Texas Tech Librarian 'Proves' Existence of Spider-Man
Yes, Mary Jane, there is a Spider-Man. At least, that鈥檚 what pop-culture guru and associate humanities librarian for Texas Tech University Libraries Rob Weiner set out to prove in an article published in the International Journal of Comic Art.
A note to comic buffs: don鈥檛 get too wrapped up searching the skyline for web-slinging do-gooders just yet.
However, there鈥檚 good news for anyone who鈥檚 ever picked up a Spidey comic or just worn one of his T-shirts: thanks to you, Spider-Man has found life outside of comic-book pages.
In much the same way that editor Francis Pharcellus Church proved the existence of Santa Claus in his famous 1897 New York Sun editorial, Weiner contends that Spider-Man and his costumed peers have entered mankind鈥檚 collective consciousness, filling a shared need for heroes.
鈥淲hen I started reading graphic novels, I was struck by the fact that stories about Spider-Man or Batman and Superman could have as many plot twists and turns as any story by Shakespeare, Stephen King or Leo Tolstoy,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 was struck by how good some of the writing was for these so-called 鈥渒iddie鈥� books, and that somehow these archetypical characters like Spider-Man were replacing Odysseus and Zeus as part of modern mythology.鈥�
Spider-Man boasts a resume that would make many celebrities salivate: blockbuster movies, a TV series, magazine appearances, graphic novels, videogames and action figures. He鈥檚 spawned knock-offs, spin-offs and imitators. Fans from across the world could pick his mug out of a lineup.
Some people even don his costume while doing something as humble as feeding the homeless.
鈥淲hile some of this (affectation) is categorically tongue-in-cheek and they don鈥檛 have 鈥榮uper powers,鈥� these actual-world costumed figures are trying to do good for their fellow citizens, which shows just how pervasive fictional realities can be,鈥� Weiner said.
Weiner鈥檚 books on comic books include 鈥淐aptain America and the Struggle of the Superhero: Critical Essays鈥� and Marvel Graphic Novels and Related Publications: An Annotated Guide.
A copy of Weiner鈥檚 article is available as a pdf upon request, or a copy of the journal can be purchased at .
Provided by Texas Tech University
