Mort Todd has had a long relationship with Steve Ditko and his comics. He became a fan of the creative genius when he was 13 years old and now he is the Creative Director for the Ditkoverse.

Todd started working with Ditko in his early 20s while he was Editor-in-Chief of Cracked magazine. Ditko was the first artist he recruited for the publication, and he regularly contributed to Cracked, as well as every issue of Todd’s horror title, Monsters Attack.

When Todd launched his own publishing imprint, AAA, he commissioned Ditko to create a miniseries starring Mr. A. The book featuring the controversial hero was ultimately shelved – until now. Steve Ditko’s Mr. A: The Lost Adventures is being published by Ditkoverse in full color as a three-issue miniseries.

In 2014, Todd introduced Charlton Neo as a tribute to classic Charlton Comics, and got Ditko’s permission to reprint some of his vintage stories. Now, Todd and the family-operated Ditkoverse are developing a line of Steve Ditko projects leading to Ditko100 in 2027, the celebration of what would have been the creator’s 100th birthday.

“Throughout the years, Mort and Steve developed a close creative and personal relationship. Steve often visited Mort’s offices, where the two would spend hours in deep conversation, ranging far beyond comics. Mort is uniquely positioned in Ditko’s legacy – the only person to have worked with him as writer, inker, letterer, colorist, editor, publisher, and friend,” per the press release about Todd’s appointment as Creative Director.