Rick Bierman:
I met Steve Ditko twice in my life. The first time was on July 27, 1964 at the first NY Comicon . He was one of the only two professionals who thought enough of fandom then to actually come down to Union Square and attend our convention that had less than fifty fans in one room at the Workmen’s Circle Hall on Fourth Avenue. Reclusive he was not but generous with his time and curious to see what fandom was all about. The second time I met him was at his studio that I visited with Len Wein. Once again I found him outgoing, friendly and enthusiastic about talking to his fans. He seemed genuinely happy to know that his artwork was admired and so appreciated. This is the Steve Ditko I knew from those encounters and this is how I will always remember this artistic genius.