Mary Jane Watson-Parker Appreciation 2020

[Prime]

What was up with MJ hair in the late 80's and 90'?

[Revolutionary_Jack]

What was up with MJ hair in the late 80's and 90'?

It happened when MacFarlane came in. Todd MacFarlane was under the notion that the characters should look contemporary, and that meant 80s and 90s, he wanted to bring the characters out of the '60s. Since Mary Jane was a fashion model and fashion conscious it made sense that her hair-style would reflect the fashions of the late '80s and late '90s (and theoretically the fashions du jour of the decade...i.e. 90s MJ should have "the Rachel" look and so on).

However after MacFarlane stepped down and others came in, people decided to have MJ return to her classic look.

I actually do like '80s MacFarlane's Mary Jane with her frizzy hair. It was a great look for her. I like even better Sal Buscema's take on Mary Jane in that same time, where he somehow gave a unique look to her, a kind of older more mature face that keeps to the classic look but gives it a contemporary touch. I remember one writer saying Sal Buscema's Mary Jane is the sexiest woman in comics.

[Huntsman Spider]

What was up with MJ hair in the late 80's and 90'?

It was the 80s, and since she was supposed to be a successful model/actress, the artists (Todd McFarlane and Erik Larsen at the time) thought they'd replicate what was the fashionable hairstyle among women in that era.

Edit: Revolutionary_Jack, as usual, explained it better than I did.

[Prime]

It happened when MacFarlane came in. Todd MacFarlane was under the notion that the characters should look contemporary, and that meant 80s and 90s, he wanted to bring the characters out of the '60s. Since Mary Jane was a fashion model and fashion conscious it made sense that her hair-style would reflect the fashions of the late '80s and late '90s (and theoretically the fashions du jour of the decade...i.e. 90s MJ should have "the Rachel" look and so on).

However after MacFarlane stepped down and others came in, people decided to have MJ return to her classic look.

I actually do like '80s MacFarlane's Mary Jane with her frizzy hair. It was a great look for her. I like even better Sal Buscema's take on Mary Jane in that same time, where he somehow gave a unique look to her, a kind of older more mature face that keeps to the classic look but gives it a contemporary touch. I remember one writer saying Sal Buscema's Mary Jane is the sexiest woman in comics.

Dude, I just read some Spectacular Spiderman comics were Marla Jameson looks more like MJ than MJ herself.

[Spider-Tiger]

Tbh, I think McFarlane's fashion choices were rather tacky (even for the late 80s/early 90s.) If you look at some of the big fashion models of the era, none of them had styles like that. She looked like a New Jersey housewife, and was way too sexed up. I agree that Buscema handled it better though.

The Romita-do (even if it originated in the 60s) is a timeless one.

[Frontier]

I'm pro-MJ's normal hairstyle. Although Marvel's Spider-Man (cartoon, not the game) kind of sold me on the ponytail...

[Revolutionary_Jack]

Dude, I just read some Spectacular Spiderman comics were Marla Jameson looks more like MJ than MJ herself.

Erik Larsen has often talked extensively about how artists rarely stay on-model with Mary Jane.

Like MJ's look has been altered a bit recently. She now has freckles which was never a case before. It was either J. Scott Campbell or David Marquez who started that. I like the freckles but I see his point.

I recently saw some pages from Red Headed Stranger online and was shocked by how bony her face was in that. She looked anorexic there.

The Romita-do (even if it originated in the 60s) is a timeless one.

Agreed, though my favorite looking MJs come after that. I love Ross Andru's MJ (with the '70s Bell-Bottoms look), Ron Frenz's MJ where he gives her a kind of droopy stare which conveyed a sense of maturity there. Buscema's MJ, and above all JRJR's Mary Jane (during the JMS run). JRJR's Mary Jane is for me the quintessential one.

[Prime]

She has freckles now? I'm not a fan of the ponytail. I'm also not fan of trying to turn her into Lois Lane vol2.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

She has freckles now? I'm not a fan of the ponytail. I'm also not fan of trying to turn her into Lois Lane vol2.

Well it depends on the artist but it does show up more often.

[Prime]

Well it depends on the artist but it does show up more often.

I don't think normal MJ wears the ponytail...that much

[Revolutionary_Jack]

I don't think normal MJ wears the ponytail...that much

I was referring to the freckles. But yeah the ponytail not so much. There are exceptions like in JRJR/JMS' run where she wears a FDNY cap in that scene where she and Peter dedicate a library after Gwen Stacy.

[Spider-Tiger]

She has freckles now? I'm not a fan of the ponytail. I'm also not fan of trying to turn her into Lois Lane vol2.

Yeah the freckles is a J Scott Campbell thing. His re-design of MJ seems to be the default look among cosplayers. I didn't like it initially, but It has grown on me. And i think his style has gotten better with time.

Agreed, though my favorite looking MJs come after that. I love Ross Andru's MJ (with the '70s Bell-Bottoms look), Ron Frenz's MJ where he gives her a kind of droopy stare which conveyed a sense of maturity there. Buscema's MJ, and above all JRJR's Mary Jane (during the JMS run). JRJR's Mary Jane is for me the quintessential one.

I generally like all of their interpretations of MJ. They each put their own spin on the character, but still made her recognizable and fashionable for the era.

[Frontier]

I tend to think of Carlos Gomez when I think of modern MJ.

[Revolutionary_Jack]

I tend to think of Carlos Gomez when I think of modern MJ.

I dunno...Gomez makes MacFarlane look restrained. It felt a little too cheesecake for my liking.

[Vortex85]

I dunno...Gomez makes MacFarlane look restrained. It felt a little too cheesecake for my liking.

Whenever someone says a drawing is "cheesecake", I tend to really like it. Maybe it's just the style I'm into.

Gomez's MJ is gorgeous.

In fact I'm glad you said something because you made me look it up and see if he had any new pieces and I found this beauty based on the 90's cartoon outfit!