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''Spider-Man'', also known as ''Spider-Man: The Animated Series'' (''Spider-Man TAS'' for short), is an
American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
animated television series An animated series is a set of animated works with a common series title, usually related to one another. These episodes should typically share the same main characters, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series can have eith ...
based on the
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Comics'' in ...
superhero of the same name. The series aired on the
Fox Kids Network Fox Kids (originally known as Fox Children's Network and later as the Fox Kids Network; stylized as FOX KIDS) was an American children's programming block and branding for a slate of international children's television channels. Originally a jo ...
from November 19, 1994, to January 31, 1998, for a total of five seasons comprising sixty-five episodes, and ran reruns on
Toon Disney Toon Disney was an American multinational pay television channel owned by Disney Channels Worldwide, a subsidiary of Disney-ABC Television Group. The channel's target audience was children ages 2–11, and children ages 6–13 during the Jetix ...
's
Jetix Jetix (stylized as JETIX) was a children's entertainment brand owned by The Walt Disney Company. The brand was for a slate of action/adventure-related programming blocks and television channels. Jetix programming mainly originated from the ...
block and on
Disney XD Disney XD is an American pay television channel owned by the Disney Branded Television and Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution units of The Walt Disney Company. The channel is aimed primarily at older children ages six to eleven yea ...
. The series was produced by Marvel Films Animation and animated by
Tokyo Movie Shinsha , formerly known as the , also known as or , is a Japanese animation studio established on October 22, 1946. TMS is one of the oldest and most famous anime studios in Japan, best known for numerous anime franchises such as '' Lupin the Third'' ...
.


Synopsis

The series follows Peter Parker, a college student at Empire State University who struggles to balance his responsibilities as the hero Spider-Man with the problems of his personal life. Parker must navigate his romantic affections for love interests
Felicia Hardy Black Cat (Felicia Hardy) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Throughout her history, Black Cat has sometimes been an enemy, love interest, and an ally of the superhero Spider-Man. Felicia ...
and
Mary Jane Watson Mary Jane "MJ" Watson is a Character (arts), fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr., and made her first appearance in ''The Amazing Spider-Man' ...
, maintain his friendship with
Harry Osborn Harold Theopolis "Harry" Osborn is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Spider-Man. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Th ...
, focus on his academic performance as Dr. Curt Connors' student, and help to support his
Aunt May Maybelle "May" Parker-Jameson (née Reilly), commonly known as Aunt May, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Spider-Man. Making her first full appeara ...
after the death of his Uncle Ben by working as a freelance photographer for the
Daily Bugle The ''Daily Bugle'' (at one time ''The DB'') is a fictional New York City Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper appearing as a plot element in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The ''Daily Bugle'' is a regular fixture i ...
. The Bugle is owned by loudmouth publisher
J. Jonah Jameson John Jonah Jameson Jr. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Spider-Man. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and he ...
, who often uses Parker's pictures of his alter-ego to discredit and carry out a
smear campaign A smear campaign, also referred to as a smear tactic or simply a smear, is an effort to damage or call into question someone's reputation, by propounding negative propaganda. It makes use of discrediting tactics. It can be applied to individual ...
against Spider-Man. Parker's peers at ESU include football star Flash Thompson, popular barista
Liz Allan Elizabeth "Liz" Allan, also known as Elizabeth Allan-Osborn and commonly misspelled as "Liz Allen", is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. In t ...
, scientific genius
Debra Whitman Debra Whitman is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Introduced in '' The Amazing Spider-Man'' #196 (Sept 1979), she served as a brief love interest for Peter Parker in the ''Spectacular Spider-Man ...
, and research rival Michael Morbius. As Spider-Man, Parker faces various supervillains that threaten
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, including criminal masterminds such as the Kingpin and the Hobgoblin, scientific mishaps like
Doctor Octopus Doctor Octopus (Dr. Otto Gunther Octavius), also known as Doc Ock for short, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and first appeared in ''Th ...
and the Green Goblin, and the alien symbiotes
Venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a st ...
and Carnage. Spider-Man is occasionally aided in his fight against crime by other superheroes, including the
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...
, the
Punisher The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. The Punisher made ...
,
Blade A blade is the portion of a tool, weapon, or machine with an edge that is designed to puncture, chop, slice or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they are to be used on. Histor ...
,
Doctor Strange Doctor Stephen Strange is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #110 (cover-dated July 1963). Doctor Strange serves as Sorce ...
,
Daredevil Daredevil may refer to: * A stunt performer Arts and media Comics * Daredevil (Lev Gleason Publications), a fictional 1940s superhero popularized by writer-artist Charles Biro * Daredevil (Marvel Comics character), a Marvel comic book superhero ...
,
Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The cha ...
,
Captain America Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''#Golden Age, Captain America Comics'' #1 (cover ...
, and the
Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in ''The Fantastic Four'' #1 (cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first s ...
.


