Sunday, August 28, 2016

SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MEN

Last week at Terrificon, I did a Spider-Man panel with Dan Slott, Roger Stern and Peter David where we discussed what it was like for us writing the life and times of Peter Parker.  You can view it below.  Enjoy!  (And, no, that's not how you pronounce my last name, but it always seems to trip people up.)

15 comments:

  1. So... does this mean those at creation point get to mention our history with Peter Parker? Or was that just a so-cool-I-was-at-a-con-in-Connecticut thing?

    Speaking of which, did you become a Stepford comic creator there?


    Jack

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. To be honest, Jack: I don't know what you're talking about here!

      Delete
    2. You've never heard of the Stepford Wives? the movie and remake... well, technically it ws a book first (by the same author of the Boys from Brazil and Rosemary's baby, I believe)

      It was a tale, somewhat dolly written by a man, that manifested the fears of women at the time, as the feminist movement clashed with more traditional post-war views.

      Its okay.

      Or is it about the Peter Parker thing? I just wanted to know if we wee encouraged to talk about our beginning interest in Spidey, or if it was a con only thing.


      Jack

      Delete
    3. Yes, I know all about STEPFORD WIVES; I just didn't understand what it had to do with the panel. (Beyond a Connecticut connection.)

      And, yes, anyone who wants to pipe up about their earliest Spider-Man memories is more than welcome!

      Delete
    4. No it was just the Connecticut thing.

      Ass for Pete and I, it all began...

      Delete
    5. whoops. That should have been "as for Pete." Sincere apologies.

      Jack

      Delete
    6. Ah yes, The Spectacular Spider-man and I, it all started in the First grade, then again, it was a bit before that. It started with Spider-man as a super powered thief and a complete lack of interest and even dislike for that as the protagonist on my part.

      Yes, Who knew. Now on to the origin...


      Jack

      Delete
    7. A flash of red and blue soaring in the air on a web high above the common mortals. A burglar, that was what I thought Spider-Man was. A burglar. No idea why, but that is what I thought.

      Flash forward a year a two. I don't know if any one on this site has an older brother, but it's... awful. It is completely and utterly awful.

      However, it is a kind of awful that takes time to set in. Before that, they are your outlet to the world. Your a kid, they have been out there (at least further than you) and they are at least closer to your age then everyone else you see daily. There interests become yours.

      It was the first grade that brings these thoughts together. My brother was now interested in something Spider-Man, I won't say what since it will date me, but it wasn't a comic book.

      He would babble on to me as he enjoyed it, mostly because there was no one else to talk to in our home that wouldn't tell him to shut up.

      As he paddled on I became interested. I mean an 11/12 year old was interested, what 1st grader wouldn't be fascinated?

      I started to watch a cartoon starring the spider-man, that I stumbled onto on TV. Now suddenly I couldn't stop talking about him. I was pretending to be him.

      Before long my mother and brother came home with 2 copies of the same comic, one for my brother and one for me. I assume my mother pushed my brother to get it after he had one of his own... probably by offering to pay for both.

      From there every comic under the sun opened up to me. All at the local drug store.

      more to come?

      He I finally did this.


      Jack

      Delete
    8. Great story, Jack. Thanks for sharing.

      Your thought that Spidey was a burglar sparked a memory in me, too. A glimpse at an early Spider-Man comic: the Ditko art seemed so weird, so creepy, to my DC-accustomed eyes that it was almost disturbing. This character couldn't possibly be a hero, could he?

      Yes, he could. But it took a few years before I figured that out!

      Delete
  2. Did you notice a common theme in your early days of Spider-Man? It was all at drug stores and 7-11s. That is what needs to come back, accessibility.

    And I think you and Slott may have just caused a problem for Marvel. They dropped 2 pages and its still the same price? noticed something off, but I thought it was just decompression. I don't think anyone did a page count.

    I can't believe you didn't mention me, they practically fed you an opportunity at the end.

    JAck

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Actually, I talked about you for a good 15-20 minutes. They must have cut that part out. : )

      Delete
    2. That poor Little Leaguer!

      --David

      Delete
  3. Great job, Jim :-D

    I'm glad your online experiences have been so positive! Such an amount of positivity seems to be an outlier, but it may have a lot to do with how you conduct yourself, your patience and empathy.
    I would love to have heard anything about how you and Roger Stern worked with one another's interpretations; I thought both of you did a fine job digging into the older generation of Spidey's 80's cast. Spider-Man crackled with vitality; his world seemed so coherent in those years.
    If you did not get a lot of negative feedback during the Clone Years, that may reflect how flat-out good your stories were. Your take on Pete and M.J. was especially poignant, as my own lifelong relationship began about that time, and reading comics was a bonding experience we shared.

    I know I've opened the door to at least three or four little jokes, which bothers me not a whit- if I can handle being friends with Dave Kraft, I can take it (and dish it out) :-D I was so proud, during my day job interviewing for V3 Magazine, to talk about talking with you as I picked up my copy of Augusta Wind: The Last Story at What If? Comics & Collectables (what a fortunate A & E assignment).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I bow to none in my admiration for Roger Stern, Cecil. His work on Spidey and Captain America provided a foundation that I was able to build on. I think he's the unsung hero of 1980's Marvel.

      Hope you're enjoying THE LAST STORY. I'm very proud of this series.

      Delete