What got you into Spider-Man?

[SplinteringHeart]

Hey RevJack I love that you got that 50s comics sensibility in the 90s and appreciate your point about comics history...I mentioned before I read the Beano and The Dandy as a child, and you've reminded me I did read also Harvey Comics characters, Casper the Ghost, and Wendy the witch, and some Classics Illustrated...but also maybe just before Spidey comics we had Alan Class comics..titles like Astounding Stories and Tales of Suspense, these reprinted EC comics spooky stuff and Atlas Comics with characters like Fly Man and Fly Girl, and the Jaguar..this was in the late 60s early 70s...I had seen Steve Ditko's work in these Alan Class comics before reading Spidey....I even read some issues of Eerie and Creepy back then, I was a fan of the horror genre even at a young age, seems funny to think back on that now...

[Revolutionary_Jack]

the activsion ps1 game for me help a ton then the animated series followed by the 2002 movie.

Animated Spider-Man was the major running disappointment for me at the time I got into Spider-Man. I liked the games (Activision 2000, the Movie 2002), the movies, the comics...but the cartoons were inferior to all of that.

I came to the Fox cartoon well after Raimi and the comics, and I didn't like it and I still think it's dated and doesn't really hold up although I am aware that many people love this cartoon and especially many whose opinions I respect. At the time you had the weird MTV Spider-Man series on-air, which I saw at the time and it was peculiar and weird, not in a good way. To me the superhero cartoons I was into at that time -- the DCAU stuff (Justice League which was on the air in this time), X-Men Evolution -- was miles ahead of the Spider-Man cartoons. That didn't change until Spectacular Spider-Man...and after that again we have soul-crushing disappointment though on the bright side superhero animation as a whole declined in that period.

Hey RevJack I love that you got that 50s comics sensibility in the 90s and appreciate your point about comics history...I mentioned before I read the Beano and The Dandy as a child, and you've reminded me I did read also Harvey Comics characters, Casper the Ghost, and Wendy the witch, and some Classics Illustrated...but also maybe just before Spidey comics we had Alan Class comics..titles like Astounding Stories and Tales of Suspense, these reprinted EC comics spooky stuff and Atlas Comics with characters like Fly Man and Fly Girl, and the Jaguar..this was in the late 60s early 70s...I had seen Steve Ditko's work in these Alan Class comics before reading Spidey....I even read some issues of Eerie and Creepy back then, I was a fan of the horror genre even at a young age, seems funny to think back on that now...

Funny and sad...I don't think you can appreciate comics without appreciating the stuff outside superhero comics. Marvel especially, and Spider-Man in particular, has far more in common with those non-genre stories than it does with Golden and Silver Age Batman and Superman.

[Jman27]

Animated Spider-Man was the major running disappointment for me at the time I got into Spider-Man.

I came to the Fox cartoon well after Raimi and the comics, and I didn't like it and I still think it's dated and doesn't really hold up although I am aware that many people love this cartoon and especially many whose opinions I respect. At the time you had the weird MTV Spider-Man series on-air, which I saw at the time and it was peculiar and weird, not in a good way. To me the superhero cartoons I was into at that time -- the DCAU stuff (Justice League which was on the air in this time), X-Men Evolution -- was miles ahead of the Spider-Man cartoons. That didn't change until Spectacular Spider-Man...and after that again we have soul-crushing disappointment though on the bright side superhero animation as a whole declined in that period.

yeah same I rewatched 90s show sometime in the 2011 or 2012s I totally didnt like the MJ water clone stuff. Black Cat origin or Electro being Red Skull son. I watched the MTV show really didnt like that cliffhanger regarding Spidey girlfriend at the time. I did stop with the animated Spiderman stuff around the tail end of ultimate and havent even touch the new series. Marvel animation doesnt get me as DC does. Thats one of things DC have over them for sure.

[SplinteringHeart]

Funny and sad...I don't think you can appreciate comics without appreciating the stuff outside superhero comics. Marvel especially, and Spider-Man in particular, has far more in common with those non-genre stories than it does with Golden and Silver Age Batman and Superman.[/QUOTE]

Good point, again..I'm with you on that, even though Spidey stands out, lifelong (for each of us here), and superhero stuff prevails these days..

Cheers

[PCN24454]

Animated Spider-Man was the major running disappointment for me at the time I got into Spider-Man. I liked the games (Activision 2000, the Movie 2002), the movies, the comics...but the cartoons were inferior to all of that.

I came to the Fox cartoon well after Raimi and the comics, and I didn't like it and I still think it's dated and doesn't really hold up although I am aware that many people love this cartoon and especially many whose opinions I respect. At the time you had the weird MTV Spider-Man series on-air, which I saw at the time and it was peculiar and weird, not in a good way. To me the superhero cartoons I was into at that time -- the DCAU stuff (Justice League which was on the air in this time), X-Men Evolution -- was miles ahead of the Spider-Man cartoons. That didn't change until Spectacular Spider-Man...and after that again we have soul-crushing disappointment though on the bright side superhero animation as a whole declined in that period.

Would you have liked it if Peter didn't marry a clone because it seems to be the only thing you hold against it?

[Revolutionary_Jack]

Would you have liked it if Peter didn't marry a clone because it seems to be the only thing you hold against it?

I had many issues with it. Much of it similar to issues with Fox Xmen which is also considered a great show.

1) I didn’t like the animation style. Felt it was too bright and garish and lacked a sense of tone and consistency.