Adaptations

A large number of storylines and events from the comics are loosely adapted in the series, such as:


Season 1

* The first episode, "Night of the Lizard", is loosely based on the comic story "Face-to-Face with... the Lizard!" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #6 (November 1963). * The episode "The Spider Slayer" is loosely based on the comic story "Captured by J. Jonah Jameson!" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man #25'' (June 1965), with the subplot of Flash Thompson dressing up as Spider-Man to scare Peter Parker being taken from "Marked for Destruction by Dr. Doom!" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man #5'' (October 1963). * The episode "Return of the Spider Slayer" borrows elements from the comic books including the way Alistair Smythe treated Spider-Man and Jameson in a very similar way to how his father Spencer Smythe treated them in the comic story "24 Hours till Doomsday!" in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #192 (May 1979), the three spider slayers are from "Invasion of the Spider Slayers Part 5: Arachnophobia Too!" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #372 (January 1993) and Mary Jane uses her famous line from her first comic appearance: "Face it, Tiger. You just hit the jackpot", in the comic story "The Birth of a Super-Hero!" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #42 (November 1966). * The episode "Doctor Octopus: Armed and Dangerous" is loosely based on the comic story "Spider-Man Versus Doctor Octopus" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man #3'' (July 1963). * The episode "The Menace of Mysterio" is loosely based on the comic story "The Menace of... Mysterio!" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #13 (June 1964). * The episode "The Sting of the Scorpion" is based on the comic story "Spidey Strikes Back!"/"The Coming of the Scorpion! OR: Spidey Battles Scorpey!" in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #19-20 (December 1964-January 1965). * The episode "Kraven the Hunter" is loosely adapted from the comic story of the same name from The Amazing Spider-Man #15. * The dream sequence from the episode "The Alien Costume, Part One" where the symbiote and the Spider-Man costume fight over Peter Parker is adapted from the comic story "The Sinister Secret of Spider-Man's New Costume!" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #258 (November 1984). * The end of the episode "The Alien Costume, Part Two" where Spider-Man uses the bell to get free from the symbiote is adapted from the comic story "'Til Death Do Us Part!" from ''Web of Spider-Man'' #1 (April 1985). * The beginning of the episode "The Alien Costume, Part Three" where Eddie Brock has a wall covered with newspaper clippings of Spider-Man and turns into Venom swearing vengeance on Spider-Man is adapted from the comic story "Chance Encounter" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #298 (March 1988), while the scene where Eddie menaces Peter at Aunt May's home is adapted from the story "The Sand and the Fury" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #317 (July 1989). * "The Hobgoblin" two-parter is loosely adapted from the comic stories "Secrets!"/"Confessions!"/"Endings!" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #249-251 (February–April 1984). * The episode "Day of the Chameleon" is loosely adapted from the comic story "Spider-Man Vs. the Chameleon!" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #1 (March 1963).


