko.
But even if Kirby and Ditko actually got total credit for everything Lee's critics allege, I still say Lee did a hell of a lot to create the Marvel universe, and to make Marvel the giant that it is in the industry. Even subtracting the characters Kirby and Ditko created, Lee created tons of characters. For example, the origin of Doctor Doom from FF ANNUAL 2 (1964), I've never heard of Kirby alleging he created Doom or wrote the origin story. Or many other characters that are clearly Lee's.

So yeah, Lee was an enormous contributer by anyone's standards. But he isn't one of the top artists. If I were to add a 4th and 5th and 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th artist of the last 60 years, they would include Infantino, Steranko, Sekowsky (if for JLA alone, and Adam Strange), Swan, Anderson, Wrightson, and Kubert.


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Fair enough. When you said creators I thought you meant writers and/ or artists

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That gets even more confusing, because Kirby and Ditko are both writer/artists who arguably compete with Lee as prolific writers.

All three (Lee, Kirby and Ditko) have created tons of characters. I recall Doug Moench in AMAZING HEROES 100 said that 75% of writers and artists in the industry at that time were employed working on characters and series created by Kirby. Much of it co-created with Stan Lee.

It occurred to me a few years ago that Stan Lee might be the most prolific and published writer on the planet. He produced an incredible volume of stories and series, constantly in print collected in book form, and a legacy continued by countless others. And now continued in films, TV series and animation as well.


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If I recall, this is from SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL 2 (1965), that teamed Spider-Man with Doctor Strange.

Even over Spider-Man, I think Doctor Strange remains my favorite of Ditko's Marvel work. The surrealist panoramas are just amazing. All this from a guy who never did hallucinatory drugs!











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The artist himself. Only with the rise of the internet did it become possible to see a photo of the reclusive Steve Ditko.

I was surprised to see that he never married or had children. I saw he is rumored to have had a son out of wedlock, but that appears to in truth be his nephew, also Steve Ditko, who followed his artist career choice, and dabbled in comics illustation.




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 Originally Posted By: Wonder Boy




He based Peter Parker's original design on himself, didn't he?

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A young Steve Ditko from his high school yearbook, for you to compare with his version of Peter Parker.

It always made me laugh that throughout 38 issues of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN that Ditko's rendition of Peter Parker and his high school classmates all spoke and dressed more like kids of the early 1940's than those of the 1960's.

Parker, like Ditko, was reclusive and felt bitterly alienated from and disliked by his peers, whether or not he truly was. It was only after Ditko left the series in 1966 that Peter Parker became more hip and with it, socializing with his peers and dating girls. No doubt due to Stan Lee's influence, who was at that point lecturing on college campuses. I don't know if Romita Sr brought any hipness to Peter Parker, or if that was strictly Stan Lee's development. Ditko's resistance to the changes is what made him leave the series. That and Stan Lee hogging the credit.

Kirby (in MISTER MIRACLE 6) created the characters "Funky Flashman" and "HouseRoy" to express his contempt for Stan Lee and his fawning subordinate Roy Thomas. I wonder if Ditko ever similarly did any story characters to vent his opinion of Stan Lee.


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 Originally Posted By: Wonder Boy



A young Steve Ditko from his high school yearbook, for you to compare with his version of Peter Parker.

It always made me laugh that throughout 38 issues of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN that Ditko's rendition of Peter Parker and his high school classmates all spoke and dressed more like kids of the early 1940's than those of the 1960's.

Parker, like Ditko, was reclusive and felt bitterly alienated from and disliked by his peers, whether or not he truly was. It was only after Ditko left the series in 1966 that Peter Parker became more hip and with it, socializing with his peers and dating girls. No doubt due to Stan Lee's influence, who was at that point lecturing on college campuses. I don't know if Romita Sr brought any hipness to Peter Parker, or if that was strictly Stan Lee's development. Ditko's resistance to the changes is what made him leave the series. That and Stan Lee hogging the credit.

Kirby (in MISTER MIRACLE 6) created the characters "Funky Flashman" and "HouseRoy" to express his contempt for Stan Lee and his fawning subordinate Roy Thomas. I wonder if Ditko ever similarly did any story characters to vent his opinion of Stan Lee.



I recall an interview with Stan about the transition from Ditko to Romita where Stan recalled telling Romita he was drawing Peter as looking too much like a movie star. Assuming that to be true I think you can attribute some of the increasing hipness to Romita.

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I just ran across this Ditko story in STRANGE TALES 76, August 1960.

"I Found The Mad Universe", 5 pages.
https://comiconlinefree.com/strange-tales-1951/issue-76/28


I love the bits of irony and twist endings in these pre-Marvel (1958-1963) stories by Lee with Ditko, Heck, Kirby/Ayers and others, how they evolved into the Marvel style of storytelling. In many ways I prefer these shorter works. With clear similarities to the TWILIGHT ZONE and OUTER LIMITS series.
A few artists like Williamson, Wildey, Colan, Reinman, Sinnott and others were only brief collaborations in this period, but an interesting contrast to the Lee/Kirby/Ayers or Lee/Ditko or Lee/Heck work.

Although in this case and in many stories, it appears to be Ditko story and art, without Lee.


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brutally Kamphausened
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All the issues of STRANGE TALES online:
https://comiconlinefree.com/comic/strange-tales-1951/2


Ditko did art in issues 67-146, from Feb 1959-July 1966 when Ditko left Marvel.
Doctor Strange stories in 110-146.



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brutally Kamphausened
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brutally Kamphausened
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Another Ditko favorite of mine, from STRANGE TALES 72, DEC 1959

"I entered the Doorway to Doom", 5 pages
https://comiconlinefree.com/strange-tales-1951/issue-72/28

Nice art, with some fun Cold War elements, that firmly place it in that era.





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