The Man In The Spider-Man Suit

If you want to read some fascinating stuff about being a "Spidey Mascot" in the 1980s, be sure to check out the "Heroes In My Closet" blog. Think of it as the memoirs of a "cosplay pioneer," who officially portrayed Spider-Man, Green Goblin, and other Marvel characters in North America and Europe for ten years.

I love these details:

"The Spider-Man suit was brilliantly crafted—comfortable, functional and visually stunning. It worked on anyone from 5'9" to 6'3". It’s ease of transport made it possible to fit in any over-the-shoulder bag as small as a Ziploc. I never had to waste time at the baggage carousel, or worry that the suit might get lost in transit."

"Despite all the great qualities of the Spidey suit—it’s nigh-perfect interpretation of the character; the ease of movement and relative comfort for the wearer; the vibrancy of its colors; the facility in its tranportation, cleaning and upkeep—it did present an odd downside: one-dimensionality, a tromp l’oeil effect that flattened the character, making him appear like a cardboard cutout, i.e. not real. From afar the affect is more pronounced. A child may not “see” me, even though directly looking at me, or sees Spider-Man, but thinks it is just a display."

"McFarlane’s popularity made my appearances more difficult. I was frequently asked, “Why are your eyes so little?” Some of the more confrontational fans challenged with “You’re not Spider-Man. Your eyes are too small.” I’d remain unperturbed and counter with “You must be referring to that McFarlane guy’s wild interpretation of me in the comics,” but the “eye” attacks only increased while my patience decreased."

The last quote comes from a fascinating post that describes how Marvel changed the standard "personal appearances" Spider-Man costume to fit the Todd McFarlane "look." I think a bunch of us remember the old Spidey costume from the TV show "The Electric Company" and other places: the one with the small eyes.

I never ran into Spidey at one of those events, but I did get Wolverine's autograph at Jim Hanley's many many many years ago. I remember analyzing his handwriting carefully: this was, after all, the hero who survived the Weapon X program and so many adventures. How did he dot his "i"?

Anyway, it's a fun blog – never crass or bitter about the subject matter – with a header and original illustrations drawn by the late great Rusty Haller, and is recommended.