With all the attention Spider-Man has gotten over the last few years due to Tobey McGuire’s almost flawless role as the web-slinger, it’s easy to forget Spider-Man’s origins. Or maybe we shouldn’t call it his “origins”, but instead “early appearance”. Does anyone remember the original Spider-Man series on television? For those of you that don’t, I’ll give you a slightly vague but mostly comprehensive introduction to it.
And instead of telling you much of the storyline, I’ll try and explain what it WASN’T and what the “feel” of it was like. Remember, if I’m old enough to remember it, it must mean that my memory of things is slightly fading as well.
First of all, there were NO special effects. “Special Effects” was a far different animal back then. When it came time for Spider-Man to climb walls, the camera was either turned sideways to give the appearance of climbing or it was a far shot, allowing the director to place a toy or prop in place of the actor. Even back then, the untrained eye could tell they were being duped. That’s not to say you didn’t “buy” it as part of the action, it’s just that some of these things were a little out of our grasp technologically back then.
The punches thrown were hilarious. In no way did it ever look like there was any contact. But again, that was O.K., as it wasn’t the contact that made the shot; it was the IDEA of the contact, really.
Those are just a couple of the interesting aspects of this old show. Going back and watching it know, it certainly becomes more aof a parody of itself than anything. But it makes for great nostalgic watching.
The necessary evil – literally, it seems – of playing with action figures is that you need to have a bad guy. Usually. It seems this has been a mainstay for kids – typically boys – since the dawn of Creation. Well, if you’re playing with Spider-Man, you “just gotta have” Dr. Doom, as he tends to represent Old Spidey’s arch-enemy. But how does he beat Dr. Doom? What are his powers?
I’ll try and remember correctly – if I can – what Dr. Doom’s powers are…hm, nopoe, I can’t. But that doesn’t really matter, I suppose. Spider-Man’s powers are the point.
First of all, how did he get his powers? Well, according to the movie, he was bitten by a radioactive spider when the class was at the museum. When he woke uop the next morning, he was much stronger and a lot more nimble.
Not only was he stronger and more nimble, Peter Parker could stick to walls and climb them, just like a spider. And time seemed to slow down when there was a high-pressure situation, and he could react at will.
Now comes the ability to shoot webs, one of his strongest weapons. Spider-Man can shoot webs out of his writsts and then grab the web to swing on it from building to building. If he doesn’t want to grab the web, he can use it to hold an enemy in place or cause him to slip up.
Is Spider-Man as powerful as superman? This nerd says no, but there are a lot of spidey fans out there who say that Spider-Man’s intelligence and gymnastic abilities would be quite a handful for the Man of Steel.
The world may never know.
Spiderman is huge and has been around for a long time. There are comics and cartoons for Spiderman. There are toys and there are movies. He is printed on posters and repeated on shower curtains. Every other kid in the neighborhood is Spidey for Halloween.
The thing that is great about Spiderman is he is a positive role model. He is a friendly household character. I love it when a good story or movie can have a positive reflection on the kids. They are then learning life lessons and enjoying themselves. Obviously you do your best as a parent to instill morals into your children’s head, but it doesn’t hurt to have a little extra help. Think of when they are playing with the Spiderman toys. They are out there saving innocent lives and fighting evil! They are learning what is right from wrong and are effectively using their imagination. At least they are not playing with fake guns and swords and pretend killing each other. I just don’t like those games. I fee like the swords are going to poke an eye out, and I don’t want them to feel comfortable holding a gun. I want them to be scared of them and never get the idea of picking them up or accidentally grabbing a real one somewhere. I’d rather have them playing with toys and using their imaginations instead of beating each other up in a video game. That is why I like the Spiderman toys. I’m a full supporter of the super hero idea and am glad to the positive influences in my household.
There’s a sense in which some imagination may be lost with television, sure. I’m willing to buy that argument – or at least part of it. However, there’s another side to that argument that supporters of this theory may not be seeing, and that is the concept of toys deriving from said television shows.
A great cartoon will not only entertain us and make us laugh, but it can actually enhance our creativity when developed the right way. For instance, if we’re talking about a cartoon in which the main character gets himself into all kinds of crazy situations, the child playing with the toy can still certainly use his or her imagination to pretend their toy in similar binds. Not only does that make use of their imagination, but it takes problem-solving skills to get the character OUT of the messes. Add into that an antagonist or two, and we’re good.
If there is good writing on the show – especially when humor is used – there is a sense in which the adventure is never finished, and that can spill over into toy play. If there are lessons taught in the show, then just maybe our children are absorbing these lessons, are associating the characters with the themes, and will play with their cartoon toys in a similar fashion. It’s just up to us as parents and guardians to get involved with our children’s activities and teach them good play habits.
Cartoons can certainly be abused and made to act as pacifiers, but we have to remember that entertainment is entertainment and has been a great source of imagination and creativity for as long as man has been on earth. It’s what we do with it, how we limit the intake, and how we expand on it that is the key.
“Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can. Is he quick? Listen bud: he’s got radioactive blood.”
Welcome, Spider-Man fans! Whether you’re young or old – or really old, like one of our founders – we think you’ll find something interesting around here. We’re striving to be your home for all things Spidey, whether it’s games, toys, conversation, or just cool pics.
I know I myself have always really liked superheroes, with Spider-Man, Superman, and the Hulk being at the top. There wasn’t a clear-cut winner of the three until the last few years when I enjoyed the Spider-Man movies much more than the two Hulk films and the latest Superman.
When I was a kid, my brother and I would always pretend to be superheroes, and for a while I think I may have thought he actually was one; he was eleven years older than I was.
Well, those childhood memories and games translated into still being a fan as an adult. I’d have to say that I no longer pretend to be Spider-Man, but with the emergence of the Web-Slinger on the big screen along with plenty of collectible toys, it gives us parents a chance to relive some of those times, as well as share them with OUR children.
We hope you find this site to be enjoyable, informative, and useful. Share with us your own superhero stories, post your collection of memorabilia, and talk with other Spider-Man or Superman fans. Come back frequently, as we’re adding new goodies all the time!