2) I didn’t like the writing and characterisation for the most part. I felt the characters were more simplistic compared to the comics. It felt conventional and melodramatic.

3) It was too serialised. It lacked the balance between self contained episodes and serialised multi parters that later shows like dcau and Xmen evolution handled better. Episodes felt padded and spinnig wheels.

And more than that...my like or dislike of a show has nothing to do with the content. I prefer older Spider-Man over teenage high school Spider-Man but that doesn’t mean I don’t love Weissman’s Spectacular Spider-Man which happens to be the first Spider-Man cartoon to show him in high school. It had the best animation, best writing, characterisation of any animated Spider-Man. I am not going to ignore that just because I have come to dislike Spider-Man as a teenager.

Spectacular Spider-Man is one of the few Spidey cartoons to have no other heroes and cameos. Which also means that Spider-Man gets to be master of his own show and a large figure in his own corner that he doesn’t always get to be.

[Voices From the Eyrie]

I had many issues with it. Much of it similar to issues with Fox Xmen which is also considered a great show.

1) I didn’t like the animation style. Felt it was too bright and garish and lacked a sense of tone and consistency.

2) I didn’t like the writing and characterisation for the most part. I felt the characters were more simplistic compared to the comics. It felt conventional and melodramatic.

3) It was too serialised. It lacked the balance between self contained episodes and serialised multi parters that later shows like dcau and Xmen evolution handled better. Episodes felt padded and spinnig wheels.

And more than that...my like or dislike of a show has nothing to do with the content. I prefer older Spider-Man over teenage high school Spider-Man but that doesn’t mean I don’t love Weissman’s Spectacular Spider-Man which happens to be the first Spider-Man cartoon to show him in high school. It had the best animation, best writing, characterisation of any animated Spider-Man. I am not going to ignore that just because I have come to dislike Spider-Man as a teenager.

Spectacular Spider-Man is one of the few Spidey cartoons to have no other heroes and cameos. Which also means that Spider-Man gets to be master of his own show and a large figure in his own corner that he doesn’t always get to be.

I mostly agree.

I tend to think Marvel didn't have the budget that Warner Bros had with Batman TAS and Disney had with Gargoyles... both of those shows were contemporaries to what Marvel was doing with X-Men and Spider-Man at the time (and Iron Man and Fantastic Four). But I am not going to completely write 90's Marvel cartoons off... I still think they helped the brand out, and are part of the reason why we've gotten so much cool stuff after the fact. But yeah, as with any adaptation of a beloved story and characters, there's always going to be at least one quibble.

"Night of the Lizard" was animated by TMS, I believe... very beautiful looking half-hour of animated television. I wish all the episodes looked like that, but for Saturday morning fare when you weren't one of the big studios, they didn't have the time or the money. Haim Saban, who I believe was involved, was notoriously cheap.

But these shows introduced a whole generation to Marvel; and that's a good thing. My favorite Spider-Man cartoon, like you, is Spectacular (hell, it has to be considering the podcast I host). But my second favorite, for different reasons, is the 1981 solo cartoon... it was my first; and while it's not one of the better ones, I still love it.

[Mike]

Reruns of the 1960's Spider-Man cartoon.
Attachment 53198

Just to add a bit:
I received Marvel Tales #52 as a gift in one of those 3 comics in a bag.
I was hooked then and there.
899049.jpg

[Revolutionary_Jack]

But I am not going to completely write 90's Marvel cartoons off... I still think they helped the brand out, and are part of the reason why we've gotten so much cool stuff after the fact. But yeah, as with any adaptation of a beloved story and characters, there's always going to be at least one quibble.

True enough. Again a lot of people, smart people whose opinions I value, really like those shows. And I appreciate the value it held for them.

The Fox Spider-Man is definitely the best Spider-Man cartoon until that time (compared to the 1967 series which aside from the theme song has nothing to recommend, other 1980s series, "Amazing Friends" which also has its fans for camp value) and certainly the most high production take on Spider-Man in any media until then.

In general, Marvel always saw kids cartoons both in the past (and also recently in the last decade) as primarily about toys and promotion rather than as creative work.

[PCN24454]

In general, Marvel always saw kids cartoons both in the past (and also recently in the last decade) as primarily about toys and promotion rather than as creative work.

When has Marvel never seen cartoons as a method of selling toys?

[Mutant God]

90s Spider-Man cartoon

[charliehustle415]

90s Spider-Man cartoon

This is what got me into Spidey and this is the voice I hear when I read 616 Spidey.

The amazing (pun intended) Spidey PS1 game was really good too and started to solidify my love for the character, and lastly Ultimate Spider-Man sealed the deal for me.

[Triniking1234]

I think I answered this before but growing up we had the Spider-Man cartoon with Doctor Doom and later Amazing Friends plus the comic strip.

[TheCape]

I think that i said before, it was either reruns of the TSA cartoon (my first episode was the Spider-Slayer one) or the PS1 game, i'm inclined to think that it was TSA but i'm not 100% sure.

Worst part of that Spider-Man game was not having a memory card, i had to star from the beginning every time. At least i reached the final battle lol (and by battle i mean running away from Ocknarge).

[Kaitou D. Kid]

The 90s animated series is very flawed and hasn't aged well, but I think I'll always have a soft spot for it for getting me into Spider-Man. I'll also make the sruument that while overall it is very flawed, certain episodes (mostly in the first two seasons) are very well done.