Season 2

* The episode "The Insidious Six" "and "Battle of the Insidious Six" are both based on the comic story "The Sinister Six!" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man Annual'' #1 (October 1964). * In "Battle of the Insidious Six" the scene where Peter is unmasked by the Insidious Six, after Aunt May is kidnapped by them (but he manages to convince them that he is a fraud) is from the comic story "Unmasked By Doctor Octopus!" from ''Amazing Spider-Man #12'' (May 1964) but instead of Aunt May, it's Betty Brant who is kidnapped by Doctor Octopus by himself. * The episode "Hydro-Man" is based on the comic story "The Coming of Hydroman!" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #212 (January 1981). * The episodes "The Mutant Agenda" and "Mutants' Revenge" are based on ''Spider-Man: The Mutant Agenda'' #1-3 (March–May 1994). * The episodes "Morbius" and "Enter the Punisher" are both based on the comic stories "The Spider or the Man?"/"A Monster Called Morbius!"/"Vampire at Large!" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #100-102 (September–November 1971). The Man-Spider plot is loosely adapted from "Fast Descent into Hell!"/"To Sacrifice My Soul..." from ''Marvel Fanfare'' #1-2 (March 1982 and May 1982). * "Enter the Punisher" is also based on the comic story "The Punisher Strikes Twice!" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #129 (February 1974). * The episode "Tablet of Time" is based on the comic story "The Web Closes!" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #73 (June 1969) with Smythe's robot originating from "Invasion of the Spider Slayers Part 4: One Clue Over The Cuckoo's Nest" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #371 (December 1992). * The episode "Ravages of Time" is based on the comic stories "If This Be Bedlam!"/"Death Without Warning!" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #74-75 (July- August 1969) and "Lifetheft Part One: The Wings of Age"/"Lifetheft Part Two: The Thief of Years"/"Lifetheft Part Three: The Sadness of Truth" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #386-388 (February–April 1994). * The episode "Shriek of the Vulture" is based on the comic stories "Duel to the Death with the Vulture!" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #2 (May 1963) and "The Wings of Age!" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #386 (February 1994). * The episode "The Final Nightmare" is loosely based on "The Thief of Years" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #387 (March 1994).


Season 3

* The episode "Make a Wish" is based on the comic stories "Doc Ock Wins!" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #55 (December 1967) and "The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man!" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #248 (January 1984). A flashback to Spider-Man's origin is shown and is adapted from the comic story "Spider-Man!" from ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15. * The episode "Attack of the Octobot" is based on the comic stories "Disaster!" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #56 (January 1968) and "The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man!" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #248 (January 1984). * The episode "Rocket Racer" is based on the comic stories "The Fiend from the Fire!" from ''Amazing Spider-Man'' #172 (September 1977) and "The Rocket Racer's Back in Town!"/"...And Where the Big Wheel Stops, Nobody Knows!" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #182-183 (July–August 1978). * The episode "The Ultimate Slayer" is loosely based on the comic story "Invasion of the Spider Slayers Part 6: The Bedlam Perspective" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #373 (January 1993). * The episode "Tombstone" is loosely based on the comic stories "Grave Memory" from ''The Spectacular Spider-Man'' #139 and "Will!" from ''The Spectacular Spider-Man'' #142. * The episode "Venom Returns" is blended from several different comics including "Hearts and Powers"/"Gun From the Heart" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #344-345 (February–March 1991) and "Toy Death!" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #359 (February 1992). * The episode "Carnage" is loosely based on the comic stories "Savage Genesis"/"Savage Alliance"/"Savage Grace!" from "The Amazing Spider-Man" #361-363 (April–June 1992). * The episode "The Spot" is based on the comic story "True Confessions!"/"Spider on the Spot!" from ''Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man'' #98-99 (January–February 1985). * The episode "Goblin War!" is based on the comic story "The Goblin War" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #312 (February 1989). * The episode "Turning Point" is based on the comic stories "How Green Was My Goblin!" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #39 (August 1966) and "The Night Gwen Stacy Died"/"The Goblin's Last Stand!" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #121-122 (June–July 1973).


Season 4

* The episode "Guilty" is based on "Guilty!"/"Lock-Up" from ''The Spectacular Spider-Man'' #150-151 (May–June 1989) and "Crash Out!" from ''The Spectacular Spider-Man'' #155 (October 1989). * The episode "The Black Cat" is based on "Never Let the Black Cat Cross Your Path!" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #194 (July 1979). * The episode "The Return of the Green Goblin" is based on "The Green Goblin Lives Again!"/"The Green Goblin Strikes!" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #136-137 (September–October 1974).


Season 5

* The episode "The Wedding" is loosely based on "The Wedding" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man Annual'' #21 (September 1987). * The "Six Forgotten Warriors" saga is loosely based on "The Parents of Peter Parker!" from ''The Amazing Spider-Man Annual'' #5 (November 1968) and "The Assassin-Nation Plot" storyline from ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #320-325 (September 1989–November 1989). * The "Secret Wars" trilogy adapts the 1984 limited series ''
Marvel Superheroes Secret Wars ''Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars'', commonly known as ''Secret Wars'' for short, is a twelve-issue American comic book crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter, with ...
'' (May 1984–April 1985). * The "Spider Wars" duology adapts the second Clone Saga (October 1994–December 1996).


