As detailed over on my All The Spider-Mans site, since 2018 I’ve been reading my ridiculously big collection of Spider-Man comics. I broke the comics up into groups (First 44, then 48, then finally 52) that would get me from Spider-Man’s first appearance in 1962 to the end of volume one of Amazing Spider-Man in 1998. Reading one a day or so, it’s taken a long time. In 2019, it struck me to start making these images to sum up each block of books. In August 2022, I finished the last comic in the Volume 1 era. I drew the 52 pictures out of chronological order, as I was skipping around the timeline to keep myself sane. But below they’re in chronological order. There’s a lot of repeating motifs and gags and ideas throughout. I wanted ideas to repeat down the decades. I cannot believe I was almost done before I thought of the web gag, I wish there were more of those. Oh, well! A lot of the images include a Spider-Man and maybe another figure swiped from an artist from the period in an attempt at additional authenticity, as noted. I tried to make the line art and and color styles copy the feel of the different eras, which makes the color get more challenging in the late 90s. Like most things I do, it was a lot of work for no real reason, audience or profit. I had a great time. And now I’m on to the Volume 2 era, as well as Ultimate Spider-Man. I’ve only just realized these images don’t display in order on mobile, and I don’t know how to fix that. Sorry, mobile users!
1962-1963: Spider-Man based on 2 drawings by Steve Ditko, a head from one the body of another.
1964: Another Ditko Spider-Man.
1964-1966: Peter & Green Goblin nicked from the famous cover of ASM #39 by John Romita.
1966-1967: All original.
1967-1968: Spider-Man based on 2 different John Romita drawings.
1968-1970: Spider-Man based on 2 Romita drawings, Green Goblin based on another.
1970-1972: All original.
1972-1973: All original.
1973: All original.
1973-1974: All original.
1974-1975: Both Spider-Men and Peter & Mary Jane’s first kiss cribbed from Ross Andru.
1975-1976: Original but Spider-Man heavily inspired by Ross Andru.
1976-1977: Spider-Man copied from Ross Andru.
1977: All original.
1977-1978: Spider-Man and both Goblins swiped from Ross Andru.
1978-1979: All original, but Spider-Man heavily inspired by Keith Pollard.
1979: All original.
1979-1980: Spider-Man copied from Keith Pollard.
1980: All original.
1980-1981: Spider-Man copied from John Romita, Jr.
1981: Spider-Man copied from John Romita, Jr.
1981-1982: All original.
1982-1983: All original.
1983: Spider-Man copied from John Romita, Jr.
1983-1984: Spider-Man & Hobgoblin copied from John Romita, Jr.
1984: Spider-Man copied from Rick Leonardi.
1984-1985: All original.
1985-1986: All original.
1986: Spider-Man copied from Ron Frenz.
1986-1987: Ned Leeds’ last stand copied from Alan Kupperberg.
1987-1988: Spider-Man copied from 2 different Todd McFarlane drawings.
1988-1989: WEBS book cover copied from Todd McFarlane.
1989: All original, but doing my best McFarlane impression.
1989-1990: All original.
1990-1991: The New Fantastic Four copied from Art Adams.
1991: Spider-Man copied from Erik Larsen.
1991-1992: Spider-Man & Hobgoblin copied from Alex Saviuk.
1992: All original.
1992-1993: Venom & Spider-Man cobbled together from several Mark Bagley drawings.
1992-1993: Spider-Man & Green Goblin copied form Sal Buscema.
1993: All original.
1993-1994: Peter & his fake robot parents copied from Mark Bagley.
1994: All original, but trying (poorly) to evoke Mark Bagley on Spider-Man.
1994-1995: All original.
1995: All original but trying to evoke Tom Lyle in the various Spiders (Pretty successfully, I must say).
1995: Spider-Man copied from Darick Robertson, Scarlet Spider from Steven Butler, Spider-Man 2099 from Rick Leonardi, Batman from Mark Bagley.
1995-1996: All original.
1996: All original.
1996: Spider-Man cobbled together from 5 John Romita, Jr. drawings.
1996-1997: All original.
1997-1998: Spider-Man copied from Mike Weiringo, everyone else trying to evoke him.
1998: All original, but Spider-Man subconsciously inspired by John Romita, Jr.
That set takes it from 1961 to the end of Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1 at the end of 1998, but that just means it’s time for Vol. 2 in 1999.
In 2000, Ultimate Spider-Man kicked off the Ultimate Universe, a new line of comics wherein all your favorite heroes’ stories begin “now” (In 2000) instead of in the 60s, allowing creators to do fun new things with them. I’m reading USM in between groups of the main books.
