Spiderman, A People’s History (feat. Cole) [Part 1 of 2]

Noted comics scholar Cole (@java_jigga) joins us to discuss the History of Spiderman as a character and brand, from his origins in the 1960s, through major lore moments, changes in creative staff, behind the scenes shenanigans, and the long weird history of licensed spin-offs, including a Japanese live-action series from the 1970s that had a formative role in the tokusatsu/sentai genre of television that begat series like Kamen Rider and Power Rangers. Along the way we learn about the long-history of exploitation of artists and writers, the origins of the crossover shared-universe and multiverse approach as a marketing gimmick, and in the process sketch a general history of superheroes and comic books from the post-war period to the today.

 

This is the first part of a two part episode, which carries us roughly up to the 1980s. Part two will drop later this month, followed by an episode on Spiderman: Homecoming. An additional off the cuff conversation between Nicole and Cole (aka Ni/Cole) will also be available soon on our Patreon.

 

Click here to check out Cole's twitch stream and other things!

 

Production by Miguel Tanhi. Art by Zoe Woolley. Follow us at @MarvelousDeath for updates! Thank you for listening!