Episodes


Cast and characters


Main voice cast

* Christopher Daniel BarnesPeter Parker / Spider-Man * Ed Asner
J. Jonah Jameson John Jonah Jameson Jr. is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Spider-Man. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, and he ...
*
Jennifer Hale Jennifer Hale is a Canadian-American voice actress. She is best known for her work in video game franchises such as ''Baldur's Gate'', '' Mass Effect'', '' Metal Gear Solid'', '' BioShock Infinite'', '' Metroid Prime'', ''Overwatch'', and '' Sta ...
Felicia Hardy / Black Cat * Saratoga Ballantine –
Mary Jane Watson Mary Jane "MJ" Watson is a Character (arts), fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and John Romita Sr., and made her first appearance in ''The Amazing Spider-Man' ...
* Rodney SaulsberryJoseph "Robbie" Robertson * Linda GaryMay Parker (season 1-3) * Julie Bennett – May Parker (season 4-5) *
Joseph Campanella Joseph Anthony Campanella (November 21, 1924 – May 16, 2018) was an American character actor. He appeared in more than 200 television and film roles from the early 1950s to 2009. Campanella was best remembered for his roles as Joe Turino on ' ...
Dr. Curt Connors / Lizard * Gary Imhoff
Harry Osborn Harold Theopolis "Harry" Osborn is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Spider-Man. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the character first appeared in ''Th ...
/ Green Goblin *
Neil Ross Neil David Ross is a British-American voice actor and announcer. Noted for his Trans-Atlantic accent, he has provided voices in many American cartoons, most notably ''Voltron'', '' G.I. Joe'', and ''Transformers'', as well as video games, incl ...
Norman Osborn Norman Osborn is a fictional character, fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character, created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, first appeared in ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #14 (July ...
/ Green Goblin *
Roscoe Lee Browne Roscoe Lee Browne (May 2, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American actor and director. He resisted playing stereotypically black roles, instead performing in several productions with New York City's Shakespeare Festival Theater, Leland Hayward ...
Wilson Fisk / Kingpin * Efrem Zimbalist Jr.Dr. Otto Octavius / Doctor Octopus *
Hank Azaria Henry Albert Azaria ( ; born April 25, 1964) is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He is known for voicing many characters in the animated sitcom ''The Simpsons'' (1989–present), most notably Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, Comic Book Guy, ...
Eddie Brock Edward Charles Allan "Eddie" Brock is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by David Michelinie and Todd McFarlane, making a cameo appearance in '' Web of Spider-Man'' #1 ...
/
Venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a st ...
*
Mark Hamill Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor and writer. He is known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the '' Star Wars'' film series, beginning with the original 1977 film and subsequently winning three Saturn Awards ...
Jason Philips / Hobgoblin * Joan LeeMadame Web


Production

While
Fox Kids Fox Kids (originally known as Fox Children's Network and later as the Fox Kids Network; stylized as FOX KIDS) was an American children's programming block and branding for a slate of international children's television channels. Originally a jo ...
' ''
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in ...
'' animated series was being produced by Saban, ''Spider-Man'' was produced by the newly formed Marvel Films Animation; it was the only series that in-house studio produced, but was animated by TMS-Kyokuchi Corporation, with their subsidiary Seoul Movie helping their parent company with the show's animation (uncredited). Koko Enterprises Ltd. and Anima Sam Won did additional animation for this series (though they were also uncredited). For many years, the series was the second longest-running Marvel show created, after ''X-Men'', as well as the longest-running series based on Spider-Man (until ''
Ultimate Spider-Man ''Ultimate Spider-Man'' is a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2011. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of the company's Ultimate ...
'' surpassed its record in 2015). The show was notorious for its censorship. In some episodes, realistic guns were depicted, but only in flashbacks, such as the showing of guns being fired during a flashback about the Punisher's origins where his wife was killed in the crossfire during a crime. Rules for the production of the show included no punching, throwing through glass, putting children in jeopardy or vampires as well as no usage of the word sinister. In November 2014 podcasts, Semper clarified that the show was not censored more than any other show at the time and that every time this has been brought up to him, he feels it has been blown out of proportion; Semper said that Marvel had no creative control on the TV series because Marvel at the time was in a tough time and close to bankruptcy. In addition, Semper stated that Stan Lee had influence on the show in the first thirteen episodes. The series is currently owned and distributed by
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on Octobe ...
(Marvel's parent company), which acquired all Fox Kids-related properties from
News Corporation News Corporation (abbreviated News Corp.), also variously known as News Corporation Limited, was an American multinational mass media corporation controlled by media mogul Rupert Murdoch and headquartered at 1211 Avenue of the Americas in New ...
and Saban International in 2001.


