Debate: Spider-Man for kids?

[sephiroth617]

A coworker of mine told me Spider-Man was only for kids. I pointed to the box office numbers for Spider-Man 1,2, and 3 to prove him wrong.

Do most people have this view today? Or are we truly shifting toward the general public embracing Spider-Man as the cultural figure he's rightly supposed to be?

[DarkKnight08]

I think he said that because they try to get kids into Spidey early. I mean, they have the Spider-Man and Friends toyline and all the other endless amount of figures. And they're about to attract more with The Spectacular Spider-Man coming out.

[adamcasey]

He should be.

[jayvee]

FOR kids, yeah.

ONLY FOR kids, nay.

That's just silly talk.

[Steve Saffel]

A coworker of mine told me Spider-Man was only for kids. I pointed to the box office numbers for Spider-Man 1,2, and 3 to prove him wrong.

Do most people have this view today? Or are we truly shifting toward the general public embracing Spider-Man as the cultural figure he's rightly supposed to be?

They say the golden age of anything is, I think, twelve. I was exactly eight when I discovered Spider-Man, but that's pretty close. And a lot of people find that their favorite issue, episode, toy, etc. is the one they had when they were about that age.

Spider-Man has to be cool for kids, or there won't be an audience twenty years from now. Fortunately, the first trick-or-treater at my door this year was a four-year-old Spider-Man. And we had more than one web-slinger. (We also gave out comic books, which went over very well.)

[spidertour02]

I wouldn't say he's "for kids" per se (especially nowdays, when comics are being aimed at older audiences), but he certainly has a wider target age than most characters. One of the beautiful things about the character is the very fact that he appeals to many generations.

By the way, Spider-Man has been a cultural figure for many years, even before the movies. With the release of the films, he was pushed into another stratosphere, the kind occupied by James Bond, Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes, etc. (and note that these characters appear in many media).

[sephiroth617]

They say the golden age of anything is, I think, twelve. I was exactly eight when I discovered Spider-Man, but that's pretty close. And a lot of people find that their favorite issue, episode, toy, etc. is the one they had when they were about that age.

Spider-Man has to be cool for kids, or there won't be an audience twenty years from now. Fortunately, the first trick-or-treater at my door this year was a four-year-old Spider-Man. And we had more than one web-slinger. (We also gave out comic books, which went over very well.)

I was about the same age (8) when I discovered Spider-Man. My family and I were going to Poland and we stopped at a Magazine stand inside the airport. They had a copy of "Spider-Man Magazine" which was based mostly on the animated series. I've read comics ever since.

I wish the houses around here gave out comics! Yes, I think Spidey will be around for a long, long time.

[spidertour02]

I was about the same age (8) when I discovered Spider-Man.

Interestingly, I was also 8 when I got into comics, first with X-Men Adventures #5, and then Amazing Spider-Man #383.

[roshambo]

i was about 8, as well, when spidey endeared himself to me. ahhh...the good ol' days. by the way, i'm a 70's Spidey geek.

[SuperStarBL]

Spider-Man isn't it for the young at heart ? ;)

Joe Q want more kid for "his" ASM, but how many kids will be able to buy AMAZING SPIDER-MAN three time a month ?

The question is rather : How many YOUNG readers does it take to fill in OLD readers like me, those who choose to quit after the mess called OMD ?

[SuperSonGoku]

Joe Q.would want u to believe that it is... but The numbers of ppl who went to see the movies isn't representative, most of them went see a damn good movie who'll never pick up a comic in their lives, so i'd say the Question is... for kids in which medium??

[Steve Saffel]

Superheroes like Spider-Man have ascended beyond the comic book medium in ways we never could have imagined when he was created. No one would have expected to own his or her own film library. And the slug-fests we got entirely out of comic books have become interactive video games with unbelievably vivid graphics.

In that sense, Spider-Man is for all ages in all media, and by appearing in film, in the new animated series, and in popular video games, his adventures have exceeded all expectations.

I'm a huge fan of the comic book medium. It's exciting, it forces me to use my imagination to fill in the motion and the sound. Heck I even prefer the "pamphlets" to the trade paperback or hardcover collections. So it's with some regret that I ask, are we limiting ourselves by addressing only the comic books? How many more hours of entertainment will a kid get, per dollar, from a video game? And how many millions more kids will enjoy the animated adventures, one a network that doesn't require them to buy anything?

This isn't to say that we shouldn't still promiote the comic books. Kids can be voracious readers, and I think it's good for them to fill in those creative gaps with their minds. We gave out comics for Halloween the last two years, and give them as Christmas presents, too. It's up to us to carry the torch.

[sephiroth617]

Superheroes like Spider-Man have ascended beyond the comic book medium in ways we never could have imagined when he was created. No one would have expected to own his or her own film library. And the slug-fests we got entirely out of comic books have become interactive video games with unbelievably vivid graphics.

In that sense, Spider-Man is for all ages in all media, and by appearing in film, in the new animated series, and in popular video games, his adventures have exceeded all expectations.

I'm a huge fan of the comic book medium. It's exciting, it forces me to use my imagination to fill in the motion and the sound. Heck I even prefer the "pamphlets" to the trade paperback or hardcover collections. So it's with some regret that I ask, are we limiting ourselves by addressing only the comic books? How many more hours of entertainment will a kid get, per dollar, from a video game? And how many millions more kids will enjoy the animated adventures, one a network that doesn't require them to buy anything?

