The origin of the icon Spider-Man
Thomas Sr. (Captain Collector)Last updated: 23 September 2019 approx. 2 min read
What could I possibly write here that hasn't already been written elsewhere about one of the most popular superheroes? Every child knows Spider-Man today. His red and blue costume has cult status and is as famous as Batman's stylised bat emblem or Mickey Mouse's round ears.
The source
But where does Spider-Man come from? He first stepped onto the comic stage in issue 15 of the comic series Amazing Fantasy in August 1962. And ever since, he has left his mark on popular culture all over the world. The official doctrine says he was the brainchild of two men, namely Stan Lee (1922-2018) and Steve Ditko (1927-2018). While Lee was responsible for the stories and dialogue, Ditko took care of the visuals, in other words the artwork.
But was it really like that? In the end we can only speculate, because there is no conclusive documentation of the matter. Stan Lee, for example, always insisted that Spider-Man alias Peter Parker was entirely his own creation. Whenever interviewers pointed out that Steve Ditko deserved a substantial share of the credit for creating the character, he would always say patronisingly that he had no problem with that. Ditko was welcome to consider himself co-creator of Spider-Man, if he really insisted. But he never left any doubt that he saw himself as the sole creator of the character.
Was Kirby involved too?
Jack Kirby, who must also have been involved in the early days, always insisted that he had the basic idea for the character, including the costume design. That needs to be put into perspective. Kirby certainly had a hand in it, but the costume with the delicate web pattern on the red parts points more to Ditko's meticulous style of fine linework.
Steve Ditko largely kept quiet on the matter, but there is no doubt that he played an essential part in creating the character. He distanced himself from Marvel very early on, because he was disappointed and outraged by the publisher's policy towards its artists. In the 1960s, the artists were financially exploited through the so-called Marvel Method, because they created the comics practically single-handedly but received no author's royalties.
In my opinion, Spider-Man owes his existence to the creative minds of three men: Steve Ditko, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. All three have since died, but even in their lifetimes they added more confusion than clarity to the matter.
Did you know that Spider-Man's popularity can be credited to yet another artist? It's John Romita Sr., who drew Spidey's adventures straight after Steve Ditko.
Thomas Sr. (Captain Collector)Captain Collector's Subtle Superhero TriviaSpider-Man in the shop
You'll find Spider-Man comics from various decades at AMAZINGTOYS® under Spider-Man.
Avengers #178 Comic: Avengers #178 Language: English Publisher: Marvel Comics Year: December 1978 Condition: Fine Plus, FN+, 6.5 Avengers #178 brings an exciting story from the 1970s, the Bronze Age of comics. The comic is in very good condition. The Avengers have been fighting the villains of Earth, and also those from other worlds, every month without interruption since 1963. Marvel's flagship superhero team was assembled by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby from already existing superheroes of the then-young Marvel Universe. In the beginning it was Thor, Hulk, Iron Man, Ant-Man and Wasp. Over time, others joined, some left the team, later returned, or stayed away for good. Today, the Avengers are probably the most popular and best-known superhero team in the world, of course also thanks to the Marvel films, which have brought them close to non-comic-readers as well. Tags: avengers, jack kirby, thor, john buscema, squadron sinister, scarlet witch, captain america, quicksilver, iron man, red guardian
Challengers of the Unknown #77 Comic: Challengers of the Unknown #77 Language: English Publisher: DC Comics Year: January 1970 Condition: Very Fine, VF, 8.0 Challengers of the Unknown #77 by the legendary Jack Kirby. Here, a classic story from the 1960s is brought back to life. The issue is in good condition. Tags: challengers of the unknown, jack kirby, jack the king kirby, dc comics
Astonishing Tales #34 Comic: Astonishing Tales #34 Language: English Publisher: Marvel Comics Year: March 1976 Condition: Fine/Very Fine, FN/VF, 7.0 Astonishing Tales #34 was one of the Marvel series of the 1970s that gave a home to all kinds of heroes who didn't yet have their own title. Here Marvel presents the first cyborg in comic history: Deathlok, created by Rich Buckler. The comic book is in good used condition. Tags: astonishing tales, marvel tryout, marvel comics, bronze age of comics deathlok
Die Rächer #74 Comic: Die Rächer #74 Language: German Publisher: Williams Year: 1977 Condition: 1-2 (One to two) Fine Die Rächer #74 from the legendary Williams publishing house. The comic book is in very good condition. Tags: die rächer, avengers, marvels avengers, williams verlag
Avengers #158 Comic: Avengers #158 Language: English Publisher: Marvel Comics Year: April 1977 Condition: Fine/Very Fine, FN/VF, 7.0 Avengers #158 brings an exciting story from the 1970s, the Bronze Age of comics. The cover was drawn by Jack Kirby, and the comic book is in good condition. The Avengers have been fighting Earth's villains every month without interruption since 1963, as well as villains from other worlds. Marvel's flagship superhero team was put together by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby from already existing superheroes of the then-young Marvel Universe. At the start, it was Thor, Hulk, Iron Man, Ant-Man and Wasp. Over time, others joined, some left the team, some returned later, and some stayed away for good. The Avengers are today probably the most popular and best-known superhero team worldwide, of course also thanks to the Marvel films, which have brought them close to non-comic fans as well. Tags: avengers, jack kirby, thor, john buscema, squadron sinister, scarlet witch, captain america, quicksilver, iron man, red guardian
Incredible Hulk #123 Comic: Incredible Hulk #123 Language: English Publisher: Marvel Comics Year: January 1970 Condition: Fine Plus, FN+, 6.5 Incredible Hulk #123 with the Fantastic Four and the Leader as guest stars. The story is by Roy Thomas and Herb Trimpe. The issue is in good used condition. The Hulk is one of the oldest superhero characters in the Marvel Universe. Jack Kirby and Stan Lee created him in 1962 as a kind of tragic Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde character. Due to an accident involving radioactive exposure, physicist Dr. Bruce Banner transforms (mostly involuntarily) into a large green monster known to everyone since the Marvel films at the latest: the Hulk. The series initially ran for 6 issues before being cancelled. A few years later he was revived in the Tales to Astonish series, where he wreaked havoc from issue #60 onwards. This comic series was renamed after #101 and became Incredible Hulk with #102. Incidentally, one of Marvel's most famous superheroes made his first appearance in this series: Wolverine first appeared in October 1974 in Incredible Hulk #181. Tags: incredible hulk, hulk, marvel comics
Savage Sword of Conan the Barbarian #36 Comic: Savage Sword of Conan the Barbarian #36 Language: English Publisher: Marvel Comics Year: December 1978 Condition: Very Fine Minus, VF-, 7.5 Savage Sword of Conan the Barbarian #36 from Marvel's black-and-white magazine series. This issue features the comic adaptation of an adventure story by Robert E. Howard, adapted for Conan by Roy Thomas and skilfully brought to life by John Buscema and Alfredo Alcala. The magazine has a fantastic cover painting by Earl Norem and is in good condition. Tags: conan the barbarian, savage sword, marvel, robert e. howard, barry smith