Writing staff

Producer
John Semper John Semper Jr. is an African-American screenwriter, producer and story editor with numerous credits in animation for television. He has worked for miscellaneous companies as Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros. Animation and Hanna-Barbera Product ...
was the primary credited writer on the show, receiving some sort of writing credit (usually a story, co-story or co-writing credit) on 60 of the 65 produced episodes. He wrote 8 episodes solo; many of his story credits were actually adaptations of previously published comic book stories. Mark Hoffmeier was a frequent contributor, receiving credits on 16 episodes, while Stan Berkowitz was credited on 9. Many of the other series writers had previously worked on '' Batman: The Animated Series'', including
Brynne Stephens Brynne Chandler (born 1958) is a writer and story editor best known for her work on animated television series such as ''Gargoyles (TV series), Gargoyles, Spider-Man: The Animated Series, Batman: The Animated Series, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle ...
,
Marv Wolfman Marvin Arthur Wolfman (born May 13, 1946) is an American comic book and novelization writer. He worked on Marvel Comics's '' The Tomb of Dracula'', for which he and artist Gene Colan created the vampire-slayer Blade, and DC Comics's ''The New Te ...
,
Gerry Conway Gerard Francis ConwayThomas, Roy. "Roy's Rostrum" ("Bullpen Bulletins") in '' Marvel Super-Heroes'' #43 and other Marvel Comics cover-dated May 1974. (born September 10, 1952) is an American comic book writer, comic book editor, screenwriter, te ...
,
Marty Isenberg Martin Elliot Isenberg (born 1963) is an American animation writer. He is best known for his role as co-story editor on ''Beast Machines'' and '' Transformers: Animated'', and for his work on the 2003 ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' series. He al ...
and Robert N. Skir,
Len Wein Leonard Norman Wein (; June 12, 1948 – September 10, 2017) was an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men ...
, and Sean Catherine Derek. Semper watched previous ''Spider-Man'' adaptations for inspiration, but he was not impressed by most of them. The only previous adaptation that impressed him was the live-action ''
Japanese Spider-Man , also known as and colloquially as the "Japanese Spider-Man", is a fictional character, a superhero portrayed by Kōsuke Kayama (Shinji Tōdō) that is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. He is the protagonist of Toei' ...
'' (1978), which he thought was a "great" show and "goofy fun." Japanese Spider-Man's giant
mecha In science fiction, or mechs are giant robots or machines controlled by people, typically depicted as humanoid walking vehicles. The term was first used in Japanese after shortening the English loanword or , but the meaning in Japanese is ...
robot influenced the final multi-part parallel universe arc where Spider-Man's wealthy alter-ego has a robot.


Animation

To reproduce
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
's appearance, background illustrators undertook a large amount of visual research by using photo archives from above New York, particularly rooftops. Maps were consulted for references and buildings were faithfully reproduced. It has been reported that the animation cels depicting Manhattan's Pan Am Building (recently renamed the MetLife Building) were scrapped after being complete because the California-based art staff learned the Midtown landmark had been given a new sign more than a year earlier. The animation staff were directed to populate the city with cars and crowds on the street level. Semper believed that was one of the limitations of earlier Spider-Man animated projects. Originally, Marvel Films planned to make the backgrounds completely CGI while Spider-Man swung around New York, yet due to budget constraints were forced to use traditional cel based animation while occasionally using CGI backgrounds by video game developer Kronos Digital Entertainment. As well, reuse of animation became more common as the series progressed, which also included reuse of animation involving a character speaking (these scenes were sometimes slowed down in order to better match the actor's voice to the animation).


Music

Marvel outsourced the show's music to distributors Saban Entertainment, who were also responsible for the music in the concurrent ''X-Men'' cartoon airing on Fox Kids. The theme for the series was performed by Joe Perry of the
hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest ha ...
band
Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whitford (guitar). Their style, which is rooted in blues ...
, although the song was written by
Shuki Levy Shuki Levy ( he, שוקי לוי; born June 3, 1947) is an Israeli-American music composer and television producer. Levy's best known work is soundtrack compositions for children's television programs of the 1980s, such as '' The Real Ghostbuster ...
. Levy, Haim Saban and Udi Harpaz are credited as composers of the orchestral background score. The music was conducted with a live orchestra in
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
. It was recorded in Israel due to it being inexpensive to do it there than in the U.S.