This isn't to say that we shouldn't still promiote the comic books. Kids can be voracious readers, and I think it's good for them to fill in those creative gaps with their minds. We gave out comics for Halloween the last two years, and give them as Christmas presents, too. It's up to us to carry the torch.

Thanks for replying Mr. Saffel!

I'm 20 right now, but I'm a fan off all the mediums Spidey has infiltrated. Comics will always be my favorite (weekly Spidey!), but I do watch the cartoons and play the video games whenever they come out.

I do think the Spider-Man video games attract a LOT of the kids though...which will get them to watch the cartoons...which hopefully get them into the comics because the comics are Spider-man's home first and foremost.

[Sano]

My four year old niece isn't into Spider-Man but I'm trying to get my nephew into him. He's about a month old now. Each time I've seen him I've told him that Spider-Man is cool LOL! :cool:

Yeah I started reading Spider-Man when I was around 12 too. My first issue was ASM #269. :D

[macchupichu]

My four year old niece isn't into Spider-Man but I'm trying to get my nephew into him. He's about a month old now. Each time I've seen him I've told him that Spider-Man is cool LOL! :cool:

Yeah I started reading Spider-Man when I was around 12 too. My first issue was ASM #269. :D

i reckon you cant force them to read spidey

[Daring D]

I don't think little kids are going to get Spidey making a deal with the devil. Or have the $@#% thats goes on in that book(The whole spidey tracer killer) it's become indulgent for marvel and it's not for kids anymore.

[alucard-dalv]

Spider-Man is for anyone that likes him. It's closed minded to say Spider-Man is just for kids.

[macchupichu]

Spider-Man is for anyone that likes him. It's closed minded to say Spider-Man is just for kids.

i says you are right 100 fercent

[Joan17]

If I'm to check by this bloger that has done a little research on ages of the Spiderman audience than the movies are usually for families which doesn't mean that the parent are not into the movies but other things such as the websites and stuff are characterized by men 18-24 primarily.
Check it here (http://www.spidermanbuddies.com/spiderman-who-is-the-audience-58.html)

[macchupichu]

debatee: kids for spider man ?

[Sano]

debatee: kids for spider man ?

I'm not against it but the problem in comics is that it fast track ages the characters. So the character has to either remain 5 years old forever like Franklin or they have to pull a stunt where they hyper age the kid fast, like Cable for example. I'm not against it, but in comics it's a tricky thing to pull off. For the short term it's easy, for the long term it's difficult.

May was already born and they could of introduced into 616 at any time as a child Norman Osborn kidnapped, and who knows possibly hyper aged somehow by Goblin messing with her DNA. Though after OMD they made it so she was never born. HA HA HA OMD. :rolleyes:

For the time being just read Spider-Girl. :D

[NTapalansky]

I have to agree with a majority of the posts so far - Spider-Man as an icon applies to all ages. The fact that he's available in a myriad of forms at any given time (ASM, Marvel Age, Ultimate, New Avengers, animation, and film) just means that the basic concepts of the character are being popularized and made appropriate for all ages, with each iteration offering another facet of the character.

Like most superhero books (all, some might argue) the core components that make Spider-Man are universally understood and sympathetic to a large majority of anyone that's looking to, is in the process of, or looking back on growing up and the after effects of the decisions that brought them to where they are today. Maybe it starts with seeing it on Kids WB, but it ends with "The Death of Gwen Stacy", "The Return of the Goblin", and all those memorable storylines that encourage you to think "what would I have done?" and "what HAVE I done?"

If Spider-Man is for kids, I'm happy to be one for the rest of my life. :)

[upperq]

no siderman isnot only 4 kids i m 60 yrs old but i like spi too much

[macchupichu]

yeah but is kids for spiderr man?

[Sano]

yeah but is kids for spiderr man?

They better be!

When I was 9 do you know what our Spider-Man Halloween costume was? It was YELLOW and said "Spider-Man" only in the chest area that was red and blue. Our mask was a piece of cardboard with a string. These kids get outfits that look EXACTLY like Spider-Man, they even get the black outfit! Heck they even have fake web shooters where they can spray a stream of white gooey stuff at you! Hey get your mind out of the the gutter... Sure it's much bigger than Spidey's actual web shooters but that's better than what we had. If we wanted to web people up in our yellow costumes we had to use our IMAGINATIONS running around saying "THWIP" and looking like a bunch of morons.

These kids don't know how good they have it...

PS I feel really old now. :D

[macchupichu]

They better be!

When I was 9 do you know what our Spider-Man Halloween costume was? It was YELLOW and said "Spider-Man" only in the chest area that was red and blue. Our mask was a piece of cardboard with a string. These kids get outfits that look EXACTLY like Spider-Man, they even get the black outfit! Heck they even have fake web shooters where they can spray a stream of white gooey stuff at you! Hey get your mind out of the the gutter... Sure it's much bigger than Spidey's actual web shooters but that's better than what we had. If we wanted to web people up in our yellow costumes we had to use our IMAGINATIONS running around saying "THWIP" and looking like a bunch of morons.

These kids don't know how good they have it...

PS I feel really old now. :D

oh ok
love your story yuir a good guy :cool: :D

[Steve Saffel]

I have to admit to being impressed with the new Saturday morning cartoon on the WB. The style takes getting used to, since it's radically different from any that have gone before, but the stories resonate of the early Spider-Man days with Lee, Ditko, and Romita. It's more "Ultimate," in some ways, but it works, and I think it's likely to introduce a lot of kids to the web-slinger.