"Strange and Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko" debuted on Monday at Jim Hanley's Universe in NYC where, provided it hasn't sold out, you can purchase it in the store or by mail order. Call them for details. The book is 220 pages with $39.95 cover price (hardcover, color), and pictures were taken of the Monday it debuted.

It debuted Monday because the printer messed up the order. They were supposed to ship it to the MoCCA (Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art in New York City) office on the Friday, so that we'd have it for the MoCCA Art Festival that weekend and the Jim Hanley's Universe event on the Saturday night. Instead, they shipped it on the Monday, missing the festival completely. Luckily, everyone was quite supportive, and we opened the Festival's programming on Saturday at 11am to a packed house that included comic luminaries such as Carl Potts, Danny Fingeroth, Jim Salicrup, Dean Mullaney and many more!

And even without a book to sign, the event at Jim Hanley's Universe Saturday night at 8pm went extremely well with everyone enjoying the "In Search of Steve Ditko" documentary by Jonathan Ross that made its North American debut! Legendary cartoonists Kim Deitch and Jay Lynch also dropped by to say hello.

Still, the anticipation ran high for Monday, with fears that the printer would mess up again and not get the books to the MoCCA office or Hanley's on the Monday. Given that I was leaving NYC on Tuesday morning. it would have been a double-whammy to have not left town with the book. Alas, at 4:37pm, Monday June 9th, 2008, the long journey came to a close (and opened a new beginning)...

(Below: three boxes of Ditko books arrive at the MoCCA office)

(Below: Blake tries not to look at the cover until he's pulled it out of the box)

(Below: A proud papa: Blake holds his book for the first time in almost 6 years of anticipation)

(Below: Father and son posing for their first picture together)

(Below: Matthew C. Murray - President and Executive Director of MoCCA - is there to share the moment)

(Below: Writer Nick Caputo - seen on your left - is the first to have his copy signed. Nick's latest essay appears in Marvel's Iron Man Omnibus)

(Below: We shake hands on the deal, whilst a light-bulb goes off in my head for another book!)

(Below: Blake digs down for more copies, whilst Nick poses with his new possession)

(Below: Blake and Nick look through it for the first time)

(Below: Nick was a big help, fact-checking the book back in 2005)

(Below: Dining out with comics alumni Carl Potts)

(Below: Carl's name-dropped in the book, and Ditko was his biggest inspiration growing up)

(Below: Writer Dr. Michael J. Vassallo - of many essays and introductions on the Timely-Atlas 1940/50s era in the Marvel Masterworks line - is presented with his copy)

Thanks to writer Barry Pearl for the pictures!