Reception

''Spider-Man'' was both highly acclaimed and commercially successful, receiving wide critical praise for the faithfulness to the source material, the portrayal of many different classic storylines from the comics, the deep focus on the titular hero's personal life, motivations and struggles and the layered character work, along with the presentation of Spider-Man's rogues gallery. It also garnered exceptionally high ratings for a Saturday morning cartoon and shortly after the premiere became the highest rated and most popular children's television show in America.


Cancellation

Producer John Semper Jr. clarified on his Facebook page that the show's cancellation was not due to disagreements between executive producer
Avi Arad Avi Arad (; he, אבי ארד; born 1948) is an Israeli-American film producer who became the CEO of the company Toy Biz in the 1990s and soon afterward became the chief creative officer of Marvel Entertainment, and the chairman, CEO, and founde ...
and network head Margaret Loesch but rather funding issues: "Fox contracted for 65 episodes and that's exactly what we did. Fox hated Avi almost from day one, so nothing much changed there. It didn't help, but it wasn't the reason we were not picked up for more episodes. New World, who actually produced the show, had gone out of business, so there was nobody to pay for whatever costs Fox wouldn't cover. And most shows rarely even made it to 65 episodes, so the feeling was we were done and that was enough. Spider-Man wasn't 'canceled'. It ran its full course."


Awards

Writer / Producer John Semper Jr. was nominated for an
Annie Award The Annie Awards are accolades which the Los Angeles branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood, has presented each year since 1972 to recognize excellence in animation shown in cinema and television. Originally de ...
in 1995 for Best Individual Achievement for Writing in the Field of Animation for the episode "Day of the Chameleon". ''Spider-Man'' was also nominated for one 1996
Image Award The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...
for Outstanding Animated/Live-Action/Dramatic Youth or Children's Series/Special.


Merchandising

Three comic book series based on the TV series were produced: * ''Spider-Man Adventures'' (December 1994 to February 1996): the first 13 issues each adapted one episode from the first season, and the last two issues were original stories. ''Spider-Man Adventures'' #1–4 was later reprinted in ''Kellogg's Froot Loops Mini-Comics'' #1–4. * ''The Adventures of Spider-Man'' (April 1996 to March 1997): featuring new stories based on the series. ''Adventures of Spider-Man'' was later reprinted in ''Spectacular Spider-Man (UK Magazine)'' #11–21 from August 1996 to May 1997. * ''Marvel Adventures'' (April 1997 to September 1998): anthology featuring various animated versions of Marvel characters—Spider-Man only appeared sporadically. A number of
video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedba ...
s based on the series were also produced: * ''Spider-Man Cartoon Maker'' for the PC * '' Spider-Man Animated Series'' for the
Super NES The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in ...
and
Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
Electronic versions of classic Spider-Man comics were released by Marvel that included narration by Christopher Daniel Barnes and featured animation and theme music from this series. Spider-Man novels inspired by selected episodes were also released. A wide variety of themed merchandise (lunch boxes, cereals, clothing, etc.) was produced.
McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hambur ...
produced a themed line of
Happy Meal A Happy Meal is a kids' meal usually sold at the American fast food restaurant chain McDonald's since June 1979. A small toy or book is included with the food, both of which are usually contained in a red cardboard box with a yellow smiley fac ...
toys for the show. However, this paled in comparison to the extensive official toy line that ran over eight series, and included a staggering amount of play sets and vehicles and actually lasted longer than the television series itself.


Release availability

Despite the fact that the show ended in 1998, the success of the live-action ''Spider-Man'' films have sparked more interest in new fans, allowing the series to air in reruns due to its new owners:
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on Octobe ...
. This show had been shown
streaming Streaming media is multimedia that is delivered and consumed in a continuous manner from a source, with little or no intermediate storage in network elements. ''Streaming'' refers to the delivery method of content, rather than the content i ...
entirety on
Disney+ Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television se ...
service since November 12, 2019. This show was temporarily eliminated from Disney+ on April 26, 2021, but soon came back to service on the 2nd of May that same year.


