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Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Started by Goaty, 07 December, 2016, 02:16:17 PM

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Mardroid

As a kid going into the newsagents, I would see more Spider-Man comics than even Superman.

Actually, Marvel were generally better catered for than DC characters. My main exposure to DC characters were through TV shows and films where they generally did better than Marvel, bar the Hulk.

Professor Bear

We all knew about Spidey and were aware of his many fine licensed products because we live the comics dream - but I'm talking about the kind of pop-cultural cache of Superman or Batman that goes beyond cult novelty.  For all his appearances in cartoons and parades (in balloon form) Spidey didn't really have that until this side of the millennium.

Colin YNWA

Quote from: Professor Bear on 10 December, 2016, 12:55:39 PM
We all knew about Spidey and were aware of his many fine licensed products because we live the comics dream - but I'm talking about the kind of pop-cultural cache of Superman or Batman that goes beyond cult novelty.  For all his appearances in cartoons and parades (in balloon form) Spidey didn't really have that until this side of the millennium.

I'd say that was nonsense.

TordelBack

Nah, it's an interesting question. I'm often intrigued to see what other people are or are not aware of. Despite never having really read mainstream DC comics I can get 100% in one of those Facebook character quizzes, the result of a similar one on football strips would be closer to 5%. Even info that's peripheral to your stated interests can get filtered out or stored depending. However, in the case of Spidey, I'd say that two cartoon series and one live actionTV series, a catchy theme tune,and a regular presence of Marvel UK titles in the newsagents would mean that kids in the 70s-90s would have had Spidey ranked in the Top 5 of recognisable superheroes (along with Superman, Batman, Hulk, and Captain America - not sure about Wonder Woman).

Colin YNWA

Its in no way scientific but I'd have said for a good chunk of time I've been alive the only immediately recognisible superheroes to the vaste majority of the population - well before the Raimi films came along, where Superman, Batman, Spider-man and Wonder Woman. With Hulk ticking along somewhere there as well. I don't think Cap America has had much recognition outside of fandom, certainly in the UK until relatively recently. Similarly Wolverine has developed a degree of 'celebrity' these days but even when massive amongst comics fans was invisible to most the population.

Professor Bear

Captain America not recognised outside fandom?  Nonsense.
Captain America was in his own cartoon show, a movie serial, two films starring footballing legend Reb Brown and Christopher "The Best Dracula" Lee, appeared in no less than three Spider-Man cartoons and several episodes of the X-Men and Fantastic Four cartoons, a 1990s movie revival starring Ronny "I'm Cashing You Out, Bob" Cox and Matt "Nope Me Neither" Salinger, and even lent his name to a character in Easy Rider.

Frank

.
Interest in film adaptations of comic character properties is mainly generated via novelty underwear for adults in the clothing section of supermarkets.

If Tharg ever teams up with George at Asda for a range of KISS MY AXE boxers and I DID NOT THINK IT TOO MANY y-fronts, you'll know negotiations over the live action rights to Sláine are going well.



Professor Bear

At this point, a lesser man would make a joke about shooting sticky white stuff out of something you keep in your Spider-Man underpants.

GordonR

Spider-man'a had his own balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade since the 1980s.

Spider-man is a pop culture figure easily recognised well beyond the boundaries of comics.

Frank

Quote from: GordonR on 10 December, 2016, 04:34:27 PM
Quote from: Professor Bear on 10 December, 2016, 12:55:39 PM
For all his appearances in cartoons and parades (in balloon form) Spidey didn't really have (pop-cultural cache) until this side of the millennium.

Spider-man'a had his own balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade since the 1980s.

Bet Professor Bear wished he'd said that.



JOE SOAP

#25
Quote from: TordelBack on 10 December, 2016, 01:47:04 PM
in the case of Spidey, I'd say that two cartoon series and one live actionTV series, a catchy theme tune,and a regular presence of Marvel UK titles in the newsagents would mean that kids in the 70s-90s would have had Spidey ranked in the Top 5 of recognisable superheroes (along with Superman, Batman, Hulk, and Captain America - not sure about Wonder Woman).

Yeah, I'm puzzled by the notion that Spider-Man is seen as some kind of fan cult as he really was the first superhero I had any real awareness of beyond just the name, and that came via comics, cartoons, toys, costumes and seeing the literal hyphenated man - Nicholas Hammond - when the TV episodes were first released as films in Europe and later on d'telly.

It seems Marvel had a stronger weekly presence on this side of the world than DC outside of the Superman films and Batman, Wonder Woman TV shows. I don't remember seeing many DC cartoons or comics growing up until The Dark Knight Returns, Swamp Thing, Watchmen and the cartoon/film adaptations in the 90's.

Spider-Man certainly was an attractive character to younger boys and I would've been acutely aware of the larger Marvel universe even though I didn't read the comics beyond some Spider-Man, Doctor Strange and Secret Wars, whereas I didn't know anything at all of the DC universe beyond Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman. Of course you notice a lot less of what you're not interested in as a kid.


JOE SOAP

Quote from: Professor Bear on 10 December, 2016, 02:55:03 PM
Captain America not recognised outside fandom?  Nonsense.
Captain America was in his own cartoon show, a movie serial, two films starring footballing legend Reb Brown and Christopher "The Best Dracula" Lee, appeared in no less than three Spider-Man cartoons and several episodes of the X-Men and Fantastic Four cartoons, a 1990s movie revival starring Ronny "I'm Cashing You Out, Bob" Cox and Matt "Nope Me Neither" Salinger, and even lent his name to a character in Easy Rider.

But I bet he was far less popular than Spider-Man. The titanic and expensive struggle to untie the Spider-Man film rights that took up most of the 90's is indicative of how much the character was sought after and liked.


TordelBack

I confess my only awareness of Captain America was his image, in Ireland mainly known through the eponymous (and unlicensed) restaurant in Dublin where (it was rumoured) posh kids went for their birthdays.

JOE SOAP



That about sums it up. "Captain Americas" - there was a branch in Dún Laoghaire. The decor was a pre-Eddie Rockets mix of Cap panels and Americana. Amazing that Marvel let them off with using the name unlicensed for nearly 40 years but when the Captain America film was released they tried to sue - I think they eventually did pay a fee and had to stop using the image of Captain America.




Professor Bear

I was making a point about how subjective this argument is either way - IE: my points about Cap's popularity outside nerd-dom were already made by others as reasons for Spidey's popularity with normos - but now that you've brought it up, has there ever been a chain of restaurants called Spider-Mans?