Jaison Chahwala

Jaison Chahwala’s Regards, Ditko traces his involvement in comic book fandom from a young boy in the 1990s to being a pen-pal with Spider-Man and Doctor Strange co-creator Steve Ditko. Chahwala’s book is less a biography of Ditko than it is a chronology of Ditko’s impact on his life, first through Spider-Man comics and later Chahwala and Ditko’s correspondence. While Chahwala covers the basic details of Ditko’s work in comics and his objectivist philosophy, those looking for a more in-depth analysis may be disappointed. With that caveat in place, however, Chahwala does perfectly capture the mood of comic book fandom for a specific generation. Those who grew up watching X-Men: The Animated Series and Batman: The Animated Series on Fox Kids, reading the latest event comics of the 1990s while tracking down old back-issues, and currently find themselves adults amid the greatest pop culture explosion since the 1990s comic book bubble will recognize much of Chahwala’s story. He offers a unique perspective on Ditko, but he also represents the voice of the fan at a specific moment of American pop culture and many comic book fans will find themselves in his narrative.… (más)