Home media

Region 1 During the series' run, some episodes were released on VHS. These were from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. In the late 1990s, another selection of VHS compilations were released by
Marvel Films Marvel Comics is a publisher of American comic books and related media. It counts among its characters such well-known superheroes as Spider-Man, Iron Man, Wolverine, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Ant-Man, Daredev ...
/ New World Entertainment (these tapes were distributed in Canada by Telegenic Entertainment). These releases featured episodes edited into 70–80, 90-100 minute movies based on the particular
story arc A story arc (also narrative arc) is the chronological construction of plot in a novel or story. It can also mean an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, board games, vid ...
. To date, the only VHS and DVD releases of the series in the U.S. have been several volume sets from Buena Vista Home Entertainment that feature 4-5 episodes each. Region 2 In the UK, Sweden, and Germany, ''Clear Vision Ltd.'' has released all five seasons on DVD as of October 19, 2009. Other releases * A Canadian DVD containing three episodes from the "Mutant Agenda" episodes. This is a reissue of the 1997 Marvel-New World/Telegenic VHS release (and it was mastered from one of those VHS releases); as a "Bonus" two episodes from the 1990s Iron Man TV series are included, just like on the VHS release. (Please note there are no audio/subtitle selections.) * Canadians also received another DVD release of the first season two-parter "The Hobgoblin". This was a re-release of a 2002 VHS release by Disney; the video quality of the episodes on the DVD is that of a VHS transfer. There are no bonus features or audio/subtitle selections on this DVD either. * A
VCD Video CD (abbreviated as VCD, and also known as Compact Disc Digital Video) is a home video format and the first format for distributing films on standard optical discs. The format was widely adopted in Southeast Asia, Central Asia and the ...
release by Magnavision Home Video. * A boxed set of all the DVDs released in Poland, simply entitled "Spider-Man: 5 DVD Set". The front of the box features the same graphics as "The Ultimate Villain Showdown". DVDs including random assortments of episodes were also distributed with various magazines, ranging from entire story arcs to two or three episodes per DVD. * Several two-episode DVDs released by Marvel in 2002 prior to the acquisition by Disney. * 3 DVDs with 2 episodes each were released regionally for
Serbia and Montenegro Serbia and Montenegro ( sr, Cрбија и Црна Гора, translit=Srbija i Crna Gora) was a country in Southeast Europe located in the Balkans that existed from 1992 to 2006, following the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of ...
,
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...
,
Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, and ...
,
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and ...
and Macedonia with Serbian, Croatian and Slovenian dubs on them in 2005. * The entire first season is available on Xbox Live and
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mu ...
through
Disney XD Disney XD is an American pay television channel owned by the Disney Branded Television and Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution units of The Walt Disney Company. The channel is aimed primarily at older children ages six to eleven yea ...
. * All five seasons are currently available for digital purchase on Vudu and Amazon. * The entire series was available on
Disney+ Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television se ...
but was taken off for some reason. Later on May 2 it made its return to the service. * There were also unlicensed DVDs that had The Adventure Continues on them that contained two episodes from most of the movies that were released by Marvel Films/New World Entertainment. For example, one was Spider-Man - Blade the Vampire Hunter which contained two episodes which were "Blade, the Vampire Hunter" and "The Immortal Vampire", a two-part story episode from the second season, making it like a movie based on the toy line, Spider-Man: Vampire Wars. *In France, all episodes were released on DVD from local Editor TF1 video, but only with French tracks voices and no subtitles available. Bootleg DVDs of the show have become popular among fans due to a lack of official DVD releases. The bootlegs feature all of the episodes but some of them have low video quality and watermarks. This is likely to change as the entire series becomes available in the UK. The series is currently the 9th most wanted unreleased DVD at TVShowsOnDVD.com.


Legacy


Comics

Similarly to ''X-Men: The Animated Series'', the series inspired a number of comic books. The first one was ''Spider-Man Adventures'', published for 15 issues between December 1994 and February 1996, which loosely adapted the plot from the series’ episodes. It was followed by ''Adventures of Spider-Man'', a 12-issues series with original stories, published from April 1996 to March 1997. Additionally, Marvel published a second series inspired by the animated series titled ''Spider-Man Magazine'', that went on for 19 issues from March 1994 to March 1997. Two special issues were also published in 1995.


''Spider-Verse''

The last two episodes of ''Spider-Man: The Animated Series'', about multiple Spider-Man characters crossing dimensions to different universes, was the first Spider-Man story involving parallel universes. This inspired the
Spider-Verse "Spider-Verse" is a 2014– 15 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics. It features multiple alternative versions of Spider-Man that had appeared in various media, all under attack by Morlun and his family, the Inheritors. The event ...
, which later appeared in various Spider-Man comics, cartoons and films in the early 21st century, with most notably the animated ''
Spider-Verse "Spider-Verse" is a 2014– 15 comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics. It features multiple alternative versions of Spider-Man that had appeared in various media, all under attack by Morlun and his family, the Inheritors. The event ...
'' feature films.


Spiritual successor and possible revival

On November 1, 2014 at the Comikaze Expo, where the show's 20th anniversary was celebrated, John Semper Jr. revealed that much of the cast and crew of ''Spider-Man'', himself included, had agreed to reunite for a new
crowdfunded Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising money from a large number of people, typically via the internet. Crowdfunding is a form of crowdsourcing and alternative finance. In 2015, over was raised worldwide by crow ...
series entitled "War of the Rocket Men". In addition, in late 2014, Semper Jr started a website (cartoonspiderman.com) that features behind-the-scenes content, podcasts about the show, a link to the Facebook page that Semper regularly posts on and more. In April 2016, Semper's YouTube account posted a video in which he revealed that he had written a short story following up on the series, detailing Peter finding Mary Jane with Madame Web's help in a Victorian Age setting, referring to the story as "an autobiographical fan-fiction" in which he reminisced on what it was like writing the last episodes of the series, as well as detailing how Peter and Mary Jane would have been reunited, adding one could think of it as "the lost episode of ''Spider-Man: The Animated Series''". Semper explained that he would be releasing this as a perk on a crowd-funding campaign for War of the Rocket Men. The video also featured the returning voices of Christopher Daniel Barnes and Sara Ballantine as Spider-Man/Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson respectively in an audio promo prologue entitled "Peter Finds Mary Jane". After '' X-Men '97'' was announced as a revival of the ''X-Men'' TV series by
Marvel Studios Marvel Studios, LLC (originally known as Marvel Films from 1993 to 1996) is an American film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of the Walt Disney Company. Marvel Studios produces the Ma ...
for the streaming service
Disney+ Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television se ...
, it marked a possibility that ''Spider-Man'' could be revived for Disney+ as well. In July 2022, Semper addressed this, stating that he would happily do it if he had the same creative freedom he had on the series:


See also

* '' Spider-Man Unlimited'' * ''
The Spectacular Spider-Man ''The Spectacular Spider-Man'' is a comic book and magazine series starring Spider-Man and published by Marvel Comics. Following the success of Spider-Man's original series, ''The Amazing Spider-Man'', Marvel felt the character could support ...
'' * ''
Ultimate Spider-Man ''Ultimate Spider-Man'' is a superhero comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics from 2000 to 2011. The series is a modernized re-imagining of Marvel's long-running Spider-Man comic book franchise as part of the company's Ultimate ...
'' * ''
Marvel's Spider-Man Marvel's Spider-Man may refer to: * Spider-Man, a fictional Marvel Comics superhero * ''Spider-Man'' (2017 TV series), an animated series produced by Marvel Animation * ''Spider-Man'' (video game series), a series of action-adventure video games ...
''


References


Sources


DRG4's Spider-Man: The Animated Series Page



Marvel Animation Age Presents: Spider-Man: The Animated Series


External links

*

' at
Fox Kids Fox Kids (originally known as Fox Children's Network and later as the Fox Kids Network; stylized as FOX KIDS) was an American children's programming block and branding for a slate of international children's television channels. Originally a jo ...
(Archive) *
Spider-Man (1994)
a
TVShowsOnDVD.com

Spider-Man at Marvel.com

Semper Jr's 2014 - Making of Spider-Man Website

Spider-Man: The Animated Series on Facebook
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spider-Man 1990s American animated television series 1994 American television series debuts 1998 American television series endings American children's animated action television series American children's animated adventure television series American children's animated drama television series American children's animated science fantasy television series American children's animated superhero television series
1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nels ...
Animated series produced by Marvel Studios Animated television series about teenagers Animated television series based on Marvel Comics Anime-influenced Western animated television series English-language television shows Fox Broadcasting Company original programming Fox Kids Jetix original programming Teen superhero television series Television series by Disney–ABC Domestic Television Television series by Saban Entertainment Television shows based on Marvel Comics Television shows set in New York City Works by Len Wein